Amani Africa

This morning Judah and i made the pilgrimage to the MAF compound again to drum up something to make the day go by faster. Fortunately for him his friends were around and he could play for a few hours together with them. Then we were invited out for lunch with two MAF women. Fortunately for judah his friends also came along. We went to a place "down town" called Amani ya Juu, which is a Cafe/Shop where they serve such lovely lunches in the garden which boasts a great playground!

Just an aside. I've been trying to verbalize for other MAF women who've asked me here what the biggest differences are between Nairobi and Tana. One of the biggest ones i've noticed in our three weeks living here is the differences of how the French and the English went about setting up their colonies. The French, in my experience living in Tana, maintained a somewhat culturally steriotypical Bohemian stance to the city planning and especially the gardens and estates/villas, whereas my short experience living in Nairobi has led me to observe that the British were concerned with grooming everything around them. The city seems more kept, the gardens thoughtfully planned and clipped. The Mennonite Guest House gardens and this afternoon's lolling in the Amani ya Juu garden are no exceptions to my observations. Moreover, the streets seem more garnished with jacarandas, which are undoubtedly stunning when they are in bloom. There are bright pink flowering trees everywhere. For a gardening fanatic such as myself, i am in awe of the lush vegetation here even despite the drought and overwhelming heat.

Amani ya Juu is a Christian organization that helps "give African women an opportunity to improve their sewing and marketing skills in order that they may be able to provide for the needs of their families." And, "to sow seeds of peace in the hearts of these women through Bible study and prayer." (Amani ya Juu: Women's Sewing Project, Sowing peace through the eye of a needle. Brochure). I was stunned at the beauty and quality of the products inside that store. The quilts alone were so amazing. Wowzers.

Once Josh got home this afternoon we took off to another mall to take another look see at what Nairobi has to offer. We had pizza and Judah did a few laps around the food court. Josh is looking for a pair of sandals since he hasnt any and it's ferociously hot here. He's still wearing socks and shoes. Walking the mall reiterated to me once again that Nairobi feels very much like Canada does to me. No disrespect intended, and no claims to living in "real" Africa in Tana either. What makes Nairobi feel like Canada for me? Malls, theaters, street lights, all the vehicles have lights, expert health care, fantastic Western style coffee shops every 2 blocks, fantastic restaurants of every known ethnic origin, food courts, a fast paced/busy lifestyle, English speaking people ... the list goes on. I hasten to add, however, that Nairobi has it's pockets of slums and misery... just as many other world cities do. There is corruption and terrible traffic "rules". Perhaps i've lived in Madagascar too long and the first impressions of Nairobi have jarred me into wondering if we've just stepped over too large a socio-economic gap. Or, perhaps i have a skewed idea of what "African" really means.