Oh, Kenya Power and Darkness, how we hate you.

Electricity in Kenya is supplied (intermittently) by Kenya Power and Light Company – fondly (?!) known “Kenya Power and Darkness” or “Kenya Poor”. On Tuesday afternoon the power was off and on, and I mistakenly left my laptop plugged in to a wall socket (without surge protection) and at some stage the internals of the power supply melted and fused the plug. Careless mistake on my part, left with 2 hours battery to last over 2 weeks unless I could find a replacement.

So I contacted Edu, who said he knew a place in town that might have what we needed, if I could join him on a visit first, so late Wednesday morning I met Edu and Noelia and we went to pick up a boy called Juma (front) and his mum to take them to Barnabas School.

On of Juma’s brothers.

Ready to go to school.

So by foot and matatu we all headed to Barnabas. While Juma was interviewed by Harrison, I disturbed the Class 4 teacher.

During the lunchbreak we inspected the new classroom being built to give room for the Class 4.

Saying farewell to Barnabas, we took 2 matatus via Bamburi to Mombasa town, where Edu visited a friend (running a graphic design and print service) who took my laptop and the dead power supply and came back a little later saying the place next door had one for 2,500 KES (under £20). We had quite a wait while the item was retrieved from store, then a hunt for the socket-to-transformer cable (the new adapter, genuine Samsung of the correct rating, had a 2-pin input rather than 3-pin).

By now we were tired, thirsty and hungry, so we headed to the Old Town.

Eventually (mainly because Noelia and I kept stopping to take photos!) we reached Edu’s favourite haunt, Jahazi Coffee House.

It’s a cat-friendly place.

Snacks and drinks

Edu made himself at home.

And I found a purring puss

From Jahazi we headed to the waterside by Fort Jesus (about 100 metre walk) and took the view.

Then, leaving Noelia to meet a friend, Edu and I headed back to Shanzu.

Now you can see the evidence that the power adapter is functioning… and the electrician is here fixing the house electrics (I’m connected to the solar).

Farewell Marius, Hello Noelia

Marius, the Norwegian intern who has been here over Christmas, was leaving this evening, so a party was planed in his honour. Marius has been a great hit here, working hard with the special school and Barnabas orphans.

I visited during the day when preparations were under way. Gloria was in the bath…

And Shanique hopped in with her, fully dressed!

We got spruced up and joined the party in the evening. Lydia is not yet used to Jacob’s extended family!

Shanique loves an audience

Marius was given a cake – naming him “MJ Charo”, i.e. one of the Charo family.

The tradition is that he has to feed everyone cake, then be fed by everyone,with much chanting!

With his new wazazi (parents)

With the whole family, and new intern Noelia

The Charo Brothers

Fed by mama

And then, everyone departed to see Marius to the stage on the way for a night flight to Nairobi (first of 4 flights over 48 hours to reach the Arctic circle in northern Norway – that WILL be a shock to hs system!)