Let’s Build Together

Linda Lou Burton posting from The Great Rift Valley, Narok County, Kenya–And then we got to Narok. An explosion of school buses, school kids in uniform, people, people everywhere. Stores, hospitals, hotels. Cars, buses, helmets on motorbikes. And SIGNS. A giant billboard loomed ahead as Daniel made a right to C12 south; ASANTE plastered all across. P K Ole Ntutu, Governor of Narok County. A new president for the country, new governors as well? Kenya’s 54 million people and 225 million square miles were divided into 47 counties by that 2010 Constitution (replacing the Provincial designations). Over a million of those people live in Narok County, and most of them are Maasai. I knew that “ASANTE” is Thank You in Swahili, but “Pamoja Tujenge”? Let’s Build Together is the translation.

The landscape changed dramatically as we traveled those last 55 miles south to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, part of Narok County too. All the farm-green hills and deep dark soil turned dry; replaced by dust, and scattered rocks. A field of red – Maasai men; a cattle auction going on; red shukas everywhere; cloth cloaks. The design of stripes or plaids is the family trademark, we tried to spot the different families in the crowd. The Loita Plains stretched wide out to our right; the Loita Hills ridged left. Finally, the Sekenani Gate, and just outside, a row of souvenirs, beads and bowls, lined up for the tourist trade. Follow me.

An Observation

The city of Narok is home for our Guide, Abdi Latif, when he’s not away showing people like us around his country. He lives in Narok with his wife and seven children; his mother lives with them too. There are many fine schools in Narok; Daniel stopped to show us one of the ones Abdi had attended. One of the most serious problems in all of Kenya is lack of clean water. Many people have to walk to a water supply; have you noticed the photos of mule-drawn wagons hauling cans of water, or small black tanks installed on the roof of houses and businesses? Abdi is working to install pipelines from a well he has on his property in Narok to serve a school his children attend, as well as others who live in the neighborhood. Let’s hope Narok County’s new governor puts “water needs” high on his agenda. 

Narok County Government https://narok.go.ke/

The Beauty of It

Linda Lou Burton posting from The Great Rift Valley South of Lake Nakuru, Kenya–Remember that sign we passed yesterday at Subukia viewpoint about The Great Rift Valley? Did you notice Israel at one end and Mozambique at the other? Let’s talk about that a minute. I mean, here I am in a 4×4, riding along with Rick, and the rest of our group, in a fantastic geological THING! The whole RIFT runs 4,300 miles, from Asia down almost the entire eastern side of Africa.

It covers Kenya’s western side, dotted with lakes (we just visited Nakuru) and it goes through Tanzania (our next country) and keeps going. Most of our trip will be in this valley. It is full of leftover volcanic lavas that turned into great soil for farming, and holes that turned into lakes. Since these lakes have no outlets and are very shallow, they are high in minerals. All of this makes for interesting landscapes. And attracts different birds, and animals, and people. Which means, of course, different ways of life. That’s the beauty of it!

It’s also why people like to visit this part of the world, and why safari camps and lodges pack the area. Kenya, a country smaller than the state of Texas, has 24 national parks, 15 national reserves, 6 marine parks, and private conservancies on top of that. Today we are heading from Lake Nakuru National Park (11,120 acres) to Maasai Mara National Reserve (371,200 acres). Meanwhile, here’s what we see on our drive south on A104 and west on B3 as far as Narok, 75 miles through open land, and farming country.

Beautiful!

The Way Things Are

Linda Lou Burton posting from Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru, Kenya –Climate change. Believe it or not, that’s what scientists are saying about the floods in Lake Nakuru of late. Too much rain coming down is making a mess of “the way things were.” Neighborhoods in the Lake Nakuru area have been flooded out; people relocated. Animals in the already small 11,120-acre Lake Nakuru National Park are losing space too. The rhinos and zebras and antelope and buffalo that live here have less grazing area. As for the birds – flamingoes in particular – all that fresh water coming from the sky is messing up the alkalinity of the lake water where algae grows. Since algae is what flamingoes eat, they are flying elsewhere. Nevertheless, we saw flamingoes and other birds and animals as we were leaving this morning; a baboon gave us his opinion on the state of things. As for the Undertaker Bird — well, they always look glum.

