I left a week ago...

and have more stories to tell then you are willing to sit and read.

I am now in Kenya and I am definitely a complete stranger to the everything Kenyan. I am so stranger to it my body has been rejecting it and has not let me keep many things in my stomach for the last four days. Beyond the few days of nausea and lack of food, it is beyond what I had imagined and hoped for. The people and the land are beautiful. They are both diverse and giving.

My travel companions for the last few days have been two individuals from the organization I am working with this summer, African Prisons Project. It has been amazing to spend time with motivated young people who are making a huge and positive impact in a place so far from their home, the United Kingdom. It is also refreshing to be with individuals who are compassionate about penal reform and are excited to speak of the ills of prisons around the world.

Instead of sharing all of my stories, I will share one. It comes from our visit of the Courson's Secondary School for Boys in Gil gil, Kenya. The three of us were asked to speak to a room of eager and well-mannered Kenyan boys who were brought in to the school by the Courson family due to their impoverishment. I spoke after my two British companions who are accustomed to speaking English in Eastern Africa. Although, English is spoken regularly and fluently by all, it is not American English, but a slower, kinder, quieter, more vowelled English. Needless to say, the boys loved and laughed at my quick, lazy, loud English. As their bright white eyes intently stared at the clueless American girl, I doubt they understood a word or even knew I was speaking English! The erupted in laughter and applause twice during my short speech and I promise they were not laughing because I intended to be funny.

I leave for Uganda tonight where I will meet the remainder of the African Prisons Project staff and become acquainted with the country, its people, and the prisons there.