Typical day on the mountain, cows grazing, thatched roofs pointing toward blue sky.
Initiation/ welcoming. When framed by ostrich feathers, a lion will recognize me as a fierce warrior, not a weak white-skinned boy.
Joseph Teleu aka "Baba", "the Director", "Pastor", on the left, welcoming his new son to the community
Lunch break for the high school students
The first white teacher at Hill Springs Academy
Students are shy, but diligent and overall well-disciplined
High School classroom, built quickly and frugally to house the first form1 (freshman) class.
Mama (left) and neighbors, threshing maize.
Brother Kinyamal (or Benjamin) and friend Moi (or Daktari)
Walking down the mountain to town.
Kilgoris Town - 8 km from the village
Although most men wear slacks and button-up shirts, some still sport traditional attire.
Ilchartuyiani Church of God
Jonah Mariga - father of 13, former Mau Mau freedom fighter, emanating wisdom.
1st graders.
Precious Naisoi
The court is sloped, the ball is rough, the net is loose, but it's good fun competition.
Typical home
Typical home constuciton (if tin sheets are affordable)
Batman
An N.G.O. built small reserviors for easier water gathering
Groundbreaking for Trans Mara Children's Home
Slab completed on the foundation of the children's home.
Construction of the children's home.
My little brothers
and sisters
Pauline Naserian, smiling at the bottom of the new slide.
Swingin'
Runnin'
About a dozen of the orphans (hereafter "special children") were chosen to run the last 2k of a 10k peace intiative race aimed at the sticky situation between the Maasai and the neighboring Kipsigis who "intruded" into our area. Very sticky, but this was a nice day.
Moses. His mother died givnig birth to him, his grandmother tried to feed him with not much more than water for 4 months, now he lives in the children's home, eats well, plays well. Truly evidence of the need for such a program.
Betty and Leah
Annual damming of the "river" for baptism.
Most residents are never submerged in water except on this terrifying occasion. Maybe it's a more powerful event this way.
The mamas escorting the special children to church for a special day of dedication.
The star of the show was a new healthy, happy Moses whose new "parents" represented him at his dedication.
Continued celebration with the children's home in the background.
Moses' grandma also was invited into the home to coninue to nurture him in his mother's absence.
Pure light on pure faces.
Sweet Komoni.
Peninah.
The great rift valley... this false attempt at another continent resulted in a series of valleys, salty lakes and volcanos running from Lebanon to Mozambique. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Rift_Valley
Prize-giving to the winners of a cross country race that was held on the mountain.
Field trip to Kisumu... seat belts for 22, we were 33. Hakuna Matata.
Sunset, looking up at where it all happens.
Neighbor Paulo wearing traditional dress in the rare early morning fog.
Nyanya yangu ("my grandma", or "my tomato" - in this case grandmother)
Goma, D.R.C., remnants of volcanic explosion pave the streets and build fences.
Gisenyi, Rwanda, on the shore of Lake Kivu.
Lake Bunyoni, Uganda.
Lake Bunyoni
Proud to be in charge of a pikipiki (motorcycle), near Kabale, Uganda.
Chaotic Nairobi.
Namirembe Anglican Cathedral, Kampala Uganda. I attended a Christmas day service here.
Typical Kampala transportation
Source of the Nile
Sipi Falls, Uganda. While waiting for calm to return to Kenya in January, I decided to see more of Uganda. This is what I saw.
And this.
1 Construction of high school classrooms using donations from Denver.
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14. Success? These beautiful structures create a solid physical presence of the school, but only with devoted teachers and diligent students will this really be a success.
The Sign! A plan made in September, realized in March. T.I.A. (This is Africa)
Kakamega National Forest Reserve, western Kenya. Daktari Moi poses.
5 meter buttress root
A distant Trans-Mara trading center
Sunset in Nunguni.
Kakamega town, beautified by the sunlight.
A distant view of the campus.
Mombasa mama
Mombasa Tuk-tuk ride.
Blinding white sand of Diani Beach.
Baobab tree on the coast.
Wasini Island.
I heard the Portugeuse named their fort to boldly establish a presence in a mostly Muslim land.
Old town Mombasa, an almost European feel due to the narrow, winding alleyways.
Sailing on a Dhow of the coast of Lamu.
Swahili coast.
Dhow
Yellow snapper? Whatever it was, it tasted good under acacia shade 45 minutes later.
Dhow intricacy.
Looking back toward Lamu on the walk to the airport.
The view of Lamu town form above.
We chose to fly back to Nairobi to save ourselves from the 16 hours of dustly, bumpy bus travel. Good decision.
Water really does drain counter clockwise in the north, clockwise in the south, straight down at the Equator.
Camping in Samburu National Park
Buffalo in Samburu
Reticulated giraffes
Samburu sunset
Steenbok
Oryx
Buffalo
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru form Baboon Cliff
Topi
King
Farewell song
and dance
The mamas came up to escort me back into the house for the last time.
Slowly marching and singing.
I felt more comfortable in this attire than during initiation.
Why is mama laughing? Maybe because I have ostrich feathers around my face?
Wise parting words from elders.
Baba and Mama