Flooding Displaces Hundreds Around Rift Valley Lakes. Reported by Kenya News Agency 8/20/2022. Increased rainfall in Kenya’s Rift Valley Lakes’ catchment zones is the main cause of the rising water levels in the water bodies according to new research findings. A study conducted jointly by the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) and University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (HyWa-BOKU) in Vienna, Austria indicates that mean annual rainfall for 2010−2020 period increased by up to 30 per cent in the Rift Valley region due to the effects of climate change on rainfall patterns. https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/flooding-displaces-hundreds-around-rift-valley-lakes/

Eyewitness News

Linda Lou Burton posting from Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru, Kenya –“Stop!” I yelled. A good safari driver knows to stop whenever he hears that word, and Daniel was a very good safari driver. He STOPPED. I’d spotted a rhino in the bushes; it was the first animal I saw this morning as we came down the hill, even before the lake was in view. Two things about this rhino seemed odd to me. It was in the bushes instead of open grassland, and it had a long POINTY horn.

I zoomed the camera for a closer look. See what I mean?

By now I’d been told about Black and White Rhinos, Southern and Northern Rhinos, so many species, which one was this? When you have an expert safari guide like Abdi AND an expert safari driver like Daniel, you get your answers right away. Today I learned even more about these unique critters who get chased down and shot at and mutilated by terrible awful poachers wanting only their HORN. Like where, and how, and what, they eat. Eye witness!

Rhino Factoids, aka, the Rhinocerotidae

• Black and White Rhinos are native to Africa (Asia has three different species).
• Rhinos are the second largest land mammal (elephant is largest).
• Rhinos have one or two horns made of keratin (like fingernails).
• Rhinos do not have front teeth (they rely on their lips to tear off grass or leaves).

The White-Black differences?

• White Rhinos are grazers and primarily feed on grasses. You know that “white” doesn’t refer to their color, they are greyish brown. It’s all about the WIDE mouth they have. They are “square lipped” – which is perfect for eating grass.
• Black Rhinos are browsers and primarily feed on leafy plants and branches. They have a narrow upper lip – which is perfect for ripping off leaves. Grayish in color, they also have a longer, leaner horn.

I saw this Mama and Baby in Ol Pejeta Tuesday morning.

In addition to the big guy in the bushes, I saw this Mama and Baby at Lake Nakuru today.

And these guys. Now I can tell the difference!

Next post: the BIRDS of Lake Nakuru, and the story of the LAKE itself. Why are the trees dying and flamingos leaving? Surprising answers. Isn’t this an eerily beautiful sight?

Lake Nakuru National Park https://www.lakenakurukenya.com/

Reality Bites: Where’s the Lake?

Linda Lou Burton posting from Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru, Kenya –Daniel got us through the Park gate. Then along the lakeshore road to Sarova’s gate. Out of the 4×4, up the hill slowly, slowly (pole, pole) leaning on my cane, my other hand digging my passport out of its ultra-secure pocket in my pants (don’t look!). Grabbing passports right and left from everyone, Abdi ran ahead to check us in.

We were running terribly late, the dining room about to close; hurry through the buffet; gulp the bottled water down. Ten people with too many words falling out, pent up like kids on a sugar high. Then – good grief, really? –  Abdi announced the Afternoon Game Drive. “Everybody ready?” I most definitely was not. “You go ahead,” I said to Rick. “I’ll just birdwatch here, on my own time.” I already knew what Sarova offered, from its website.

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is set along “the Lion Hill” in Lake Nakuru National Park. Concealing its remote location amidst Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, the safari lodge offers scenic and spectacular views of the Lake and National Park from its 67 chalet style rooms, all with terraces and a sense of calm and relaxation. (Their Photo)

Beyond the stunning views, Lion Hill offers great food in the Flamingo Room. Overlooking the pool and the lake, the restaurant serves buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner with live cooking counters as well.  (Their Photo)

The Rift Valley Bar opens into an amphitheater where traditional dance performances are held each evening and offers spectacular views over the lake. (Their Photo)

Stunning views from my terrace! Heck, I could have a great time right there. I ambled to our room, Acacia #10. Abdi made sure I was close to everything this time, no wheelchair needed to get back and forth. The room was close, but my “stunning view” overlooked the flagpoles and drive at the front entrance. Beyond that, a mass of trees ended the sightline. I was close to Lake Nakuru, according to the map. But I couldn’t see it.

