A big day!

Today was due to be one of the most significant ones of my time here - the day when the majority of the sewing machines were given out.  There was a point when I thought maybe there would not be any women wanting sewing machines, but I ended up giving out 13 of them in total.
The day did not start well, however.  I had a sheet I wanted to print showing the names of the ladies and what they were due to collect today.  This was somewhat complicated as it involved sewing machines, fabric and sewing machine tables - and not all of the ladies needed to collect all three.  So having a list was important.  Unfortunately the hotel computer could not be used for printing as the USB cable connecting the printer to the computers had been removed and the end stepped on, damaging the connector.  "Never mind," I thought, "I'll take the sheet on my ipad and use that."  I had created the sheet on Google sheets and downloaded this and google drive, so believed it would be simple to connect to the wifi and download the updated version.  Not so.  The wifi was not working (as it had not been the night before).  After a frustrating 15 minutes at reception where it was not possible to convince them that yes, I had previously been able to connect my ipad; yes, I had turned off the wifi and tried reconnecting; yes, I had tried shutting everything down and starting again; yes, I had also powered down my ipad and tried again and really, it must be a problem with the hotel system not my ipad, I had to leave to get my tuktuk and go to Casuarina House.
Fortunately Jess came to the rescue and allowed me to use her wifi to download the sheet, and that problem was solved.  However, in the stress I had forgotten the amount I was due to pay, and when it came to counting the money out I was short.  Jess to the rescue again, lending me 500KSH, but now I had not money for the return tutktuk journey.  (I tell you all this to give a flavour of how minor inconveniences can cause huge stress!)
On to more pleasurable activities as I sorted out the fabric into a pile for each lady.  Each was to receive two lessos (each of which would make one dress). The lessos were so beautiful; I can't wait to go back to the shop to buy some for myself!

 Added to the lessos were the four different colours of chiffon, each with a matching lining.

 I set them all out on the long table at Casuarina.

I then added a label to each pile with the lady's name on and a Bible verse.
I also have a pile of fabric for the ladies sewing group at Noah's Ark Academy, along with the necessary tools (and their sewing machine, of course).

After this, Jess and I took the blender I had bought for Rehema (who currently lives next door with her mother) round to her house.

We didn't take a photo of Rehema at this time as she had just applied a face pack; it seemed a little mean! 

I returned to Casuarina and made myself useful by doing the children's mending for the next few hours:

Eventually, around 4.15, the machines arrived.  I was amazed to see 6 machines and 13 tables, along with four adults, packed into one tiny car!

The men were there to assemble the flat packed tables, and they quickly got to work.  It was amazing to see:

The Casuarina children (and adults!) were fascinated by the process.

By now the ladies had begun to assemble.  There were a number who had come in the hope of getting something I believe, and I had to tell them that they had not asked for a sewing machine / fabric and so were not on my list and were not getting one.   Most of them were receiving something else, or already had received something.

The Casuarina House children were so helpful in fetching and giving out the fabrics to the ladies:

Paul documented the experience and I look forward to seeing his photos as well!

Soon the ladies had received their machines and fabric, and were just waiting for the tables:

Huge thanks to Christopher, who did all the finding, purchasing and organising for me (and, as you see from the photos above, helped assemble the tables) and to Mr Ali Ali, the owner of the shop, who closed up a little early to bring everything over to Utange.

Wednesday restday

I had mentally assigned Wednesday as a rest day and, given my tummy upset, it turned out to be a wise decision.  God is definitely looking after me here and making sure things happen in a way which allow me space - and maybe I have also learnt to listen to the counsel of my wiser friends!  I have been finding things to enjoy each day - and one of the things which has struck me are the flowers around the hotel:

I had a lovely start to the day with a Facetime conversation with Michelle while sitting on my verandah.

The wifi connection is much better here in the mornings - by the evening it is clearly overloaded with people catching up digitally.  It was so good to talk with a friend from home, and set me up well for the day.

After some time resting on my verandah, watching the monkeys, I had a phone call to say I had a visitor.  Jess had come over to see me from Casuarina.  We shared some wine at the bar and it was lovely to sit and chat.

I returned to my room for some more chill out time, and then it was time to meet Juma.  We had arranged for him to come after work so that we could go down to Nakumatt and buy the things for his sister's salon - a hair dryer, some straighteners, and a water heater.  He had also agreed to introduce me to the major way in which Kenyans get around - the matatu.  A matatu is a safari bus - a bit smaller than minibuses in England - onto which as many people as possible are crammed!  They have set routes and stop wherever they see a customer.  Prices are much cheaper than by taxi or by tuktuk.  Our matatu came very quickly and Patrick explained that if I wanted to go to Nakumatt from Severin I could get on any matatu as they all passed Nakumatt.  The fare was 20 shillings - compared to 200 shillings for a tuktuk or 250 for a taxi.  The shopping was successful, and I also bought a blender for a lady Jess had told me about; I look forward to giving it to her tomorrow. 

