I’m always trying to convey what life is like for folks here, and most often, by my reckoning, coming up short. Then this came to me. When I was in the States from late December to early April, Gilbert and I corresponded weekly by email. A lot was happening in Kenya during that time, as you know. After the December 27th elections an the disputed results, the country came unhinged for a while. Mercifully, our area was virtually untouched by the chaos and daily life chugged on peacefully here while so many suffered in other parts of the country. Gilbert’s weekly emails to me pull back the curtain distance and impersonality draw. Mostly it’s over-the-back-fence neighborhood news and expense reporting, under the shadow of civil unrest and real uncertainty. It gives you a tin can and string direct line, a stool at the table.

As an added bonus, I’ll be out of the picture for most of the proceedings, just a few of my email responses, some clarifying notes, and an occasional [ ] to help you along. I’ve added the photos. This isn’t a complete record, but it’s most of it, and it’s unrevised.

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28 December 2007 - Gilbert to me

Hi there, Hope you are fine and had safe journey back home. We are fine despite missing your company . Greetings from all you left behind especially Joyce who thanked you for the x-mas gift. About work we are still working on the one acre piece and hope we should be through by the time i leave.
WORK DETAILS:

Day: Thursday , Workers : Bonface, Julius,Wilson,Benson. FRIDAY:Workers; Bonface, Benson ,Wilson, Julius, Party and Chris. SATURDAY: Workers; Bonface, Julius, Wilson, Benson, Party and Chris .SUNDAY: Bought water 2000.Shillings
MONDAY:Workers;Bonface, Julius, Wilson, Benson ,Party and Chris.
TUESDAY: Workers; Benson, Julius, Bonface, Wilson and Chris

N/B Joyce 6000.,Other workers 8750 . My advance 5000. hired more workers so as to make sure work is done by Saturday 22/12/07. We are out of ugali flour so i spent 550 on lunch. [for the week] The cyber cafe is always busy on weekends thats why i cannot email on weekends. .Bye and see you later , God bless you all . Wilson is not active at work since you left . Say Hi to all .

Notes:

60Kenya shillings =$1.00 US

- when you hire a group of workers, it is standard custom to cook lunch for them, always ugali, the corn flour staple, and sukuma wiki, a kale-like leafy vegetable.

- Joyce’s wages were 600ks, not 6000ks. This is corrected in a later email. She comes and cooks and cleans afterwards.

- 5,000 liters of river water (really dirty) costs 2,000ks, drinking water = 3,000ks for 5,000 liters

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12/19/07 - me to Gilbert

Hi Gilbert,

It is very good to hear from you, and I’m glad things are going well.
Please give my greetings to all my friends there, especially Joyce and
Wilson. Thank you for sending me the details of the finances this week
as we had spoken about. Inoticed that the amount for Joyce was 6000ks,
I imagine that must be 600ks and that the other figure was just a
mistake. Can you clear that up for me.

It has been very nice visiting family and friends here and seeing Greg
and everyone. Still I miss my friends in Kenya, and you especially.
Please send my best to Mildred, and I wish both of you a very Happy
Christmas and New Year.

Keep me posted and up to date on the work and progress. Have you begun
replanting the grass on the dam? I hope the watering is going well and
that the grass is becoming green.

Say ghello to Benson, Boniface, Julius and everyone else for me. I
look forward to hearing from you soon.

God bless you, Gilbert,

David

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That’s Wilson, who was visiting, and Gilbert looking over the one acre piece of the property on the right.

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Cooking dinner at Joyce’s on an open fire. This is how Joyce cooks lunch for the workers at our place.

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Joyce cooking lunch on a rainy, muddy day at the property.

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1/2/08 - me to Gilbert

Dear Gilbert,

So sorry to hear about all the violence following the elections. I
hope and pray that you are safe and well. Please let me know as soon
as you are able what the situation is there with you and all the guys.

You are in our prayers. Love,

David

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1/7/08 - Gilbert to me

Hallo there,
Hope you are all doing well . We are ok despite all that is hapening here . A number of people have been killed while thousands have been left homeless. I travelled safely back to work despite the destructions i saw on my way to Nairobi .About work all the guys are not back from holiday due to what is happenig all over Kenya but i expect them very soon. Everything else is o k apart from what our neighbour [ Charity's guy ] did by getting some guys to steal Charity’s property but fortunately he was caught by Bonface and taken to the police where he admitted doing so. There’s still water problem here at our proprety thou the grass is still growing. I will get some water today for the grass .My best to all your family members and my friend Monte and please do keep us in prayers always . God bless you all . Bravo David. Bye and see you soon.

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Notes:

- Gilbert was traveling back here from Kakamega in western Kenya where he had been visiting his family for the holidays.

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1/7/08

Hi Gilbert,

So glad to hear that you are well and safe. We have been praying for
you and Mildred and your families in these very difficult times.
Please send our greetings to Mildred and your families, and to all the
guys, and tll them we are very glad they are safe.

It sounds like Boniface did some good work in preventing the theft of
Miss Charity’s property. I’m always thankful t have such a faithful
and trustworthy employee as you.

We will keep praying and working here. I’m still hoping to return in
early February and continue our work together then. Bu thte way, have
you heard from Wilson? Is he safe also? Please let me know as soon as
you can.

Also, will you get Miss Charity’s mobile number from one of her
workers and email it to Mary Musyoka, our friend at Springs of Hope
rescued baby center there. I want her to be able to call Miss Charity
and talk to her about the land there.