I walked down the hill, following the path to the pool. A sign listed 25 birds that hung out here. They weren’t hanging out today! I spotted one weaver bird; please tell me you can make it out! The grass was pretty and green, the trees thick, tall; was there really a LAKE beyond? I passed the sign about Massage and Spa (appointment needed); found the pool. It was misting rain; the chair cushions had been put away.

No view here, trees thick and lush around the pool. No place to sit. Back up the hill to #10, slowly, slowly (pole, pole). Our room was small; twin beds, a desk with straight-back chair. Mosquito nets already down, lamps barely making shadows on the wall. The porch the only place to be, watching flagpoles in the dark. The 4x4s are back; the noise. Rick is full of things to tell, all the pictures, all the bumps, the road so bad. He’s tired. A quiet dinner in the dining room, just the two of us; by the window, we agree. Lift our spirits, watch the dancers dance.

Our hostess greets us, “By the window please?” I ask. “So we can see the terrace, when the dancers dance.” A puzzled look, “We have no dancers here,” she said.

Our food was lovely, that much I concede. The dining room is pretty, the staff attentive, kind. But you can take my word for this: you cannot see the LAKE!

Sarova Lion Hill Lodge https://www.sarovahotels.com/lionhill-nakuru/

PS: A Bonus. If you can spot the weaver bird, my birdwatching afternoon was not a total loss. I can’t believe I got the shot — the bird was high in the trees and I’d never seen a weaver bird, or nest, before, so wasn’t sure what I was looking at. I’ll send you a dollar if you send me a note saying “I see the weaver bird!”

Down in the Valley

Linda Lou Burton posting from Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru, Kenya – Reading the brochure may prepare you for the road ahead, but sometimes you get surprised. Like me, and the Great Rift Valley. I’ve studied this geological phenomenon for years, and even perused it in “layers view” on google maps. Being the aftermath of millions of years of volcanic eruptions, and the ripping apart of a continent due to those shifting tectonic plates, I thought the Rift Valley would be a dry, washed out moonscape. It is not.

It’s the greenest, most fertile farmland I’ve ever seen, and I grew up in Alabama farm country. The roads today took us through hills and valleys so full of GROWING STUFF it is hard to believe anyone, anywhere in the world, could be hungry. It has a Land of Plenty look.

We stopped at a farm in the Subukia area this morning, where Margaret gave us a lesson in tea harvesting – “two leaves and a bud” are hand-plucked from the tea trees, which are kept at the perfect height for human convenience. And yes, Abdi had called ahead for a chair for me; Margaret brought it from her house! The tea I bought is labeled “Pearl Tea Subukia” and is packed by Green Valley Tea Factory; the hills around are covered in tea trees, or row after row of coffee trees. Or greenhouses growing – flowers maybe? I didn’t get a chance to ask.

The market area where we stopped and bought bananas was buzzing; trucks coming to haul stuff away; people there to sell, or buy, or maybe just socialize. The area had a feeling of busy people, of work, of abundance. Give Mother Nature (and our Great Creator) credit – that volcanic lava and ash turned into red earth and deep sandy loam full of magnesium, and potassium, and phosphorus. Add plenty of sunshine, year-round warm temperatures, and stuff just GROWS.

I asked Abdi how Kenya could be suffering such poverty; there was no drought here; no scarcity. Maybe big business? Maybe politics? I’ll save that discussion for another day.

Meanwhile, a cup of tea? Grown right here in the Great Rift Valley.

Famous For

Linda Lou Burton posting from Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Lake Nakuru National Park, Nakuru, Kenya –We headed out from Sweetwaters at 8:07, I checked my watch. It was 1:33 when we got to the gate of Lake Nakuru National Park, so, you figure it, we were in the 4×4 for at least 5 bumpy hours between breakfast and lunch. I always say, about travel, read the brochure BEFORE you go so you’ll know what you’re looking at (and what to look forward to!). I mean, a wide open space with only one tree is pretty boring, unless you know that all that land is Solio Game Ranch, 45,000 acres containing a 19,000-acre conservancy taking care of rhino, doing important work like Ol Pejeta. That’s cool.

So, here’s your brochure, a list of places we passed through, or by, with only a little slowing down. Maybe knowing what was “cool” about them will keep you from nodding off, at least, it worked for me! Our route was A2 south from Nanyuki; then B5 west, if you want to google map it; the roads were twisty, winding, up and down; we crossed the Equator five times!

