Kendu Bay is the closest town to the the school and the place to go to find an ATM machine, buy stamps or small grocery supplies. We all loaded into the bus, including the kids from the household, and headed out for a shopping trip. It's a pretty small town, and donkeys share the street with the few cars, but you can buy the basics like soap, pencils, TP and tea. The cooking staff often come here to buy meat or other supplies.
One of the big surprises for me was that the local street market had none of the local crafts for sale. Mostly schlock imported from China. It reminded me of the market in Chaing Dao, where I saw the same phenomenon - plastic junk overwhelming the markets and the beautiful local handicrafts a dying art.
One of the enterprise projects the school that Kristi, Julie and Maureen have investigated initiating is to have the girls make some of the beautiful mats and bags from the water hyacinth plant that is choking the edges of Lake Victoria. The materials are readily available, just walk to the edge of the lake and cut some of the plants, dry them. The woven goods are beautiful and durable and the income could help provide some income for the girls and also fund some of the other projects that school is planning. Obviously there is little competition in this area at this time.
I come from Kendu Bay and spent my childhood there. About the craft, that is not traditional to the Luos and you will find them in bigger towns or places where its part of the culture. Kendu Bay doesnt have many tourist so it will be unfeasible. Nice blog.
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