Its me again someof you wanted me to send you the picture please email me at kimambodenis@yahoo.com or at dkimambo@gmail.com i would to here from all the jumpers

Dear jumpers hello to you all hope that al of you are well and still Jumping wherever you are i have posted some pictures on the jumptochangetheworld yahoo email,for some reason i cannot upload pictures here, i have the firsat set of the pictures up there for you, and the students shopuld be sending there's there too we have tried on the blogs and its not working for us, one minth to go before the students here sit for there national exam, then fully engage in JUMP activities. We have enough stories documented by the group now we just have to find out a way to post them on the net, bad news our podcasts are not working either. If any of the other groups podcast are working tell us the steps again or if you know how to upload videos plase tell us.

Denis

This is me on my birthday at Lake Nakuru with Kelsey atop Baboon Cliffs. Thats the lake in the background..see all the pink? Thoses are flamingos.

This is a beautiful shot of the water. All these flamingos were amazing to see.

But see, it was also very sad because many of them are dying. And at the edge of the lake, you can see all the dead flamingos, so sad.

Hello to you ALL

After a month in Kenya the Jumper’s from Hawaii I hope you all got home safely and that all is well and you are enjoying the rest of the summer, here in Nakuru all is well the Jumper’s here are on holiday now and I manage to meet with a few of them every now and then some went to Nairobi for the holidays while the rest are participating in the national school music and dance festivals which are being held in Kenya and Menengai secondary is one of the venues where the music is being held,
The Jumper’s here are ok and moving on with work I think this is going to be one of the best projects that am involved in the students are eager and they have ideas that are great we just wait for the implementation of the projects that they have. They go back to school on Monday the 7th they had a 1week holiday after exams.

Alec hello well your name was the photographer with “good hair”, that’s what you did not here the students calling you when you were here; I want to pass greetings from Doreen’s family they are asking when you are coming back. Man I got to see all those pictures you took, while here.

Allie hope all is well and that you enjoyed your time in Kenya very much, Stan had nicknamed you Adhiambo C, after the latest song that is on air now (here in Kenya) about a beautiful girl in Kisumu the city by Lake Victoria.

Andrew I know you got back safely and probably you are juggling now, maybe this is the reason you are famous from the Nakuru people lots of greetings from the Menengai high school students who attended the open day that was at the school on that day. I thought I was “famous” but when you arrived in Kenya I realized I need to do more work on my fame am no complaining. Greet your parents for me they have wrote twice and thank them also.

Aria, how are you and are you back to work or still enjoying your summer, also I send lots of greetings from the JUMP team here, hope you liked the vegetarian food here in Kenya.

Bailey, how are you doing back home, hope you are enjoying your summer, greetings from the JUMP team and the girls from London at the dump site. Greeting’s from Patrick and his sister.

Carly hello to you and is all well greetings also from the JUMP team here, especially the church group that we talked with Ken the other team leader conveyed this message from the church youth’s. Let me also pass James’s greeting and gratitude for visiting there family.

Eric (small) well hope that you are fishing now and enjoying it greetings from the JUMP team Nakuru, especially Ann Linda and the family, for agreeing spend the evening with them I met the mum in church yesterday and asked me to pass my greetings to you and the whole JUMP team from Hawaii, pod cast’s coming soon Patrick is really good with them you won’t believe this they are on there 8th what we just need to do is put them up, I checked the archive’s.org and I listened to one of the old ones that you had put up.

Eric the teacher if I could I would email you Ugali, next time you should learn how to make it. Well hope you also enjoyed your stay here and that you did not have a had time chaperoning the team, never got to ask did you finally get to test Tusker in Kenya, hope you will compare it with the one’s in America.

Ernie hello let me start by saying that Dan Brown is a really good writer the book was really nice, also I enjoyed talking to you, am sending a picture special in a while and you will be able to see what the photography team has captured about children’s theatre here, hope to here from you soon.

Isabel I don’t know if I heard write but I think people were calling you “Shakira” I don’t know why, and will not try and guess. Let me convey greetings from the Nakuru team also from James for having dinner with there family. well hope that Nakuru and Kenya in general was a different but fulfilling experience all together.

