We were invited to visit the new home of
Charles and Susan that was to be built on December 23.
We took President Okila with us and travel the three and a
half hours to find their family compound in South West Kenya.
The last part was over rough marran roads but we made it.
Part of the road we traveled.
The surrounding country side.
By the time we arrived they had already begun the days work.
They meet together about 6 AM and pray and then they
started clearing the ground of bushes, trees and then
leveling the lot for the house.
Here they have marked with the sticks the place for the holes
to put in the poles for support.
Charles, as the home owner, makes the first digging for the holes
for the posts. The digging is done with a Jemba and a
The ground is loosened with a and then is scooped out
using their hands.
Nearby in the bushes the women are
gathering to cook lunch for the workers.
This is where the pieces of wood used for marking was trimmed and cut.
Off the hill on the roadway the were being made.
There were markers as to where to lay the poles to make the
so they would all be the same size.
Can you see the small wood pieces used as markers?
Family members and other volunteers came to assist in the building.
Across the road and down a little was the home of Charles'
older brother. We walked with him to see the area in the family compound.
This is his home.
Grain (maize) is stored in this woven basket as it is
being dried for the first drying prior to being milled.
Banana bushes on his compound.
The brother does a lot of experimenting with plants to see which
ones produce the best and uses the least amount of work.
This grass is a good substitute for the Napier grass that is grown here
for the animals. This grows better, faster, cheaper and better for
the animals.
He has experimented with mangoes and
Susan is showing us these that are the best ones
he has found for this area.
President Okila is showing this plant of
Donkeys are very valuable here for their working ability.
This home was built for Charles and Susan when they were first
married and is in the same compound as his parents so it
is now time to move to his own plot of ground.
They will not stay in this home ever again.
We walked with Susan and Charles' brother over
another part of the family property to an overlook
of the beautiful area in the connecting valley.
Charles' brother in a rock quarry. They cannot use the rock
because it is to hard to get out. They could sell it for
use on the roads or homes if they could afford to get it out of the ground.
There are indentations in the rock that rain water will pool and the
family will go there to get the water to use in their homes.
These buckets are left there waiting for the next rain.
This is Charles' mother in front of her kitchen.
It was interesting to learn that she was born and raised at
Thimlich Ohinga that is east of this area.
I posted recently of visiting there. Look for that post or look it up online.
This old Mama bringing her pickings of berries up the hill to her home.
As we walked back to the building site we saw these boys going for
water for the building. It is a long distance to the river for the water.
The holes are all dug and it is time for Charles to put the first
corner post in place.
A woman bringing water to the building/lunch site.
This roll of metal sheeting will be used for the walls on this home.
It is very heavy and they have carried it quite a distance from
the mother's compound, along the road and up the hill to this
building site.
This hole needs a little more work.
The women have brought some maize and beans
for the workers to pick in for snack/lunch.
Two logs joined together.
The post is too long so it is being cut off using the panga (machete).
President Okila speaking to the group prior to our leaving.
Continuing with putting in the support poles. The poles were put in and then
with a string and a level they were measured
and then if too long were cut off.
We then went to the home of Charles' mother where she had prepared a
nice meal for us. We had a very enjoyable day and learned a lot
of the customs and building ways of the Luo people here.
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