The village and surrounding area is home to around 3000 people. All of whom are Kenyan. I asked a local if he had ever seen someone with white skin in the village and he said that apart from the volunteers coming to the school there were never any other foreigners.
Last week, buying milk in the village the shopkeeper writes a receipt out to 'Agape' the charity that runs the school, knowing that if I have white skin I must be from there!
When walking down the street, children run out their huts to stare calling their friends to come and see 'MUZUNGU, MUZUNGU!!!'. If I am running with the students it causes even more of a stir, so too if carrying buckets or parcels-especially if I try to carry on my head like the locals, an event of great hilarity for the children!
When sitting watching the students play football on the weekend, local kids flock around, getting closer and closer the braver they get. The toughest kids in the crew may actually come close enough to touch my skin or shake my hand- something which one of the teachers informed me means that they will 'receive a blessing'.
The very young on the other hand find seeing a white person for the first time all too much and burst into tears.
Some of the perceptions of westerners are quite comical, my favorite comment so far, when I did my washing by hand like the locals the girls were shocked, one asking me 'but didn't it make your hands bleed? I thought you white people were very soft and had to use machines!'
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| The kids LOVE photos- especially when with a Muzungu! |
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| Felt like the Pied Piper walking to the hall on Sunday- kids flocking around us! |
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| Doesn't take long until you have a little hand in yours! |
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