This past week, all of our family members were spread across Kenya on the school's intercultural trips. Brian kayaked at Mida Creek on the coast, Hannah hung out with her senior classmates in Watamu (also on the coast), Cora pedalled over 100 kilometres near Nanyuki (at the base of Mount Kenya) on a cycling trip, and I travelled to remote western Kenya with the Marich team. Our team built a footbridge through an organization called Bridging the Gap (http://www.bridgingthegapafrica.org/), installed a playground at a primary school, hiked Mount Kogh, played in the river and visited a very isolated (and unstaffed) medical centre. The Pokot tribe lives in this part of Kenya and many people still live in very traditional ways; conical houses dot the countryside and mountains and many people dress in traditional garb. We were so privileged to participate in the bridge opening ceremony, where the Pokot people danced and sang and included our group in the festivities. The bridge was a a very special project as it was a memorial bridge for Sharon and Margaux Brown. Sharon was the ISK librarian and, two years ago, was killed in an elephant attack near Mount Kenya along with her one-year-old daughter, Margaux. Jeff, Sharon's husband, is a wonderful person and was with us all week, working on the bridge. At the ceremony, the community honoured him, his wife and his daughter in such a beautiful way. It was an incredibly moving experience.
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