It simply can't end here

These past few mornings I’ve been waking up to either memories created in Kenya, or me speaking the little Swahili I learnt while over there. Despite me physically being in Texas, I have not yet landed in North America - and rightfully so, as Kenya was truly an eye-opening and life-changing event for me. This is not say that I am now living my life completely different, because I am not – or at least not yet; rather, I have never experienced travel like that, nor have I learned lessons such as the ones I experienced.

Since being back in a consumerism capital, I’ve felt overwhelmed by all the redundant choices that surround us all. While being in a bike store the other day, and looking at all the smallest parts in packages from all different name brands, I caught my self asking: why do we complicate our lives so much by having all this ‘stuff’? I was thinking about how the many Kenyan’s we spent time with are content with their life just as it is, and without all the ‘stuff’ we so easily take for granted. Although they may change some circumstances surrounding the safety of their daily routines, their smiles and hearts are just as big as ours, if not bigger.

This world is complex, and as Emily G. said it best at one of our first group meetings, the lottery of birth is perplexingly unfair. How did I end up with the privilege of being able to come and go to countries at my leisure, while always returning to my comfy home of abundance and ease?

It’s the lottery of birth that drives me towards a life of service. I partly feel as though I, as someone who has won a fair share of that lottery, should dedicate time and action to those who occupy the bottom part of that lottery. The truth is that this world is extremely interconnected and global – we share everything from the burden of financial debts and crises, and the need for love, family and true connection.

Kenya reinvigorated this picture for me, and has realigned me with my passion for people. Kenya also taught me that real solutions come from listening to those in need, and from there, working towards appropriate sustainable long-term solutions with locals and link-minded people is the way forward. The power of many is indestructible and Kiberia now has a new Community Centre to prove it.

With each person I speak to about my experiences, I find myself explaining many different events and all the many ‘take-aways’ that I am finally filtering through. Kenya is still unraveling itself in front of me, and with each day that passes me by, I am learning more about my self, my future and my realities – and it is with the help of those I met on the Seva Safari trip, that I am growing into a more experienced, more aware and more intentional person. Thank you from the bottom of all that I am for the Seva Safari 2011 trip, and for all friendships made.

It's Not Goodbye; It's "See You Soon"

Emily G.: After 12 days of work, exploration and warm welcomes, the first set of AYP Seva Safari participants have packed to depart Kenya. We'll take with us a strong sense of how impactful yoga can be on communities and individuals and the importance of personal action. A common theme of the experience was "if not us [leading the change], then who?" And it's one that will continue to be asked in our home communities.

As flights leave for everywhere from Ottawa to Austin, I'm especially excited about the opportunity to:

• Practice with Baptiste-trained AYP instructors in their local neighborhoods and homes;
• Learn how to mud and cement with the best of 'em to create a safe Kibera community space with Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO);
• Play "Yogi Says" with students at the Kibera School for Girls, another SHOFCO project;
• Dance with acrobats and yoga teachers at a Saturday AYP class at Sarakasi Dome led by Paige and Wapi Wapi crew choreographer Billy;
• Pick abandoned elephants to adopt at the Shedrick Wildlife Trust;
• Practice yoga under the stars in a Masai village in Amboseli Park;
• See the reactions of Bead the Change women when they learned that AYP was giving them their own motorcycle for deliveries and medical care;
• Acknowledge group members' contributions on the work site and our adventures with the very Kenyan "Ugali Awards" (because, just as a meal isn't a meal without ugali, the trip wouldn't have been the same without each of the 17 contributors).

The trip closed with us discussing our gratitude toward AYP teachers, seva safari organizers, and Paige as a leader. Contributions to AYP--whether they be in the form of administrative help, funds, or airline miles--are still needed. The power of non-violent communication has only begun to be realized in Nariobi thanks to AYP, and I couldn't be more excited for what comes next. Until next year... 

