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COUNTRY: Kenya
PROGRAM: GapBreak, Unibreak
PROJECT: Community & Conservation
WRITTEN BY: Belinda Rayner
After saying goodbye to our families, we all headed off on our Great Adventure to Kenya. Most of the group arrived together in Mombasa where we were greeted by Sammi and Eustra, two of the Camp Kenya employees. We drove for just over an hour before arriving at the camp for dinner. After meeting all the other travellers and exploring the beautiful campgrounds, I think we all knew that this was going to be an adventure unlike any other.
Day 1:
Today was our first full day here at Camp Kenya. After breakfast Eustace, the camp leader, gave us a quick debrief about what to expect during our stay before handing us over to Depesh, the project manager. He showed us the projects that we would be working on during our stay. These included a Trust Centre, a new nursery and a grey water system. We all began work on the Trust Centre, leveling out soil and moving it into piles.
We finished working at 4pm and played with some of the local children who were all incredibly cute and friendly. They were also extremely interested in our cameras – probably they had never seen or owned one - so we let them take some photos of themselves, which they all found very amusing. After this we had dinner and played a few games of Uno.
Day 2:
Today was our first full day of work. I worked on the nursery where we used plastic bottles as building materials. We made, mixed and layed out cement and lined these pits with plastic bottles to make them waterproof. It was hard work, made even harder by the heat and humidity but it was also very rewarding. We worked for around four hours before taking a two-hour lunch break that was spent chatting and napping. We resumed work in the afternoon and again finished at 4pm.
Overall I think we all felt as though we had accomplished something that day, whether it was working hard or making new friends.
Day 3:
Today was Saturday, our first day off! After breakfast we all made our way to Diani Beach. We stopped off at a supermarket on the way to exchange money and purchase local sim cards.
We spent the day sitting by the beach or the pool, drinking cocktails and buying souvenirs from some sellers on the beach. Some people also used the Internet to contact family and friends. We were picked up at around 6pm and taken back to the camp. On the bus back to camp we had a sing-a-long to the Lion King soundtrack.
Day 4:
On our way to Diani Beach today we stopped off at a crafts store selling amazing handcrafted statues, paintings, jewelry and much more. We then spent the day swimming, eating, drinking cocktails, chatting, walking along the sand and buying more souvenirs. We headed back to the camp where most of the group played with the local village children again. They are a constant reminder of why we are here and why these projects are so important.
Day 5:
On Monday we were back to work at our amazing project sites. In the morning I was given the opportunity to work in the local nursery. We watched how the class was run and later joined in during their PE session and singing nursery rhymes. It brought us a lot of joy to see the children playing together and enjoying themselves – happy despite their circumstances.
Later that day we did some work on the water system, as this was a priority. This involved cementing the sides of the pools where the grey water will be stored. After work we had showers and headed to the local tailor where we all bought items including shorts, pants and bags.
Overall today was very productive, leaving us all feeling proud of our projects and what we had accomplished so far.
Day 6:
Today my group got up early and began work on the water system. Robat, a friendly staff member, showed me how to make cement. Everyone has been putting in a great effort with the projects and hopefully we have been making Camp Kenya proud.
Day 7:
We were all excited to finish work today because we had booked dinner at a Chinese restaurant called The Galaxy.
Starving, we went straight to the restaurant where we had an amazing time stuffing our faces and chatting. After dinner we stopped off at the supermarket where we stocked up on junk food and drinks. While this was happening we had a short blackout, which was quite scary! After the power came back on we finished our shopping and headed back to the camp. On the taxi ride home, we played music and sang for the entire trip.
Day 8:
On day eight everyone worked hard on each project, except me because I was sick. Considering we had only known each other for about a week, everyone was very caring. The compassion and friendliness people are showing so far is comforting – this adventure just keeps getting better!
Day 9:
Today Camp Kenya had organised for us to experience the local culture by visiting a family home two kilometres from Camp. The village where they live is comprised mostly of Bantu people - because of tribal wars these Bantu tribes were forced to move to the coast, where they still live today.
The family was very friendly and politely showed us around their home. Like most households in the village, they produced almost everything themselves including chilies, sweet potato, pineapple and tomatoes. They even had chickens and goats!
We also got to help “mamma” cook Japarti – a type of bread made from butter, flour and salt and cooked on a charcoal hotplate. This was served for lunch with curry and rice, followed by watermelon and coconut wine.
On the way home I recognized some children from around the village and from my day at the nursery. They immediately ran over and one of the young girls grabbed my hand and walked the rest of the way with us. I don’t know how many times I can express how incredibly cute these kids are. Overall today was an amazing cultural experience and I felt very grateful to have had this opportunity.
Day 10:
Our second Saturday – I can’t believe it’s already been over a week! Today most of the group headed out early to go on an exciting snorkeling trip followed by a seafood lunch. Others went back to Diani Beach for a day of relaxing and a small group of three, including myself went into the Old Town of Mombasa.
During this trip we hired a tour guide who took us from Fort Jesus all the way through the Old Town where we finished at the Mombasa Tusks. During our tour we saw some ancient buildings, heard some amazing stories and visited a number of beautiful mosques and temples.
When we returned to camp the others told us about their day out on the ocean. They had had a great time admiring beautiful corals and brightly coloured fish.
Overall our first week and a bit has been one filled with new found friendships, learning the satisfaction of a hard day’s work and new cultural experiences we hope to never forget.
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