Kenya -- January 25, 2011

The GUW group split with some doing grinder training and health care worker training while the rest of us went off to build a mud hut. We were available on site at 10, but the "mud man" didn't show up until after 11 a.m. He was responsible for adding water, stirring, and stomping (like grapes) to get the mud to the right consistency.

We GUW workers grabbed a bowling ball size hunk of mud (with manure) and put it on the wood frame which the community had already constructed. I was very grateful for my super strong, chemical resistant, rubber gloves; made me feel much better about grabbing my hunks of mud. We worked pretty steadily, with a brief lunch break, until about 3 p.m. At that point there was no more water so no more mud so no more building. We hope the community will finish the project (and were later assured they would).

It was a little disappointing that no one from the Nyaoga community, other than the mud maker, joined in the hut building. They had built the framework, a big job, before our arrival. And many were involved in various training efforts. But it would have been more fun/interesting to be working with the community rather than entirely on our own -- especially since we were definitely unskilled labor.

The house was being built for a co-wife who had only a small hut which will become the kitchen once the larger house had been completed. As we worked, the other co-wife indicated she'd like a cement floor for her mud hut. Apparently one-upsmanship operates between the co-wives, even with the shared husband long dead.

































Definitely needed a shower -- even of the pour a cup of water from a basin variety -- after participating in this project. My clothes were ready for disposal/give away.

About 4:45 we headed off on the bus to visit a resort recently established on Lake Victoria. The owners are a non-profit organization; GUW had considered a similar activity, but these folks moved first. The setting and buildings looked quite nice.






















We'd planned on taking a sunset cruise, but when we saw the size and condition of the boat and the strength of the waves, we elected to skip the boat ride. Instead we gathered on the veranda and watched the sunset.












Got back to the Nyaoga staff housing and to bed about 10 p.m. It was quite warm inside our room. Jennifer and Cassidy decided to take their mosquito tents and move outside. It would be cooler -- but farther from the toilet!