Coming back was interesting;  Waiting for the matatu (many passed on by because they were already full, it being rush hour) we had tutktuks and taxis stop to persuade us that we should travel with them; the concept of a muzungu riding a matatu seemed unbelievable!  One very full matatu tried to persuade us to pay 70 shillings for a ride because it was rush hour. When a matatu with space arrived,  I had to get through to the back seats.  I know I am getting a little larger in the hips these days, but it was a very tight squeeze between the seats to reach the back! I then had to keep my hand above my head to protect it while bouncing along.  All driving experiences are interesting in Kenya, I have decided.  The road we were driving along has two lanes, with just enough room to overtake.  Vehicles overtaking toot their horns, basically to say "get out of the way" and the slower vehicles pull as far in to the side as possible.  Matatus, however, will frequently undertake, driving along the earth verges of the road (which are full of potholes) as they pull in and out of the traffic to pick up passengers.  Vehicles do not wait for a gap in the traffic in order to join the road; they simply pull in if they think they can get away with it (which they usually do believe!)  Suffice it to say I have no intention of driving anywhere in Kenya!
After the excursion it was back to the hotel and a quiet evening.

I wanted to include the pictures below, showing something which has interested me during my stay this week.  The majority of the hotel accommodation is thatched int he traditional style, and one of the buildings has been rethatched this week.  It was really interesting to watch the process - though I think those doing the thatching may have been a bit bemused by the "muzungu" who took so much interest!

Delivering the materials

A hand cart used to take the rushes to the building

Thatching in progress

Complete

Fabric shopping in Mombasa

After a VERY rough night where tummy troubles struck with a vengeance, I was not sure about the wisdom of a trip to Mombasa - but as I had asked three people to accompany me, and arranged the taxi, and really wanted to go, I decided to go ahead - with much prayer for there to be no need for a rapid dash to the loo during our trip!  Thankfully those prayers were answered and, although I was extremely tired, the trip was a success.

Everyone but Rose and I was running late, so we had a bit of a delayed start, but Zachariah got us safely into Mombasa (a feat in itself) and we were soon in the bustling area of Biashara street.  Biashara means business, and it is here that many small shops are found.  Interestingly in Kenya shops of the same type seem to cluster together, so we entered one building - a Kenyan type of arcade, but nothing like the shopping arcades you would find in England! - to find it packed with at least 20 individual fabric kiosks.  All seemed to be selling much the same thing, but Sheila and Rose quickly identified the one which seemed to have the best prices and a bargaining process was begun.

The ladies chose four different colours of fabrics and explained to me that they were buying a roll of each - for the amazing sum of 2100KSH - something around £17 - each!  What is more, the fabric would be divided into lengths so that I would not have to cut it in order to divide it between the women.  Each roll yielded enough fabric for 12  women who asked me for fabric to have a piece each. 

We then went to another shop to buy lining fabric - which was even cheaper.

After this we went to another shop - where I recognised the fabrics which Debbie has purchased on my behalf in the past - to buy thread, scissors and stuffing for the ladies in Florence's sewing group.  I think Sheila was a little taken aback at the price I was prepared to pay for the scissors (this was a fixed price shop rather than one where bargaining was needed) but they were good scissors and will last.
Having taken our heavy loads back to Zachariah's car, we then went in search of Kenyan fabrics.  I had decided to buy some for Rose to make me a dress.  These shops were much closer.  At the first one, seeing my "muzungu" face, the shop keeper wanted to charge us over the odds, according to Sheila.  His fabrics - called lessos - were 950KSH for two pieces.  Rose told me that each piece would make a dress, but that two coordinating pieces would be better.  We left the overpricing and went round the corner to what turned out to be a fixed price shop.  And what a shop!  I could have spent hours there, just looking at the fabrics.  I intend to return there, with Ronnie and Frances when they come, to buy more fabric for myself, to take home.

What is more, they were a much better price at only 550KSH for two and, so Sheila told me, better quality as well.

The darker blue fabric at the top of this second image is what I chose for myself, for Rose to make me a dress.
We ended up buying 16 pairs of pieces - enough for all of the women and some for Florence's sewing gorup as well.

Having - thankfully - finished our fabric shopping, we headed back.  Jess needed apples for the Casuarina children to try apple bobbing, and these we found from a roadside hawker as we headed out of Mombasa.  Interestingly, they were packed in water, no doubt to keep them fresher.

On the way home, we stopped to look at the stall I have funded for Zachariah's wife Mwembe.

 

 Zachariah has arranged for it to be repainted, and it looks very smart.

He has purchased the weighing machine needed to weigh out smaller amounts of cereals.  he told me Mwembe hopes to have the shop open before I go home.  I look forward to seeing it!

Another active day; I was very glad to get back to the hotel!  I had a short swim and then a doze, then managed a bread roll at dinner (the first food I had eaten in 24 hours) and then went back to my room for a welcome early night.  I have planned tomorrow as a rest day, before the distribution of the rest of the sewing machines and the fabric on Thursday.  Debbie has just told me that they have a staff meeting on Thursday so I am waiting to hear whether we need to change the arrangements for giving out the machines (the machines will be delivered to Casuarina on Thursday and that is where all the women have been told to come at 5pm).  I'm really praying we can sort it out without needing to change venues...