Each day in Kenya is a new adventure. Without going much further, yesterday, we decided to go to Makuyu, an area that I knew from my past trips. A few matatus (buses) later we had arrived at the road intersection between Makuyu and Pundamilia. To my surprise, the road looked like a European highway. Last time I was there, it was under construction, but I never imagined it would ever be finished. I was told this road had been built by Chinese who had brought not only their materials but also their workmen.
Some say that as they advanced towards the north, all the dogs in the area went missing. It seems like they also know here the value that dog meat has in China. Eric couldn’t stop laughing as he told us this story.
When we reached the intersection and we were waiting for the matatu to bring us closer to Makuyu village, I saw a sign that said; ´´MEGG’S PROPERTY-LAND FOR SALE.’’ When I approached the sign to write down the number, I saw the office was just there. In the office they told me about the lands they have on sale, and 20 minutes later we were10km from the office seeing several plots. We weren’t very amazed by the lands, but we were lucky to have met Megg. Megg is a woman who has lived 20 years in Germany, and after seeing her kids grow, she decided to go back to her country and give back some of her luck to her neighbours. She is developing an admirable project. She has built three shops that are going to be the beginning of a new village, bringing electricity from a 10km distance and completely developing the area. She hasn’t stopped there. She has bought an incubator in which she is raising chickens, peasants, turkeys…etc and teaching the local men, the great advantages that these animals can offer.
On the way back we saw another plot, this one looked better and it was cheaper. The driver that had accompanied us throughout the whole trip had become our friend, and I asked him to take us to our next destination, Watoto Wa Baraka.
Watoto Wa Barata was the orphanage I had been in when I came to Kenya the first time and where I met Eric. The experience I lived when I was there was unforgettable; a mixture of love and hate that brought me to where I am now. Love because at that moment I felt like I was doing what I truly liked. Hate because I saw that although a lot of help was reaching the people, a lot of it was also staying on the way.
I was able to see a lot of the kids who I had been with when I was last there. They had grown a lot, it’s been almost 4 years. This wasn’t the only thing that had changed. A lot of the kids had left and there was not even one of the workers from the time I was here. We soon had to leave because it was getting late, but I was very happy just to be with them and know that they were well.
As we were walking back to Makuyu, we were talking to John, an old friend that had a shop next to the orphanage. John told us everything that had happened at Watoto Wa Baraka. A lot of stories I had already heard, but that always change when they go from mouth to mouth. These stories are the ones that have made Mas Por Ellos have a reason to be, and that transparency is the most characteristic note that will govern our association. This is another story we will talk about in the future in more detail.
We have seen almost 20 plots of land since we arrived, all of which are in Central Highland Province, in the centre of Kenya. It is less than an hour away from Nairobi, towards the north, and it is the greenest and most fertile land in Kenya. Almost anything can be planted here; coffee, bananas, corn, lima beans… and a great part of the population that lives here, does so because of the characteristics and weather conditions. During the months of June and July, the temperatures go down to 15-20 degrees, and between October and December, monsoon season arrives, and doesn’t stop raining for weeks. The soil is prepared to absorb this amount of water and there are no floods. If anything, big puddles and a lot of mud can be seen while those that live there walk around in water boots!
We have identified the area and we are in contact with a few landlords, negotiating prices which get very high as soon as they see that we are muzungus. Soon we will have our place in Kenya and we will be able to say that Más Por Ellos is a reality. Our dream has just begun!
Álvaro
"Only one thing makes a dream impossible: fear of failure." Paulo Coelho
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