Just a day...

Woke up at 5 today....long before the sun came up....my sleeping schedule is way off.

We walked to school and just did some camera work. We set up for an interview with Wycliffe, an instructor/IT guru. I learned a lot about setting up the camera. Wycliffe said that if more people in the area had an education, they'd have jobs. The jobs are there, he said--or at least they could make jobs, be entrepreneurs--but they don't have the education they need to do it. Mum Kate had told us that even people who had degrees were having to drive matatus for work--Wycliffe said it's not like that anymore though. (I don't know who knows better, though, because one of the Uncles at Hekima Place, Kenyua, used to be a teacher and is a very educated man but now he works a job for which he is clearly over-qualified...is it because he can't find another job? Maybe it pays better than other jobs...I'm not sure.)

We had tea time and talked to an English teacher, Kennedy, whom I'd met the day before. He told us he wouldn't want to work at a public school because they're too crowded. One book is typically shared among three students.

We ate ugali and skuma (greens--kind of like collards or turnip greens) with the girls in Tumaini for dinner. This is the only house you can really have a conversation that doesn't involve someone singing "Oh Mickey you're so fine!" or the tune of the macarena (two of the few songs we've played them that they actually enjoy!). Tonight we learned about the various levels of government here. Below the district level, which has elected representatives, all of the leaders are appointed by other government officials. There's a lot of gerrymandering that occurs so that the "right" people get elected too. The corruption happens everywhere...but I honestly believe it can (and is and will) be defeated everywhere. All it takes is one person to stand up. And then because of that person, one more will stand up. And then one more. Until you have a standing ovation against the corruption. That is the beauty of a nation founded on democratic principles.

I'm very excited because tomorrow Lindsey and I are going to get to work on a grant proposal to buy land for Hekima Place!