Today was Christmas of sorts here in Kangemi. As a gesture towards the surrounding community, Ft Michael organizes 400 packages containing 1kg of a special flour (especially prized here for making japati a wheat based flat bread), some lollies and a letter. The kids were wild, and the adults extremely appreciative as we systematically knocked, gave and explained. The smiles, the joy and the animation are enough to fill a thousand dreams, a hundred boring lectures, and certainly my remaining time here.
Different to yesterday, the kids and families were somewhat aware of the goings on, it quickly becoming a yearly tradition (the children since discovering I come from AJAN have been asking me ‘what do we get this year?’).
Having the great honour to be able to deliver these gifts to householders is something I will never ever forget. As you walk to the door and knock there is often a hesitant peering through a crack then a slow opening. Many, it being their first time, didn’t understand the idea of a gift and once receiving stood stunned in the door way. Others invited us in for tea, sometimes so persistently it took a while to negotiate your get away.
Standing there watching I thought back over the many Christmas’s. Each child unwrapping the dozens of presents that have been piled under the tree, never once have I seen so many expressions of gratitude, so full of life than this December.
I will sleep well tonight and at least those in Kangemi shall sleep with a full stomach.

Me with Peter one of my boys from the AJAN gate