Acres for Agnes

More visits, March and May 2015

Agnes and I met for lunch in Kitale in March.
We also did a bit of grocery shopping, which she carried home in this box.

Pope, Tony, and I met in Webuye just before they started the second term of the school year.

Zach and Duane at the house. Zach cut his nose the day before, when he fell on some fence wire.

A visit at Christmas, December 2014

Duane and Zach love modeling clay

One of Duane's creations with modeling clay

Duane is also quite creative with his own clay, made out of mud

He always loves to show me his latest creations!


Tony and Adu show off their strength with their homemade weights

Adu is making ugali, the main staple in Kenyans' diets. It's a thick corn meal mush.

A fun home-made swing, August 2014


Zach, Adu, and Duane

Agnes, Charles' mom, Charles

Agnes had several hundred bricks made out of the mud from a termite hill. She hopes to sell them to buy a cow.

Zach and two neighbor boys enjoy the swing


Another good visit, April 2014


Agnes and I invited Mary Alu, Mama Manu and her boys, plus Pastor David for lunch.

Duane and Zach with some neighbor boys

Zach and his good friend, Cedric

Zach, Manu, Cedric, Seth, and in the back - a neighbor boy

Simple fun!


Duane and Zach demonstrate their writing skills.

Adu doing his laundry

Agnes in her shamba (farm)

My recent visit to see Agnes and her boys, February 2014

Duane and Zach having breakfast before heading to school
On our way to visit friends
Agnes and I always enjoy visiting the Alu family, who live somewhat near Agnes.
In the photo are Edgar, Anaya, Agnes, and Mary.
The box on Agnes' head was a gift of produce from her farm, for our mutual friends - Bishop and Margaret Wanjala.


Beautiful foggy morning at Agnes' farm, located in the Nzoia River valley

Around the house and shamba, December 2013

Duane and Zach absolutely love it when I bring crayons and a coloring book for them!

Adu fetching water

The dog has really gotten big since I last saw it!

Agnes making a dress for her friend, Eliza

This is an 'iron box'. Hot coals from the cooking fire are used to make it hot.

The sun is just above the horizon on Boxing Day, December 26th. A great start to a new day.

Arrowroot is a common staple food in Kenya, typically eaten for breakfast. 

Sukuma wiki ('push the week') is how Kenyans refer to kale, cooked as greens.
It's a relatively cheap food and helps to stretch the weekly food budget.

Agnes has planted several sugarcane plants like this young one.

She also has several healthy pumpkin plants.
We had boiled pumpkin one morning for breakfast.

Seed beds for more kale plants.
The mosquito netting keeps the chickens away from the seedlings.

Adu and Tony started a rabbit project. Eight babies were born while I was there.

Cool shot of the sky at dusk, looking past the outhouse sitting on top of an ant hill

Tony just added water to a pot of boiling milk, to make chai (tea)

Agnes had part of the house 'plastered' and a new veranda added to the front. Both give it a more finished look.

Duane and Zach seem to never run out of creative ways to play!


They're sliding down an ant hill in a piece of an old tire. Simple pleasures!