I'VE ARRIVED!

I've been in Nairobi since late on Monday evening (we're 2 hours ahead of the UK) and I'm quickly acclimitising. It's glorious staying with my aunt & uncle & I'm being spoilt rotten - so I'm making the most of this while I can...three more days to go before I move into my new home and start work properly. I spent yesterday with the head of the project, Daniela, and saw where I'll be living & where the office is. The difference between where my family live and my new home is vast - gone are the lush green gardens, security gates, morning tea brought into my room - instead I'll be living in a very poor area; noisy, dusty, bustling with action & people selling their wares. It's a wonderful & vibrant place but also more than a little daunting. Goodbye comfort zone, hello challenge! It is very unsettling feeling so utterly new and fresh but I'm sure it won't take long to get settled in, build relationships and find my feet. Tomorrow I'm going to Kibera for the first time to meet some Mexican monks (!) who run a project for street children. I will discuss with them the possiblility of working for them - they are in real need of an extra pair of hands, especially someone who can teach English and help the children with their studies. On Monday I am going to Langata women's prison to take provisions & to spend some time with the children there. I can not imagine what life must be like for these women, most of whom are in prison because of prostitution, drugs, theft etc. Having had a brief glimpse into the level of poverty and desperation in some of Nairobi it's little wonder that these women have been forced into such situations. To think that children are born in the prison is heartbreaking. I move into my new house in 'South B' on Sunday. I'll be living with a couple of Slovakian girls who work in the slums and apparently there are several other Slovaks crashing on the floors - so it'll be a tight squeeze. It was with a mixture of horror and hilarity that I greated the news that on Monday and Thursday nights they hold Twaekwondo classes in the flat - what a new world this is going to be! I'm going to spend the next few weeks dividing my time between the projects, deciding where I will eventually start working properly - there is so much need that one could end up rushing all over the place but Daniela is keen that I find my niche and then really focus on this area - one can get overwhelmed with the level of need that it's difficult to stick to just one area. I think the general direction the project wants me to go in is to work in the primary schools teaching English & drama - so I'd better start swotting up on grammar - what's a verb again?
Much love to you all and thank you for your messages & prayers. Bridget xxx