Kilimanjaro

So since I have no internet on the mountain (though surprisingly there is cell phone signal), I have decided to blog each day and post one giantly-massive post when I get down. Here goes.

Day 1

I woke up this morning as though it were Christmas. My alarm was set for 8 but for some reason, my unique talent of the ability to loll in bed dozing for many hours late into the morning had evaded me. I popped up at 7 and had a long shower (until the hot water ran out) before scrambling to pack my bag and have breakfast. My lift to the office was late however, so I ended up waiting a while. When I eventually arrived I met my guide, Ezekiel, who in an instant surveyed my bag and indicated to me that I was not bringing enough. I was shocked, as I had thought that 'packing light' was going to be a challenge for me. Apparently I was TOO good. The funny thing was that after going through my entire giant backpack, I was only able to add one long-sleeve and an extra pair of PJs to the pile... It became quite evident that I had given too many of my clothes away in the village. Ezekiel was satisfied only after I ticked off all of the essential items on the list as he went through them. I met my cook and a few of the porters who would be coming with us – Barak (I call him Obama), and Anthony were the friendliest -  and we drove up to the starting gate. I had chosen to tackle the Machame route, which is apparently the 'Whiskey Route' because of its many challenges along the way. I wouldn't have wanted my Kili climb to be too easy. It is also known as the most scenic route so I was looking forward to some great shots of the landscape. The departure point was at 1800m ASL and while I waited for the porters to sort the gear into 20kg piles, I had my lunch. I nearly fell off my stool when I saw what it was: a veggie burger, fries, and bananas. Not really your typical hiking food. I devoured it just the same.

What a Whirlwind

Somehow a month has slipped by me and my time in Kenya is nearly finished. I am very sad.

My project has really picked up in the last three weeks and I have been busy transferring Class 4 students from Fairview to other schools nearby. Although many tears were shed at their graduation ceremony, I hope that they see in the end, it is best for their education. We are sponsoring 8 students in total for the remainder of this year, and then an additional 6 when a second transition happens in January. We will be looking for sponsors of these children for the next few years so if you are interested, please let me know. $50 pays for a school uniform, books, a lunch nutrition program, a PTA fee, examination fees and extra remedial classes on Saturdays FOR ONE YEAR! It is impossible for families here to even afford that, so I wonder how the government can continue to claim 'free education' for all primary school students. Secondary school is even more expensive and the most tragic thing is that many of these students will not have the means to attend without the help of a sponsor.