A final turn to 056º
and we're lined up for landing on runway 06 at Jomo Kenyatta airport.
The sharp silhouettes of the Ngong Hills – as the knuckles of a
giant's hand – and intensified by the pale rose-like sun haze,
Langata, Kibera's vast slum, Wilson Airport, Nairobi Park, intensely
sand-grey and never before have we seen it this dry! The ever
expanding industrial area ahead. Many familiar locations move past as
we gaze through the window. The Mombasa highway, totally jam packed
with vehicles heading southward and finally that sound of landing
gear tyres spinning up on the runway. The Flight Data Computer
couldn't have been more exact.
We've already caught a glance of Nancy and Joseph waiving behind the glass doors. We exit into big hugs and shouts of joy. - How we've been looking forward to this day! we all exclaim in chorus.
The small nifty LED-lights in the package come to serve right away as we arrive at the Team House, which is the MAF-house for staff from Sudan and Loki, returning to Nairobi for rest and business. It is pitch dark.
- One phase has been out for four days, we're told by Rob the MAF Director of Maintenance. On top of that, the power rationing has been on for months due to severe drought. No electricity between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Rob says.
- And many businesses are really suffering. We ourselves even had to purchase water for the very first time the other day, Nancy fills in. - Every evening we see pictures on the television of dying cattle and people struggling to survive, she says.
Yes we can! - Nowadays a famous quote from one of the most powerful men in the world and with roots in Kenya – Barak Obama – has also become one of Nancy and Joseph's confessions. In the middle of one of Nairobi's famous slum areas they're now building functional and affordable small apartments and rooms to let out. Their son Anthony is running an internet café in the premises and his girlfriend is selling fresh milk and water which is drawn from the deep well that has been dug within the walls. A hair dresser and a butcher have also found space for their businesses in the building which faces a very busy street.
M-pesa point – Mobile money (pesa is money in Swahili) – Kenya is said to be the first country in the world moving into yet another way of using the mobile phone, i.e. transferring cash, paying bills, topping up the phone card etc. etc. All over the country there are these M-pesa points where you can, against a minimal charge, either top up your account or withdraw cash. And understandably, the banks aren't too happy with this new competition in money handling. Hurray for anything that makes life easier and more liveable for people in remote areas, and even affordable. Which is also what MAF is busy doing!
The first few days in Nairobi are spent meeting with colleagues and managers, getting introduced to the Kenya head offices, crunching through next year's budget for the Loki Base operation, getting logged into the MAF internet services etc. Thursday-Friday gives us an opportunity for a brief visit to Loki! Warmly welcomed by friends and future co-workers, we get a chance to make a useful inventory of our coming home which is about to get a repaint and repairs. A quick introduction to the offices with David Pearce and an "unofficial handover" of responsibilites as he hands me the keys. At the future school building site there are lots of evidence that the village community is genuinly involved in the pre-school project as they have been clearing and collecting stones and gravel for the upcoming concrete works, planting of trees etc. At 10 p.m. on Friday evening we are back again at Jomo Kenyatta Airport and we have, as it feels, been racing at high speed through the first week.
To be continued.../ KeA
