Welcome to Meru County!

I captured this photo of enthusiastic primary school children on the sixth day of my rural homestay in the rural Meru County. Meru is a rural community which lies just east of the Great Rift Valley in the shadow of the magnificent Mt. Kenya. Known for the rich cultural history of the Ameru people who first settled the region some 400 years ago, visiting the vibrant agricultural-based communities that now occupy many of the same storied shambas of their ancestors is both humbling inspiring.

I spent the week living with a family in the small village of Kigali just outside the Meru Town Center. During the week I spent in Meru, I kept a journal of my experiences working, learning, dining, farming,  playing, and praying with the Mwongera family. I will be transcribing my entries onto this page soon, but for now I am busy readjusting to the food and finer luxuries of life back on the St. Lawrence Compound in Karen, Nairobi.