Leaving Kisumu for the First Time
Out to the field with SANGO-Kenya. Part #2 of my SANGO-Kenya experience
This story starts with part #1 which you can read here….
Second day in Kisumu. We are going out to the field to meet the women in the group. The plan is a training session.
The program is still very young. In the first incarnation the program connected to a small women’s organization. A tight knit group of women who got together, among other things, to provide catering services for funerals. I was to realize that death is much more present in day to day life here….
Our driver, John was going to pick us up from our apartment. He showed up almost on time and we could leave just as soon as he had coffee. Then juice. Then something small to eat. And maybe just a bit more coffee. But then we are truly set to go.
The guard lets us out of the apartment compound smiling as always. She looks like a teenager, but has three kids.
And we are off…
Turns out nearly everything here, every transaction, is done using mpesa. This is a system run by SafariComm which is a combination of bank and communications company. It allows transactions to happen without cash changing hands. It is used for virtually everything. Even tiny transactions… Buying 300 grams of peas.
The mpesa stands also function as a sort of ATM. You go over to an mpesa stand, you’ll usually find an old auntie there. You send her a few shilling via mpesa and she will give you the cash (minus a small fee). mpesa stands are everywhere. Often combined with a small kiosk.
As we leave the center of town, we start seeing some green, but along the road there continue to be businesses strewn along the way selling anything you can think of.
Turns out the Luo which is predominantly used in the Kisumu area doesn’t have a written tradition. (Turns out there is a Luo alphabet, but nobody seems to use it for practical uses). So… most (all) signage appears in English. Not everyone speaks English though… The results are often amusing. Every shed is a boutique, every stand is a Complex, every shack is a Plaza…
Between the shacks and the sheds, as we get further away, I start seeing glimpses of the stunning landscape. This region has huge rock formations that create very dramatic vistas.
There are several large markets on the way with a large concentration of stalls and vehicles all around.
Another thing that we start seeing along the way are women carrying water in yellow Jeri cans. This is quite consistent. They are always women, or girls, carrying water in the same yellow Jeri cans.
We arrived at the farm where the training is going to take place. The women have yet to arrive. There is a certain buzz of anticipation.
Next time…. Meeting the group and joining the training session.
In the meantime… if you want to learn a bit more about SANGO-Kenya. you can check it out here: https://sango-kenya.org/
…and you can see more of my photos here: https://www.rozinphotos.com/