Life in Africa 2

We lived for two years under the same roof as Big E's family, and of course you become involved with their life, family and activities as well. Here is Big E's mother who had bad cataracts and went to the big performance of a touring evangelist. His name eludes me but they generally play on poor saying they will perform miracles. Sure enough this old Bibi returned saying that her eyesight was restored - within a week she could not see again.

Our close neighbor, Mama Veronica, had her mother living with her and she took care of the family cow. This old woman would cut a trunk of a banana 'tree' and carry it off for the cow. Chopped up it is nourishment, but not a total food for zero grazed cattle. It has a high water content and the trunk is very heavy.
Famously I used to dance with her and nobody recognized that I have two left feet and little rhythm. They were polite!

Nai spent a lot of time with us, helping with language, telling us stories and watching what we did. As parents she was allowed far more leeway than our own kids, but she was a joy.
Nai enjoyed dressing up and getting her picture taken.

Olotu and his mate Eddie made some mud bricks to make a kennel for a dog that Olotu wanted to acquire. I actually 'encouraged' them to relocate the kennel ways from out bedroom window because I knew that the dog would bark! The bricks were made from the spoil of the soak pit for our bathroom. They put a lot of effort into this work. The Dog had pup and I helped thin them out - there is a story elsewhere.










Glory was a cousin of Big E's and she invited us to her brother's confirmation. Glory's mother was the sister of of Big E's mother and they were alike. They lived way up the Sanawari road, higher up the mountain. Thaday, like most who have these celebrations did not look happy but the was led to the high table by women and girls led by Mama Baraka. We ended up in a room with Glory who had stashed some beer and wanted us to down a bottle of Konyagi - we passed on that.

Fish farming is a good source of protein, but it takes some effort to build the pond and manage it. The fish are the small telapa but those ponds that have catfish in them to thin the population, have more sizable fish. The fish are well liked and are deep fried and even the heads are crunched up! The small fingerlings introduced into the pond are called 'mbegu' the same word used for seed. Harvesting is usually a team effort.

Ritual and tradition is important to the Maasai. There is much preparation required for a circumcision ceremony in the Mkonoo village.

A young girl carries her sibling through the fields at Mkonoo village. Life is not easy in such areas and responsibility is expected from a young person to look after their juniors.
At Mkonoo I have been 'lost' because we could not see over the maize so there was no horizon to get our bearings.

Across the road at Engorora, we worked with a committed fellow called 'Francis', who was a friend of Joshia. He asked us to help with a water project which would have to pass across this dry creek bed. In the end we strung the line high, between the trees. It would have been too difficult to bury the line safely.