Dinner and Yoga with the Masai

Cait: I learned early on that having no expectations when entering a new situation/place/event or event meeting new people is always best. That doesn't mean that going to a Masai village didn't excite me. I'd been looking forward to this part of the trip since I signed up. How many people get to spend the night with the Masai? As friends?

After the long drive to Amboseli the excitement in our van could be felt as we drove up to the Manyata. Jackson the chief and Shedrock his right hand man and translator were waiting for us. We were welcomed by a song and dance from the women and men. We were also invited to join them. I tried my best to sing along with the music (although some of the noises from deep in the back of my throat sound more like gargles than music) and jump to the beat. I found that to make my head bob properly to the dance, the movement needed to come from my knees, not my head or shoulders (just in case you ever end up dancing with the Masai, you'll know what's up.)

It was very overwhelming for me. I was in the middle of a desert surrounded by beautiful people dressed in vibrant fabrics and stunning beadwork. I was with the Masai holding a woman's hand singing and smiling. I never would have thought I would experience anything like this and I could not have expected the sense of joy I felt.

We toured the village. I was surprised to see how small and dark the homes that the women built were. Then we went on a game drive. We saw many beautiful animals but I was anxious to get back and have dinner. When we returned to the village it was dark and very cold. 

We spread out mats out in a circle and Jacob, a Masai AYP teacher, led us in a practice under the stars. It was fun. Local men practiced with us and the stars were clearly visible and very magical. 

Then we headed to a beautiful dinner around a campfire. We sang songs, danced and told stories. We made friends too. I met Benson, who whipped out a cellphone and added me as a friend on Facebook. (The Masai don't have electricity, so he charges it at a nearby lodge.)

It was also my first time camping and I was a little nervous about sleeping in a tent in the middle of a group of cattle. When I finally climbed into my tent, I was too tired to notice the bovine brigade outside and worke up to see the sun rise the next morning. It was cold and breathtaking on our second game drive and we saw lions, which Jackson said he prayed we would see. 

We had a meeting with the women who work on Beads for Change, a foundation supporting the Masai. We learned that part of our fundraising was used to buy the women a motorcycle so that they would not have to depend on and pay men to help transport bead, milk and medicine. If the men want to use the bike, they will have to pay the women. I wish you could have seen the smiles. Masai women are treated like second class citizens in many ways and this motorcycle is really empowering them.

Afterwards we ate and shopped the women's wares. I was sad to go. The Masai were so gracious, warm and welcoming. 

Shining Hope + AYP Community Center Completion

Acacia: The last day at the worksite began with an invigorating practice with Irene and Khadijah. At the end Irene shared her inspiring story with us which displayed a lot of courage. I felt very inspired by her willingness to be open with the group. After class we enjoyed our breakfast on the terrance. Breakfast was prepared by Cosmos our fantastic chef and host. It was very satisfying as always.

Next we headed off to the worksite to complete our task. As we approached I was filled with a feeling of accomplishment. The progress was almost unbelievable, a shell of a building had taken shape. In the morning we continued to mix and cement the walls. There wasn't as much work to do but the work that did need to be done was completed efficiently because we work so well as a team. Lunch at Shining Hope For Communities was prepared with love by the women from the women's group and then w headed back to the site. At the site we hauled soil to complete the project.

Once the hauling was completed the entire group engaged in a celebration on the top floor of the building we had built. One by one we talked about our experiences and what we would take away from this trip. A sense of unity, love and transformation were the general themes but I think Gord said it best..... "No matter how much mud I pack or how much cement I mix, I feel like I can never give back as much as I am getting from this life changing experience." Kennedy gave an inspirational speech and then the gifts for the Fundis were dispersed. The smiles on their faces were priceless. To close out or celebration there was an acrobatic performance by Sam, Richie and Vincent. It was amazing!

