"The Threat of Thugs"
"Intimidated by Insects"
"Wonderous - Waterless - Wasteland!"
"Wonderous - Waterless - Wasteland!"
- "And that was even before we got out of the Jeep"
Part One of Our Amazing African Journey "To Mandera And Back"...
Some of my friends and relatives (some of my friends are relatives) have asked me about my recent excursion to East Africa, along with Sheik Yusuf Estes and under the direction of Islamic Relief in UK.
I decided to more or less document this amazing adventure and so here is:
It all started when my long time friend, Sheik Yusuf Estes invited me to join him for a trip to the UK in Ramadan to help Islamic Relief's effort to provide water for dying people and livestock in Kenya. Well, that sounded like a very good way to earn extra rewards in the month of fasting. So, I said, "Sure, why not?"
"Oh, and by the way" says Sheik Yusuf, "There is a slight detour we will have to take to the field office to inspect the results of the efforts to date."
"Sure. Not a problem" I say, not really considering what a "field office" might be or where it would be located. Maybe in a "field" somewhere. Right?
Wrong!
Try - Mandear, Kenya in East Africa. For a week.
When we finally arrived in Kenya it was just last Friday afternoon. It was a safe trip, but not totally without incidents. First of all, when your passport has anything less than six (6) months left before expiration, you cannot board an international flight in this country any more.
So, guess how many months I had left? - ALMOST SIX (6) - But they look at it as "Just over five (5)".
Now, as you may realize, the number five (5) is just a bit less than the number six (6), even though only by one (1). So, guess what?
You got it.
I had to get my passport renewed at the passport office in Washington, D.C. You will not believe (or maybe you will) what I had to go through (many phone calls, on hold, trips to their office, turned away - you get the idea).
Anyway, Al Hamdulillah, I did finally get the new one - but with no time left to get the passport at the Kenyan embassy. They closed only an hour earlier.
Good news, though - the people at the Kenya Embassy told me to just go ahead with the trip and I would be able to secure a visa after landing at the airport in Kenya. Al Hamdulillah, Allahu Akbar!
We traveled together as a group of three - Sheikh Yusuf Estes, director of Share Islam; Harris Tobing, the film producer in charge of recording our visit in Africa and myself.
We landed in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday, visited the central mosque there, gave a lecture and then went out the very next morning for a mini-safari trip through the Nairobi Animal Park. It was there where we were officially greeted with the Masai tribes people and their "dance of welcome" (a fantastic display of costume and custom, jumping and dancing and singing). Naturally, there was an "opportunity" to donate for their rituals... he he.
Next, was our flight on the European/United Nations (ECHO) flight to Mandera District in the most north east corner of Kenya. If you are wondering about now, how close is this to where Kenya, Ethiopia and Somali come together and all the dangerous gangs of kidnappers, hijackers and thugs - well you guessed it - right there in it! Not good - and of course, the place we needed to visit to see the plight of the people there - was right in the middle of places where incidents had taken place only recently. We started making serious dua (supplications) then and there.
Our ECHO flight was a propeller plane, seating only around 25 counting the pilot, co-pilot and flight attendant (more like a flight adviser). We made a few stops along the way to Mandera and when we finally arrived the military was there to meet us - going over our luggage and even confiscating the vitamins of Sheik Yusuf. However, they did return them back to him the next day.
The military did provide us with a constant escort while we were there and it started as soon as we left the airport (which doubled as a soccer ball court when no planes are landing).
We arrived at the guest house provided by Islamic Relief, only to learn it was not very far from right here that the recent abduction of the three people took place (you remember - the humanitarian workers who were kidnapped).
Actually, all of this part of Kenya is really Somali land because they all speak the Somali language. We had police guards at the guest house and during our very rocky road trips to the outlying villages away from the main village. And even though we were making the documentary about the severe water shortage (to be aired in Ramadan while we are in UK) - I felt as though we were more like filming an action movie with Bruce Willis or Harrison Ford playing Sheik Yusuf and Forrest Whitaker playing me (well why not?).
The dry, hot wasteland of what is now becoming a desert due to the months and months of no rain, was to become our companion for the rest of our stay here.
This is only the beginning - for the rest of this story - come back tomorrow after I recover from this "jet lag" and get rid of these mosquitos and giant ants. (Someone remind me - "What are the signs of malaria again?")
What an adventure - and more to come, inshallah.