Mary’s email address is:

eaglesfounts@yahoo.com

Thanks Gilbert, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. God bless you.

With love from the US,

David

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Notes:

- As you can see formal greetings are an important part of virtually all personal interaction, written and verbal.

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This Miss Charity’s property. Ours is just beyond hers and also just to the right of the grass roadway here.

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This is the dam just after we built it, when Joyce and her crew were planting grass on the sides of it.

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This is the dam now with grass growing on the top and the sides. After a couple of months of daily hand watering.

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1/13/08 - Gilbert to me

Happy New year David,
Mildred ,Joyce , Guys and I are all fine despite all the threats being made by our leaders to continue fighting for the top post.Imagine since you left it only rained once and the sun is hurt here at Lukenya . Work details:22/12/07 left Bonface 2000 to buy water when i am away . 01/01/08 took 5000 as my advance. Julius and Boneace are here and we started on Wednesday weeding the two acre piece .Total 2000.Joyce 400 and lunch 440. The price of goods has gone high in the last two weeks. Bye Boss and may the almighty bless whatever you handle. Hi to Monte , your Family and friends. Bye.

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Monte, or Martin, as he is known by most here, is the same Monte who was here working with me last spring. Like Gabe, no one here has forgotten his warmth and consistent good humor… or the fact that he is a Chelsea fan.

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1/19/08 - Gilbert to me

Hi there, hope all is well with you , your friends and family . Mildred , Joyce , our workers and I are fine despite theft cases being reported all over Daystar. Election violance has caused alot of harm and the question we are asking ourself is, where is love? Love can be said to be the fabric that holds us together, but it seems love no longer has a place in our hearts . With love, there could be no deaths and destructions as witnessed. The post-election violance has brought so much suffering .It would have been better if there were no elections .Kenyans would have continued with their lives un-disturbed.The change Kenyans were yearning for is no longer in sight.This week we have had protests in all major towns.WORK DETAILS. Monday ;worked with Julius and Bonface completing weeding .Tuesday ; Julius and Bonface transporting water to the property. Wednesday ; Julius and Bonface nailing the barbed wire on the post we had put up before you left.Thursday ; Julius and Bonface planting trees on those areas that didn’t have e.g the eroded area near the dam and also near the loading site. Bought water to help in watering the new trees 2000. Friday and Saturday no work. Total expenditure is 2000 for Guys ,400 for Joyce ,440 for lunch and 3000 as my advance . Totaling to ksh7840.I am asking weather i can buy water for the trees [fence] because i can see the trees have started shading of their leaves .It drizzled the other day so lets wait and see wheather it will continue raining if not am sure the trees will need some water. Bye Sir, Love.

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This is the cistern at Marymont Church where we store drinking water we buy when it is more than our small tank can hold. Then the guys transport it by wheel barrow in 20 liters gerry cans to the property when we need it. It’s hard work.

The two acre parcel Gilbert and the guys were weeding.

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This is the section over a little gully that the guys just finished fencing.

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1/19/08 - me to Gilbert

Dear Gilbert,

yes, we are all so sad t know that you and all the many people we love there have suffered and are suffering because of the violence and strife. Please know that you are in our hearts and prayers even when i am far away here. I am hoping to return about the 15th of February and continue on with our important work there. I am anxious to get back. As fr as buying water. You can get whatever you need to keep the tress happy and healthy. Is the grass growing well on the dam? Do you need anything else? Let me know. I am disturbed about all the robberies in Daystar. Are the police there not able to deal with them?

Please say hello to all the guys for me, and especially to Mildred. I look forward to seeing you both very soon. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Love,

David

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1/26/08 - Gilbert to me

Hi there, We are all fine and hope so you are .Mildred , The Guys , Joyce and I miss you alot and we are longing to see you back.Theft cases have so far reduced since the police started acting on the criminals.WORK DETAILS; Monday and Tuesday , Carrying and Distribution of manure helped with Benson ,Bonface and Julius. Wednesday ;Making a small trench round one acre piece with Benson , Bonface and Julius. Thursday : worked with Benson carrying rocks to reignforce the Dam pipe.Friday : Replacing the torn sand bags near the spillway with Benson , Bonface and Julius. Saturday water 2000 ,Total expenditure for the Guys is 3250. Joyce 500 and lunch 550 .Total is 6300 for last week . Bye Sir and say Hi to your Familly , Monte and your Friends.About election violance our leaders have been engaging in mediation talks and hope they will find a solution to that.Love and God bless you always.

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1/26/08

Hi Gilbert,

Thanks for the update on the finances and the situation in Kenya. I’m happy the theft cases are being reduced and that the police are taking action against the criminals. I am still planning to return in mid-February if all goes well. I’ll email you longer soon. My best to you and Mildred and all our our friends in Lukenya.

God bless,

David

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Here’s the trench around the one acre piece that the guys just finished working into planting beds. Very difficult work as the soil when dry is like concrete.

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These sand bags have proven to be ephemeral. Lifespan about one lunar cycle.

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Here are the rocks Gilbert put in to stabilize the pipe, in our now very wet dam!!

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That was January in Kenya. One of the toughest months the country has seen since its independence in 1963, seen through Gilbert’s eyes. I’ll bring you the next installment in a couple of days, as time permits.

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Yours for improved proofreading of my own emails,

David

Posted on April 16th, 2008 by david
Filed under: David's Journal | 4 Comments »