July 23, 2007 

Today we went to visit an organization that Margaret works with called “Project Hope.” It is a women’s shelter that works with sex workers and young adolescent mothers (who are most vulnerable to becoming prostitutes) to provide them with training, education, and shelter. They also do presentations in schools about HIV/AIDS, female genital cutting and mutilation, rape, and other sexual health things. It is really small right now, they started in 2005 and still have a long ways to go, but they have a great start and lots of plans for expanding their services.

The women that run it told us about what they were doing in the community and then offered for us to stay for one of their training classes. Erin and I were interested, but everyone else left.

A group of young girls between the ages of 13-19 came in, about half of them had babies. They were all heavily clad in makeup and had come to learn how to make necklaces as a trade. Erin and I got to learn too, we talked with the girls and got help from them on how to make the necklaces. They were all really nice girls and it didn’t strike me until later that I had spent the day with sex workers. It sounds weird, but I don’t mean it in a bad way. Life is really hard here and the girls have to do whatever they can to survive and some of them have kids to support as well. The shelters they have for kids are really dangerous and the girls get raped a lot. I can’t even imagine what these girls have been through. Most of them were either my age or younger. My heart truly goes out to them. Out of all the organizations I’ve been to (including VOLSET) Project Hope has been the most inspiring. I am truly impressed with what they have done and what they aim to do. I donated some money that I had on me and bought a couple of the necklaces the girls had made. I wish I could have done more for them.

After we left the shelter, Erin and I went into downtown Nairobi so we could go to the bank and exchange money. It was quite an adventure-trying to find both places and the taxi park, etc. Nairobi is a hectic place, but it was still fun. I had to buy a duffel bad because I can no longer fit everything I brought and purchased in my bag (plus I am going to need it when I go home eventually).

We got back to the house just in time to pack and then head back into town to the bus station. Erin and Julie were headed back to Uganda left first. Then Festus, Lydia, and I caught the night bus for the 9 hour ride to Mombassa. What I didn’t know what that Festus and Lydia were out of money and so once we got there at 6 am they helped me to find a hotel, borrowed 1,000 kshs ($20), then caught the next bus back to Kampala. So once again I am a lone traveler.

After Festus and Lydia left me, I found my way to the tourism office. I knew I wanted to explore Mombassa, and go to the beach, but I had no idea how to go about doing it. The guy at the office was really helpful and after going over all the options I decided to go on a tour of the city (including Fort Jesus) and then a dolphin finding/snorkeling/sailing all day trip tomorrow.

I met Karen, who came into the office around the same time as I did, who was also traveling by herself. She is from Australia, in her late 30s, and had just finished a 10 day safari through Kenya and gorilla trekking in Uganda. She wanted to do the same things as I did so we became travel buddies for the day.

We got a tour guide named Marcos who walked us through the temples in the city, old town, and Fort Jesus. It took all afternoon and was really interesting. Fort Jesus was this Fort build by the Portuguese in the 1500s (I think.. I might be making things up-Google it). It was used for trading ivory and slaves, then it was overtaken by Arabic people and then it was used as a British prison all the way up into the 1950s.

After the tour I went searching for the Nakumatt (the same store as the ginourmous one we went to in Kisii). I got some wrong directions while walking and ended up in the industrial part of Mombassa. I wasn’t worried and eventually found my way, it was just the long cut and included more cat calls than I care to mention.

Once I got there I got a very “stylish” swimsuit (it looks like it was from the 20s), a disposable camera (my digital camera battery died the second we got to Nairobi), cheese (!!!), crackers, and juice for dinner. I was practically in heaven over the cheese.

I got a ride back to the hotel (instead of trying my luck walking again) in this little cart thing (Festus calls them 3-legged bodas) I don’t know what they’re called but I thought they were cute. I ate and showered when I got back, and then I tragically discovered that not only did I leave my special-condensed-sudless-soap in Nairobi, but also my mini-travel towel, AND a pair of underwear. Ladies and gentlemen, I am now down to one pair of underwear.

We were in such a hurry to pack and get to the bus station that I failed to look up and see my towel and underwear (which I had washed the night before) hanging to dry.

I have 35 days left and one pair of underwear. I am NOT happy.