A few pictures

First, let me tell you a thing or two about taking pictures in Kenya, and the various things that have led to me not posting any until now. I have received a bit of flack from a number of people for not posting pictures and I want to clear up that it is not just because of my laziness.

So, I stick out quite a bit around here. Shocking, I know, but there are not that many other foreigners living in Likoni these days. The coast is a touristy area, so there are a lot of non-Africans passing through, but not a lot of them stay to meet the people and get to know the place. While people realize that tourism is a huge benefit to the Kenyan economy, there is a general disdain for tourists. They are known for flying in, going to see the lions and elephants (which I did two weeks ago by the way), heading to the beach (which I have also done), taking a few pictures of adorable Kenyan kids and getting back on the plane to enjoy their lives. One of the struggles that I have is communicating that I am here as a volunteer, here to help the community, and that I am not just another foreigner who is here to take pictures. So taking out my over sized digital camera and taking pictures of people isn't really the best idea, because it attracts even more attention to the fact that I am not from here, and have money.

The coast is a very Muslim area, and while some people love having their picture taken, there are some who adhere to the rule that one's picture should not be taken. However, if I ask, people generally will feel obligated to say yes.

In addition to this, people in the west love pictures of African kids and have used them for years in various ways to get funding. However, there are some who feel that after years of having their pictures taken, and sometimes not the most flattering pictures (think, starving children seen on TV with a bowl of gruel and flies around them), that the people taking the pictures might only use them for personal gain. As a visual person I will be the first to admit that I love pictures of African kids, but again, I have to walk the line and respect people's wishes.

So all in all, there are no real rules about pictures, but I have not taken all that many. Here are a few:

This one is my host auntie, Mama Helima. She has a small business selling the awesome fried potatoes and porridge.

Water tank in our front yard.



The front yard with laundry
A few weeks back almost everyone at home was sick. I thought this was sort of cute.


I learned to make chipatis.
Ok more to come. If and when I decide to take them!