Mwanza : Tanzania gets Talent !!!

After 19 days in Kenya, we are now in Tanzania. We crossed the border on foot at night! 

It’s a strange feeling to be between two fences with our big bags… But we crossed without problem! (checked). We then took a bus to Mwanza…What a scary adventure: the driver drove very fast, bumped every 5 seconds and overtook even when vehicles were coming in the opposite direction.  (It’s to notice that accidents are common!) Fortunately we arrived safely in Mwanza, a town near to Victoria Lake. The landscape over here is beautiful : Around the city there are a lot of rocks. It looks like someone installed them but it’s only Mother Nature!! Wahou!

Walking in the streets, we met Kibo, a young Tanzanian guy who is selling drawings. He explains that he works with street kids as teacher for drawing, making bracelets… We buy him strings for making those bracelets and we ask him to bring us at the kids’ home. We arrive in Kuleana Centre where we meet the director. First everything seems to be okay but when we go to see the kids, we are afraid: There are 8 children, living in a dirty place, they even don’t have a football to play and they sleep on kind of old mattresses without blanket or sheets. We feel bad but we try to play with them. It’s a bit difficult because they don’t speak English and nobody can help us (the director left). We played 1,2,3 sun and another French Game…

Few days later we will learn that this centre is closed for a while because they didn’t use the money well…Now we understand!!! It’s a shame!!!

Fortunately, after this bad story, we met 3 Canadians and Gilbert, a Tanzanian taking care of street kids in the Pamoja Centre: We really appreciated the philosophy of this centre: Here kids are not only going to school, having a bed and food they also learn arts: Drawings, Making bracelets, Acrobatics. It’s a good way for them to understand that they are good in doing something, they can have self-esteem. It also permits to show the society that these kids have something to show, they are not only here for bagging or fighting!! The children made an acrobatics show for us with costumes. We were really impressed by them!! That’s why we promised them to make a short movie about them that we will diffuse through our network (for that point we will need YOU!!). So when the movie will be ready, we will let you know… But I’m sure that if Tanzania gets Talent, it is in Mwanza!!!

Kenya: The conclusion

After almost 3 weeks in Kenya, it’s time for us to make a conclusion. We didn’t visit the more touristic places of Kenya but we learnt a lot about the country!!! So here a little summary about our trip; but of course this is only subjective ;-)

We like	We dislike
-        Children screaming  « Mzumgus », smiling and doing hello signs when they see us	-        Adults saying « Mzumgus » with a bad smile
-        Travelling with matatus when there are only 14 passengers	-        Travelling in matatus when they are in « Fourty four » (4 rows of 4 people + 2 at the front, so 18 passengers (but sometimes more))
-        Very friendly Kenyan People	-        Kenyans who see us as a huge amount of money
-        1€ for 10 passion fruits	-        1€ for 1 kiwi
-        The convenient temperatures of Mai	-        The strong rains of Mai
-        The small shops everywhere in the street selling everything	-        The « Safari-Agents » trying to sell us « cheap but best safaris ever »
-        The geometrical constructions of the streets that make orientation very easy	-        The buildings don’t have any number in a street so it makes orientation difficult
-        The colours of the streets	-        The dirty streets
-        Hot water in the guesthouses	-        The never stopping noise that take you out of sleep in the guesthouses
-        The big wildlife of Kenya : Hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras…	-        The small animals of Kenya in particular the mosquitoes
-        National parks	-        Entry fees (there is a « tourist price » and a « resident price », the « tourist price » is 10 times higher than the other one…)

Do	Don’t
-        Enjoying Hell’s Gate in the early morning to see monkeys and other animals hidden during the day	-        Coming home after dark. The country is more or less safe so it’s better not to be alone at night
-        Visiting the National Museum and its botanical garden	-        Visiting the Snake Park of the National Museum : very expensive to only see few snakes through dirty windows
-        Camping in Naivasha (Fisherman’s Camp) to see hippos at night	-        Camping in Naivasha during the rainy season (or you’ll need to dry all of your belongings)
-        Trying local products such as Chapatis, Ndahzi	-        Eating Matoke (a speciality made with stewed bananas but we didn’t like it)
-        Visiting David Sheldrick Centre (elephants orphanage), it’s a good way to help them and the babies elephants are so cute….	-        Visiting the Giraffe Center. We can feed giraffes, that’s nice but apart from that there is nothing else… Can be good with young children
-        Make a boat ride on Victoria lake to see fishers, birds and hippos	-        Paying more than 3000 Kenyan Shillings for 2 hours boat ride
-        Visiting the « fourteen falls » near Thika and cross the falls on foot	-        Not asking the price before crossing (in case they will ask you 6000 Shillings instead of 1500)
-        Helping (Sponsoring) street kids centre or association such as Red Cross	-        Giving money directly to bagging street kids (That contributes to make them stay in the street instead of going to school)

This first (but maybe not last) visit in Kenya was very positive. We met friendly people, always helpful. But you don’t have to forget that the country can be unsafe because of instability… Informe you well before going !!! ;-)

Kenya is well known for its safaris, but we can tell you that there is something else… So if you feel like an adventurer, go out of the « touristic circuit » and you won’t be disappointed !!!

