My crazy boda-boda adventure
1 August 2008 at 15:31 Zack Turner, KFP Coordinator 1 comment
This past week Opportunity International-Wedco was able to finally report its loan repayments on Kiva and to its lenders (after pausing during the post-election crisis). Now I can jump into coordinating visits to do journal updates. Special thanks to the sick excel skills of my MPM, Ben Elberger.
I wanted to share a quick funny story from my travels. Many of the fellows have mentioned the various forms of transportation that we get to take around our locations. In Kenya, matatu, tuk-tuk, and boda-boda’s are the transportation staples. Last week I was heading home after leaving Kenya’s own version of Wall-Mart, Nakumatt. I took a boda-boda because I had loaded up with a couple gallons of water.
As we were going I noticed that my boda-boda driver was sweating, a lot. I’m not talking about the light sweat from a warm day, I’m talking about the kinda sweat you’d see glowing fiery red or neon green in a Gatorade commercial. While sitting behind him on the bicycle I couldn’t help but focus on the sweat droplets form around his ear lobe and I got a bit worried when I imagined it slowly flying back into my eye. So I asked him if he was feeling sick. He replied “I don’t feel so good”. Sure enough right after he uttered the last syllable the collection of droplets on his ear flew back and was aimed to hit right between my eyes. Quickly I ducked my head causing my bag with a big water jug to fall to the side of the bike throwing off the balance of the boda-boda and rubbing against the rusty spokes of the wheel. He hit the brakes yelling something unmentionable in Luo while I stuck out both my feet and thankfully we safely stopped. It was a close call and I’ll make sure to not bring large full water jugs with me the next time I take a boda-boda and make sure my driver isn’t under the weather.
Well that is my quick story, although it is nothing to the stories Nabomita could share. Also, I promise that after some comprehensive time in the field my next post will be more substantive regarding the post-election violence in Kenya and its impact upon Kiva funded businesses.
Entry filed under: Africa, Kenya, KF5 (Kiva Fellows 5th Class), Opportunity International - Wedco Ltd.. Tags: Ben Elberger, Zack Turner.
1. chantikiva | 6 August 2008 at 15:55
Hey zack,
my fellow collegues here at the office were really curious what happened after i was laughing out loud because the very vivid description you gave.. i am sorry i am laughinbg at yours and the drivers pain but it was so nicely written it was as if i was there and felt the sweath flying in my eyes too!
th for that, made me feel much better after reading Lucy’s story!
chat soon
Chanti