Adventure Time: Home away from home...

Yesterday we had our first homestay of the semester. The weather decided to become temperamental for the 1^st time since we’ve been here (of all days) and gave us torrential downpours all morning. So there we were eating breakfast dressed in skirts, backpacks full of sunscreen, cameras, hand sanitizer, and gifts for the family crossing fingers that the rain would soon pass. Sure enough by 8am the rain lighted up as we headed to our designated vehicles, to spend the day with our host families.

View from our host family's house

Me being me I was pretty nervous not knowing what to expect from our homestays. Two students were paired with each family so Lexi and I headed off to meet our new family. As we dropped off each student at their respective host families the more nervous I became, watching them wave goodbye as the car pulled away. Sure enough we were the last two students in the car and our host family was literally on top of a mountain. I could tell cars never really traveled up there since our driver Nina had to back up several times to figure out the best route to take (OFF ROADING!). We finally got to the top and Palo gave us our jug of water and food for the families and said they’d be back at 445. He assured me I’d be okay since I must’ve looked like a deer caught in headlights the terror that ran across my face. Before I even had time to speak a boy came running up the hill immediately greeting us and grabbing out bags of food. His name was Reginald and he was the oldest child in the family, and he spoke pretty decent English. He brought us to the house and all the children came running. I was ecstatic to see so many young children, that I already knew this would be a good day. The mama, mama Deao sat us down in what was a small living room with 2 couches while all the children gathered round. She speak much English but she knew commands such as sit! and come! I didn’t speak much Swahili but Lexi came to the rescue (she’s pro at it). So whatever she said I just repeated and sure enough a conversation got following about where were from, what we study etc.etc. We leaned that there were 6 children all ranging in ages from 1-18. The 3 yr old Ustifina took a liking to me, of course, so we played around. Then the father came in, Fastine John (I can’t spell). He spoke a little better English and continued talking to us while the mama left the room.

Our photo shoot

Not being able to participate in conversation, and the fact that I can’t sit still for very long I went to go see what the mama was doing. She was cooking tea for us. She didn’t command me to cook or clean like I thought most host families would make us do but I wanted to help. So I stirred the pot and helped make the best chi tea ever! (tea I’d pay 4 bucks for at starbucks). We sat back in the living room and enjoyed some hot tea. Then mama brought corn in and we helped peel the kernels off the corn. Peeled corn for so long I got blisters on my thumbs. Lexi helped mama cut cabbage and I pulled out my camera to take pictures. The children went crazy wanting to be photographed every minute, and Reginald, I called him Reggie loved taking pictures of us. After a while of sitting and conversation Reggie took us to the field to pick corn. His English was very good and when we asked him how old he was he said 28! Hahah that gave us a laugh, but he was 18 and we enjoyed talking to him. The father then took me to show his cows, I had trouble understanding what he was saying but they had about 8 cows and baba (father) watoto (children). So a family of cows? Anyway after that, and Reggie still had my camera and he wanted to go on top of the hill to take pictures. Okay that’s a lie, I wanted to go take pictures. So he took us up and the view was breath taking. We had our own little photoshoot on the top of Moyo Hills. Beautiful!

Some of the children even came up to join us. Soon lunch was ready, mama served us ugale and cabbage and I’m pretty sure more tea.

Herding the cattle to water

We enjoyed our delicious meal and then Lexi took our her frisbee. It started off as all of us throwing the Frisbee around, mama too and then it turned into an intense game of ultimate Frisbee. Mama was fierce running all over the place guarding Lexi diving for the frisbee. Good thing I was onher team. The father wasn’t really around much I think he was working more on the farm. After being all hot a sweaty from such an intense game we got to herd the cattle down the hill to fetch water. Ironically other SFS students Nicolette and Isabella were staying at the house we were walking to. HODI HODI we screamed (knock knock) as they appeared in the doorway. “Oh we were just taking a nap”. Hahah a nap. We were quickly ushered inside by their host family and told to sit while the boys fetched water from the back of the house. There we talked with their families, who were extended family members of our host family. Isabella told us what they’ve been doing all day and one of their activities was playing with puppies. “Puppies” I exclaimed! “Lucky!” Upon hearing this one of sisters grabbed 2 puppies from the next room and brought them back for me. Puppies had their own photoshoot, and the family loved it. Soon it was time to leave and we grabbed our jugs of water and headed back up the hill. Not of course without taking pictures first. We headed back home and continued our game of Frisbee. It was around 4 just as we were having more rice and cabbage when Nina showed up. “Nina,” I said“what are you doing here? It’s only 4” “Yeah but it looked like it was going to rain.” The family sat him down and served us some more tea and chatted with him. I told him I wasn’t ready to go just yet. He went back to the car, while I sat and made bracelets of the beads that I brought with me for the family. They loved it. Sure enough 4:45 came and Nina said it was time to say our goodbyes. I hugged everyone goodbye and the 3yr old was crying. So the son Reggie grabbed our backpacks, I picked up Ustifina and carried her to the car. It was sad to leave because I didn’t realize how much fun I’d have with this family. I had a wonderful day getting to spend time with this family, and they told me I was welcomed back anytime. Especially because they wanted me to bring the pictures I took, which I fully intend to. I felt so lucky to have such a great loving family all the way in Africa!!