Siku Kuu - A Great Day!
The women were all dressed up, hair styled, in new smart aprons, ready to tackle the day's challenge well before 8 o'clock in the morning of the premier. The wood stoves, which surprise many because there is no smoke in the kitchen, were both lit. - Smoke is namely expelled through chimney pipes through the roof! Tables were laid with colourful cloths, crockery and cutlery in place and the beading products- necklaces, bracelets etc. were hung on the local Turkana men's canes in the rustic wooden stand which had been manufactured by our missionary friend Oliver. Bread and pastry from the women's bakery were displayed on the counter and meat and veggies were readied for the soup which would be offered at 10 Shillings (8 Euro cents) a plate, including a slice of bread! A cup of traditional Kenyan tea with a cinnamon roll would sell for 15 Shillings (12 Euro cents).
The front wall mirror proved to be an attraction. When there is nowhere to check on one's beauty at home, the ANA Hotel mirror is excellent for ensuring that ornaments and hair style are attractive!
An old Turkana lady, friend of ours from the village, graciously let herself down in one of the chairs at my table. Knowing that she would't even possess a 10 shilling coin that day, it was a pleasure to offer her a cup of tea with cinnamon roll. A Turkana mother spent her one and only 20 Shilling on her daughter's tea and pastry, while she her self was standing in the door-way watching..
Soup and bread was all finished already by 2 p.m. The ladies really had to work hard when the number of visitors reached a peak around noon. I volunteered at the wash up sink in the kitchen for a while, to the great amusement of the ladies. They would normally never see a man even touching anything that has do to with cooking, washing up, cleaning etc. in their homes. Despite some 40° Centigrade in the kitchen we had a great time together and not the least when at the end of the day I gave all the women a lesson in careful, economic washing up principles. Keeping the 400-litre water tank on top of the roof filled up is costly but what a blessing to have running water in the tap by the sink!
The ANA Hotel Ejokonoi has now been up and running for little over a week. ANA is the abbreviation in Turkana of “The Strong Women's Group”. Hotel in Swahili does not necessarily mean accommodation but a place where you will be able to still your hunger and Ejokonoi is a universal word for very good, pleasant, fine, beautiful etc. More and more people discover the tasty food, the nice and clean environment and the fact that this place is run by Turkana women is a pleasant surprise to many. Most other business here are owned and run by either Somali-Kenyans or people from other parts of the country.
The challenges for Birgitta to train, coach and improve the services take a considerable amount of her attention, but we can definitely notice the joy and pride among the women. To see the dream of a shop come true and to be a part of it.
ANA Care
ANA Care - Joyce, Christine, Leah
Ten percent of the ANA Group's income is set apart for a support fund. They have now launched ANA Care with three women, deaconess to start with, who each of them cares for several families/situations. They fetch wood and water, ensure there is food, soap and other necessities for these needy. And the ANA Care ladies in turn get their support from the tithe from the ANA women's group.
Which is the greatest need in your community?
Francis didn't hesitate even for a second at Birgitta's question. - Teaching! he said with emphasis.
- My dream is to start one day seminars for both men, women and youth where we can teach them from the Bible, give training in health and social relations.
Said and done. A Saturday a couple of days ago, 35 men, both young and old, had responded to the invitation for a full day's teaching seminar at the Hannah-Emuriakin school, interwoven with morning tea and a nice lunch meal of course.
There were lessons about God's plan of salvation interspersed with group discussions, something the Turkana really like.ar.
Following Birgitta's session about body, soul and spirit and relations, there were also talks about polygamy.
- Have you ever thought how your wife or wives feel when you decide to take yet another one? I would never dream of sharing KeA with anybody else! There was no immediate response to Birgitta's question but a definite reaction of abashed gaiety amongst the audience!
When the religious elite of Jesus' time criticised him for hanging around with “sinners” (many of them society's outcasts and outsiders) and that he even shared meals with them, he told them a story about a shepherd who left his flock of 99 sheep to look for one who had gone astray. Having found it he invites all his friends to a party sharing the joy of having found the lost sheep. - Likewise there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. törre glädje i himlen över en enda syndare som omvänder sig än över 99 som inte tycker sig behöva någon omvändelse.
In wait for what?
Just like Patrick, many people sought opportunities for work and business during the “golden days” of the relief organisations here in Loki in the heat of the war years in Sudan. Today there are numerous un-finished buildings, accommodations and shops closed and people like Patrick desperately waiting for something to happen, for the slightest chance to get a casual job if but for a day, something that will help meeting the basic needs of life.
One well-known Kenyan journalist has just recently described Loki as a collapsed society. What is there for people up here, many of them nomads/pastoralists, in a harsh environment with repeated drought and faltering crops? What are the alternatives?
What would happen if money, which most likely went down the corruption drain but meant for infrastructure and maintenance, had been used to restore the main road between Nairobi, Loki and Sudan? What if the lingering electrification of the town still with lots of loose cables strewn around, heaps of poles here and there, had been completed at least 15 years ago? I imagine that business and opportunities here would flourish, not the least because of all the anticipated volume of commerce to and from Africa's to be youngest state, South Sudan, ready to declare their independence on 9 July this year! But alas!
Kea and Birgitta in a second-second edition
The other day we went with Stephen to his village to look at his newborn twins. A week earlier he had intercepted me after church and told me radiantly that they had just had twins and had named them after us, Kea and Birgitta. How exciting. And that day we got to hold little Kea and little Birgitta. And of course, we expected to see non-identical twins. But, wow, Birgitta is a boy! We both burst into a healthy laughter!
Chairman Göran and secretary Eva
What can be more refreshing and uplifting than getting to share your precious experiences with old friends who know you well!? Shortly before Easter they stepped off the MAF shuttle from Nairobi, Eva and Göran (George) from Malmö, Sweden. With over a week together in Loki we didn't hesitate have them share in various practical work here. Eva became our permanent secretary for a couple of weeks, having to constantly remind us about this and that and the other.
Monday night in Easter week we got on the night train to Mombasa and the coast. Truly a very different experience with an air from days long gone by. The old, toilworn cars jump, jounce, jolt and sway on an equally toilworn rail. At the breakfast table in the dining-car we felt like riding on a horse back, everyone valiantly trying to save as much coffee and other edibles as possible from spilling or burning us!!
Our week south of Mombasa at Sand Island became as usual a wonderful time of snorkelling, swimming, encouraging moments of sharing together about most anything “between heaven and earth”. All of this sandwiched with wonderful meals prepared by our cook: fresh fish, shrimps, lobster etc. And as the dot over the i, Göran was, despite his holiday absence, voted as chairman at the Swedish MAF annual general meeting.
It is a great privilege to have a dear friend and likewise very skilled person (supported by an equally skilled and enthusiastic wife) to assume the challenge of governing MAF in Sweden.The world around us is in a constant mode of change and yet the need for MAF services in many areas don't seem to diminish!ng men behoven och utmaningarna syns inte har avtagit!
We are deeply thankful to all of you who will continue to support Göran and the rest of us in MAF that we may stand firm in our ministries!
Warmest greetings from us /
KeA & Birgitta
SOME MORE PICTURES
Ready for the Indian Oceanen
The shop kitchen before and after renovation
