Whilst driving to our safari we saw glimpses of what life is in the villages of Kenya including ramble shacks as buildings, goats and cattle everywhere, immersed in litter and of course no pavements or structure. As we bounced along those unmade roads the villages including all black faces did not appear to be welcoming places.
When on safari we were in an esteemed position being protected from the animals and the local people who all seemed to want your American dollars or Kenyan shillings. Tips were wanted at every stop whether it was waiters, cleaners or luggage carriers. These were the people in employment yet the tips were very important to them to survive and hopefully prosper.
On our way back to Nairobi from safari, our vehicle had overheating problems and we stopped just outside the National Park for repairs. It was interesting to see the garage men (hardly motor engineers) attempting to resolve the problem whilst we were harassed by hawkers selling their wares.
Our problem turned out to be a hole in the radiator which forced us to make stops in those same hostile villages we had glimpsed on the way in. The appearance of hostility was replaced by communities looking to support each other where everybody appeared happy even though they had few material possessions. Young men with smiling faces and excited voices came to help and all seemed to have a view on what the problem was. They all came to help a fellow Kenyan carrying water for no recompense to cool and re-fill the offending radiator. One even sucked through a straw to see if there was an air blockage swallowing some of the putrid water.
There were no hawkers or beggars in the villages where the people were literally on the breadline yet gave their support for free. How a glimpse of things can give you the wrong view. From my coaching so many people only get a glimpse of how they think and by getting a different perspective change their own ways of thinking and improve their lives which in many cases is not improving their standard of living but knowing what they enjoy doing whether it be at home or at work.
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