Community Through Touch

The second team currently working in Maai Mahiu as many of you have read from the previous post.  They're great, 18 total....3 men and 15 women... They have all been full of joy and excitement, open to all the challenges Kenya throws at them.   Yesterday was a day of manicures and pedicures for the community in the hopes of providing free pampering for those who were interested.   Most women in the town have never had any sort of love heaped on them through beauty.  Funny how something we accept so easily can be so foreign to others.  We honestly didn't know how it would be received or who would show up.  A smaller group within the larger CTC team ran this day including the following 5 team members.   Cindi and Nicole gave manicures.   Barry, Jennifer and Abbey gave pedicures. There various CTC volunteers whisked warm water back and forth, translated when needed and all around supported the day with awesome dedication. 

A constant flow of CTC local volunteers, grandmothers and other community women streamed in through out the day.  The CTC gals tirelessly loved on 24 women for a very long 8 hour shift.  It was truly amazing to watch the bond that developed between the CTC team and the community.  So many smiles and deep conversations.  The vision was that through touch and giving of one self a bond could be developed.  And it was!  Many of the grandmothers at first were reluctant of the whole process but once their feet were placed in the warm bucket of water, Enya playing in the background (I know only in a make-shift spa would Enya be OK), they accepted openly.   At the beginning the ShoShos (grandmas) were against having their hands done.  They figured they were going to go to the gardens the next day and what use was there in pretty hands and ruining them.   But I gave my best beauty tips and explained that a day of beauty is worth everything.  Like I know anything about a woman's beauty routine but there was no way I was going to let them slip from having a truly pleasurable experience.  By the end of the day the ladies all walked around showing each other their feet and hands...full of smile and colorful nails.  

The deep connection happened during the sessions.  Each CTC team member had a volunteer from the community (those you see in red in the pictures) to translate should there be any confusion.  The conversations I overheard were truly moving and uplifting.  They talked about everything from children to the trials of life, from how to keep thier hands beautiful to what was hard about living in Maai Mahiu.  Some even sang songs and everyone laughed A LOT.   I tried to ask every woman who was receiving a pedi/mani if they had ever had one done.   Not one, yes that is correct, out of 24 not one had ever had this pleasure.   And each when I asked do you like it, said Musuri Sana (Very Much).... To watch the endless massages, sugar scrubs and delicate soothing was truly a gift.  

I have to admit I was actually a bit jealous.  Jealous that everyone was enjoying themselves so much.   They were giving to each other what is the most basic but often times forgotten gift, love.  I wanted some :)  But then this was not a day for me, it was a day for community through touch.   I was blessed to just be present.