And as gift, please find here our video about Kenya !!

Kenyan special local food

We already spoke about Kenyan games, African wildlife, but we forgot to speak about Kenyan food…

You’ll be a little disappointed because THE speciality of Kenya, the one you can see in every restaurant is… Chicken & Chips!! (With some kind of differences such as grilled chicken, fried chicken, stewed chicken, garlic chicken, and chicken with sauce…)

It has also a lot of Indian food (because of the Indian community who came after Kenya’s Independency) such as samosa, currys, chicken Thikka…

But, even if the Kenyan food isn’t really various, there are some typical meals:

-     -    Ugali: It’s a kind of purée made of mais flour, milk and water. It’s compact and sticky. You eat it with your hands, you do a small ball with it and you put it in sauce and eat.

Romain eating Ugali

-       -  Chapati: it’s a mix between an Indian naan and a pancakes. It is a flat crepe (not sweet) and it is used as bread.

-       -  Matoke: A meal made from stewed bananas.

Matoke

-       -  Ndahzi: It is like a triangular doughnut with lemon flavour

Flo eating Ndahzi

-        - A very popular dish (I forgot the name) is made of stewed red beans and mais. We tested it when we ate at Wema Centre with the boys!

-      -   Sugar cane: You need to peel it off, cut it in pieces. Then with one piece in your mouth, you extract the sweet juice and you through the rest away.

-        - The most common and used vegetables are spinach, coleslaw, (without forgetting potatoes, but you already noticed it). But we find also carrots, green peas, green beans, and roots (such as manioc)

-       -  About fruits, they are so many: mangos, pineapples, bananas and watermelon are the most common but there are also passion fruits, apples, pears, kiwis, and two new ones for us (look at the pictures). The smaller one, is almost like a passion fruit but sweeter. We didn’t have time to look for the name of these fruits, so we will wait for your answers!!!!

First unknown fruit

Interior of the first unknown fruit

Second unknown fruit

There are also other specialities with local name (Pilau, Masala…) but we didn’t try it, so we cannot speak about it J

Naivasha or the meeting with wildlife!

Wednesday we took a bus to Naivasha. Our Camping is situated just next to the lake. We can observe a lot of birds. During night an electric fence protects us against hippos: that the most dangerous animal in Africa after mosquitos!!! Last night we saw one, just few meters from us!!! Incredible !

Thursday 8th Mai we rented bikes and we went to Hell’s Gate National Park. With Simon, our local guide, we biked until the gorges entrance. On the road we met zebras, baboons, gazelles, giraffes, warthogs, buffaloes and rock hyraxes. I was soooo nice to see all these animals just around us. And, as we came early (7am), all animals were out to enjoy the chilly morning weather!!! 

zebras crossing!!!

Then Simon guided us on foot into the gorges. It’s a canyon formed by water (by the way, don’t go there when it rains because it’s impossible to escape… last year 18 people died….) We had to jump, hike, climb.. Sometimes scary but nice view. We arrived at the Devil’s Bedroom, the end of the canyon. We went back and walked until some hot springs… I can tell you that water is very hot!!! (If you let an egg for like 5 or 10 minutes, it’s cooked). But the government has discovered that this hot water (due to volcanic activities) could be a source of revenue and there are a lot of construction to install turbines to create electricity. It’s a pity for the beautiful landscape but this will permit Kenya to be independent from Uganda for electricity. Simon also explained us the sense of the colours from the Kenyan flag (to check if it’s correct):

-        Black for the African people (who are black)

-        White for Peace

-        Green for Nature

-        Red for the Blood giving during the independency

We then went back to the starting point and we said Simon good bye. (Be advised to negociate prices...). Flo was very tired of biking and climbing so that she walked next to her bike… (Okay, without breakfast and lunch it’s very hard…). We finally ended our day : Tired but happy !

The next day, Friday 9th Mai (Happy Birthday Benji) we visited Crescent Island. It’s an island were you can walk where you want among animals. One more time, the day was very exhausting but it deserves it. We were alone with wildebeest, giraffes, gazelles, zebras, monkeys, pelicans!!!! It’s very impressive to walk in the savannah but of course this kind of walking safari can only be done where dangerous animals are not to be seen (such as lions, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes…)! Please note also to take a picnic and avoid stopping at the “Club House” bar: you’ll only find excessive prices for tourists!!! It’s been 2 amazing days… The next adventure continues soon but to wait, here some other pictures !!!

