Friday 29 April 2016

Rainy day blessing

 Heavy rain, forecast all week, arrived yesterday.
The much-awaited long rains, called God's blessing here in Kenya, are being slow to arrive.
Everywhere you go, people are planting maize, which forms the staple food here, and every small patch of land - which normally looks like wilderness- is neatly planted in evenly space rows.
Unused to the sudden drop in temperature (25C) caused by the rain, people shiver and wrap up in jumpers or blankets.
While the rain is a blessing it is also a misery for people living in poor conditions in huts where earth floors turn to mud.
At Happy House, the rain brings us precious water for the garden. Puddles the size of lakes have formed by the time we arrived and as soon as the rain eases off, a pump is in place to transfer the water to the greenhouses and garden crops.
Every drop is precious and cannot be allowed to go to waste when there are thirsty crops needing a drink.
Happy House kids, on the last few days of their school holidays, are indoors - the sound of them chattering and laughing echoing through the house.
It's a joy to hear such happy kids.
They are settled in front of television watching cartoons and enjoying every minute. 
Much like any family home on a rainy day in the holidays anywhere in the world!