I start writing this post in the airport in Kenya after saying goodbye to Erick who brought me here. I can’t stop thinking of how I will answer to the question I will be repeatedly asked when I get back to Spain; ‘‘How was Kenya?’’ ‘‘How is the project going?’’ Incredible, real...it’s difficult to explain everything I’ve learnt and lived these days.
The first few days we were busy looking for an apartment. Our aim was to find one with big rooms where we could fit bunk beds where long-term volunteers could stay. For this, the apartment needed to be near Kibera, where all our efforts are going to be focused for the development of this project.
After some days of walking through the neighborhoods of South B. and Langata, we came across the ideal apartment in a surprisingly quick and easy way. Moving was a difficult story. In only one pick up truck we piled up all our belongings and furniture Erick had given us, and held it all together with ropes, making a three meter tower. This can only be seen in Africa! What a team!
Installed in our apartment, we got ready to close the plot deal. We travelled an hour from Nairobi, near a small village called Kangundo. Red land, green vegetation, just as I imagined Africa. An incredible landscape. The idea was to find an ideal place to build the orphanage and the school, a place where kids could grow surrounded by a healthy environment and a place where a secondary school could really make a difference to the children of that area.
Before I arrived, Alvaro, Bea and Erick had already visited the area, so this time we knew where we were going, or at least thats what we thought, but as always, difficulties kept coming our way. There was always something wrong with the plots of land; we saw plots between valleys with incredible conditions but that ended up not being for sale; the plots that were on sale had owners which couldn’t be reached; plots that had none of our requirements; plots that were sold for 5 times their real price. This really began to burn our energy.
After weeks of problems, we all decided the best thing was for there not to be any ‘‘muzungus’’ (white people) when we visited the lands, so Erick spent the weekend in Kangundo, where his girlfriend, Monica, lived. It was the only way to close the deal once and for all, if Erick did it on his own. Not long after, we almost had a plot of land, one which had everything we were looking for and which we ended up deciding to buy! We arrived at Kangundo with little hope, but Erick is AMAZING and he reached the expectations. Even more, he overcame them.
(photo; andrea de sancho)
In spite of the problems we had with the land, we didn’t want to stop moving forward in other aspects. Not everything is easy, especially not in Africa. There are moments of frustration in a project like this one, cultural differences which need to be overcome, and impotence. It’s important not to drive to despair and to keep moving forward.
We were in Kibera several days and we met a lot of small businessmen with different businesses. These would be our first contacts for our microcredit program which will start as soon as COOFUND starts working. We visited orphanages in Kibera and Mathare Valley. We met a Kenyan architect, a geologist and our new lawyer!
In conclusion, we have done this, and much more. We have a thousand little stories that we will continue to tell and that made us go home every day with a huge smile on our face (although always very tired and hoping it wasn’t your turn to cook...because nothing beats Bea’s spanish omelette)! I will come back in January and it will be incredible as we will begin to build the orphanage. I can’t wait, but I don’t think I will ever forget my first face to face with Africa..where my experience definitely overcame my expectations.
Álvaro Mesonero Romanos
‘‘Give what you have so that you deserve to receive what you ask for’’ St. Agustin.
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