Dagoretti

This past week I stayed in the community of Dagoretti. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, as I was feeling as if I had many things to do at home, but once again by the end I did not want to leave! Dago is a slum area of Nairobi -- it is the setting for 'The Constant Gardener'. The trains only come on the weekends, so mostly the track is used for walking. I often wonder where all the people are walking to! We arrived towards evening, and driving through the market place felt so "African." People walking home from work, dogs running around, vendors selling charcoal, glowing of bare bulbs in the shops that were still open...
Sister Eleanor (aka the awesome Scottish Sister) is the Superior there, and also runs the VIDES Kenya (I'm in VIDES US) program. There was a catechism camp this week with VIDES Kenya volunteers and also one VIDES UK member who had come for weddings.
In the morning the children had catechism classes, so the VIDES UK member, Darrin, and I were able to go to the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) Forum at Bosco Boystown (nearby community of Salesian Fathers). I had actuallywanted to go to it, but by the time I realized it was too late to sign up, so I was really lucky that Sr. Eleanor was the organizer! The SYM was very well planned, and tons of fun. It is for secondary students and some college students, so I could really participate in and get something from the sessions. There was tons of energy and singing (my new favorite: Glory Train) and since the participants are leaders in their parishes everyone really joined in fully. It's so wonderful when you don't have to push for participation. The theme was "Be a hero, shine" so there was a lot about discovering your inner hero (one presenter played the Enrique Iglesias song...hmmm). I think it has renewed the Spirit in the young people to bring back to their youth groups, and also the spirit of giving rather than receiving.
The catechism camp was also very fun! This was more for the younger children (ages 4 - 14, mostly around 10 years I would say). In the afternoon they had games and activities. I taught them the Bugaloo (anyone who has been to Girl Scout Camp likely knows that one). On the last afternoon they had something a bit like a carnival, and the games were fun and the children who won games got a ticket to receive a prize (some got a pencil, others toy cars, some clothing; they were all donated prizes -- although someone had given a toothbrush that you get on the airplane, and it wasn't in it's original packaging...) The next morning many were looking smart in the shirts they had won!
The children in Dagoretti are very friendly and loving. I had such a wonderful moment with one 10 year old, John, who is "not quite normal." We went to the church basketball courtish thing while they prepared the games for the carnival, and John was throwing rocks at the other children and at the kennel of what sounded like a very large dog (it kept jumping at the roof which did not look nailed on so tightly!). I was with a lot of small children, and keeping them all occupied was definitely a test of my skills (I was running out of songs to sing) so I did not have a lot of time for discipline. Warnings didn't help, so I made John my "friend" and had him come stand next to me etc. The next morning, when he walked into camp he came straight over and sat by me (I wasn't even sitting with his group) and the whole time he kept looking at me and smiling this beautiful smile and holding my hand. I could not believe the change from the day before.
The closing Mass was also a neat experience -- there were baptisms and first communions. The best part was after each baptism the clapping and cheering and ululating! People are so involved in Mass here -- when they sing they are really singing. The whole church seems to sway with the beat.
It was also really nice to meet other volunteers! Darrin was great to work with, and really knew how to work with the children. I got many ideas from him. The Kenyan volunteers are mostly university students, and they come back year after year mostly to do the big camp in August, but some were helping out now this year. It was fun to live with them and in general talk to them -- and of course to make new friends!

