Finally we managed to get ourselves out of Nairobi and on the road north for Meru. I've been here many times over the years to support work on Hiv/Aids but this "carbon project" was a new experience with a new set of demands on our shoulders. Considered in many ways as the crossroads of the Hiv/Aids epidemic - a transit town with a bustling street trade we unloaded our gear into the cramped quarters of the Meru Safari Hotel, which made us long for the Fairview but as in most of Kenya - its people are very warm and equally generous and so all the rest is of little consequence - we got over it quick enough...
From a local tip, we set out early to locate a group of women that were beginning their walk to the forests to cut down wood to haul back to the town for sale so they could put food on the table for their children. The woman in the image below this post, typical of the hard life she's endured, was tired and about 60 years old although she couldnt remember really her true age - remarking that she's been carrying wood her whole life. We finally caught up with them and thru our interpreter assured them of our intentions and for them to not fear us as chopping wood down is illegal and carries stiff penalties. Soon we found ourselves to be the unwelcome house guests but were committed to understand it all. We walked a kilometer or two at the side of the road with the group and soon found ourselves at a beaten path that led into the heavily tree'd forest where the women quickly sat down...went silent and began to pray out loud for protection.
As it turns out, there are wild elephants in this part of the forest and so it's a dangerous proposition to go too deep into the wood. For our part, Scott and I also paused at the thought of coming face to face with a wild elephant that stands some 15' at the shoulder with a couple of ivory tusks to finish the visual for you.
And with that, they all wandered off in to the thicket to find saplings to cut down leaving Scott and I to wonder what we'd do beyond having a heart attack on the spot or trying to climb a tree if this actually happened. With nervous laughter and a few jokes we pondered the memories of Saturday afternoons watching "Tarzan" clips where the elephants are shown stampeding at warp speed - chasing Tarzan and then it pans back to Tarzan running thru the forest as fast as he can looking over his shoulder...then the elephant...then Tarzan...a few "Un-Gowaas" and well...you kinda get the picture...
As fear faded and the work at hand came to the forefront, I cant say I have ever been more humbled, almost to tears, watching these women with a panga-machete in hand, scatter into the bush to cut a load of wood to haul home, some their second trip of the day. Outside of a few giggles traded back and forth the tone was serious and you could here the repeated smack blades to bark ring thru the dense forest as these women, clothed in the humblest of garments, simple shoes torn and untied, drenched in dirt,sweat and wood cuttings...strong arms and backs tucked into the work at hand leaving us not knowing how to help them. Scott, as a well built Marine stood and watched helplessly as I did - in awe of what they were asked to do for their families without any help on any level. It was just expected.
We made our images and then followed them out of the forest, bundles held low and heavy on their lower backs as they walked silently out of the forest in a single file into the late day sun that trickled thru the branches to highlight the pools of sweat on their faces and tense outstretched arms...and so the Marine and I - we walked with them home with no fanfare, no applause, no words of thanks in what was a silent long line of 11 women - shuffling under heavy burden to provide for their loved ones...
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