Opening day part 2

Here we have the final ceremony for our new solar garden. Students, staff and dignitaries alike crowd around for the ribbon cutting. Afterwards we all feasted and got fat on success.

Opening day

Opening day we had entertainment and special guests in the social hall. Dancing, singing and general merriment ensued. Afterwards everyone filed out and went to the grand opening. I can't stress what a victory this was for the Polytechnic school. It often gets overlooked and this was a huge win for them, not just to being recognized outside the community, but within the village borders as well.

Did I mention it was hot?

Insanely hot. Hottest it's ever been for me here and it started with the very beginning of the installation when we were putting up the supports. Here's a photo of Godfrey the mechanical genius resting under the panels with me.

Getting it done

When the Spanish Engineers arrived the necessary bones of the installation were well prepared and we went to work piping in the cables, grounding the panels, hooking up the control center with the multi cluster, and inverters, cutting vents, attaching roofing, you name it. It took some time, and there were some hiccups but we got the installation up and running on time.

Where were we?

My time here is winding up which is a pretty scary thought. A lot has happened and I'll try my best to catch you up. A while ago we had Sister Mary's birthday celebration at the polytechnic department where she uncovered a baby doll, and all the students sang to her. Pretty cute seeing her get surprised. Afterwards she addressed us all about the up coming solar garden opening and the stakes were made pretty clear. Everyone in poly worked really hard and some long hours were had the following two weeks to make sure the opening would be a success. My internet has been pretty wonky here as of the last few weeks but I'll try to do as many picture submissions as I can. Here's us setting up on the solar control station.

BLAG!!

Pole Sana! My regrets for such a long absence. Please accept this adorable picture in place of a heartfelt excuse, I have been pretty busy these past few weeks.

Lawson High Mural

Early last week I finished my mural in the Lawson High School library. One or two hours every day for a week and a half. The kids were so much fun to help on this. Some of them have serious skills with an aerosol can, and great design intuition. Many thanks to Sister Teresia for the request, and to the Irish for the paint.

Solar Garden Update

Recently I was at work in the polytechnic department when we got two new storage containers of materials for the solar garden. This thing is finally coming to fruition!

These guys crack me up

Just because it's too cute to pass up.

Summit

Last weekend we had a summit here in the village with one or two representatives of each board present, which was great for a few reasons. There was the amazing food we all got served, along with the chance to meet some interesting people with some serious pull with the organization. I also got the chance to buddy up with my friend Jeff Brown while he was here for a few days which was great. We got to trade a few stories, plus he brought me some chili sauce form home (I am in githeri heaven). The last perk of the summit was actually getting the kids ready with their flowers and little presentation. So much fun.

In case you were wondering...

This is what I mean by a bumpy back road.

Mt. Kuvansa

On Sunday I climbed a mountain. And yesterday I had my fingers painted purple. So far my activities here have included digging holes, a great deal of welding, carpentry, solar panel installation, motor bike repair, teaching, making clay stoves, cooking the occasional exotic pizza, painting a mural, and maintenance on on a few necessary machines along with an assortment of various tools. Playing with the kids is a given because that's a bonus on any day, hence the purple nails today. Another set of volunteers has left and I've realized how attached I get now to someone after knowing them for only 2-3 weeks. It makes me wonder what it's like for some of these kids (KSVP I miss you already). My weekends have mostly filled up with projects now, but I still managed to get out with two new friends from a neighboring village on Sunday. My new compatriot Benson and I trekked out a few hours to Kuvansa for a little bike repair and after some time met his neighbor Patrick, a nice guy who I was introduced to the weekend before. The three of us back tracked a bit to this nearby mountain and although I was tired, I gotta say the journey was worth the shaky legs. Beautiful view of the valley below, from Nyumbani to the Kosanya river and well beyond. I could even see Kitui town below the horizon. Afterwards we split some mangoes and I got a speedy ride back to the village on Patrick's motorbike in time for the sunset. Some of the back roads were a bit wild, but it sure beat walking. At dinner I found out the Irish volunteers had left us a sweet surprise. Marshmallows! Now I can add building a fire to my list of activities.

Hello everyone! Anyone?

I've been here in the Nyumbani Village (outside Kitui and Kwa Vonza) for roughly a month and a half now and I still sometimes feel like the first sun burnt puritan in the new world. Although I feel pretty well adjusted to life here in the village now, I have to say that I still see and experience things here that amaze and confuse me on a daily basis. When I got here I had a vague idea of what I might be doing in the polytechnic department and after seeing all the other jobs to do I jumped into things here with 5 projects at once. It's true that things can sometimes move slowly, but that doesn't stop the staff and myself from working hard through each day. I like to work, I sleep better that way. This blog has been a long time coming so I will try to update it as much as possible with stories and explanations of life here in Kenya. I'll also include pictures from my adventures, some relating, some not. This first one is from my Christmas in the Nyumbani Karen home, and I think it sums up my attitude pretty perfectly right now. I am fueled with the heat seeking power of a baby Moses.