Vines and Flowers and Contrasts...

Vines and flowers

The children in their uniforms

Beatrice pouring porridge

A day of startling contrasts...the morning spent at The Nyanya Project preschool at the edge of the Kibera slum, planting flowers in front of  the wall. Last Sunday's gospel reading about the different soils came to mind, as we cleared stones and broken glass and other odd detritus from the ground in order to make the space as plant-friendly as possible to give the vines and flowers a chance to grow, even thrive. 

Tiny, little plants

It was wonderful to see two of my friends from last summer, Beatrice and Beatrice, two of the Nyanyas that are part of our project. Hugs were exchanged all around, accompanied by joyful smiles. And once again, the children were overjoyed to have us there. As we did our gardening work- (kupanda)-we could hear them doing their lessons, singing and reciting aloud, everything in their Swahili-accented English- (Kingereza). Then it was "snack" time- actually, supplement time, with the children welcoming the truly foul-smelling porridge which they drink with relish- millet, maize, sorghum, and milk. I know it's very good for them, but the odor!...not sure I could get it past my very-American nose.

And then, after many Kwa herinis (Good-bye), we headed off to the Norfolk Hotel, the stomping grounds of Lord Delamere in the late 19th century (part of "Out of Africa" was filmed here in the original part of the building.) In his day, Lord Delamere owned great swaths of Kenya and was very influential in the colonial government. Nowadays, the hotel is popular with diplomats, both African and international, a very up-scale establishment with an impressive reputation. We ate on the beautiful terrace and the buffet was nothing short of amazing! Table after table of salads, vegetables, meat dishes, etc. and a dessert table that was not only beautiful but offered a variety of wonderful desserts.

 (For my dessert-loving friends, sweets here are far less sweet than in the U.S. but are wonderfully flavorful. I tasted 2- the tiramisu and the ricotta cheesecake- and both were yummy.)

But even as I ate and enjoyed and appreciated the fine food and opulent surroundings, I was very aware of the contrast with where we had just been...and I could not help but wonder how either of the Beatrices would react to such a place. Our meal for five people, including gratuity, came to $130 American, not super-expensive by American standards but nearly 2 months' earnings for most of our nyanyas and about 4 months' income for many of the people in Kibera or one of the other 4 slums. For me, it tainted the pleasure of a good meal more than a bit, as I imagined the good that the money could be doing.

Quite a balancing act, this work...and not only because our gardening was done quite literally balanced above an open gully flowing with sewage...but because of having to continually look with honesty at the way I am accustomed to living in comparison to the way in which so, so many people here live. Accident of birth? The good fortune of living in America? The long colonial history of most of Africa? And what can be done to create some sort of economic justice? Making available the most basic needs to ALL people, regardless of race or ethnicity or location? Sometimes it feels like our work is just a drop in a bucket...but as I have been reminded, even the ocean is composed of drop after drop after drop.