Julie, you like in everyone’s mind every week the JUMP team here, they are like taking rounds every week someone goes the Ukelele home for a week and they learn to play it Wilfred has been learning to sing the song that you guys sang at Menengai, well the next blog will be a picture special for you guys to see what we have been up to. Thanks for everything.

KelliRose, where do I start ok let me start by passing from Mercy and her sister they enjoyed the time you spent with them also I have to say that you are good company I enjoyed having dinner at Mercy’s the food was really nice but I have to say my mum still remains the best cook so whenever you make it back to Kenya you will test her food, and anyone else from the team who makes to Kenya for JUMP or personal visits in future, thanks again for being who you are.

Kelsey hello to you though the 1st days were tough on you in Kenya you really picked up and everybody was happy the guys thought that you are very quiet then they realized you were sick and also so much life in you the last few days after you got well, greetings from the whole team here.

Robin the role model, well I have to say you are the role model of almost every person we met here in Nakuru, thank you for making this dream a reality and from here you will be really proud that you met us and worked with the team, but I will let the actions speak well I have been selected to be one of the MTV’s film maker, in Toronto we are going to make short films there and am being taken for a short training while in Toronto so JUMP is really going places and they are going to give 7 of us from different cameras to come back and document for them for one year in our countries so we have a good partnership already I will talk more about JUMP with them once am there. “The students here think that I will not be allowed into the plane because I am too dark they say” hope that your mission was fulfilled while you visited the groups here in Kenya. JUMP in conjunction with REPACTED and Oasis of Hope Secondary school in Kisumu are organizing for concurrent walks in Kisumu, Nakuru and New York on the 6th of October to raise funds for orphans in secondary schools here, will update the team on that once I come back from Toronto.

Rory the man, just tell me if I missed anyone, well there are two very happy boys here in Kenya because of you and your symbol is the communication tool for Jumper’s in Menengai High School, lots of greetings from the whole tea, here, and also from Esther for having dinner with you, well man Italy won the world cup but am really waiting for the euro cup to see how far they will go I still believe they play a very defensive game, ok I will not talk football anymore thanks man for everything hope to see you in Kenya someday if I don’t make to Hawaii.


Well my special days this year was when the JUMP team were here for the week I really had a good time, and I want to thank you all sincerely for making it possible and thank you whole heartedly for supporting me while you were here, may all of you be blessed and have good times wherever you were, imagine for the 1st time I ate a crocodile all because of you I went to carnivore and had good chicken at the JAVA and more and more the rest in the next blog well one more day and I go to Toronto I hope to here from you all, if you get this mail and there are others who are not on the blog please pass it forward.

Best Regards,

Dennis

So we have finally said goodbye to the kenyans that we spent the most time with, Robert and Charles, our drivers. These men drove the Matatus (a better definition will follow) that transported us, with few exceptions, the whole month. Also this act is commendable because of more than just the duration they were kept from their families, but they also kept us safer than any of us could have, being that driving in Kenya is much more difficult than any other place I have ever been. The roads are small and the rules are ......... known only to a select few, not to mention they drive on the wrong side of the road.
Most people don't drive in Kenya. This is because cars are expensive, and their is a great public transport system in Kenya.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT
First they have Buses and taxis like most places, but they also have matatus and boraboras.
To speak of what is familiar first, Buses run like buses in the states you pay a fair and get on and off at bus stops. Taxis are also similiar except the drivers make thier own prices, .... bartering is encouraged. But the interesting methods of transport our next
BODA BODAS(Edited with suggestion from Dennis)
I never rode one but a boda boda is a bike. The driver pedals the bike and the passenger sits on a pad above the back wheel. The name boda boda is derived from the origional use of the boda boda as a means to transport people from the borders of African countries.
MATATUS
Matatus are vans. They aren't mini vans, but the kind of van that the FBI uses as a headquarters for a stakeout in a movie. They have 5 rows of 3 seats so they accomadate 14 passengers and are limited to that number. Also all are equipped with speed govenors that limit them to 80 KPH(about 50MPH), all public transport and government vehicles are governed. The 14 passenger limit and the speed limit are new laws and because of this some people revert to the old ways. This means they pack a matatu as full as they can (and do not enforce seat belt wearing) and they tamper with the speed govenor. Matatus have their stops (which are cities/towns) painted on the side and will drop people off at matatu stops, which sometimes are also bus stops. The name matatu comes from the fact that all matatus once cost 3 shillings to go anywhere (tatu is three). Prices have since risen.

