Today Falk, Katie, and I ventured into Idah's village with Ezaius and Vitema to meet Idah's family and get footage for the CBS piece. The turn-off for her village is only a short mini-bus ride away from school, but a 20 minute ride along dirt roads from there, accessible only by bike taxi or foot. Far in is Idah's family compound, a small collection of hut houses where she lives with her Mother, two sisters, two brothers, an aunt, her grandfather, grandmother, two babies, two cows, some goats, and some chickens. Everything is utilitarian. There is no flourish or decoration to anything. Plastic basins, blank walls, empty rooms, tin plates. There is only family and labor. We were fed a meal of nsima and pigeon peas. We had brought in some eggs and vegetables, but had to leave before it got dark so were unable to partake in them for dinner. Idah apparently makes a special dish with onions, tomatoes, and peas. After lunch Idah took us up the street to introduce us to her mentor from primary school. Language was a significant barrier in a place this rural. We were almost completely to communicate with Idah's family without her as a translator. We ended up playing some pickup football with a bunch of kids from the village. Falk walloped some poor kid square in the face with a mighty kick. I am out of process power. I know there is much more to report, but I am overloaded from the day. Until I have half a brain back, it was incredible to be afforded the opportunity to experience a life so different from any that I have lived. Katie and Falk viewed it all with stars in their eyes, for me it was not as uplifting. It was not a depressing experience wither however. What I saw today was simply a slice of a life much different from mine. The light shining through was the fundamental humanity at the base of all human communities, beautiful in it's simplicity.
PICASA PHOTOS
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