It Takes A Village

We now truly understand the meaning of this expression. On our first morning here, we woke to the sounds of chickens & cows. A little later, we realized that the sounds of what we thought was someone beating out a carpet was actually the slaughtering of a cow, 50 yards from our bedroom window. This happens every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Saturday is goat day, which to me is even worse. The expression "It sounds like a dying cow" is one that has taken on a whole new meaning for me. A sound I can go the rest of my life and never want to hear again. The locals grow their own produce, raise & sell animals for meat and dairy and market their wares for very small profit. They are codependent and the children are embraced by all. On Tenwek's grounds, there are folks that serve as house help and they are blessed and thankful for the jobs. The fields of crops, including much tea, are beautiful and the store (Dukas) is stocked with small wares made by locals. On Friday, June 19, the kids and I joined a group of friends we've met here and walked to a nearby town called Silibwet. It was Market Day there. The chosen route to Silibwet was a hot, uphill 2 mile hike along a dusty, rocky road. Along the way, cars and motorcycles whizzed by at unbelievable speeds, slinging pebbles and dirt behind and leaving us feeling battered. We passed boarding schools and farms, and we even stopped to watch a football (soccer) tournament that was going on in the valley. The players were girls, though their hair was shaved like boys, and they were playing barefooted! The crowd was cheering and everyone seemed so happy, even in the blistering heat. On the way home, however, we opted to take a nature hike down a dirt path through the brush. It was a much more scenic and pleasant option. The market itself was overwhelming. There was stuff to be sold everywhere, just thrown along the dirt and people were plundering all through it. It worried me, so we didn't stay but a few minutes. All that time hiking, and we only bought one kiko (sarong) and 3 sodas. In reflection, I wonder how the things that we as Americans would put in a yardsale, are the very things that the folks here would walk for miles to get. With everyone here working towards the same goal...survival, it truly does take a village. All Our Love, A,S,W,G, & H