The Burnin' and the Lootin'

MACHETES, SPEARS, HUNGER

Morning came and direction from Nairobi was to reduce the outings even further. Everything was 'ok' they reinforced, but we were better off not going beyond our electric fences. Today, instead of travelling to the local markets or meeting with local teachers, we were going to plant seedlings in a ditch. If I paid a fortune to travel in rural Kenya and I wasn't allowed out of a fenced-in camp, I would throw a fit. The Dean, The Doctor and The Chief Executive said very little. I suspect they were getting curious, but their queries were kept to a minimum. Either way, it was a blessing we were kept in our pen on this given day as it could otherwise have been our last.

We spent a relaxing couple of hours under the Acacia trees, digging and planting to the sounds of birds and lizards. One of the good dudes that managed the garden was giving us a quick download on the regional vegetation and its insect inhabitants. In the meantime, no more than 10 kms away there was a tribal rage that was about to boil over and put our lives in jeopardy. The local men were arming themselves with spears, machetes, bow & arrows and congas (wooden hammers) and congregating on a truck heading our way.

Tribal vs poverty side note: The local Kalenjins claimed they were pissed off that we employed their rival tribe, the Kikuyus. Truthfully though, if you ask the western white guy from middle class North America, poverty was the underlying fuel behind their anger. Poverty is an impossible way of life. It is the point in existence where everyman would do everything, to better their living condition. Naturally this creates unscrupulous opportunism. So during this tribal war stimulated by political unrest, the primary reason we were about to be violently attacked and robbed, was because these villagers saw an opportunity to better their derelict living conditions. We had resources as simple as food, tarps and charcoal. Why else would typically peaceful villagers attack their neighbours, let alone a camp whose sole purpose was to help them develop a better quality of life? Short sighted opportunism.

Headed on a literal war path, this truck of wily young men was brought to a sudden stop no more than 2 km from our property by a single man on a motorbike. Our trusty community mobilizer Gilbert was a local Kalenjin man but he was cut from a different cloth than the majority of his peers. An educated man, he lived in a concrete house and ran a small pub in the busy town where our dirt road met the tarmac. Gilbert was hired as a quasi social worker to help us understand the social issues of the communities, act as a trusted intermediary and ultimately help us help them. Anyways, when Gilbert got word of his peers preparing to attack, he hit the dirt road on his motorbike. Gilbert caught up to the truck that was well en route and positioned himself in front of their vehicle. Frantically pleading with the gang of armed villagers, he reminded them of the good work that our organization was doing for them, for their kids. Building schools, clean water wells, hygiene programs and so on. He reminded them that our mobile health clinic had treated their wives' gangrene and how our lunch programs at school helped prevent malnutrition in their children. With his wise words and a strong reality check, Gilbert made the connection that saved us from what will forever be a mystery. However, if this mystery was to turn out anything like what I experienced the following day, I'm pretty sure I owe him my life.

At this point, the fear around camp was tangible. There was a quiet uncertainty that filled the air. The typical cheerful banter and laughter around the kitchen was now an uncomfortable silence. If staff were not essential to the maintenance of camp, they were sent home to be with their families. Our soldiers stood guard, frequently making passes around the outskirts of camp. I got on Skype once again with homebase to discuss our next move. With this being the last night of the family trip, all we had to worry about was transporting them safely to their safari lodge and eventually getting me back to Nairobi.