Body clock - Maybe there is a body “season clock”. A Swedish Hymn, “Advent, Advent is here” has been humming within for the last few days. Author is Carl Boberg who wrote the famous “How great Thou art”. This morning we sang the Advent hymn together, Birgitta and I, this being the first Sunday of Advent. Following the church service (with its usual Turkana-rythms and a fiery sermon about our “glorious hope”) we enjoyed the traditional Advent coffee where Birgitta had decorated a serving plate with 4 candles, a lovely heart shaped soap-stone and some fresh leaves from our veranda tree. A selection of finest chocolate which arrived with Anton and Natalie a couple of weeks ago, crowned our precious traditional moment together with Gero our German MAF-pilot who has just moved up to Loki together with his impressive German shepherd dog (what else would be good enough..?)

    The brief early morning rain did also underline the season of expectations – the drought, the heat and the fine dust will not prevail for ever –  there is hope of greenery and some coolness in the air although the rainy season is still another five months away. Looking at the indoor thermometer I register ”only 30˚” as I’m writing. 

Its branches are leaning heavily into the road on both sides, it grows in river beds, it conquers the arid savannah-land in an uncontrolled manner, it blocks waterways, its sharp, long thorns destroy tyres and the mouths of small livestock and it’s being so detested that close to Lake Baringo to the south, one community took legal action against the Kenyan government and FAO in 2005.

    The bush-type tree, originating from South America where it’s used both as fuel and fodder, can reach heights over 10 meters. In 1973 the first planting of the Prosopis in Kenya was recorded with the intended to become a supplement for marginalized people and livestock in the arid and semi-arid areas. 

In the  80:s several aid agencies jumped on the band wagon and financed large scale plantations of the tree, amongst them the Finnish and Norwegian government aid programmes. The tree is called “mathenge” in Swahili or sometimes even the devil tree and has also been nick-named the “NORAD nails” by the Turkana (Norwegian Relief and Development) 

Light in the tunnel perhaps..!?
The Prosopis started spreading beyond control, largely due lack of training and understanding of its potential and the fact that the small livestock appreciates its nourishing pods. We have it everywhere around us and I have to cycle very carefully to work in order to avoid thorns from fallen branches. (have already had three punctures..) 

But darkness will not prevail forever! In 2006 a very successful project was launched south of Turkana. With proper training and coaching the attitude towards the Prosipis has been changed. People are collecting its nourishing pods which are exported to South Africa for fodder. Proper pruning of trees increases commercial value of the wood which is popular for floor tiling etc. Opportunities are manifold, but when will these start yielding fruit for the Turkanas in our Prosopis-drenched area? Does someone have a calling to help…?

Three week-ends ago we finally got to see the mighty Lake Turkana, also nick named the Jade Sea due to the light shimmering greenish colour of the water which feels quite oily when you’re swimming. The 270 kms from Loki via Lodwar usher us through the most exciting landscape. High mountains, vast plains, dark and light nuances of soil and rocks, camels and small livestock with Turkana herdsmen. Every now and then a traditional Turkana settlement in the middle of nowhere and no waterhole of stream as far as you can see. How do they survive? Every now and then a small Turkana girl or boy will emerge from amongst the thorns with an empty water bottle in hand. One or two get some drops from our own drinking water. 

After several hours of bumping around in the vehicle, we finally se the lake. We manage to negotiate several kms of loose sand only because of our 4-whieel drive. Eliye Springs emerges as a wonderful oasis just down below with palm trees and its clear spring water. Cooks are on standby to fix our evening meal from our own supplies. We stand amazed for quite some time just breathing in the beauty of the scenery. Our air matresses are laid on the warm sand. Doesn’t feel like there is need of any tent tonight. Following our evening swim in the shallow waves we have a nice shower in sweet water from the spring. The night falls quickly and there is soon a lovely evening meal before us which we enjoy together with 3 German speaking young volunteers who all have come out to give some of their time in various projects in Loki.

The stars on the firmament become brighter and brigher. It’s not easy to fall asleep with this awesome sight overhead and only in the very early morning hours does one have to pull a thin cover on top. At this point even the Big Bear has emerged from the east, although up side down! The first fisherman is arriving at the first crack of dawn with some 10 nice fishes roped together. We get up in a hurry not to miss the famous sunrise over the lake. An early morning swim gets us all awake and we end up having a “brunch” in order to be able to enjoy some fresh tilapia fish. Then it’s time to make it back to Loki in good time. Anton and Natalie are arriving within hours with our early Monday morning MAF-shuttle from Nairobi..! 

