Week 1 of Construction

It has been a eventful week since we had the groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday.  We have succeeded in excavation the foundation and preparing all the steel reinforcement for the foundation.  We would have had the foundation walls poured by now however the water tank that was supposed to be delivered and installed tuesday wasn't delivered until last night. I just finished getting a nosel fitted for the tank and have arranged to have this 10,000 lt bad boy as well as the 3 in the orphanage and the 25,000 lt water tower for the church and school filled so that we have all the water we need for concrete pours next week.

On a completely different note, this Sunday is my birthday! I am heading to Nairobi to spend the weekend with a longtime childhood friend, David Keaney who has been on a backpacking trip in Kenya and Tanzania and will be flying home on Monday. I'm stoked to be able to spend the weekend with a friend from home.

A couple people have asked me about sending care packages for my birthday but I honestly have everything I need right here.  If you really want to give me something special, take the time to donate any amount of money, big or small to Construction For Change so they can continue to enable people like me to make a difference all over the world.  Also think about adopting a child at Cura Orphanage. For $1000per year you can adopt a child that parentless because of the affects of the AIDS epidemic here in Kenya.  I think it is crazy that for less than 3 dollars a day, you can cover the costs of a child's food, clothing, shelter and schooling.  I know I sound like an sad advertisement on TV but honestly, until you see what a difference such a small amount of money can make in helpless child's life, you don't relise how big of an impact you can have.  The money goes straight to the children and the home, not a penny is wasted!

Preparation to Break Ground

It has been an amazing week in and around CURA, as well as an eventful weekend in Nairobi.  I spent most of the week hiring my labor force as well as meeting with local material suppliers.  I am finding things move at a much slower pace here in Kenya than back home but we aren't letting anything get in the way of breaking ground this Thursday.  With the start of the rainy season fast approaching, I am eager to excavate and finish the foundation before the rains mess with our site and work schedule.

I had the pleasure of enjoying Tea friday evening at the beautiful home of Mike and Evelyn Eldon, the founders of the CURA Orphanage, in Nairobi.  I also had the pleasure of meeting Ty Strickler, a filmmaker from Los Angeles, who will be here for this week focusing on the CURA Orphanage and the construction of the secondary school for a documentary he is filming.  You can follow his journey at http://tystrickler.blogspot.com/. 

Saturday evening around 8 o'clock  when I was downtown Nairobi there was a bombing at a bus station outside town. Luckily I was far from the danger but it is a reminder that I should always be careful while here.  You can read the story courtesy of the BBC here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17326086 

On my return to CURA this afternoon I brought a football that I had picked up at a supermarket over the weekend.  It was the best $13 I have ever spent.  The kids and I had so much fun playing in the field.  All the kids were in their Sunday best and the red Kenyan dust was in the air while everyone crowded around the two goals made out of trees cut less than 100 meters away.  Hopefully I can get some pictures from Ty to show you because I was having way to much fun to bother with such things.  

I can't wait for Thursday and to officially begin the construction of this school.  It is a very exciting time for everyone here.  

Into the Bush!

Jambo Jambo!! I've heard it takes a small amount of pretention or ego to blog about oneself.  I guess I will have to live with that.  After a week since setting off from Seattle, I am astonished how much, and how little, my life has changed.  I never could have imagined the connection I would have felt with the children and the CURA community could be so strong.  They have welcomed me with open arms and I can see how much this project means to everyone here every time I meet a new face. The excitement is palpable.  Let me bring you up to speed on my journey to here.

After a 10-hour journey from Seattle I landed in Heathrow and stepped foot in the UK for the first time at 1 pm.  Heathrow was impressive and but I wanted to get into central London as soon as possible. On the way in, I met a Colombian girl that was just returning from 5 weeks in Thailand and boy did I enjoy swapping stories and hearing about all the places I needed to check out when I make it back. After Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, the Eye and Big Ben and Parliament, I found a true English pub just across a cobblestone lane from Lamborghini London, It was just the place I was looking for.  I experienced a true English dinner: a couple pints of local London English Ale, a minced Beef Pie, mash green beans and peas, before my lack of sleep caught up to me and I had to will myself back to the station to figure out how to get back to my hotel.  Don’t worry, Ministry of Sound, I’ll be back in no time.

Zetland Arms

Cliché London Pic 1

      

      Cliché London Pic 2 

                         Nairobi at Sunrise

I arrived late in Nairobi and enjoyed the last hot shower I would be having for a long time.  The next day my driver Gilbert took me around to see Nairobi and get hooked up with a Kenyan Cell and Wireless setup for the next 6 months. Walking around downtown Nairobi, jaywalking in between cars and getting weird looks from the locals, I felt like I was back in Bangkok, only no mopeds and I was the only fair skinned person on the sidewalk. After a quick stop at the Reptile Park we grabbed a few Tuskers, the local Nairobi beer, and watched the Arsenal vs Liverpool match.  I found out that in Nairobi you are a fan of one of two teams, Arsenal or  Manchester United. Everyone here watches the English Premier League. 


Sunday morning, I woke up early and went for a jog down the street from my hostel, towards the Peace Park in hopes of catching Nairobi at sunrise. I made it a little late but I picked up some Kenyan friends along the way.  After I snapped a few pics, I joined this trio of runners in a couple miles around the park, hill sprints, pressups, situps, and stretches.  They even showed off some acrobatics and got me into it a bit as well.  After we parted ways I struggled to find my way back to my hostel but I wasn’t in a rush so I grabbed a banana and a mango for breakfast as I wandered back and forth down the streets outside central Nairobi. Gilbert picked me up and brought me out here, to CURA that afternoon and I’ve been here ever since. 

There is so much to say about the people from CURA, I don’t know where to start.  Everything about being here is truly unique and there hasn’t been a moment since I have got here that I have wanted to be anywhere else, and I already feel so at home.  Maybe I can tell you some stories next time.  But I will leave you with some pictures of some of my new friends and my new home.  

CURA Orphanage

Found my favorite reading spot at the foot of a Banana Tree

The building where I live

A few of the children

Shenanigans while we took a walk after school.