The Kibera slums of Nairobi are wild. It is muddy and smelly; it is vibrant and energetic. Hope lives alongside desperate poverty. It is a vestige of the flight from rural poverty to urban opportunity, where a new world awaits those who are willing to live amidst squalor in the hope of a better life. It is also aRead More
On the Road with Dining for Women
I will have a week of meetings with The BOMA Project staff on this trip but I am also leading a safari for a group of BOMA donors through the national organization Dining for Women. In 2010, I led the first safari for this unique nonprofit, whose mission is “to empower women and girls living inRead More
Baba Rungu Gets a Blessing
Our journey through Laisamis district continued to be challenging. The rain had stopped but it took days for the muddy, clay roads to dry out. We got stuck on numerous occasions but soldiered on and actually made it across the Kaisut Desert in time for lunch in Korr. Doug had the opportunity to see ourRead More
Breaking out Plan B
The clouds had been gathering for days before our final night at Sirikoi Camp. During the early hours, cracks of thunder could be heard in the distance. Lightening lit up the roof of our tent. At dawn we heard a pride of nearby lions who growled and whoofed their displeasure. When our coffee arrived atRead More
A Lala Kidogo (small sleep) with the Baby Cheetah
Corwin and I do a morning game drive in Samburu – not as exciting as the night before – but we are still rewarded with the extraordinary sight of another leopard. As we drive out of the park, Kura and I take David and Corwin past the dead elephant that we had seen the nightRead More
Breaking My African Heart
The campsite run by the Isgargaro Women’s group in Loglogo used to be my favorite place to stay during my visits to the area. Over the years, however, the accommodations in other locations have greatly improved, while Isgargaro’s huts and buildings have slowly been devoured by termites and poor maintenance. The beds, made of sticksRead More
Weapons, Testosterone and a Race
A day of rest was all we needed. I felt better and Kura was ready to move. It is hard for people who have left villages like Korr to then return home. The cultural expectation to provide support and money to others is overwhelming. At each village we visit, it does not take long beforeRead More
No, Kura, I Will Not Die
Our time in Loiyangalani includes a few trips to swim in Lake Turkana, about a mile west of town. Brushing aside thoughts of crocodiles, we douse our sun-scorched bodies in the cool water. On our final night, Turkana dancers meet us on the shoreline as the sun sets. Everyone joins them for some hearty footRead More
A Land of Ethnic Conflicts, Livestock Raiders and Cheetahs
At 6 am, our group leaves in two vehicles. I am driving Gumps with Semej and Omar, Kit, Chip and Corwin. Kura has David, Maina and a dozen other passengers under canvas in the back of the Defender. We will drive from Korr to Loiyangalani through a semi-desert land that is lawless and wild. IfRead More
Halhalo and the Bush Dinner
We have settled into a few nights in the village of Korr, one of the largest settled villages in the Kaisut region with a surrounding population of 14,000 people. Bound by a need to support each other in a harsh place, Somali Muslim and Christian communities (African Inland Church, Catholic and Lutheran) co-exist peacefully withRead More
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