GENESIS

Where did it all start from? Was it that conversation with my mother? Could be. I really don’t know.

The conversation.

I had called my mother to inform her that I would be visiting her soon, usually I ask her what she’d like for me to bring to her just before reminding her that I have a zillion loans to pay and that my paycheck isn’t that great! Anyway, she asked me to try and carry some sanitary towels for my cousin. Pause! wait!

See sometimes we take things for granted and simply forget that not everyone has it easy. Having it easy here refers to not worrying about sanitary towels. I asked her to expound and she informed me that tampons were out of stock, no I am not joking, and that sanitary towels cost an arm and a leg when you have no proper income.

I should mention that my cousin is my agemate and she lost her parents ages ago. Her mother,my aunt, whom I share a name with was disabled and back then (we have made very little progress) being disabled meant not getting the best jobs. My hardworking aunt did what she could and this meant moving to wherever she could find a job so grandma lived with and took care of her 2 kids. My cousin is now my gran’s main caregiver and well I felt like that is really the least I could do. I also felt rather foolish and embarrassed, to not have thought of such things.

I was interested not only in my cousin’s case but the women in the village and more importantly the young girls. I started to ask questions and to talk to people amongst them my dear friend K who called me immediately saying do it! Do what you can, go for it! she promised to help me and I must say she has been by my side every step of this journey. Encouraging, editing, advising listening, giving me comfort food…the works!

But , but it could also have began ages ago. My mother traces it back to “since I was born” in short this has been going on for a while but at different levels and she isn’t sure whether she approves of it all the time. In her defense, many a time she’d found things missing that I had donated here or there or to this person or that other and of course as a kid I was conned a few times.

My philosophy has always been “tenda wema nenda zako” in short do good and move on. So if someone lied to me and took something they didn’t need or more than they did  then it really isn’t on me but on them.

The conclusion

It doesn’t matter really, whether I began this year or ages ago , suddenly I feel so old! What matters is that I did and it was and continues to be oh so fulfilling end enriching for all parties.

So, I set a date, we made some flyers, in English, a dear friend S corrected my French version and was the first to give me hope, she sent her notes with some money for my project. It was done! It was official and successful , I was going to help atleast 3 people ,lol. I took some time to let that sink in and then started to campaign amongst my facebook friends. I thought it would be easy peasy! Well it was and it wasn’t!...

since we miss birthdays, usually my kids and I bring along some stuff clothes, toys , for their cousins,we decided to do something for the village kids too. Hop! A toys’ flyer was made.

I decided not to ask for books because they are bulky and I had a few, plus you don't want to piss people off at some point you need to make choices.
Plus I needed to figure out if bringing books was a good idea.

I wanted to do something in my dad’s memory while helping the community. A library came to mind, when dad visited me the 2 things he liked most were the Eiffel tower -structure and Beaubourg. He loved books and so do I, but do they? 

Well apparently they do because i have received requests, especially now that schools are closed for Easter holidays.  :)