Tuesday, February 12, 2013

More Kenya!

Hi kids!

I am still in Kenya.  Did I tell you that Dr. Appelgren came with me to Kenya?  She did!  She is working on a project here and is showing me around.  She is helping me to answer some of your questions. 

Some kids asked about the plants that grow here.  On the farms, they grow many things, including things your family might have for breakfast.  They grow coffee, tea, and corn (grits are made from ground corn!).  They also grow other yummy stuff like sweet potatoes! 

One special food that they eat here is called ugali (you say it "oo-gah-lee").  It is made from corn, too, and it is like really thick, dry grits.  Here is a picture of Dr. Appelgren eating ugali:

Do you see how she is holding a small bit of the ugali?  She takes a little bit and uses it to pick up the greens she is eating.  Many people use the ugali to pick up and eat vegetables and meat.  It is always important to wash your hands before eating, but it is even more important when you are eating with your hands!  Do you see something in the picture that Dr. Appelgren used to wash her hands?

Someone else asked about cities and the places that people live.  There are big cities in Kenya.  The biggest is Nairobi, the capital.  Here is a picture:

It looks just like many cities in the US, there are apartment buildings and hotels and even shopping malls.  Many people live here, but many people also live in much smaller communities like this one:


And in the areas where there are hardly any houses, I saw houses made of sticks and other natural materials:


In houses like this there is no electricity and no running water.  It is also hard to keep the mosquitoes out.  That is a problem because the mosquitoes here can make people sick when they bite them. 

Someone asked about schools, too.  There are many schools in Kenya that are in the city and have many classrooms, but I saw a classroom in a very tiny village where all of the children of all ages are taught together.  They do not have their own desks, and there aren't many books.  It makes me think about how lucky we are at Richmond Drive to have such a nice school!


Do you see the special red clothes that the teacher is wearing?  He is a member of the Masai tribe.  Many of the people in Nairobi wear clothes just like the clothes in Rock Hill, but in a Masai village the men all wear these special red clothes.  They also do a famous kind of dance where they jump very high!  Look!



Isn't that cool?
I love to meet new people and learn about how they live.  Every country that I go to has so many special things to learn!  I am coming back to the US now though.  See you soon!

Your friend,
Flat Stanley

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