How it is to be on a constant high

Now after nearly one week in Kenya it is time to talk a bit about the experience and impressions gained. I have coined this entrance into the ConTribute Kenya – Blog ‘How it is to be on a constant high’ because of the feeling I’m waking up with and going to bed with day by day. I would describe it as a constant feeling of bliss, inspiration and pleasant warmth which spreads throughout your whole body. This feeling of ‘being high’ has been caused by the BEAUTY I see and have encountered in this wonderful city of Mombasa (Kenya).

This feeling has started from seeing the sun rise above the clouds at the beautiful Kilimanjaro Mt. during the flight to Mombasa. It grew to a feeling of constant while being greeted by the beautiful ‘sing-song-rhythmic happiness-filled’ words of ‘Karibu’ and ‘Jambo’ by the Kenyan people. I’m aware of the beautiful aspect which ironically can be seen in the poverty where the upward mobility and the willingness to change ones situation can be seen in countless small beautiful aspects. For instance the entrepreneurial activities ; ‘Matatu-business (local buses), fruit-stores, handcraft-furniture to the boat owners who in itself are superb sales people who will try to sell you anything in a cunning, intelligent fashion which is all just beautiful to watch. Another beautiful feature next to the climate is the vegetation which every evening reveals to me its richness; through the appearance of several different species of bats appearing out of nooks and crannies and with this sun-setting kolibris (humming-bird) in a vast amount showing off their fast beating wings and on spot levitation at close-by flower beds. If I could write poems I would start ‘Kenya the Beautiful’.

All this beauty and feeling of ‘being high’ is only marked by the feeling of seeing this project ‘ConTribute Kenya’ come to life. If I think back at the long process we went through; from the idea forming in my mind at the beginning of 2012 to the countless hurdles it has overcome. The great students, professors, friends, family who have been a great support, who have committed themselves entirely and put in an incredible amount of work. The people who are directly involved in the projects here in Kenya or back in Germany (representing Condor). It is just once again beautiful to experience.

Every day I drive to a slum area called ‘Mtwapa’ and visit the Blue-Bell School where I’m working together with a fellow student Biko Hüster on setting up a simple to use Accounting-System for simplifying and optimising administration. Even though the nature of our work is not in direct contact with the children of Blue Bell the many happy faces looking at us as when we walk through the gate, the numerous small hands trying to get a ‘high five’ are an extremely beautiful form of motivation to me.

As you can see from the small descriptions of aspects here in Mombasa, the hands-on help we as a group are providing for the different projects day by day and the experiences all around it are so rewarding that it accumulates and gives off this feeling as being on a constant ‘high’ .

As the Kenyan Firefighter/Rescue-Diver Salim (involved in countless un-paid social initiatives) puts it; ‘This is how and why I do, when I do’ – to put in my way ‘this is how WE do, when We do’.

With the beauty in mind and around us….