Nairobi part 2: a very contrasted city!!!

Sunday evening, after leaving from Thika (and escaping from 2 bomb attacks in buses), we were hosted by Claudie, Sylvain and their 2 children, Manec and Andrine. Claudie is teacher at the French School for the 6-7 years old. Monday and Tuesday we spent 2 days with the kids between 6 and 10 years old! What we can say, is that we were impressed: The French School of Nairobi is a school were lessons are in French and English, but most of the children speak an additional language. (Because a lot of the pupils have 2 nationalities, or aren’t French at all). I’m pretty sure that together they can speak more than 20 languages: French, English, Kiswahili (Kenyan language), Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Arab, Chinese, Mauricien, Creole, Wolof (Senegal language) , German….

Of course, it’s important to note that those kids come from well living families and when we showed them the questions asked by the French pupils from Forest sur Marque in France they were almost laughing:

-        Do you have a car?

-        Do you have enough money to buy food or to buy new clothes?

-        How are built your houses?

-        Do you eat with forks and knives?

-        Do girls help their mother?

-        How do you fetch drinking water?

-        What are you playing?

Those questions are very interesting in rural zones or for modest families but here the kids were very surprised… and their answers were more surprising:

-        At home we have 4 cars.

-        I have two nannys and a driver.

-        At home I have an indoor pool

-        I like playing with my WII, PS4, DS, Xbox…

So, all these children don’t need anything and some of them even don’t know that other people in the same country are almost dying or live in very poor conditions… The only question that they found okay was the one about cutlery. In fact, to eat some Kenyan specialities such as Ugali (Maïs Flour cooked with water and milk) or Chapati (kind of Pancakes) they use their fingers!

But they also have a lot of common points with the French pupils: the games!!! As they are in a French school, they learn the same stuff as in France, but they also learn the French culture, and games belong to culture. That’s why In the playground we can find:

-        Skipping rope

-        Prisoners ball

-        Tomato game

-        Singing games

-        Hide and Seek

-        Wolf (in several version)

-        And the must right now: Girls catching boys and boys catching girls!!!

After these 2 great days, we realised that inequalities exist everywhere, but within this inequality we can find some treasures. One of these treasures are the games: Children we met in orphanages live in other conditions than the ones from the French School, but when they play, even if games are different, they are also very happy. Playing make differences and inequalities disappear!!!

More pictures here!!

Thika: An unexpected meeting

Since Tuesday we are in Thika. It’s a small town with 100000 inhabitants, one hour drive from Nairobi. Why did we choose Thika? First because we wanted to see the fourteen falls and second because we wanted to escape from Nairobi…. And we did a good choice, let me tell you!

When we arrived at Thika we were looking for a guesthouse called Samann. After some research we gave up and decided to ask people. The first guys we saw were from the Red Cross. They brought us to SacDep (a kind of hotel), a nice place to stay were monkeys are jumping from cars to trees… We spoke with them (Renox and Dominic) about our project and they already loved it. The next day we went with Tony (another volunteer of the Red Cross) in 2 centres for street children which offer them home, food and education. In Wema Centre, a home for boys, we were welcomed by Felix, the director. There are 23 boys sleeping there but much more being helped by the centre. Some are orphans but not all of them.

When we entered the class room where the boys were, we saw joy and curiosity in their eyes. They really wanted to play so we went out and they explained us their games.

-        We first played « Bingo ». Everybody is running slowly and the moderator of the game claps his hands and sing “Bingo, bingo, bingo”. Players answer “bingo” then the moderator says “groups of X people”. As fast as possible, players have to create groups of X people. All people not in group with the wrong number of people are out of the game. We continue until only two people remain.

-        Then we played « Concentration is the game ». We do a circle and we clap our hands in the same rhythm. The first player sing « Concentration is the game, keep the rhythm if you can » then he says 2 times his name and 2 times the name of another player. This player has to repeat 2 times his name and 2 times the name another one. We keep going until someone does a mistake. When it happens, the player is eliminated and the next one restart with « Concentration is the game…”

-        Kids show us « I lost a letter ». Players sit in circle but one tand outside with a scarf. He sings « I lost a letter » and runs around the circle. Others answer « find it ». After 3 times, he says « it’s not you » touching players’ head with the scarf. When he wants he says « it’s you ». The designated player have to stand up and run in the opposite side than the player with the scarf. The player being the first to do a round (and to sit as the same place) can sit and the other one becomes or stays the one “who lost a letter”.