Nyeri.  Population about 200,000, most residents are Kikuyu. Tea and coffee and milk processing companies, maize millers here. Major industry FARMING. Crops: coffee, tea, maize, beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, kale. Livestock: dairy cattle, goats, sheep, chickens. Tourism: a museum about Kenya’s colonial history; Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement lived here; you can visit his grave. It’s a place of pilgrimage for worldwide Scouting and Guiding members who congregate there often.

Aberdare National Park & Treetops Hotel. Almost 190,000 acres; varied landscapes and terrain in the Aberdare Mountain Range. Historical moment — in 1952, when Princess Elizabeth became Queen! She was staying at the Treetops Hotel in the Park (yes, a hotel in a treetop) when her father, King George VI, died. Jim Corbett, the famous hunter who had accompanied the Princess and Prince Phillip, wrote in the Treetops Logbook: For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess and…climbed down from the tree next day a Queen – God bless her.

Other “names” who’ve stayed at Treetops – Charlie Chaplin, Lord Mountbatten, Joan Crawford, and Queen Elizabeth AGAIN. Paul McCartney stayed there while on safari in 1966. Here is a “far out” really? story about his flight back from Nairobi to London; he claims that’s where he came up with the concept of “Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Really?

Nyahururu. Population about 36,000. Due to its high elevation – over 7,000 feet – it is frequented by marathon and cross-country runners for practicing before major events. Famous Person Samuel Wanjirŭ, the Olympic Marathon Record holder and the first Kenyan to win the Marathon at the Olympics, called Nyahururu home until his death on May 16, 2011. Area is mainly agricultural; maize, potatoes, flower farming. Major highways connect here, good roads to Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri. Famous waterfall here – 243 feet high, coming from those Aberdare Mountains; gate charges for tourists; many resorts in the area. We DID stop at Panari Resort for a quick potty break, but we didn’t go to the falls. “Too many tourists” was Abdi’s reason. https://www.panarihotels.com/resort-nyahururu/

Subukia. Polish born Father Kazimier Szulc designed the famous Subukia National Shrine, 200 acres in the heart of Subukia Hills. The name “Subukia” is derived from the Maasai word “isupuku,” which means “higher grounds.” The shrine is now known as the Village of Mary Mother of God, or the National Marian Shrine. Pilgrims come to pray and fetch water from a spring at the shrine. The water is believed to have healing powers and many who come here carry some home. Everyone but me said they could see the Shrine, but I never did spot it. We were on the road all the way across the valley; this is an online photo.

Menengai Crater. A massive shield volcano with one of the biggest calderas in the world, in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya. Volcanic formed rich loam soils enrich the adjacent farmland arounds its flanks. The crater is on the floor of the Rift Valley. The caldera floor is covered with numerous post caldera lava flows. Sorry folks, I didn’t see this nor can I find any photos online that show its grandeur. So here’s our stop at a market along the way in this fertile valley, where Abdi helped Venita select a bunch of bananas to share in the 4×4.

Nakuru. Population 570,674, third largest city in Kenya. Elevation 6,000 feet. Archaeological discoveries located about 5 miles from the Central Business District at the Hyrax Hill reserve have been dated to the prehistoric period; archaeological investigation began in 1937 with Mary Leakey. Big attraction – Hyrax Hill Museum. Nakuru is home to Lake Nakuru, one of the Rift Valley soda lakes, which forms part of the Lake Nakuru National Park. And that, my friends, is where Daniel brought us at 1:33 today. Ta da!

Everything’s Rosy

Linda Lou Burton posting from Sweetwaters Serena Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nanyuki, Kenya –I’d heard about sunrises on the Equator, coming in fast, and glorious. It was true! We were packed; it was Check-Out-Move-On-Day; a day spent riding; crossing the Equator headed south this time, destination Lake Nakuru. But the pull of “where we are” was strong; it was hard to leave our porch by the water hole. Our squawky guinea fowl were up. Our impalas were up. Our neighbors were up. And now, the sun went crazy, sliding over Mt Kenya, over the guinea fowl, over the impalas, over us, in an outrageous fit of morning.

