From East to West

I've been here 6 months so thought I had better start some serious blogging.  And having just completed a mammoth journey which took me from Nairobi to Mombasa on the east coast and then to Homa Bay (near Kiisi) on Lake Victoria in the west, I thought this was a good time to start!
 I travelled with Ben, the Field Coordinator for Philemon Foundation in order to meet each of our Regional Coordinators in their place of work.  We also visited prisons and probation departments with whom we work closely for the resettlement and reintegration of prisoners.  And finally, ex-prisoners themselves who belong to 'Phileba' economic/spiritual empowerment groups.

Part 1 of the journey took us from Nairobi to Mombasa by overnight coach disgorging us onto the hot sticky streets at 6am.  We were met by people from the local church that supports Philemon work in the area and by the Regional Coordinator who is also a member of the church, Mount Zion Praise Chapel (an amazing story in itself but that is for another time).   After some catching up and a delicious Swahili curry we went off to the Probation office to meet the staff there and look at how we can work more closely with them.  We were rewarded with the offer of office space which was very welcome given the few resources with which we work.  Then a meeting at Milele Hotel - a beach front conference centre owned and run by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa!   (Milele means 'forever/eternity' in Kiswahili).

Tom Odoyo (Regional Co-ordinator Coast) & Sheena Orr
- in our open air office at Mombasa!

They really know how to do things here.  We tried to work as the wind whipped up our papers and the Indian Ocean beckoned a few feet away.  But work we did resisting all temptation to dive in the cool waters.

In each of the 5 regions where we work we have Prison Permits to visit 3 prisons so this was an opportunity to pay courtesy calls to the Officers in Charge.  At one of the prisons we had a happy reunion with one person who had been transferred from the Nairobi area and was happy to find we were also working in the Coast area as well.  Meetings complete we prepared ourself for the return journey which thankfully went smoothly.
 (There are so many accidents on the Mombasa Highway
 that you really do feel a palpable sense of relief
 when you step of the bus all in one piece at the other end).


Part 2 of the journey took us on a huge circular journey NW from

Sheena with some members of the
 Philemon ex-prisoner self-help group.

Nairobi down the escarpment and then via Narok across Masai plains and the Rift Valley.  Just passed Narok we stopped at Bomet where one of the Regional Coordinators is placed and caught up with one of the ex-prisoner groups in the area.  Then to the local prison before heading off to Homa Bay on the shores of Lake Victoria (the small dot west of Kiisi on the map).  An early start allowed me to get an hours birding in before doing our round of meetings here.  In each place we were keen to explain our approach to Throughcare - getting to know prisoners before they are released and supporting them when they are released.  There is a huge gap here in this aspect of care in Kenya and yet no other organisations have such a joined up way of doing things so people are keen to work with with us and hear what we are doing.    On the third day of our travels we set off in the early morning mist to travel along the lakeshore road up towards Kakamega - a provincial town nestling in the hills.   Here we were taken further into the hills until we came to Hamisi Probation Office where we met with another group of ex-prisoners.   Each of them had inspiring stories about the way the group had organised a 'merry-go-round' system where each member got a lump sum in turn to invest in a small business.  Now that they have each got a little income they are planning a group project on a much bigger scale.  They also meet weekly for fellowship and teaching from the Philemon Regional Coordinator (a trained Chaplain).

After a visit to Kakamega Prison we started the  8 hour journey back to Nairobi through Nakuru and Naivasha.  And so we arrived safely back.  I now have a much better understanding of what Philemon does in each of the areas and was inspired by the individuals I met who, with the support of Philemon, were trying to get their lives back together.