Robert and Charles
Charles drives a matatu for a small company. The company owns 3 matatus. Robert in contrast drives for Mololine a large company that specializes in Nairobi-Nakuru traffic. Mololine owns many matatus and pays its employees a flat wage per day. Matatu companies are respected, as one Kenyan told me that her family will only go on Mololine when they go to Nairobi from Nakuru.

Hey Robbin and All JUMPers

I wish to share to you my embarassement when i woke up on Saturday morning-29th/07,very late and I rushed to the bathroom,wanting to get ready for our normal meetings in Kwacha Afrika site...gosh!!I realised you were gone....I will miss you guys so much.
Andrew-Hope you will be back to show me the 'pepeta' thing,with your tiny ball,i just couldnt get it but at least my hand helped alot in your games in Kwacha.
The 'shaka' bit,well,now i can do the shaka well.

I arrived Nairobi Sunday morning and had chest pains and my mobile battery was low,i received Robbin message late..it was a 'kwaheri' sms.....when i called....Kauai JUMPers are at the airport already.

The times will remain memorable for me for I truly love the Coast-Mombasa and the people in it and you coped so well,it was amazing how making friends,in our day to day fixed programme was so smooth,the morning briefs,outreaches,recordings and last evening together,these are days that are etched in my memory book-as special days that I have to thank God for.

Hopefully Kwacha came up with few wayforward but very functional- to start with-Finish the editing of the Kwacha promo,great help we got there from Robbin and the 'computer wizard' we named him...haa,'Asante'.
Hopefully fundraisings will start here too for few activities and the JUMPers will be in charge of documentation in Kwacha,talking about newspaper articles with the help of few skills that we learnt and a magazine/annual newsletter for Kwacha.

The passion of media came out strongly from few Kwacha individuals and JUMP was really a door opened for some of us,amazing dedication,coolaboration and participation we had there,for talents were taped,and now its so easy to delegate duties for media work in practicals,with few help from head people,from the birds eye point of view-Kwacha Afrika will make it in terms of delivery,from the little but powerful knowledge they have now.

Let me not say much for the low moments that we had-sicknesses,programme dragging,unfinished programme,coping up with few individuals(the teens were amazing!!!)which i always dont shy away in giving feedbacks and i receive them positively for they help me to grow in grace.
Teens,pliz,let me hope you are sharing the great moments and not the bad moments you had,if you experienced any,for any bad moments,aim to JUMP higher.!!

My point-let me declare the trip to Kenya for Kauai teens a success-very educative,passionate and powerful.

A member ask me today-"Jacky,can we also fundraise to emulate what the Kauai JUMPers deed but starting with visiting parts of Kenya for a start?
I took this as a very functional comment and driven by this trip to Kenya.

I cant wait to see photos shared to all.

Am still left with great Jumpy memories.......

From Jacky

It has been a while since we have been able to blog, and our time in Africa is coming to an end. Every day that I wake up I don’t even realize that we are even in some far off place away from home, because we have become so comfortable in our surroundings. The weather, the scenery, the food, and especially the people are now so familiar and friendly, and still very welcoming. We have even adapted to lifestyles here, doing our own laundry and drinking tea every day, but we have also found a way to bring our culture to Kenya, such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunches and hunting out amazing Chinese food for dinner. Right now we are working with Kwacha Africa, a preformence group in Mombasa. Now, I know you all want pictures pictures pictures, and trust me, you will get to see alllllll the pictures…about 7000 of them.  I don’t have the energy to sit at a computer and type out all the amazing things that are happening because if I take the time to stop from looking around, I am afraid I will miss something.