Our luggage was picked up an hour ago, loaded into the 4×4 named Simba. Our breakfast was waiting in the dining hall.  Into my wheelchair and down the path around the water hole, past the pool I never had time to sit by. Into the main building, the dining room, our table, the buffet. Cantaloupe, walnut muffins, cheese omelet cooked up special  for Judy and for me. Everybody talking, pass the butter please.

On to the office to check out, pay the bill for laundry done, chat with Maureen as we pass the painting of the rhinos and Mt Kenya on a last restroom stop, gather at the front, admire the wide-eyed little bird, the tree, the lawn. Slowly, slowly (pole, pole) down the walk,  a helping hand from Daniel as I climb the ladder-step and take my seat. Phones charging, water bottles filled, looking out, looking back, Sweetwaters Serena, you are an awesome place. Goodbye!

Sweetwaters Serena Tented Camp, Nanyuki, Kenya  https://www.serenahotels.com/sweetwaters

Lions. Not Sleeping.

Linda Lou Burton posting from Sweetwaters Serena Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nanyuki, Kenya – The lion may be the most misrepresented animal of all. Maybe it’s Disney’s fault, or maybe Solomon Ntsele’s. Solomon was a South African musician who wrote the song “Mbube” (lion) in 1939, which over time became known as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” which, well you know what Disney did with that. As well as folk artists, pop singers, and gospel choirs from pretty much all over the world who recorded the song. (You’re probably humming it right now.) But let’s get back to the lion, and its habits.

The lion neither lives in the jungle, as the song implies, nor does the lion sleep at night! Lions live on the savannah, wide-open grasslands, so they can SEE their prey, and run fast to catch something good to eat, like animals that slowly graze – zebras, or baby buffalo. And mostly, the lion HUNTS at night. Lions are cats, and in the daytime they like to sleep, relax, laze around. One reason is practical – they have few sweat glands, so conserve energy during the day and move around at night when it is cooler. And they have terrific night vision.

That is why we chose a NIGHT GAME DRIVE. Of all the parks we are scheduled to visit, only Ol Pejeta allows nighttime game drives. And tonight was our last night here. So, no brainer, we were climbing into an Ol Pejeta 4×4 at 9 PM, ready to prowl. Five of us were daring – besides me, and Rick, were Otis and Venita and Judy. Our local driver knew the routes, our spotter knew what to watch for; both certified to do, and go, just where allowed to insure the protection of both the animals we hoped to see, and US. We were not to put even a pinkie finger outside the vehicle; no sticking a camera out, or making noise. The top opened up, so standing was allowed. And we could have our side windows open. A stack of folded blankets was provided; warm plaid flannel. (Ol Pejeta’s photo.)

We came upon a few buffalo (curled on the ground asleep), and a herd of antelope who took off when they saw our light. We spotted a baby rhino and mom eating; maybe the ones we’d seen in the daylight? Then, something new – a spotted hyena. We stopped to watch; baby very wary of our sight and sound; mama patiently waiting for us to move on. “There’s a land plover,” our driver said, pointing to a small bird right at the edge of the road. “She’s guarding her eggs.” The land plover mother-to-be didn’t move, she stood her ground. See her two speckled eggs, right between the rocks? I’d never have noticed in the daylight.

We turned down another road in the dark (and starry) night, and suddenly our spotter’s light flashed across our “gift of the evening.” Lions! Our driver pulled beside a male and female lion, right there, not 10 feet from our open windows. Everybody but me videoed the skit that played out next (I was too excited to switch camera settings in the dark).

It was better than anything on Saturday Night Live as the male (Leo?) stood and began to roar. Not at us, but at his female companion (Muffin?). She gave him a “Not tonight, dear,” look, then got up and walked to the other side of our vehicle, definitely not in the mood. Leo followed her, and roared again. Muffin left her scent in the edge of a ditch (meaning, she peed) and lay back down. Leo checked her scent and got the message: Not gonna happen tonight. So Leo lay back down beside his lady love. “Oh there’s nothing romantic about it,” our driver said, explaining. “Mating is just a job in the animal kingdom.”

Solomon’s song was right about these lions, this night. They DID sleep. We laughed all the way back to camp.

A postscript about Solomon’s song; he grew up a herdboy watching over cattle; the song was considered a lullaby, assuring his herd of “no danger” from the lions; another interpretation is sinister – perhaps a Zulu code about driving the British out of South Africa? Solomon died in 1962, impoverished, not profiting from all those millions of albums sold with his song on them, though his estate did file a lawsuit against Disney in 2006 with some benefit. 

