Development is Within Us

Semeji set aside his machine gun to babysit Jessica.  This gave Brown, her mother, the opportunity to fully participate in the morning’s Mentor training session. Semeji is clearly Jessica’s favorite among everyone in our group.  Her dainty feet rarely touch the ground...

Swimming with Crocodiles

It is hard not to think about crocodiles when you are swimming in Lake Turkana, supposedly the body of water with the highest concentration of crocodiles in the world.  Everyone assures us that the mamba’s (crocodile in Swahili) avoid areas where there are people,...

Turkana

Omar insisted on staying up until Kura arrived.  It was after midnight when Kura finally knocked on my hut door to let me know that they had arrived safely.  Despite the roads and mechanical problems, he was very excited to tell me that they had seen four cheetahs. ...

The Jade Sea

Last night I fell asleep to the sound of the warriors singing.  Deep baritone chants and high-pitched whoops echoed off the walls of the surrounding mountains.  Soon I could hear the young girls lilting songs, encouraging the warriors.  I wish I could have stayed...

Today the Adventure Begins

Today the adventure begins.  Maina and Semeji arrive promptly at 6:30 and they load the vehicles with the jerrycans, water and a few food supplies.  We head north out of Nanyuki and are once again treated to the rare sight of the summit of Mt. Kenya.  Another good...