Nairobi, Kenya

Yes, you are listening to Karen's Song, which is the theme song from the movie "Out of Africa". The movie was about Karen Blixen, who lived just outside Nairobi and the movie was filmed there as well, so since we just spent a week there, it seems appropriate. Go rent it and see the beauty. Nairobi is a major city of approximately 3 million with 250,000 doing well, 750,000 getting along and 2 million that have nothing going for them at all...a big modern city surrounded by slums. I intentionally left out the photos of the downtrodden so this post is not so depressing or shall I say 'realistic', but there were also a few new things for us to discover. We found that one does not drink the water. Not in the office, the missionary apartments or even in the restaurants. When showering, keep your mouth closed and brush your teeth with bottled water only. Seemed foreign to us but much of Africa is in a similar situation. We are spoiled in Johannesburg. I have never seen traffic so chaotic either. No police to direct, no stop signs, no red lights, lots of round-abouts...just mayhem, and taxis (called matatoos) that violate every possible accepted rule of the road. I did not even attempt to drive in that city, and also chemists (pharmacies) that dispense any health drug you would like without a Dr.'s prescription. Absoultely any drug that you can get in the US is available if you just go in and tell them what you want and how many. Yikes, that seems strange...self prescribing medication!

We went to Kenya to assist with the PEF program since the missionary couple that had been there for 18 months returned to the US and once again, I was really impressed with what the program is doing for those that are ambitious, worthy and needy.

This is the Hilltop Ward building. The first floor (lower level) is the mission office, the distribution center and the country admin. offices. PEF is located here for Kenya. This building is next to the British Embassy and the CITI Group headquarters for Kenya. A well secured area to work each day.

All missionaries in Kenya drive a four wheel drive pick-up since the roads are mostly unpaved and quite rough once you leave the city of Nairobi. Because the driver is on the right, the stick shift is done with the left hand.


Here is Anthony Cdiero. He is a PEF grad that studied to be a personal trainer. He went from the low end of Nairobi and earning 2000 Shillings/month($25) before his certification, to earning 90,000 Shillings/mo ($1200/mo) after, and has a steady job at a high end hotel. His entire training cost a total of what he earns a month now, but he never could have accomplished this with out the PEF help. A happy guy.



This is Betterman Simidi Musasia. Betterman is a current PEF student studying IT and business and is quite the entrepreneur. A great guy, who also assists in the PEF office. Just in the few days we were around him, we know he will be very successful.




This is tiny little, Yvonne. I believe she is 22 years old, but could pass for a 13 yr old. She is in her 3rd year of microbiology @ Univ of Nairobi. Very small, as many Kenyans are, but very smart and putting it to good use. She plans on specializing in infectious diseases, which will assure her a job in Africa.



Another PEF student named Stephen Kyalo stopped by the office while we were there to see if we wanted to buy one of his carved 'Noah's Ark's'. He creates and sells them to pay back his PEF loan and support himself. Each animal is hand carved with considerable detail and then painted and they all store in the ark. Of course we bought one, and we will try to generate some more sales for him back in Jo-burg. The set takes him two weeks to make and he sells them for $37.





We arrived on Wednesday the 4th, and worked the 5th and 6th, but when Saturday came the folks in the office insisted that we go to the the huge Nairobi National Park and see the animals...we did not argue. This park is located toward the Serengeti and it would be a shame to come to Kenya and not see it. We saw lots of wonderful scenery and wildlife. Below are just a sample of the 75 photos we came home with.

Above is the famous Blue Wildebeest at dawns early light.




Here are Zebra and Impala on the grassy plains of Western Kenya.





I have yet to find out what bird this is, but his song was great and he flew right in and froze-a- pose for me.




Two beautiful zebras striking a nice parallel pose as we stopped to stare. I found out on this game drive that zebras bark like dogs instead of whinnie like horses do. Are they white with black stripes or black with white stripes?



A grazing giraffe with zebras foraging the drought striken grassland. These guys are really very tall and quite graceful. To see them run is magical.






We came upon this wanderer on a very back trail. He is a Maasai tribesman complete with his walking stick and lion killing club. This area is crawling with lions and the Maasai men are the only ones who will individually take out a lion by themselves. They have their own technique, but fortunately we did not have to witness him in action.




Enlarge this photo to see this hungry 15 foot long Nile Crocodile waiting for one of the Marabou Storks to get close 'enough'.

After our 8 day visit to Kenya we flew home via South African Airlines. We were very pleasantly surprised by the promptness, courtesy and food quality of SAA. A side benefit was that after we were airborn, the captain announced that he had gotten permission from the ground to detour slightly and take us over Mt Kilamanjaro which is on the southern Kenyan border with Tanzania. Lucky for us it was on our side of the aircraft and we got some nice photos.

Kilamanjaro is the highest mountain in all of Africa, standing at 19,330 ft above sea level. It is snow and ice covered all year long even though it is practically on the equator. It can be climbed without advanced equipment, using just hiking boots, but it is not for the faint of heart or purse. The guides charge $1500 for the 2 day up and 1 day back trip.

I believe our Captain was a bit of an air jockey because just as we passed by the Mt, he went into a bit of an exagerated roll of the 737-300 aircraft off to the East and we bid goodbye to both Kilamanjaro and Kenya.







"The poetry of the earth is never dead"

John Keats (1795-1821)

Stay well