New life in Kenya : June 2018

Sunday 17 June 2018

Intense weather and silver linings

Climate change and global warming are hot topics of discussion around the world. Not surprisingly, it was an agenda item for the recent G7 Summit in Quebec. The implications and impact continue to perpetuate dialogue as scientific and political sectors keep trying to understand and address inevitable consequences for thousands of people and hundreds of communities universally. Extreme weather patterns appear sporadically in so many places. Families and civic infrastructures experience havoc and loss from the effects of severe storms, drought, floods, hurricanes, erupting volcanoes, etc.

Arriving in Kenya in early 2017, the relentless high temperatures were causing intense drought which meant poor crops, loss of human and animal life, and accelerating poverty. Fast forward twelve months and the environmental pendulum has swung the other way to excessive rain falls instigating destructive flooding. Who would have thought?

A few weeks ago, a dam burst in one Kenyan town, due to substantial rainfall, resulting in the loss of many lives and substantial ruin of property. A news story detailed how the “flood waters swept away power lines, homes, and buildings, including a primary school.” The Salvation Army was part of the emergency response teams. In an even broader context, the news relayed how “hundreds of thousands of people across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Uganda have been displaced by torrential rain in the last two months.”

Soon we discovered how flash floods had reached the northern county of Turkana, the same area in our Territory where harsh drought struck a year ago. Many people are displaced because the floods have destroyed their houses and livestock. Some roads are impassable increasing the challenge for families seeking refuge. Various agencies and humanitarian aid groups are responding to provide for the immediate needs of food and shelter. The county government is assessing the emerging and long term needs too. Our Salvation Army Territorial Projects department has been on the ground doing its review and are currently partnering with International Headquarters in a “rapid response” to support the area. The Army’s motto, ‘heart to God and hand to man’, steps into high gear.

While pondering the hostile effects of acute weather, I saw a small, silver lining in the cloud of unpredictable climate. The few rivers we see around Kenya have reached new levels of rising water. While driving by one not far from our house, I caught a glimpse of a young man standing knee deep in the middle of the river with a long pole extended into the water. I knew he wasn’t fishing. Our driver, Arnold, enlightened my curiosity. The high rolling water actually provided great conditions for harvesting sand from the river bed. The flooded water way meant the ground below was stirring up, allowing easier access to the sediment at the bottom. Attached to the end of the submerged pole was a net that would catch the soil enabling the harvester to sift it, leaving behind what was not useful and harvesting a quality sand product. Even without a net, using your hands for this work is also common. The sand would be carried out of the river in sacks thrown across the harvester’s shoulders. I imagine the young man’s back was aching and sweat pouring down his face as he labored in the hot sun for many hours, another example of the local physical work required every day. A good result of this strenuous job, however, would be the valuable sand resource, an essential ingredient for making cement and asphalt, very useful for the expanding construction industry in Kenya. Despite the tiring work, this could at least be one benefit from excessive rain and flooding.

Another step back to scan the bigger picture though enlightened me a little more. In 2014 the UN reported more than 40 billion tonnes of sand are extracted annually around the globe, initiating a potential calamity. The concern is whether the frequency of harvesting sand exceeds nature’s rate of replenishing it. I learned that sand harvesting has the potential to “destroy vegetation, affect the flow of water along the rivers, erode the waters’ holding capacity of the river bed, and destroy ecosystems. With the depletion of sand on riverbeds, harvesters target farmland.” (https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/-increased-sand-harvesting/440808-4300774-178uig/index.html ) To help alleviate this fear, the law dictates sand harvesters must have a licence and adhere to regulations in an attempt to manage the environmental impact. I soon realized there is more here than meets the eye. I know my inquiry is very limited so I make no assumptions. But I did recall again the wide reaching complexities of atmospheric forces on our fragile world and the quest many have to find ways to live within current realities.

This reflection can leave me unsettled. I can't underestimate the challenges and threats which surround people every day but it also conjures up valuable principles. I am still inspired by those who can extract something good when circumstances are tough, even when that good isn’t perfect.

As well, I remember there are a myriad of perspectives in any given situation. A broad outlook and an inquisitive mind can help deepen our understanding and potentially better our responses, or certainly our judgments. I also consider every precious gift of life as a resource worth handling with care. And I see once more how interdependent we all are.

The ‘refining’ process of harvesting sand also elicits a moral and ethical response. How important is it to ‘sift out’ what is not needed in our lives or what may tarnish the best in us. A good question for all of us - what purging or refining might be required on either a practical or spiritual basis? Could it be about eliminating the ‘stuff’ that is seriously not necessary (de-cluttering) or does it mean removing habits or behaviours that are just wrong? I wonder what spiritual or moral filtering would allow greater portions of goodness, kindness, integrity, honesty, generosity and compassion to rise to the top. As a leader, how can I ensure the pure ‘fine sand’ of humility, wisdom, and justice to be the products that shape my heart and mind as I influence and lead others?

Extreme weather is intense and unfortunately reaps devastation for many. Let’s pray that there will be more silver linings to discover, other lessons to learn, and increased ways to own our part for the world we all long to see.

In the meantime, the promise of God from the prophet is: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned … do not be afraid for I am with you.” (Isaiah 43)

A picture taken on my phone by the side of the road

Friday 1 June 2018

To see or not to see ... is that the question?

