Mivumoni – a trip home

Home Uncategorized Mivumoni – a trip home

A visit to Mivumoni, my Kenyan rural home, is a must. Sadly this was squeezed into a few days. We took some of Lucy’s belongings home in the truck.

After lunch we delivered Maggy and her belongings to her shamba, and her Dad Boniface (and many grandchildren) took me on a walk round.

We met Boniface’s brother Peter and walked to his home, where his daughter Lina (sister to Father Dominic) was cooking chapati (tasting was mandatory, after eating their tangerines and oranges).

They were using a Jikokoa, a modern charcoal stove that is cleaner and uses less fuel than a traditional makaa jiko. Sadly, at 3500 shillings (about £30) they are rather expensive for the average family.

We found Maggy tending her goats.

And her nephew Caleb.

Me and most of the kids

Mivumoni Sunsets through the mivuma trees.

John getting milk for breakfast

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Next day Athanasia and I made a long tour to visits clients of the epilepsy programme. I took lots of pictures of clients and their families which I will write up properly in due course.

Making brooms (fagio) from palm leaves

Fenesi – the craziest fruit, supper sickly sweet.

The young man in this photo suffered brain damage from malaria which resulted in epilepsy. He is violent and has to be kept securely in the little room here. It felt a bit like a caged wild animal, but I saw the risk as he turned on his grandfather.

Mother and daughters of a client we were looking for.

The client with the rest of her family

Another client.

One client had terrible sores on his leg. I wished I had some medical knowledge to suggest treatment. Like several we saw today who live a long way from Mivumoni the journey to the clinic is long and they don’t have strength for the walk so they lapse on their drugs.

A client

Mat making

Another client

Back at Mivumoni Maggy and her sister Vero were cooking for my Kenyan birthday party and Maggy’s nieces and nephews had swelled the numbers at Lucy’s home.

Ann helping with the cooking – eldest daughters have responsibilities.

Mike and I had a sneaky beer (I needed one after a long dusty drive) and collected some drinks for the party.

Vero in the kitchen tending the pilau.

Thursday morning Mike took me for a walk to the Mivumoni Primary School

Kindergarten class

We moved next door to the polytechnic (technical training – dress making, carpentry, masonry, ICT, welding, mechanics etc). They have a smart new dormitory for female students, but no toilets so that can’t yet use it.