May Rains

I suggested in my previous blog entry that January through June would be a non-stop flurry of activity. Indeed it was. As the weeks flew by, lots of travel and events absorbed my attention. Soon we would be on vacation and the flurry of activity would continue, albeit travel for very different reasons.

In order to continue to my effort to utilize this blog for archival purposes, I will need to back way up to events of May/June.

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The month of May I spent mostly in Mogadishu. Part of it was due to a number of important events and part of it was making sure I was caught up on my connections with various people knowing that I was going on a long vacation.

One event was the establishment of a long-term arrangement with a local non-governmental organization (LNGO). A big priority of ours (and of the international community) is to empower local NGOs to increasingly carry the load of supporting communities in the country. This particular organization we’ve worked with for several years and they focus on support for women and girls. We’re hoping that our international access and technical expertise will continue to pair effectively with their local expertise and access. So far so good.

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The rains continued throughout the month, more in Kenya than in Somalia. There was considerable flooding and it was a bit of a mess. Power lines toppled on the road in front of our house resulting in long periods without electricity. It’s common in Nairobi to lose power during the rainy season but this year it seemed to be worse.

running trail/stream resulting in some muddy shoes

May was also the month where I played laser tag for the first time. I admit it was pretty fun. It’s a great rainy season activity given the muddy conditions outside.

small but lethal