Grandma Hopes

Linda Lou Burton posting from Sweetwaters Serena Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Nanyuki, Kenya – I was thinking of Elisha as I rested on my tent porch Tuesday afternoon. The gang had set off on another Game Drive after lunch, so I had some quiet time. I was also thinking of events transpiring in Nairobi at that very moment. William Ruto was being inaugurated as the 5th President of Kenya. It was happening in that big stadium we’d passed on our Sunday tours, the Moi International Sports Center, where 60,000 people could gather. Today had been declared a national holiday. The election had been hard fought, I wondered how things were going.

Do you know anything of Kenyan history? Are you aware that Kenya was colonized by the British in 1895? It was 1902 when those fertile highlands I’ve been riding through the last few days were opened to white settlers (hence Karen Blixen’s 6,000-acre coffee plantation in 1913). Fast forward to 1963, when the volatility of “whose land is it, anyhow?’(call it a revolution) brought about independence, of a sort, for the folks who lived there first.

Today, Kenya, a small and beautiful multi-ethnic country on the east coast of Africa with 42 tribes and about 60 languages (English and Swahili most prolific) is a “presidential representative democratic republic.” Over the last 59 years it has altered its constitution many times; political parties have come and gone; and corruption has left its mark.

Will William Ruto make a difference?

Wait, you may be thinking. He is only the 5^th president in 59 years? Well yes, here’s the list; fascinating to read about who did the most good, and the most harm, during their long terms. Worth looking them up if you want to dig deeper. From 1963-1964 British rule was winding down with Queen Elizabeth II as monarch; Jomo Kenyatta was Prime Minister.

• 1964-1978: Jomo Kenyatta, President (14 years)
• 1978-2002: Daniel Moi, President (24 years)
• 2002-2013: Mwai Kibaki, President (11 years)
• 2013-2022: Uhuru Kenyatta, President (son of Jomo, 9 years)

The Constitution of 2010 set term limits at 5 years, allowing two consecutive terms.

Rick arrived back at our tent a little after 5. “Guess what!” he said. “After the Game Drive we got to watch a video of the inauguration on TV!” He showed me a picture he’d taken of the screen, and told me that the proceedings went smoothly.

“Speaking of pictures,” I said, “you took a picture of Elisha and me this morning. Can I see that?” Elisha’s story, and Ruto’s inauguration seemed somehow connected in my mind.

Here’s the picture of Elisha and me. I met him today,  just before we stopped at the Equator. I was sitting in a white chair this time, in the shade outside the Chimpanzee Sanctuary’s Visitor Center. Once again, I’d requested a place to sit while everyone else stood, and walked, and followed the guide along the pathways to the enclosures. And once again, someone had been asked to “look after” the gray-headed lady who moved slowly, slowly, “pole, pole.” After we’d exchanged names, I asked how long he’d worked there. “Two years,” he answered, and then Elisha told me his story.

“I first got a job building fences,” he said. “I was the oldest of seven children and since my father had died, it was my responsibility to look after the family. My mother determined that I get the best education possible, so I did. I graduated with honors! But the only job I could find right away was as a fence builder, digging post holes, and stringing wire. I was able to bring a little money in with that, but knew I had to do better. So I kept applying for jobs, every time I learned of an opening. It took me five years to get this job,” he said, looking around the grounds of the Sanctuary. “I put in four applications and had four interviews. I actually cried when I got the letter telling me I was hired. There are simply more college graduates than jobs available.” We continued talking for a long while; about life, about responsibility, about how important our family is.

And then the group finished the tour and came to find me.  Someone asked Elisha if they could get his picture in his handsome uniform, and he replied “Only if you get her picture with me. She’s my Grandma.” I stood up and gave Elisha a very proud grandmotherly hug.

William Ruto’s inaugural address included these words.

It is time for us to stem the tide of youth unemployment. Every year, 800,000 young people join the workforce and over 600,000 of them do not find opportunities for productive work. Moreover, our young people in cities and towns face very hostile environments, many times treated as a nuisance….Our immediate agenda is to create a favorable business and enterprise environment…and support people in the informal sector to organize themselves into stable, viable and creditworthy business entities. This is the essence of the bottom-up economic model, which creates a path for traders and entrepreneurs to build linkages, experience safety, and enjoy security.

I so hope that works out.