Monday, August 20, 2007

A map and info on where I will be....



So, as many of you know, In january of 2008, I am departing for a year to Volunteer in Kenya. I am going with an Organization called Notre Dame Mission Volunteer, and I will be working with children with Disabilities in Kenya. I will be living in a small village in the Western Province called Malava. If you enlarge the map it is near a city called Kakamega, near Lake Victoria... Or at least I think it is... My sources of information are still a little hard to reach...

The other picture is of the Kenyan flag...

I will keep posting as my trip gets nearer and update you on everything I know.

The Republic of Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border.

At 224,961 mi² (582,646 km²), Kenya is the world's forty-seventh largest country (after Madagascar). It is comparable in size to France, and is somewhat smaller than the US state of Texas.

The highlands are the site of the highest point in Kenya (and the second highest in Africa): Mount Kenya, which reaches 17,057 ft and is also the site of glaciers.

Kenya has considerable land area of wildlife habitat, including the Masai Mara, where blue wildebeest and other bovids participate in a large scale annual migration. Up to 250,000 blue wildebeest perish each year in the long and arduous movement to find forage in the dry season. The "Big Five" animals of Africa can also be found in Kenya: the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros and elephant. A significant population of other wild animals, reptiles and birds can be found in the national parks and game reserves in the country. The environment of Kenya is threatened by high population growth and its side effects.

The long rain season occurs from April to June. The short rain season occurs from October to December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. The hottest period is from February to March and coldest in July to August.

Malaika

There is a poular song in Kenya, sung in Swahili called Malaika. The word, which is also a name means Angel in Swahili. Strangely enough, both India and Morocco had meanings for my name. In India, my name meant Jasmine (Hindi); In Morocco my name means queen (Arabic). I have heard that my name in Kenya is quite popular...

Here are the words and translation in Swahili to 'Malaika'

Malaika, nakupenda Malaika. (Angel, I love you Angel.)
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika.
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio, (What should I do, your lover?)
Nashindwa na mali sina, we, (I don't have any money)
Ningekuoa Malaika. (I would marry you, Angel.)
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
Ningekuoa Malaika.

Pesa zasumbua roho yangu (Money is troubling my soul)
Pesa zasumbua roho yangu
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio,
Ningekuoa Malaika.
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
Ningekuoa Malaika.

Kidege, hukuwaza kidege. (Little bird, I always dream of you, little bird,)
Kidege, hukuwaza kidege.
Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio,
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
Ningekuoa kidege.
Nashindwa na mali sina, we,
Ningekuoa kidege.

The Kenyan Shilling



The currency in Kenya is called the Kenyan Shilling, and what I found is that 1 US Dollar = 67.72857 Kenyan Shilling. Similar to the weather, I have no idea what this means...

Info on Kenya....



Ok... so in preparation for my travels to Kenya I decided to do a little research on the climate and such... This doesnt look too bad... but who knows what I will be facing once I actually get there.