There is so much I can write about this adventure so I have decided to write a separate blog post about the Safari Park which will soon be available to read, but for now here are the best bits about travelling to Kenya.
When I found out that I was going to Kenya, I was told that it would be a life changing experience and it would alter my perception of my life and my problems. I felt like I already knew a lot about the ongoing poverty and I didn't particularly want to see people suffer as I knew I couldn't offer life changing help. I was convinced that it would be a trip just like the ones you see in the clips of BBC's Comic Relief but the difference is those celebrities had money to help these people which I know my family didn't have. So as selfish as it sounds, I was reluctant to go.
We started our travel in comfort using one of the airport's lounges which offered us complimentary food and drinks, wifi and Apple macs. I was unaware how much I was taking for granted and was naive about what I was about to witness on my trip. My Mum would constantly remind both my sister and I to pray and say 'thanks' to God for being fortunate enough to be able to live a comfortable life. I didn't understand why she felt so strongly about this, I knew she and my Dad went to Kenya for their honeymoon years before I was born but didn't realise the impact this made on her.
When we arrived at our hotel, we collected our keys and was shown to our room. It wasn't half of what I expected. My expectations consists of a small brick room with minimal colour, small windows and basic bedding. Instead we stayed in a beautiful hut-like house. It was so intact with nature, with a roof made of straw, surrounded by grass and a stone passage way decorated with the beautiful green twigs and leaves. Much to our delight we were surrounded by wild monkeys, one of which had an infant wrapped round it. They would sit on our balcony and swing around the resort whilst living their natural lives. I was already in love with Kenya.
We walked into our rooms and instantly felt welcomed by the maids service. To our surprise laid on our beds was a welcome message made from the flowers, petals and leaves from the natural surroundings. Every morning the maids would leave a new message on our beds which was always beautifully decorated and was personalised for our family which made it feel more heart felt and truly reflected the beautiful people we met in Kenya. Although the rooms were basic, I still felt at home and wouldn't have changed it for the world.
Despite the fact that we were staying in a beautiful hotel, my Mum didn't want us to be distracted from the real reason why we were in Kenya. She wanted us to show us a different way of life, one which we were completely oblivious to. We planned to go to one of the local schools to see how different they were to the schools back home. I must admit, this was the first real eye opener. We were taken to a deserted building which almost seemed abandoned but even when we were a mile away, local kids started running next to the car, following us into the school. They were the most sweetest kids who greeted us with huge smiles and hugs. We walked into one of the classrooms where the kids sat down eager to meet us. My family and I gave out sweets and bottled water and spoke with them. We found out that it was actually their summer holiday but they loved playing and going to school so much that they'd travel miles from their homes just to stay at school. They were the happiest kids I had ever seen yet they had so little. They were so grateful for everything they received which made me realise how much we really take for granted. It made me think that having many possessions can actually be toxic for us as we're so focused on them that we lose sight of those around us who bring us true happiness.
Later on we had a tour of the library but in fact it wasn't a library. It was a room with a bookcase filled with old, tattered books which had been donated by previous onlookers of this school. Our hearts sank and we couldn't help but feel sorry for this school. We took the address and promised to send over new books when we get back home.
We were invited to a small village. It isn't the type of village with rows of houses, shops etc, this was a village filled with small mud houses, an outside shower and instead of a qualified doctor, they have someone they call a 'Witch Doctor'. They described the Witch Doctor as an local unqualified doctor who uses natural animal and plant extracts as medicine for antibiotics and painkillers. We were welcomed to this village by watching the villagers chant and dance for us. They wore small bells around their ankles and huge feathers on their back and invited us to come and dance with them. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and was then given a tour of their village. Tiny children were running around whilst their Mothers explained to us that they were in the middle of a drought so they would have to travel far to find their food. They also gave us an insight of what their homes looked like. One of them had a single mattress which would sleep 3 people. We felt remorseful towards the locals and it made us realise how lucky we actually are and how much we take for granted.
One thing which really caught my eye whilst being in Kenya, is how the local people live. It is clear to see that we live in different surroundings but maybe we should take a lesson from them and learn to live at a level of sustainability. Their life isn't surrounded by toxic materials, petrols or plastics, they make the most of the nature that surrounds them. They earn their money through learning the skills of how to make beads, carve wood into animals, climb trees to collect coconuts and sell fresh fruit and vegetables from the earth around them. It isn't a secret that our oceans are becoming more and more polluted by plastic and I am sure that we have all seen pictures and videos of how the sea life are suffering due to our selfishness and laziness so I do believe it is important to take a look and reflect on our everyday actions and think about ways we can live more sustainably.
