Part 5: The trip to Kenya comes to an end

Two weeks passed and the trip was coming to an end, Kenya was a beautiful place with wonderful people. The last few days were comfortable, the nights were chilly. It seemed that my body adapted to the climate, the heat and bugs were not much of a nuisance anymore. 

The two days before we left, it was my turn to do home visits. We visited several houses made of sticks and mud, mostly because it does not rain frequently there. The houses are built on land that was given to them when they applied for it, and some have straw-roof houses and the young men looking for wives had metal-sheet roofs. 

While we were in the middle of the house visits, we came to a house with three children playing outside. There were two older children about 4 or 5, the third (broke my heart and my soul crumbled) was a 2 or 3 year old child. They said their mother was out looking for food and they were not in school yet. We asked them questions and gave them food. 

Afterward, we walked down the road, and came across a clinic that had one doctor. The clients were treated and the doctor had graduated from Chuka University. He said medical personnel that graduate are assigned by the government to certain sections and districts in their county. 

Our walk continued and the markets were open. A seamstress tried to sell us clothes, but our wallets were back at the lodge. We continued to a house on top of a hill. An old man was tending his garden and we discussed his lifestyle. He said he had nine children and 27 grandchildren. I was amazed and also happy that he was content with his life. He said he had everything he wanted.

A day before we left the Kajuki, the business class was over, I cried for a minute or two, then we played with the children and laughed. From jump rope to duck-duck-goose, after we ate lunch, we said our good byes. There was a ceremony with dances put on by the children, the parents sang us songs and we as the Culture Ambassador Performance Program members put on a show with Native American dances. As we were leaving the children cried. I said to myself that I would not cry, but I did. 

The last night at the lodge we had a party with dancers from Chuka and the staff put on a huge meal before we left. We danced, and for the last night, a toast was made to the man who built and owned Kajuli Eco-Lodge for having us as his guests. 

 A reflection of Kenya is placed in my memories and I would go back and enjoy the lodge’s company. I would re-visit the schools and place a clothing order to be made by the seamstress. For myself, studying abroad for two weeks was a blast and would do it again. another country.