August
5, 2007 Nairobi
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I'm
in good hands here in Nairobi after a long, bumpy bus ride from Kakamega
down to the tea growing county near Kericho, then through the Rift
Valley, with large wheat fields, and herds of Zebra and buffalo crossing
what passes for a highway here. It's terribly damaged by heavy trucks and
lack of maintenance. I don't know how a car or bus makes two trips over
that road without a major overhaul, new suspension, etc.
I initially declined an invitation from Donald and Ruth Thomas and chose
to stay in a hotel, but they sent another invitation, and fortunately for
me I accepted. If any of you who read this ever have the honor of an
invite from them, do not hesitate. They are incredible. They've been here
since the late fifties, Donald as an agronomist with the old colonial
service, he's been a Kenya citizen since 1965. He also plays cello. Ruth
grew up in Indiana though ironically born in Dayton of all places, where
I grew up. She worked for years in acquistions for the American Library
of Congress out here. They've farmed in the Rift Valley for 10 years,
then moved into Nairobi, raised a family of interesting children and have
a beautiful house, garden, art collection, library and host every quaker
it seems who comes through Nairobi. It turns out we know a number of
people mutually from my old days out here. One, David Court, will be
coming over for tea tomorrow after my class. He worked for the
Rockefeller Foundation out here for years. We played rugby together when
I was in the Peace Corps in Tanzania.
I'm spending Sunday relaxing from my trip. I was house guest number two ,
but am now elevated to the only guest. Ann Dusseau who was at Kakamega up
until last week, has spent the last few days here and just left for home.
She is a retired social worker from Boise, Idaho, and became a brick
mason while in Kakamega on the Peace Center building project.
Tomorrow I begin my last class of mediation (number 7) before going down
to Tanzania and eventually home on August 25. I hope to meet Steve Fisher
one of my Peace Corps colleagues from 1966 who has retired to Tanzania.
He's travelling the game park circuit with his daughter who lives in New
York. The class will be made up of refugees from Burundi, Rwanda, the Congo,
and maybe some internally displaced persons from Kenya. It will last
three days. Again I'm following in the tracks of Judy Friesem and her
husband Kim Bush who were out here earlier this year. I'm to take the
students to the next phase and help them organize into an effect group of
mediators.
I'm typing this overlooking a beautiful English/African garden. I may
even go for a run in my boxers this afternoon.
Take care,
George
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Itinerary
George's
Route
Archive
Aug 21, 2007
Aug 16, 2007
Aug 14, 2007
Aug 12-13, 2007
Aug 10, 2007
Aug 6-8, 2007
Aug 5, 2007
Aug 1, 2007
July 30, 2007
July 29, 2007
July 23-25, 2007
July 24, 2007
July 22, 2007
July 20, 2007
July 15-17, 2007
July 12-13, 2007
July 13, 2007
July 12, 2007
July 8, 2007
June 30, 2007
June 12, 2007
June 11, 2007
Mediation Classes
and Case Studies
Nairobi
Kakamega/Lubao
Bujumbura, Rwanda
Kigali, Rwanda
Goma, Congo
Photos
1960's Africa
Germany
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