By Paustine Kigen
On reaching our destination, Nakwei Centre in Turkana County, we are welcomed with her majesty. All shy and timid, she gives us a forceful smile perhaps as a sign that we are welcomed in the area. Well on her left hand CRF initials are well displayed on her bracelet. Not sure she is aware of what to make of the initial, I am certain that CRF is impacting lives in Turkana and I am drawn to find more about the young girl.
Carefully, I reach out my hand expecting Nakwei to do the same. Aware of the issue of language barrier because I could not comprehend the Turkana language either could comprehend English or Kiswahili; we are left to utilize gestures and facial expressions to communicate. When I beckoned the young girl to offer me her bracelet, she willingly tries to take off the bracelet from her hand to no avail.
I am left surprised. You see Turkana Country remains amongst the poorest counties in Kenya. With Vast piece of land that remains unutilized due to harsh climatical condition that makes farming difficult, the community is left to depend on well-wishers and donors for food. The fact that the county Faces issues such as lack of water, one would expect the young girl to be protective of what is already available at hand.
When this does not become the case, it becomes interesting learning the gesture of sharing despite not having enough. This is because, with no food, shoes, and proper clothing, the young girl did not mind offering what she had, perhaps a reminder to us all that we shouldn’t wait to have enough to start sharing the surplus.
A small token like this young girl’s bracelet may be the only thing that will make a difference in the life of this young girl and the Turkana community at large.