How wonderful to have family visitors already within a couple of months in the bush! Anton and Natalie arrive with jam-packed suit cases, not only with things we had asked them to carry, but also with good quality children clothes for our Turkana friends. I manage to take some time off in the afternoons the next couple of days in order to spend time with our loved ones. We visit the school project, the pre-school under the tree, where Anton and Natalie help distribute some goodies to the children. 

    Several afternoons are also spent at the little pool at our former favorite camp, Track Mark and Birgitta also takes them out of town for a visit to the newly opened slaughter house where excellent fillet sell for 3.50€ per kg, or even ready spiced hamburgers are for sale. This project, financed with aid money, opens up a new source of income for the pastoralists in the area.

Five days with Anton and Natalie whip by all to fast. They travel out on the MAF-shuttle to Nairobi and the following day to Lamu Island off the Kenya coast for another week’s holiday. Birgitta and I revert to our usual routines. 

- I believe we live in a modern society, says Paul Lotaparin who has been with MAF in Loki since the year 2000. Paul is a Turkana, has finished high school and even worked as a teacher before joining MAF as a loader and logistician. We discuss a number of matters and I try to find out what he sees as his greatest challenges right now.  

It is not difficult to see that Paul is truly ”living in two worlds”. He is fully conversent with ”modern” communication and use of computer programmes such as the Wingman, a MAF-developed software for flight boookings, planning, invoicing, recording of pilots’ duty hours etc. etc. All at the same time he has to be involved in many aspects of the traditional Turkana culture. 

    Right now he is the spokesman for some people of his own clan who have been taken to court because of a family dispute with another clan. Paul tells me that the traditional dowry is often a great challenge to many Turkana men and families since the girl’s family may not be satisfied with the dowry paid on the wedding day (a negotiation which can become quite tense and lengthy). It is not uncommon, even many years after the wedding, that members of the wife’s family come back to the husband, asking for animals, money or other goods and even act very hostile! Paul tells me that he paid 31 goats as dowry for his wife, and between the lines I understand that the MAF work usually a much lesser challenge than dealing with traditional issues!

Our friends in the Emuriakin Turkana village also tell us about similar problems. It’s Friday evening and we’re hosted by Francis and his young wife Celina with their three year-old girl Merf. We’ve come to spend the night and share a traditional evening meal. Our sleeping quarter will be an old military tent which was left behind by one of the NGO’s previously based in Loki. Birgitta and Celina help each other cooking the evening meal of ugali, meat and cooked vegetables such as sukuma weeki, a local kind of spinach. We men sit around a table and drink tea as the Turkana custom prescribes.

    Our chat touches on many interesting subjects and once again we’re reminded of how deeply rooted the local traditions are. Peter, the local village chief and landlord to Francis, is sitting next to me. His first wife Margret is just now recovering in a hospital quite far away. He has also a very young wife who is in the hut next door. 

– You see, says Franics, Peter is still going strong but his first wife is ”a little bit down, down”!, as he puts it in English. That’s why he needs a younger wife to take on some responsibilities!

– But please allow me to be straight forward, says Birgitta, what does the young girl think about having such an elderly husband? No real answer is given but the food happens to be just ready to eat. Birgitta and the women sit on a mat a couple of meters away while we men get served around the small table. The moon is bright this evening and no extra lantern is needed to lighten up the wonderful meal.

    I try my best to share in the Turkana customs by sleeping directly on the hard ground with only a pillow under my head. Between all the turning in order to avoid too much of sore hips and shoulders my thoughts roam around a number of unanswered questions regarding these ”two worlds” … yet so close!

Finally for those of you who may wonder: We’ve been told that our vehicle should be ready now after all the repairs and change of parts (not cheap…!) 

    We have been able to pour the first slab for the school buildings, for the kitchen and storage. The ground work for the bigger slab will be ready before we leave for a two weeks’ break in Sweden, celebrating Christmas with all our children and grandchildren and families. 

    Gabriel Riak, the young Sudanese with the tumour, refused to continue the radiotherapy and has returned to Southern Sudan to visit his family for the first time in 8 years. Lord you’re able to remove whatever is still left of his tumour…!

Warmest season greetings from both of us / KeA