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> Seek truth > Africa > Kenya > | |
| People in Kenya |
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| It's always a privilege to get into someone else's life and try to understand how they see the world. Some shards of perspective. |
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On the east coast of Kenya is an area that reflects Moslem and Indian influences. You can see that in the "Lamu Door" and the clothes of the children. But mostly, this is children. "Take us a pho-to." (A number of the photos on this page have larger versions; click on the thumbnail for the larger view.) Lamu 1984 |
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"Asians" are the third group in Kenya, descendents of people from India brought to the country to build the railroads. They are well-represented among shopkeepers and the construction industry, among other places. Some of their number are Sikhs, a religious group that emerged out of both Hindu and Moslem influences. Here, at a Sikh temple is the beginning of a wedding ceremony. |
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Hudson Sabati Muyause - the hardest working man I knew. He was our servant. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, dinner parties, laundry, and security. Six days a week. All for $50 a month (in 1984 dollars). And we, of course, were 'over paying' him - the going rate was about $35 a month. Honest to a fault. Integrity beyond question. Working to put his kids through school so they could have a better life. Since he insisted on calling us "Bwana" and "Memsaab" we gave him a title in return, calling him "Mzee" - 'old man' or 'elder', a term of respect. |
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A rural store in a poorer area. Note the dirt surfaces, the lack of paint the use of product signs for decoration - and the slacks and dress shirt attire of most of the men. |
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Where all your cute little artifacts come from - workshops like this. They were making wood trinkets here. Note the use of the feet as a third hand. And the ever present dress shirts and sweaters. Each man specalizes in a particular animal. One man I met had been doing giraffes for 25 years. |
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A small mill in a rural area. Women bring grain to be processed and wait their turn. Inside the building is a guy with a little grinding mill. He might have a single bare bulb for illumination. Note the use of the 'kanga' or wrap skirt. This outer layer serves as apron. |
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A bus depot in western Kenya. Vehicle on the left is a matatu, a private mini-bus. Dangerous. Cheap. On the right is a more conventional inter-city bus. The man talking to the driver is a 'tout' - someone who tries to get people to use the bus. |
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The White Person. They are always doing odd things, like juggling in front of the (oddly) abstract impressionism of the paint job on these rural shops. That was our car Rees is leaning on. Rees also came to fame by being an extra in "Out of Africa." There is a saying in Kenya, "who can tell what a white person will do." |
| Last modified 10/15/07; original material © 2007 John P. Nordin |