Our walk back up to the bus was filled with smiles but I was a little bit sad that our project was over and we wouldn't be working with the Fundis any more on this trip. As we departed the worksite Todd gave us a reminder that we are very privileged to be able to leave the site.

Back at the house we celebrated Emily's birthday, whom we love very much, with cupcakes and a Sanskrit song. To close out our last day at the worksite we had a bon fire and some time to reflect on everything we have experienced. Keeping all that we have learned in our heart.

Upgrading - Mud to cement

Bre and Rebekah:  To be completely honest, when I woke up this morning, I thought there was no way I would make it through the day.  Yes, I know, lack of optimism but it was tough getting out of bed this morning.  Class was taught by Vincent and Samu and all things considered, they kept it pretty light for us.  We got to practice handstands - little treat to start the day.

Breakfast was amazing.  Krissy hooked it up with some peanut butter - thanks Krissy- and Cosmos cooked some delicious eggs with veggies and lots of avocado.  Bellys full and water bottles loaded, we took off for the work site.

The day started off slow.  We had to begin by creating the cement.  We added water to piles of dry cement and dirt mixture....yes, you got it, more dirt! And just as before, we were instructed to throw the cement at the wall.  So throw we did.  This time, however, we used trowels or "spoons" as the fundis called them.  We were shown the wrist flicking method, which the fundis have down to an art.  I, however, not so much.  It's amazing how the fundis do everything using traditional, manual methods.  Mixing the cement compound for the walls was tough as the dry cement, sand and gravel were dusty and blowing in the wind...so, another day for dirt in every orafice!!!  Lots of throwing ('flicking') cement today and tons of shoveling...we'll certainly all be sore tonight and tomorrow!  Our evening meeting is surely to be quiet.

Lunch was once again made by local Kibera women at the other Shining Hope community centre.  We ate another traditional meal which might sound familiar - ugali and skuma.  Ugali is so fun to eat, you get to use your hands.  Thanks ladies for brightening our day and helping us get through the tough work.

Our buddy Sampson showed up in the afternoon to help us out once again.  Several of us were caught transfixed by his ability to 'flick' the cement mixture at the walls.  Maybe it was incredible or maybe we were all so tired and sore that anything would have been amazing.  But, high five to Sampson for being a  super star!  And to Bruno for continuing to be the machine that he is!!  

Saving grace for the last few days  has to be the crazy banter and wild singing that goes on during the work days.  It feels so good to know that we all came here as strangers, but will leave as a family :)

On the way back to Dreamfish, we were stopped trying to get out of Kibera by some men who apparently wanted money to help pay for a funeral for a friend.  They were quite irate and demanding...tensions got a bit high as we felt a little trapped on the road in the slum.  We had our windows open and had to close them quickly as some of the men approached and I had a hard time with the idea of closing the window on the men's faces.  Our driver managed to explain that we were a group of service workers and the men didn't seem to like that the driver was carting a whole bunch of mzungo's around.  We eventually moved on to these same men banging on the side of the bus.  Bus ride was fairly somber and pretty quiet....lots of sleeping going on.

We are now back at Dreamfish and getting showered while trying to keep each other awake.

As an aside to the specifics of our day....one of the things that we had done when we arrived as a group was to start a gratitude wall to remember all the people who supported us on our journey to this Seva Safari and to express our gratitude to those who have been amazing while on the trip.  It has taken the shape of a fish which is appropriate considering where we are staying.  While the wall continues to grow as the days progress, we find peace and warmth as we walk by and review the names on the wall on a daily basis.  It is refreshing, after a hard days work, to be able to walk past the wall and be reminded of all that we have.  We truly are all grateful for our friends and family back home who have been supportive and helped us to find our way to Africa - we couldn't have done it without you!!  Love You  :)

Day Three at the Work Site and Elephants Galore

Cait: Today started a little differently than usual. Yoga was at 7:15am this morning and our mats were set up in a different pattern, instead of facing the front of the room, we faced one another. I welcomed both changes, the extra fifteen minutes of sleep and our new set up was fun. Our AYP teachers really went straight lighting a fire in our  bellies. The practice began with an ab workout, followed by a practice filled with wonderful assists. I feel truly blessed to be able to practice with such wonderful people and gifted teachers.

