kumi na nane (18)

Day 15 (9/19)
I don’t even remember what hour breakfast was at. All I remember is it was way before 7. Anyway, after the breakfast that I might have been subconsciously sleeping though we went on a field lecture with Kiringe (the Prof that fell in the aardvark hole). This morning was a bird field lecture and we saw birds, some swallows, sparrows, ibises. After walking around outside the fence we went back in and had Swahili class again. We learned to count and tell time (which comes in handy later on in the day.)

Around 10:30 AM we headed off to do our community service project. We helped the local community build trenches that allow them to get water to their farms. This included carrying wheelbarrows full of dirt, and then bags of cement that were 80+ pounds to an area. At the same time other people were carrying water, bucket by bucket to the same area. We would make a little hole in the dirt/cement mixture and mix it on the ground and then shovel it into the place where the trench was going. Haha it was insane. They said that we got done about 3 day’s worth of work in a few hours because there were so many of us. We did that from 11 to 4. It actually was a lot of fun because the locals were helping us learn Swahili and I was counting the wheelbarrow loads that people were bringing in, and they loved that I knew the Swahili words. Most people speak English really well (especially the kids) and it’s so funny to watch their reactions when you can hold a simple conversation because I feel like they don’t expect us to know any Swahili.
I found the community service project a little ironic because we are helping people build these trenches that steal water from streams and cause rivers to dry up and it makes all the wildlife, flora and fauna, and people downstream suffer. For the last 2 weeks we have basically been learning about how bad they are and the destruction they cause…and then we turn around and help people to build them. But at the same time it puts names to faces, instead of just being farmers they turn into human beings who are trying to make a living too. They become people instead of a statistic and that is really heartwarming that we got to see the other side of it. Not to mention the trenches are much more environmentally friendly because without a trench, 50 people could use the water that will serve 150 people with a trench, so it helps to keep water use down and runoff low. Overall it was great learning experience and God, those locals know how to work. I have never seen someone work so hard for so many hours and not take a break or even break a sweat.

And I love to go places because every single time you pass a little kid they yell and run towards the car waving and laughing. And when there are a ton of school kids it’s the best (because school just got out it’s a mass of little kids in adorable uniforms screaming and laughing just at the sight of Americans in cars.)
Today is national talk like a pirate day and tonight we are gunna watch Muppet Treasure Island in celebration…haha perfect Saturday night with the gang.
Tomorrow is another non-program day and because it’s Sunday (and the only Sunday-non-program day, therefore our only chance) we are going to church! And it’s all in Swahili, definitely more cultural than spiritual but we get to dress up a little bit and meet the locals! After church we are heading to Club Kimana. Haha it will be grand.