Nov. 16, 2007
Answers are in green! Enjoy!
Do you have toilet paper? Yes!
What do you eat? Meat, a lot of vegetables, rice, ugali chipati, samosa. (see my other e-mail and google for more info.) Even I have that question.
Are food supplies bought daily for the meals, as is done in many parts of Europe? Yes, we visit the store every day.
How big is the house you are living in? I don't know the square footage but I would assume its about 1800 square feet or so. It has 3 bedrooms and the garage has been converted into an apartment.
Are you sleeping on a mattress, or some kind of mat on the floor, or what? I sleep in a bed with a matress, sheets, pillow, mosquito net .
How do you get around; does Ben have a car? We take the public transport (matatus).
The house has electricity, what other modern conveniences does it have, i.e. range, refrigerator? Refrigerator, TV, kerosene stove.
Do you hear Lions roaring at night? Lions live far away from where I'm at. The noises heard at night (and in the early morning) are the wild birds, the roosters and the local dogs.
Other then attending school, does Ben have outside employment?
Ben is actually done with school. He's currently not attending the University, but wants to come to college in the US. Currently his only income comes from Ann, who pays him to do work for the organization.
Do Ann's sisters work, what does her family do for a living?
Kamau is an accountant, Kamau's wife is a student in business and has some sort of office day-job, Steve (Ann's youngest brother) is an architect, Jennifer volunteers at a nearby orphanage (I will write more on this in my update), Janet is a sales representative for Crown Paint (a large African paint organization), Wangari (who's English names are Winifred and Stephanie, although she goes by Wangari) is a manager for Safaricom (the cell phone company that is currently providing my internet connection), Wangari's husband Lucas refurbishes computers to distribute to schools at a low price.
What type of flooring is seen in the photos of the house you are staying in?
Red clay floors with checkered linoleum laid on top in some rooms
Do you/they heat the water for showers, and if so, how? (I assume on the kerosene stove, but ...)
Yes. I took one cold shower and my skin attempted to crawl inside my body for warmth. Water is usually heated in a large pot on one of the outdoor charcoal stoves (since all of us Americans shower within an hour of each other)
Why is nothing doing about the slum areas to improve conditions
Does the government not care?
The government is trying to build projects in Kibera, but people are unwilling to give up their homes to allow apartment buildings to be built (fearing they will be permanently displaced). This is the only slum that the government is working on right now, but if the current president is re-elected, one of his goals is to replace most of the slums in Kenya with projects within the next five-year term.
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