Of all our five senses, sight may be choice number one in ‘not ever wanting to lose it’. A recent visit to The Salvation Army (TSA) Mitoto Secondary and Primary Schools where some of the students are completely blind or visually impaired caused me to think more deeply about the affects of blindness. A donation from TSA London Citadel Women’s Ministry group enabled us to purchase two new braille machines for the Secondary School. The students were so excited to receive the new equipment. Big smiles all around! Our Social / Sponsorship Secretary, Major Beatrice Musieni, had presented the need and was thrilled when a sponsor was found.

We were pleased to spend time in both schools. The visually impaired primary students have their own classes whereas the Secondary School incorporates all students together, though the administration is hoping for an alternative unit for the visually impaired high schoolers. “We want to have additional one on one supervision and designated teaching strategies just for them”, was the teacher's perspective.

Our tour of the compound began by dropping in on the younger students. In a relatively bare classroom,10-12 first graders sat together on the floor having fun with building blocks. Sitting beside them, one child kept reaching out to hold our hand. Some children were completely blind, others had a percentage of sight, some could not speak, and others had additional physical disabilities. “This little one arrived three days ago”, the teacher whispered to us, gently touching a sweet little girl on the back. “She was rescued and brought here.” We didn’t learn the details but I knew wherever this child had come from, being brought to this school was likely something better for her. I had rarely thought of a school as a place of refuge. How thankful I am The Salvation Army offers such a safe haven. The playful interaction among these precious little ones was evidence they were being well cared for.

Both the Primary and Secondary Schools are boarding schools. In the boy’s dormitory, we met the ‘house father’ caring for both the older and younger boys who bunk together. Every bed was covered with a mosquito net and each student has a footlocker for their belongings. It didn’t seem ideal for boys of such varied ages to stay in the same room. We were told the school is searching for assistance to construct separate rooms to accommodate the different age groups.

Rounding the corner outside the dormitory, we met 20 high school students – again, some totally blind and others visually impaired. The group was taken out of class to greet us and receive the gifts we brought. As we approached, they were huddled together practicing items to present. Once we were warmly welcomed, they sang a beautiful song with amazing harmony. Joshua, the oldest in the class, had an incredible base voice and Joy, a bubbly and confident girl, was an obvious high soprano. They quickly introduced themselves as ‘singers’ and told us about an upcoming competition. They were thrilled to have us listen to their song and grinned shyly as we applauded! One girl recited a poem followed by another musical item with more singing plus dancing, accompanied by Joshua on the flute and another boy using an upside down water container for drumming.

These students expressed themselves eloquently with their musical talents and speaking in clear English. Joshua, an obvious leader in the group, volunteered to say thank you on behalf of his peers when the braille machines were offered. “I thank God for these gifts” he said. “Now we can learn more and pass our exams. Please tell the sponsors how much this donation means to all of us here.”

Driving home, my heart was full of gratitude to have met these students, their teachers, and The Salvation Army Chaplains who provide Bible lessons each week. The pupils inspired us with their resilience to overcome limitations and disabilities, their courage and confidence in front of strangers, and their joyful spirits. They genuinely appreciated our time together and the gifts given from strangers in another part of the world. It was a meaningful example of being partners in mission.

At the end of the day, I couldn't help but ponder - is it possible that those who are blind, or visually impaired, can still actually see? I don’t mean physically (though some may view shadows or fuzzy images). But can those who are not as sighted as I am and you are, still ‘see’ in different ways? In Dr. Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, Learning to walk in the Dark, she suggests when the sense of sight is missing, other senses are more pronounced. Hearing and touch and smell can actually become like ‘eyes’. Her studies about darkness revealed how the sound of different kinds of trees swaying in the wind can enable a person to distinguish which type of tree it is without seeing it. And what about touch? Taylor tells of a blind person who proposes “to feel a table is a much more intimate activity than seeing it. Run your hands across the top and you can find the slight dip in the middle of the center panel that you might otherwise have missed, proof that this table was planed by hand.”

In the Bible, we read that God often appeared in dark places. He spoke to Abraham in the dark of night. The evening sky was key to Abraham’s trust in God. Jacob wrestled with God after the sun went down. The Israelite’s exodus from Egypt happened during the cover of darkness and manna was supplied during the night time. Jonah spent three days in the dark belly of a whale, while Paul spent three days blind in Damascus. On Mount Sinai, God’s glory came to Moses in a cloud of darkness. Is it possible that darkness, perhaps even blindness, can be a source of spiritual revelation? To see may mean more than just physical sight. In John 9:39, Jesus makes a statement that may seem strange ‘til we probe it a little. “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” (Might need a full exegesis of the text to tackle the depth of that comment).

I make no assumptions about the experience of a person who is blind or visually impaired. I do remember a very jovial man in one of our corps appointments who was almost fully blind yet he loved to play Santa Claus for the kids every Christmas! As for the students of Mitoto, they sure energized us with the buoyancy of their spirits. They helped us remember that physical sight is a precious gift and so is tenacious determination when darkness falls. I may never forget one of the students greeting us warmly: “Welcome to our school. It’s nice to see you today.”

Presenting the new braille machines