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At last rain 😊… it started around 1pm and continued  for an hour and a half … heavy rain with thunder rumbling somewhere in the distance.  Not much of it escaped as it ran from the roofs into the gutters and started to fill the rain water store.  That was not the end of the rain it started again around 4pm.  Staff were happy saying the shelter would not fail, we could start planting, which is a relief for me and a very welcome break from the intense heat of the sun.  I have been informed the rain may continue for 3-5 days.

It will be a busy week planting and teaching but hopefully the worry of crops, animals or humans having limited water is behind us, at least for the moment.

So as promised … my blog on driving in Kenya.  It’s not for the faint hearted! Imaging off road rally driving on tarmac!  most roads are single lane apart for uphill where there’s usually  a crawler lane.  Indicators; indicate nothing,  the line in the middle of the road; means next to nothing, a flash of headlights; means I’m not slowing down… get out of the way!  Drivers need nerves of steel to get where you are going or drive at a snail’s pace behind diesel trucks spewing black smoke for mile upon mile, hour upon hour of ‘good’ to ‘in need of repair’ tarmac roads.   My driver was both considerate and conscientious adapting his driving to the ever changing demands of the road …. keen to get me back to Nairobi before dark for the weekend he was not satisfied to sit behind slower moving vehicles… problem is nor are other vehicles.  There could be as many as 10  (as thats usually as far as you can see ahead) vehicles overtaking something (also difficult to identify as those who decide moving at a slower pace could also be 10-20 vehicles) coupled with vehicles undertaking…  on the dirt track running parallel to the road, motorbikes carrying wide loads ( I’ve seen double beds, crates full of chickens, bunched maize plants and even a 3 seater settee!).  Then there’s the matatu (buses) pulling in to pick up and drop off passengers.  Vehicles joining and leaving the carrigeway.  There are also humans, walking and on bikes, wandering and shepherded goats, sheep and cows crossing the road.  Got the picture? Now times the scenario by two for the traffic going the opposite way!

Saying all that I am looking forward to getting behind a wheel myself, even though it will mean missing some fantastic scenery and interesting towns and villages.

Thank you Deb for the lucky angel …. every little helps x 😊

Today we had another baking session.  I can’t say the oven has been mastered just yet, it was primed and preheated the same as the previous time but I did not feel that it got as hot (the themometer dropped to an inaccessible place last time so I’m not sure of the actual temperature).    I supported the ladies in their baking this time around, they need to be able to follow a recipe without me. Working in pairs they made regular bread (following Sunday’s recipe) and by request from one of them pumkin bread.  Working as a whole group they made jam tarts which turned out quite well.  If the presentation was improved they cound potentially be sold to the local shop and community.

I was busy taking photos of the process and plan to use the the images for a photo recipe.  Two of the ladies can’t read English (and I can’t write Swahili yet) plus there is a possibility that one of the ladies is dyslexic so images will assist her in remembering the process.

We had the pumpkin bread for supper with spinach, cabbage and a few tomatoes.  It made a change from the usual ugali and filled us all up.  The ladies said that liked it and will be making it again … a success and good use the shelters own produce 😊.

I’ve suggested we try a biscuit recipe next time and have promised chocolate chip cookies, I will need to take a trip into town again, so another adventure 😀.

The more practical skills I am able to give the ladies the more they will be able to care for themselves and their babies.  The craft session yesterday afternoon aimed to deliver 3 basic sewing stitches that would help them to mend and maintain clothing.  I am extremely fortunate in that my own mum encouraged and supported me to sew by hand and machine and attempted to get me interested in knitting.  I feel I mastered sewing but the knitting did not appeal to me 😐.  I asked the ladies to bring 2 items to mend and was not surprised that some items were in truth beyond repair, however I demonstrated how scraps of material can be used to patch and make good.  The ladies found it amusing when I told them torn and ripped jeans are fashionable in the UK, they laughed saying not in Kenya 😀.

The evenings get very chilly with the wind whiping up quickly out of nowhere.  Despite everyone’s best efforts the banana tree which was bearing fruit was unable to sustain its upright position and fell breaking its stem.  Staff told me the banana would not recover but would send out a new plant as bananas grow in generations having parents and grandparents.  The actual bananas will be bought inside to ripen. If I can source some over ripe bananas I will demonstrate how to make banana bread on Thursday when we will bake again using the carcoal oven.

Im learning so much and am grateful for this unique opportunity to give back. The ladies are wonderful young women who with a hand-up (not hand-out), courage and determination will go far.