Fire, Grandmothers, and C150K

HOT FIRE, HOT SUN

I didn't actually learn to start a fire in girl guides - my Dad taught me, years ago. Everyone believes they know how to start a fire - but few can keep it going... perhaps a lesson for life?

I have learned more about wood-fire stoves this week than I thought I'd ever know! With the help of a mzungu from Britain who deals with 'carbon offsets', I've been setting up a unique program to allow those in Vancouver (specifically those at Bodwell, but open to others too) to 'offset' their terrible pollution by supporting fuel-efficient stove devices here.

The idea is that by reducing the fuel consumption here, you are having a positive impact on the environment which balances out the negative impact you have in your daily life. I have donated to assauge my guilt for the CO2-emitting flight which I took to get here, this summer. And I really do feel that being a non-meat-eating environmentalist, I want to do something to 'offset' the burden my flights put on the world - !

I'm working with Rocky Muuri, the environmental coordinator for CTC, on two aspects of carbon offset: one in schools, helping school kitchens to move from wood-sticks-with-big-pots to fewer-wood-sticks-and-insulated-cookers, and one in individual homesteads. I spent most of Wednesday at various renditions of 'jua kali' shops. Jua Kali means "hot sun" - and they aren't joking! It may be winter here & cold in the evenings, but with the equatorial sun directly overhead, jumping to avoid various vehicles which plummet down narrow streets, but I soon shed my layers.

MTU MMOJA - A GRANDMOTHER WITH A 4-YEAR-OLD

The more I learn about motherhood, the more I respect parents. A baby, for the first 2 years (or 20?), is a peeing, screaming, whining mess - yes, a loveable mess, but a mess nonetheless. I am in my late 20s and I get tired thinking of the work involved in ONE child. Let alone 2, or 3.

I went to visit a friend's mother, recently. She is about 60 years old but looks the age of my grandmother - 80 or so. As is the custom here, her home was bedecked with lace, chai is constantly on-tap, and friends are always a welcome interruption.

This amazing woman is taking care of 3 children - !

She is one of the many grandmothers that Stephen Lewis has recently been talking more and more about. The generation of women who have, because of the early death of their children, have taken on their own grandchildren.

A very generous friend in Canada had left me with a sum of money to use as I saw fit - for pleasure of some kind. I bought an excellent book (VS Naipaul, Magic Seeds) and donated the rest to support this woman. With the $180 or so the friend had provided, she was able to set herself up with a grain selling business in the local market. She will now be able to provide for her children - without constantly relying on her grown-up sons for child support. I visited her today in the market - what greater pleasure could there be than seeing her smiling face!

C150K

A large portion of the past month has been spent building up the Rafiki Committees (which represent the entire school) to support the idea of "C150K" - Celebrating 150 Kindnesses, or Canada 150 Kenya. Basically we've asked students in Kenya and in Canada to record on paper 'something kind' that either they have done for someone, someone has done for them, or they have seen someone do for another person.

It's been great fun to put together; this week was the 'final crunch' for getting photos/videos off to Canada. Luckily internet has been on our side, and it seems that there will be videos for the Canada Day assembly in Canada!

This weekend I'll be travelling to Mt. Kenya area with Mwaniki, the education coordinator (who does an amazing job of keeping the Rafiki Link going here). We're going to visit the Kenyan side of Project Kenya Sister Schools, which is based in Langley. Next week Zane - director of CTC - arrives; and in only 3 weeks the Teachers Without Borders team arrives. It's coming close to (self-imposed) 'deadline time' for setting up the sponsorship/carbon offsets programs... !

Best wishes to all,

Mali