The Adventures of a MidWesterner in Rural Kenya

Reaching for the sky in Kenya

Reaching for the sky Caroline unraveled from a tangle of ragamuffin children onto the compound of caked earth and crumbling concrete. She was an explosive meteor shower in her thin psychedelic planet-themed pajamas: zigzagging across the yard, shooting a ragged football and darting through the ‘don’t-mess-with-me’ older boys. She was there, then gone, before reappearing … Continued

Mara Land, Kenya: A World Away

A World Away Veronica Thompson Rolling hills and vast plains lay stretched out like fragments on a canvas before me. Our destination was Mara Land in Western Kenya – the heart of the Maasai people and the home to all of the biggest predators in Africa. Uneven dirt tracks and collapsed bridges provided only small … Continued

Kenya: Serengeti Surprise

Serengeti Surprise Charles pulled out the biggest kitchen knife from his box of utensils and laid it out on the makeshift table beside him. It glinted in the early morning sunlight. This was all he had to protect himself. A few hours earlier, this place had been crammed with trekkers: little groups huddled over fires, … Continued

Kenya: My Beautiful African Home

“Ladies and gents, we are about to start our decent!” shouted the pilot as he turned in his squeaky seat just in front of me. Yes, there were no doors separating the pilot’s cabin from the main cabin of the tiny Blue Sky Airline’s operated Cessna Caravan 208B. Nor were there seatbelts, luggage storage or … Continued

Kenya: Holding Elijah

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Ken Budd: This article won a Gold SATW award in October 2015 I’m carrying two-year-old Elijah, seeking shade to escape the Kenyan sun. My wife Julie and I are volunteering for two weeks at the Calvary Zion children’s home near Mombasa, helping (we hope) the home’s three “mothers,” who care for 40 … Continued

Finding Hope and Hospitality in the West Nile

 A Spiritual journey through West Nile, where hope and hospitality is in ready supply New to me is the picturesque St. Emmanuel’s Cathedral. The last time I was in Arua (Christmas holidays of 2000), grandpa had retired from active church ministry he served in the former sanctuary; a dilapidated temple reminiscent of the days of … Continued

Mombasa, Kenya: My Secret Safe Haven

MOMBASA, KENYA: MY SECRET SAFE HAVEN When I was younger, I never truly appreciated the beauty of travelling and seeing new places, whether it was in my home country Kenya, or anywhere else across the globe. However, as I became older, I began to see things in a new perspective and gained a newfound love … Continued

Kenya, Africa: A Mother and Her Cubs

It was dusk and the tiny zoo in Naples Florida was about to close. My husband and I were on our way out when we heard a tremendous roar. It was very deep and guttural and resonated throughout the whole compound. It stopped us in our tracks and we felt compelled to backtrack to the … Continued

Malind-writing-contest

Mombasa’s Malaika

This is an entry in the We Said Go Travel Writing Contest written by Zakaria Tiberindwa from Uganda. Thanks for your entry Zakaria! Dhow cruises, pilau feasts, the tusks on Moi Avenue, and a Likoni Ferry ride are some of the things you will see or partake of when you visit Mombasa for three days like … Continued

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