Embu

I have been able to visit a couple nearby communities in the last few weeks. Even though they are both less than two hours from here (in opposite directions, however) they are quite different than Makuyu.
In Embu, the Sisters run a girl's boarding secondary school and a boarding technical (dressmaking and hair) school. The students come from various parts of Kenya, and even a couple from Tanzania. I went to help with the closing of the school. Since the students stay there, it gives it a different atmosphere than the high schools I'm used to. Closing time is fun, because while the teachers are given time to correct exams, the students get to do fun things. We played games, watched movies, had competitions, sang Christmas carols (I taught them "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas") and since there is a keyboard there I was able to play along to many of them. I am learning "Silent Night" in Kiswahili! They also have many Christmas songs in their mothertongues and Kiswahili. Each evening there was a program where the girls could perform. One night was "gospel" and the last night Christmas themed (including dramas which included a dancing pregnant Mary!) The Sisters prepared a surprise for them, and dressed up as the three kings and led them around eventually to the dining hall where they had little cakes and hot chocolate.
The dorms the students stay in are divided into "cubes" of 12 beds, there are pit latrines for bathrooms and each week the students get 1 egg and one meal there is meat. Otherwise, they have porridge for breakfast every day, and alternate ugali, githere and sometimes rice for the other meals. Definitely not luxurious!
The mission is on the outskirts of town, so there is a beautiful field, and even cows! 2 evenings in a row there were rainbows in the sky. I had a lot of fun being there -- the Mother Superior is a delightful woman who is very welcoming! I even got to bake a cake for my departure :)
I helped with various projects there, and of course assisting in the activities for the students. I really enjoyed talking with the girls who were very curious about how we dance and sing (they find it strange Americans don't have many song and dance numbers), and American culture in general. They are wonderful dancers! In the evenings it was so fun because they would turn on music while waiting for the program and just dance outside!
It was really interesting to see how different the school was from ours, however. Very structured timetable (they get up before 6 am to have study time! Required Mass isn't even until 6:30) and regulations, but it does not feel stifled. There is a great sense of community and comraderie. For example, when they performed at the programs, they would cheer loudly for EVERYONE, not just the popular students, and even the mediocre acts were rewarded with clapping just for getting up there. It was interestin however, that right at the end of the song or dance or skit they would run off "stage" (they have stairs outside they sit on and an open space at the bottom where performers stand) practically while still finishing their number.
Overall, I definitely had fun, and the 5 days went by so quickly!

A couple things...

First, if you should be so inclined to write me a letter, my address is Lauren Dwyer
C.O. Salesian Sisters, Don Bosco Catholic Mission
P.O. Box 231 -- 01020
Kenol, Makuyu, Kenya

I love to get mail -- it takes about 20 days to get to me.

Second, my family is coming at the end of March to visit!!! If anyone is interested in also coming, let me know!!!!

Third, if you have any topics or anything you want me to write about -- just post a comment and I will definitely answer.

Thanks for your interest!
--Lauren

Religion

Perhaps a better title for this would be faith. The people of Kenya have such a great faith! When the future is tentative, everybody says "We'll do this, God willing." If bad things happen to a family, they don't seem to question, but again consider it "God's will."
A large part of the population is Christian, and another large part Muslim. The two do not seem to get along with each other. I get really frustrated when I hear people say "those Muslims" because they think that every one of them is radical. However, the radical Muslims preach openly against Christianity in an attempt to spread hatred towards them. Really it goes both ways. Before I left I met with a Sister, Sr. Toni Rausch who lived in Tanzania for many years and she gave me a brochure on Christian/Muslim relations. As you may know, I am "pro-love-and-acceptance" and don't understand all the animosity as they are worshiping the same God.
Catholicism is the most prominent Christian Religions, but I am still surprised at the number of Kingdom Hall's of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the north, there was one non-denominational church that was gaining followers by promising camels if you became baptized. In the Catholic church, at least, there is a lack of priests. The parish here has 16 "outstations" where the priests rotate between. The outstations have Mass 2x per month and otherwise have a prayer service. Each one has a trained Catechist who leads this. There is one Mwalimu (teacher) in the primary school here who walks 45 to Mass each day (and when there is no school 45 minutes back as well). Sisters and Fathers are generally well respected.
It is interesting the combination of traditional African customs and traditional Christianity. For example, at the moment there are about 40 boys young teenage secluded in the school who have just been circumcised and are basically having their initiation time. (They knew what they were coming for, but they didn't know when the actual circumcision would happen -- how weird is it to know when someone will be circumcised before they do! )
Some of the elderly still follow traditional Kenyan religion -- mostly believing that God lives on Mount Kenya. I think I mentioned that in the desert we encountered people who believe the devil lives inside of them, which keeps them from going to Christian church. In the day time the Fathers go and visit them and take tea in their houses (they are not bad people) but at night when they drum is when the ceremonies happen and people will even swallow hot coals. Really interesting.