Ngurunit, here I am again!  I made it back to Kenya on March 1^st, almost 3 weeks ago.  It was a slow journey from Nairobi to the village as I did not have a vehicle and relied on friend’s cars or taxis one leg at a time moving North.  I also spent a week in our town home in Maralal as I had a lot to catch up with there before heading to the village. It was so nice getting to hang out with my cats and dogs there after 3 months of not seeing them.  Also, practical stuff like giving them all their yearly booster vaccinations and deworming needed to be done.  

One other important activity was connecting in person with the other members of Rotary Club of Maralal.  Our big Global Grant project to work on empowerment of girls is getting closer and closer to realization.  The application is into the Foundation and we are ironing out the few wrinkles to the proposal within this month so that hopefully it will be approved in April and start implementation in May.  We have been working hard with our partners, Rotary Club of Peekskill, New York and the organization Too Young To Wed to make this project a reality.  The end of the application process and the beginning of implementation is so close.  Getting excited.

Another Rotary activity that my husband has been working on in the village is fixing the community well that Rotary constructed in 2019.  In February while I was in USA, I got news from my daughter that due to the drought and lack of water in the area, the local elephant herd had come to the handpump well and absolutely destroyed it trying to get inside.  So desperate for water, poor things.  But also, now it was a problem for the community as it was one of the few good water supplies in the area.  We had finally managed to get our partner, The Samburu Project, to send a team from Wamba in order to try to fix the completely smashed well infrastructure.  

The trough section was pounded to dust.  The handpump itself was torn from its moorings and turned completely sideways and the handle and spicket bent. Rocks had blocked the borehole.  A complete mess.  Fortunately, the technical team has been successful.  They managed to fix the outer structure and get the blockages out of the well system and we had some spare pipes and rods stored in Maralal that I was able to bring with me to Ngurunit on the 12^th March. 

By last week the well is now beautiful and in good working condition.  I still wonder why we can’t just teach the elephants how to pump with the handle so no destroying happens in the future..hahaha.

Anyway, I have been in Ngurunit for basically a week now.  So beautiful to be home!  The dogs.  The goats.  The mountains.  Peace abounds.  One other thing that abounds is heat!  It has been so so hot.  Fortunately this heat has been a lead up to the rains starting last week.  We are praying that last Wednesday and Thursday rains are just the

beginnings to a proper long rainy season this year.  The weekend was dry again and the heat building up, but waking up this morning it appears that it is building up to rain again this week, hopefully starting this evening or tonight.  It is so needed.  The land is thirsty.  Pasture is scarce.  But hope is there.  For the first time in months.  Rain rain rain!

I’m still on catch up a bit.  Accounts to do.  The cybercafe project to push forward.  The business office for computer room has finally got wired and has electricity. 

Next week I’ll make a trip to Maralal again to get the things I need to get it all going.  It is good to see projects going forward and becoming a reality on the ground.  One step at a time.  Yes there are obstacles, but with patience and insight, these can be overcome or even changed to advantages and stuff gets done.  

 In the meantime, I also take time to

enjoy the views, sit with my family, dogs and goats, and breathe.  

Peace and joy to you all.  Until next time….