Part of our group in Kibera with Felix Masi, Kenyan photojournalist and founder of Voiceless Children (www.voicelesschildren.org)

Andrew teaches some kids in Kibera about the wonders of a hackisack



Lunch scene from Swahili Dishes in Kibera


Juli films a performance on the street about HIV/AIDS stigmatization


Rory always finds time to play the guitar.


We visited a Masai village when we were on safari. We'll put up some pictures of them jumping soon. The higher they jump, the more girlfriends they get. They had some of our guys try their best to compete with them. Yeah, you can imagine how that went.


Allie was given the honor to wear a hat made of goat skin I think. Really, it was an honor.




The cheetahs were busy marking their territory here. Later some of our JUMPers saw these guys in action taking down a gazelle.

To start this lesson I'll start with a song. Spelling is probably wrong.

Jambo, Jambo bwana,
Habari gani,
Mzuri sana.

Wageni, Wakaribishwa,
Kenya yetu Hakuna Matata.

This is a song that is song to visitors. Members of the Nakuru group (Ann Linda and Felix in particular)taught it to me during the matatu ride to Thompson falls.
This song is good because is uses many of the common phrases(or the ones that I know) and also uses some grammar!
Jambo is Hello
Bwana is Sir
Habari Gani means how are you
and Mzuri Sana replies Im very good.
Wageni, Wakaribishwa, means welcome visitors to
Kenya yetu means my kenya
hakuna matat is kenyan for no worries.( immortalized by the lion king)

along with the words in the song mzungu which means white people
ashante which means thank you
pole which means sorry
Polepole which means slow
sawa means good
and hakuna which means there is no

Grammer
Wa before anything makes it plural, much like adding an s.
yetu adds possession.

Sheng
Sheng is the slang of Kenya, although it seems to be more respectable than say pigeon.
Poa means cool
sawasawa means ok


well thats my lesson. hope you enjoyed it

I would have started this with the swahili word for three but I don't have access to one of the translation books. The swahili I know is more on the practical side, but my swahili lecture will come later.
So it has come to my attentions that I have not informed the global audience of the stay in Nairobi, with the Kibera group. This I hope to remedy tonight and to a fine degree. Excuse the ramblings and grammar as I am doing this past midnight, but most of my papers are done at this time anyway so it should be an acceptable quality.

Nairobi
Coming from a small island isolated in the Pacific Ocean one would think the change to a city like Nairobi would be a trying thing. It was not. Quickly, I got to know the area surrounding our hotel and began to feel comfortable walking down the streets. Nairobi is full of wazungu(white people) and it seems the town is use to them. The hawkers are not as insistent as they were in Nakuru and the people are not as surprised to see us. Prices are higher, and sometimes even the same as American prices, but this is only at expensive places. It still is comparably cheap.

Kibera
Kibera as I have been told is the largest slum in Kenya, and some have told me the largest in Africa. You would be a fool to argue against this as when you look at it from higher ground you can not see it all. We took a walk around Kibera and in 2 hours we didn't cover an eighth. Kibera is in the middle of a valley, hence the higher ground to peer down at it, and is bordered by what I am told are some very expensive houses.
There is open sewage, by this I mean small rivers, rolling down the hills and along the roads. Roads in kibera (the ones on the outskirts are two laned) have enough room for a car, but I only saw cars on the outskirts. Within the heart of Kibera everyone walks and doing this you walk on paths that the largest are a meter long, that wind in between houses, and usually along the same path the sewage follows. Houses in Kibera are right next to eachother and are the epitome of efficency, all space is utilized in and outside the home.

Kibera Team
The Kibera team had a vastly different group dynamic than the Nakuru team. The way that the Nakuru team functioned was not even apparent to me until we met with the Kibera team. The Nakuru team is solely focused on JUMP and it seems as if all members share similiar, if not equal, footing. The Kibera team is different. JUMP is one of many projects they are doing( they also are involved in adding solar panels through out Kibera, for one) and because of this need a structure that supports a large multi-tasking group. The structure they use is like a military structure with people of varying degrees of power in the organization. Because of this difference working with the groups was very different. Different but enlightening.

Well its 2 am now so I may head to bed ...