   I feel so spoiled at meal time.  Breakfast today was fresh fruit, toast with plum jam and rice pudding.  I washed my meal down with some chai tea and then got ready to go to the worksite.

   As per usual, the drive in to Kibera was bumpy and fundis (workers) must have stayed late framing the roof. I was elated to find out that we were not playing in the "mud" today. First, we met Kennedy the founder of Shining Hope For Communities, or SHOFCO. He told us about his motives, saying that is only goal is "To not be rich or poor, but that when I die, when I lay down my head on my pillow, and I have one last thought it is that I did my best. That I did all I can do." Or at least something very close to that. After her spoke to us, I was inspired and ready to work.  

Some of us went back up top to work on framing. Others worked on the floor and some of us, like me hung chicken wire around the base of the building. Like I said, It was great to be away from the mud ( well at least not ankle an elbow deep in it!) and I enjoyed the sun.  Today was a hot one, much warmer in the mornings that it has been the last few days, but don't worry Mom and Dad, I regularly  reapplied sunscreen!

    Lunch was great. We went offsite to another community center and had cabbage and ugali.  I enjoyed talking to some of the fundis and learned a great deal about how much the members of Kibera appreciate our work!  

    After lunch I volunteered to do some painting at SHOFCO's girl's school.  Again, I really enjoyed a change of pace and had a lot of fun. I even read to two of the little girls. We had a great time.  Then we headed back to work.  Upon arrival I noticed that there were huge carts of cement sacks on ready to be carried down to our building site. The sacks were reusable and plastic, and filled from a place with truck access, then brought down to us as far as they could be via cart.  Then, we (usually in groups of two) had to carry the sacks down hill, empty the cement into a cart, and bring the bags back up to be pulled back to the refilling station.   THis process went on for quite some time.  It was pretty heavy and very dusty. I was incredibly pleased to see how well we worked as a team and I heard zero complaints. We even got a quick soda break! Score! 

    Then it was time to pack up and head home...or was it?! We were surprised with a trip to the Elephant Orphanage. It was an awesome surprise!  We paired off into groups of two and were told that in pairs we would get to adopt an elephant.  Chris and I paired up and headed into the park.  Once inside, warthogs were roaming around and we learned about the Elephant Orphanage.  It was amazing to hear about all the great work done, saving and rescuing the orphans.  Then, the elephants walked from the park into their sleeping places. They passed right in front of us!  We then were able to go and visit elephants and choose the one for adoption.  Chris and I decided to adopt a small baby (Modongo) who had been cut by a machete. In a magical moment the little guy sucked my fingers and let me pet him! However, due to his ridiculous cuteness factor everyone wanted him and Chris and I decided to adopt a "less atractive" but no less cute elephant, Kalama. She is very cute and we even go to sign paperwork. It was very official.   Small side note:  Demi Moore also fosters our baby girl!  :)

   We jumped back on the bus, headed back to Dreamfish and now I am snacking on Bananas (which are sweeter here than in the US) and typing this.  I am looking forward to a shower to rid myself of dust, dinner and our evening meeting. :)

Day Two at the Kibera Work Site

Ryan: Construction in Kenya is unlike anything I have ever seen! Having previous knowledge of construction is a double-edged sword. On one hand, I do not have to play in the mud, but my carpentry skills are in demand. The work is physically challenging as everything is done by hand. Today we started to build the roof trusses. It took us all day to cut and assemble seven trusses. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to help the Fundi (construction crew) set the trusses on the center. I am looking forward to seeing how much is done when we return tomorrow. It has been amazing to see everyone working so hard and how much progress we have made in such a short time!