-        After this, we formed 2 teams and we played « Wall/ Narrow/ Rabbit » The rabbit jumps over the wall, the wall destroys the narrow and the narrow kills the rabbit. In team we decide which symbol we want to be and after a countdown each team shows their symbol. The first team with 5 points wins. 

-        Another singing game is the « Family » one. Kids clap their hands and the first player sings « my father is a lion, my mother is an elephant, my sister is a tiger, and we are all animals » the second continues with a new family (vehicules, mountains, countries…)

-        There is another game were they are singing and “dancing” in the same time: « there is an egg in a nest, and a nest on a branch and a branch on a tree and a tree on a hill and a hill on a ground and the ground can never be seen ». Then they sing the same thing but they replace the words “egg, nest, branch, tree, hill, ground” with “hmm”. It’s very funny to see and to sing !

After all these Kenyan games, we showed them French games. 

Tomato game

We were so happy to see them smiling… We shared a meal together (mais and red beans) and then we went to the Otto Hoffmann foundation. It’s a centre for street girls.

When we arrived, the 28 girls had a great surprise for us : they entertained us with songs and dances. It was a very special moment… Then, Jane, the founder of the centre tell us her story and why she decided to create this orphanage. She comes from a family with 32 children (her father had 6 wives) and nobody could take care of her. But at 10, she discovered Christianism and she went to school. She was singer in a chore. After 2 years, she couldn’t pay her books anymore and leaved school. But she was so skilled for singing that the school called her for a singing competition that she won. After she went to university but because of money she was almost leaving school. By chance, she met Mr and Mrs Hofmann, who helped her to finish her studies. After this, she wanted to give back to the community, was the community gave her and in 2001 she created the Otto Hofmann Centre which offers street girls an house, food, cares and education. After we went in the girls dorm. 14 double beds each with a mosquito net. Simple but nice.

Then we played with the girls. They are almost playing the same games as in France: skipping rope, elastic, and a lot of singing games… We showed them some French games such as « the Master”, Survivor and the snakes. After the group picture, Jane said “ Thanks for what you are doing, you make the girls happy and proud of themselves, it’s a great thing” I was almost crying when I hear it. They gave us a lot of humility and showed us that we can happy only with what the life gives us.. Thank you so much!!!!

The day made us very tired and we went directly home…

The next day (Labour Day), the Red Cross was organising a football tournament where the champion can join the regional league. As we were invited, we went there full of energy! In the morning, everybody was preparing the field and then we played with the street kids. We sang and danced and played a lot of games (frozen wolf, 1,2,3 soleil…) They were very happy but some of them are still thinking that France is an EL Dorado and they were asking us for money or for taking them to Europe… But I’m pretty sure that they are happier where they are than in a immigration centre or under a bridge in Paris… But it’s hard to see that and we have a sad feeling !

But one thing is clear, kids have a huge imagination when it’s about playing. They create their games alone : We saw a lot of small kids playing with tires and a stick or other with a car made from caps, metal and juice packaging !!

We watched the 2 matches and after we wanted to go back at the hotel but they were asking us to wait for the price celebration. The County Gouvernor made a speech and check our hands… (He was kind of proud that we were here…) every body was laughing… Romain and I were invited to give the price to the 4^th best team… and they also asked me to be on the picture of the best team… Ahahaha we are big stars now!!! By chance everything happened well, because it could have been different… Some of the guys see us as a huge porte monnaie and it’s hard to answer their questions…

But when we came home our clothes were washed and dry on our bed! Just cool!!!

On Friday, after taking a lot of pictures of the monkeys in SacDep, we went with Dominic to the Kiota Children’s home. 

This centre has 20 kids between 4 and 15: 8 girls and 12 boys. We started playing outside but then rain came up and we had to play inside. We did a hang man and a pictionnary then they speak French with us, so impressive how good they are!! We spent a nice afternoon with them and they gave us a nice bag for Pomme Pidou made by Sharon A, one of the girls… Great time!!!

During these few days we learnt a lot about Kenya. Here few infos that are useful to understand their culture.

-        Kenya in independent since 1963 (it was a british colony)

-        There are 40 million people living in Kenya. They are divided into 42 tribes. These 42 tribes have different habits, different languages… and they also look like different (some are darker than others, some are skinny and other big…). The most present tribe is the Kikuyus one.

-        Between the tribes there are small fights and it’s a problem for politics because when a president is coming from one tribe, he will take only the people from his tribe to do functionary jobs!

-        The country is divided into 47 “Countys”, so there are 47 leaders.

-        About agriculture, the most produced products are tea, coffee and bananas but we also find mais, mangos, ananas, manioc…

-        The average salary is about 6000 Kenyan shillings per month which is less than 60€  (1€ = 120 KSh)

-        Buffalos are very dangerous animals because they don’t hesitate to attack men !!