This weekend we embarked on a four-hour drive outside of Nairobi to a small village in Kitui County. Nyumbani village is unique in many ways. It is a model bio-friendly and self-sustaining community serving orphans and elders who have been left behind by the “lost generation” resulting from the HIV/AIDS pandemic. There are about 1,000 children who have lost parents to AIDS and 100 elders who have lost children to AIDS. They pair about 10 children per elder essentially to create nuclear families. The grandparents serve as role models and parents to the children and the children help out with cleaning, cooking, and other chores. In this way both groups can gain from living together in this community. The village is also almost entirely self-sustainable. They grow all the food they eat within the villages 1,000 acres. They have a large solar field and also use human and animal manure as biogas for cooking and electricity. Water is collected from local boreholes and during the rainy seasons large containers collect water for use for the rest of the year. Nyumbani also has three schools on site – a primary school, secondary school, and technical school, which is free for all the students. Students wishing to continue on to university will also receive scholarships to do so from the Nyumbani organization. The village also has a clinic that serves Nyumbani as well as neighboring communities and a small shop full of baskets the women weave and honey collected from the beehives. This model is so unique and amazing. They are filling a gap left by the devastation from HIV/AIDS while also living and thriving in a completely sustainable way.
After the most beautiful drive through Kenyan countryside and smaller towns, we spent the first part of the weekend meeting with the volunteers at Nyumbani and enjoying a delicious lunch of rice, bean stew, and greens (Kenyan food is sooo good!) Then we took a tour of the entire village, where we were able to learn about all of Nyumbani’s programs and meet with some of the community members. A few eager children were quick to grab our hands and join us on the tour. Afterwards we took a small break before heading over to the main field. Some of the older kids (probably around our age) played an intense game of soccer while I joined the younger ones in kicking around a ball and playing Frisbee. The kids loved hanging out with us, taking pictures with my phone, and grabbing our hands. As I took a break to take some pictures I realized how utterly beautiful the scenery was. The sun was beginning to set over the Kitui Hills and the red dust from the field swirled in the wind. It was a truly breathtaking and memorable experience.
We headed back to the guesthouse for another delicious meal before gathering wood to make a bonfire. Under the stars we went around and each said our roses, thrones, and buds (something good, something bad, and something we were looking forward to). It was a really nice moment to reflect on the day and the past month of being here and to get to hear from everyone. Once the fire was extinguished we all lay on the ground and enjoyed admiring the stars, we even saw one of the best shooting stars I’ve ever seen. Eventually, we were all so tired we headed to bed. The rooms were really nice, which was something I was not expecting. We all got double beds with canopies of mosquito nets and individual bathrooms with pit latrines and running water. Although the light in my bathroom didn’t work I managed to pour some cold water over my feet to wash off the red dirt that accumulated throughout the day. Once I got in bed, I quickly drifted off.
On Sunday we woke up early and enjoyed yet another delicious meal of mendazi’s and chai masala before heading over to church. Some people decided to stay back but as someone who has never really attended church before, I was excited for the experience. Mass was conducted primarily in Kikanga, the local language, although there was English and Swahili sprinkled in. I absolutely loved listening to the singing and the women swaying and clapping to the music. There were probably a thousand people packed into the large auditorium-like building all dressed in their nicest clothes and kangas. At the end of the service they made us come up front and introduce ourselves to the group. It was a little nerve-wracking standing in front of a huge crowd but they were also so welcoming and friendly.
I was so pleasantly surprised by exactly how welcoming everyone was throughout the weekend. Village members were always eager to call out greetings and children were quick to run over and play with us. There were also a few experiences we would be walking around and a grandmother would approach us and without any English we would engage in the most intense handshake I’ve ever experienced complete with chanting. It was really beautiful to be able to communicate and interact in this way and experience the complete welcoming of this community.
After church we spent some more time with the kids playing Frisbee and taking pictures. Before we left we stopped in the store where the women sell their baskets and honey and picked up a few things for souvenirs and gifts. We enjoyed our last meal and headed out on the bus waving good-bye as we pulled away. On the ride back I couldn’t help but smile at how wonderful an experience this weekend was. It was so refreshing and humbling and it would be incredible to have the opportunity to come back to the village to volunteer or work in other similar communities for a time. It is just so wonderful to know that unlike many organizations across Africa, Nyumbani is doing such amazing work and that there is a substantial role for a volunteer.
After the most beautiful drive through Kenyan countryside and smaller towns, we spent the first part of the weekend meeting with the volunteers at Nyumbani and enjoying a delicious lunch of rice, bean stew, and greens (Kenyan food is sooo good!) Then we took a tour of the entire village, where we were able to learn about all of Nyumbani’s programs and meet with some of the community members. A few eager children were quick to grab our hands and join us on the tour. Afterwards we took a small break before heading over to the main field. Some of the older kids (probably around our age) played an intense game of soccer while I joined the younger ones in kicking around a ball and playing Frisbee. The kids loved hanging out with us, taking pictures with my phone, and grabbing our hands. As I took a break to take some pictures I realized how utterly beautiful the scenery was. The sun was beginning to set over the Kitui Hills and the red dust from the field swirled in the wind. It was a truly breathtaking and memorable experience.
We headed back to the guesthouse for another delicious meal before gathering wood to make a bonfire. Under the stars we went around and each said our roses, thrones, and buds (something good, something bad, and something we were looking forward to). It was a really nice moment to reflect on the day and the past month of being here and to get to hear from everyone. Once the fire was extinguished we all lay on the ground and enjoyed admiring the stars, we even saw one of the best shooting stars I’ve ever seen. Eventually, we were all so tired we headed to bed. The rooms were really nice, which was something I was not expecting. We all got double beds with canopies of mosquito nets and individual bathrooms with pit latrines and running water. Although the light in my bathroom didn’t work I managed to pour some cold water over my feet to wash off the red dirt that accumulated throughout the day. Once I got in bed, I quickly drifted off.
On Sunday we woke up early and enjoyed yet another delicious meal of mendazi’s and chai masala before heading over to church. Some people decided to stay back but as someone who has never really attended church before, I was excited for the experience. Mass was conducted primarily in Kikanga, the local language, although there was English and Swahili sprinkled in. I absolutely loved listening to the singing and the women swaying and clapping to the music. There were probably a thousand people packed into the large auditorium-like building all dressed in their nicest clothes and kangas. At the end of the service they made us come up front and introduce ourselves to the group. It was a little nerve-wracking standing in front of a huge crowd but they were also so welcoming and friendly.
I was so pleasantly surprised by exactly how welcoming everyone was throughout the weekend. Village members were always eager to call out greetings and children were quick to run over and play with us. There were also a few experiences we would be walking around and a grandmother would approach us and without any English we would engage in the most intense handshake I’ve ever experienced complete with chanting. It was really beautiful to be able to communicate and interact in this way and experience the complete welcoming of this community.
After church we spent some more time with the kids playing Frisbee and taking pictures. Before we left we stopped in the store where the women sell their baskets and honey and picked up a few things for souvenirs and gifts. We enjoyed our last meal and headed out on the bus waving good-bye as we pulled away. On the ride back I couldn’t help but smile at how wonderful an experience this weekend was. It was so refreshing and humbling and it would be incredible to have the opportunity to come back to the village to volunteer or work in other similar communities for a time. It is just so wonderful to know that unlike many organizations across Africa, Nyumbani is doing such amazing work and that there is a substantial role for a volunteer.