History of Christianity in Africa, Day Four, Album One
I don’t like photos of locals taken from buses by tourists; they’re cowardly and voyeuristic efforts, as is this one. But I include it and the next several shots because they tell a story worth hearing and representative of the sorts of changes of perspective taking place among all of us here.
With the main road to Nairobi jammed, we had to take a washboard red dusty road around the city which took us through many different neighborhoods—from a relatively upscale townhouse complex to a small slum through an industrial/commercial dust bath and to this working class neighborhood, where I noticed this man sprinting past our bus and holding a shovel in his hand. He passed the bus and jumped onto the back of a flatbread truck where several other men were already standing.
I didn’t think much of it until I noticed others hitching similar rides. I asked Denis Maina, a man who works with youth in Nairobi and has been one of our companions on this trip, just what the men were doing, and his answered surprised me.
“They are looking for work,” he explained. “They see truck that is likely going to a construction site, jump on the back, and ride to the site with hopes of getting a job for the day.” The man had chased down the truck for just the hope of a job. I started to notice all the small enterprises, the creative names. This was no slum, but a working class neighborhood trying to find its way forward, day to day. Students have written in their blogs about the courage and resilience of the children they’ve met, but that image of a young man running alongside our bus is the one I carry to remind me of the power of hope.
Cart ready and waiting for work.
Author and evangelist Steve Mbugua Thoithi talks with the students.
The author, students, and Professor Warner enjoy a lighter moment during their morning together.
The students also heard a brief presentation from Sister Eviginia Gachiri concerning her work to end the practice of female circumcision in Kenya and surrounding countries. The former teacher is director of the Termination of Female Genital Mutilation project, and she explained both the practice and its occurrence in 27 of 47 African nations, including Kenya, in which 34 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 19 have been circumcised.
Here Steve Woodruff ’12 talks with Sister Eviginia.
Michael Carper ’13 listens carefully to Sister Eviginia.