Kenia: First Report from Kenya

First impressions in Kitale and seeing the new land of OTEPIC...

A week ago our nine-person-group arrived in Nairobi. We stayed in a guest house near the airport and used the first day and two nights to have a smooth transition into this new environment. Our bodies and souls caught up with the changes and we had our first group gathering and sharing around our altar which represents and connects us to all the current Global Campus.

From Nairobi we traveled by bus to Kitale, where we are now working and living with Philip‘s community for this month. As we left the big city the land got greener and greener and eventually the vast Great Rift Valley stretched out in front of our eyes, reminding us of the age of this planet and greater cycles we are part of. This is also an area were many archeological sites from the „Cradle of Humanity“ can be found. The 8 hour bus ride gave us many first impressions of the beautiful landscape of this country as well as the human interaction with the land. Women selling a hand full potatoes or greens on the road side, running children, herdsman laying on the ground next to their animals, a road tanker parked half way in a beautiful small lake surrounded by men who eagerly wash the vehicle. The rainy season is off its usual rhythm, this year the rains came much earlier.

With great excitement we saw an expression of the potential wilderness and beauty of this land when we spotted Zebras grazing along the road and in the bush land.

In Kitale we were received by our friend Philip. We settled in our new living spaces in a Christian education center. The next day we visited the various places of Philip’s project and his Mother’s small two-room-house where he grew up with his seven brothers. Being in the place where the project of OTEPIC started moved each one of us. We got to see the first demonstration garden in the slum area Mitume where you can find many places with more plastic trash then soil on the ground.

Amani Garden is another demonstration site of OTEPIC on the outskirts of Kitale. Here we met the community of co-workers, students and curious children. It’s a beautiful place which gives a motivating green alternative to the slum reality. We overcame our mutual shyness in circle games, engaging with the people while dancing and singing. This non-verbal communication opened the hearts with laughter.

A next important moment on our journey was the first visit on the new 10 hectares land of OTEPIC. It felt like a sacred moment to step on the former corn field with two big trees guarding the land. We found much of the worked ground very wet from the past rains. The land is gently sloping to a river. The biggest tree called us for prayer. Standing around the tree we closed this first visit with gratitude and offering, accompanied by up incoming winds and dark clouds bringing more rain.

So far, we send you greetings from Base Station Kenya.