Concern is Touching

Today is the beginning of the Agricultural Show held in Kitale. Nation-wide there are three such shows in Kenya: Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kitale. Think of the state fair. The primary purpose is to showcase and promote agriculture. There are permanent booths that display universities, banks, seed companies, etc. Then there are small individual booths selling food items, crafts, agricultural products, furniture, and novelties. Student groups come to perform in the grandstand during the day and professional entertainers come at night. For the children there are games, carnival rides and camel rides. We understand it is the highlight of the year for many Kenyans.

My Form II students have always asked me about current events as we start class. Earlier this week they asked if I would be going to the Agricultural Show this weekend. I told them that we would probably visit on Saturday. (The Showgrounds are less than a mile away, so it is easy for us to attend.)

This morning these girls told me that we shouldn't go because they are worried about our safety. As you probably know, Al Shabab is a Somalian terrorist group that has members in many African countries. The newspapers here have been filled with stories lately about their infiltration into Kenya and recruitment of young men now that Kenya has declared war on Al Shabab and invaded Somalia. Another teacher yesterday told them that it wasn't a good idea to go to the Agricultural Show because it was a large gathering and therefore a possible target.

I assured them that we would think twice about going. If we went it would be in the morning, not late afternoon or evening when the big crowds would be there.

I was really touched by their concern about us. We are aware of possible danger, but it is much more likely to occur in the larger cities than in Kitale. Just like in the US, we are aware of circumstances, are smart and take safety precautions. The US Embassy in Nairobi does a great job of alerting us of possible dangerous areas and giving us the latest information about the possibility of threatening situations. We are not worried about our safety but it is sweet that the girls want to take care of me.