Time to say goodbye again...

"Mum!"
I hear the voice calling across the yard and even though that is really not a title I should be responding to at this stage in my life I know they are wanting my attention. I turn and see Tom's face broken into a wide grin. He sees my hands full with things to pack and his face falls. 'Mum... don't leave us!' 
I try to smile at him and tell him not to worry- I will come back! 
Some of the smaller girls gather around and join the catch-cry 'don't go Tabby, don't leave us!'

I walk around the compound going through the motions of packing up my stuff, sorting out clothes to give to the kids and finishing up some random chores.There is a big farewell today and all the kids are hard at work, peeling potatoes, chopping up a goat and rolling out dough for over 100 chapattis, there is such a feeling of camaraderie around the place that it makes leaving so much harder.


Yes Kenya is unthinkably frustrating, there are so many sad things, so many difficult things, so many tears, so much corruption and so much anger... yet there is also so much need, so many people to help, so much good that can be done! 

Once again as I leave here to head home for family weddings, I don't know when I will be here again or what God has planned for me, but I do have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that my feet will be back on Kenya soil in the future. 

Building!

Collecting timber.

I have gone with a bunch of the teenage boys to collect timber for a building project. After a brisk walk we arrive at a forest area with some very recently felled trees scattered about. I am quick to partner with one of the stronger boys and we lift the tree onto our shoulders and begin the 3 km walk back. I can’t help but giggle at how my partner is texting on a borrowed phone, the tree casually balanced on his shoulder while I awkwardly shift my end from side to side trying to watch my step on the tiny track through the field whilst not dropping the weighty tree!

This time in Kenya has seen me doing a lot more practical work, building, painting, varnishing, clearing wood and concreting. The building is always heavily complicated by availability and quality of materials- wooden posts in actual fact being whole trees as a prime example! So many times we will stop, look at our work and realise- despite our careful measuring and use of the level and square- things don't quite line up. But at the end of the day, it always works out good enough :) 

Construction of our rabbit cage

The highlight of this has been the animal projects that we have been working on at the coastal children’s home. Zero graze cow shed, sheep and goat pen, rabbit breeding cage and hen house- with the last two being built by just me and Abi (in a stubborn effort to prove that girls can do physical work!).

Our rabbit breeding cage is an awesome learning tool for the kids here- they are required to fetch food for the rabbits and clean out their cages and in return will benefit from their nutritious meat from the offspring of the breeders- a prospect they are all very excited about!

Our finished hen house :)

Maja cleaning out the cages

Before and after- our rabbit breeding program :)