Remembering Fr. Angelo D'Agostino, S.J.



A good-looking young man next to Uncle Angelo's grave at the Jesuit community



Chris and I went to the immigration office in Nairobi last Monday to get our visas renewed for another three months in Kenya. At the front desk I paid my 2000 shillings ($25) and handed them my passport to be stamped with a new visa. I then proceeded to have my fingerprints taken before coming back with a receipt to pick up my passport and leave. As I approached the desk, I was hoping for a quick exchange in anticipation of a nice lunch in Nairobi. What was I thinking? Things seem to never be so easy in Kenya. After a few minutes of looking for my passport behind the desk, the worker informed me that my passport was given to another American who happens to be an older African American woman (what an easy mistake to make). Needless to say, I left the immigration office that day without my passport. I eventually got it back after a week of dealing with the US embassy and the Kenyan Immigration Office. ONLY IN AFRICA!

Teenage Boys of the Village doing yardwork.  Africans prefer machetes to lawnmowers.

Chris went back to the Village that day, but I decided to stay at Nyumbani Home in Karen for some R&R. Karen is the lush suburb of Nairobi in which Karen Blixen lived. The trip was much needed and proved to be very relaxing. In just 6 days in Karen, I may have succeeded in gaining back the 15-20lbs I have lost over the last 3 months. I went to the local Italian restaurant twice. I was in heaven as I devoured an assortment of Italian foods which included prosciutto, salami, pizza, pasta, and fresh Italian bread. I also familiarized myself with the city as I spent two enjoyable days walking all around the city center.

As you know, my Great Uncle Angelo D’Agostino created the organization Children of God Relief Institute-COGRI. The first project was Nyumbani Home in Karen which was opened in 1992 (a home for orphaned HIV children), followed by the outreach program in the slums of Nairobi called Lea Toto, and most recently Nyumbani Village. Uncle Angelo’s right hand woman who helped implement his grand ideas was Sr. Mary Owens. As many of you have learned, D’Agostinos tend to be stubborn, loud, opinionated and obnoxious. It takes an extraordinary person to compliment and humble a D’Agostino. Sr. Mary is nothing less than extraordinary. Sister took over COGRI in 2006 just prior to Fr. Dag’s death. She has been the acting Executive Director for over 4 years and has succeeded in continuing the vision of Fr. D’Agostino. The headquarters of COGRI is in Karen at Nyumbani Home, and I was privileged to spend time with her and other devoted staff members that have been around since the early 1990s.

One evening Sr. Mary took me to the Jesuit community in Karen to see where Fr. Dag, who was a Jesuit, is buried and spent years of his life. In the early 1990’s he managed the Jesuit community before starting COGRI. Throughout my 8 years of Jesuit education I learned two main things: how to enjoy a nice adult beverage and how to enjoy nice food. This Jesuit community seemed to have the same priorities. I asked Sr. Mary, “Do the Jesuits eat well here”? She turned and replied with no hesitation, “Oh yes”. As sister took me around the complex, I experienced its beauty as we paused to watch the sunset over the Ngong Hills.
                                                                                                                                                                                  

Sr. Mary Owns (on the right) and her three Loreto sisters

                           Our tour of the Jesuit complex was followed by dinner at Sr. Mary’s home. On our drive to her home, I asked her many questions about my great uncle in hopes of learning more about the personality and character of Fr. Dag. She told story after story until we arrived at her home. She lives with three of her congregation sisters (Loreto Sisters). We indulged in a delicious meal over lighthearted conversation. While the sisters took modest portions, I took two gluttonous servings of beef stew and tasty mashed maze (similar to mashed potatoes). I could not help but take advantage of the buffet. The main course was accompanied by wine and followed by fresh fruit, cake, and ice cream. It was quite a treat after eating maze and beans over the last three months. I learned during dinner that each one of these women is highly influential in the community/country. One sister is the head of accounting in the area for her congregation, another is a dean of a school, another leads retreats at the Jesuit complex, and Sr. Mary is the ED of COGRI. As I was leaving, the sisters told me to visit again. There is no doubt that I will take them up on that offer. It was a memorable evening that provided a glimpse of my great uncle’s life. Each one of these experiences is bringing me closer to understanding who Fr. Dag was. I also was thankful to spend time with Sr. Mary and get to know her better.

Mass at Nyumbani Home.  Fr. Jim, Sr. Mary and Nyumbani Home children.

I stayed around on Saturday to celebrate the anniversary of Fr. Dag’s death. I spoke a few words before Mass began. Mass was followed by salami, ham and provolone cheese. My behavior and excitement as we approached the antipasti tray made it apparent that I was the only Italian of the group.
My trip to Karen was wonderful, but I am happy to be back in the Village.

The children dancing at the ceremony on Saturday with a picture of Fr. Dag in the backround.

Until Next Time…

Amboseli National Park



Elephant eating in the marsh while staying cool

Jeremy, Chris and I went on a safari at Amboseli National Park. The safari company picked us up on Friday morning and dropped us off Sunday afternoon at the Village. The most famous park in Kenya is surely Masai Mara but Amboseli is also highly regarded. The beautiful view of Mt. Kilimanjaro, about 45km away, is what makes the place so unique. The ice from the mountain melts and creates areas of marsh that are ideal for water buffalo and hippos. Other areas of the part are flat savanna plains which attracts many other type of animals. Amboseli has every type of animal you can think of besides the rhino. We saw hippos, water buffalos, many exotic birds, wildebeests, zebras, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, lions, chimpanzees, gazelles, etc. It is actually the off season meaning that many animals have migrated from the area. The park had less quantity of animals but also less tourist (which was very nice). 

Some species of exotic bird.  There are over 1,300 species of bird is Kenya, the most in the world.

Like any tourist attraction in Kenya, every employee was Kenyan and every safari-goer was white, Indian or middle-eastern. Most safari groups, including ours, drive around the park in a van that has a large sunroof mechanism that allows the tourist to stand and get a better look at the animals. Exiting the vehicle on park grounds is a serious offense that carries large fines. Any group can rent a car and pay for the entrance fee to the park but paying a safari company is recommended. The tour companies install radios in their vehicles and communicate to each other in a special language when rare animals are spotted. A tourist that enters the park without a safari guide will surely miss a few rare animals.



Chimp and her baby

 Upon entering the park on late Friday morning, we took a drive before heading to our lodge. We saw many animals but ashamedly my mind was more focused on the food buffet waiting for me at the lodge. The accommodations were wonderful and the huge tent we stayed in was nicer than many homes. We set our bags in the room and headed directly for the bar before moving on to the buffet. Lunch and dinner included soup, bread, 8 types of salads, greens, chicken or steak, potatoes, and desserts (which do not exist in the Village). Breakfast included freshly squeezed orange juice, mango juice and pineapple juice, along with many delicious items. The combination of cold beer, delicious varieties and quantities of food and indoor plumbing made this place a temporary paradise for us. To top it off, we had a breathtaking view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The view was great but no doubt exponentially enhanced by the sight of the largest peak in Africa.

Our Lodge



Me in front of our tent



Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background

We went on an afternoon drive on Friday, a morning and afternoon drive on Saturday, and a morning drive on Sunday before heading back to the Village. I found the afternoon drives more rewarding because of the view of the sunset, cooler temperature and the greater number of animals (the animals come out from under the shaded bushes and trees as the sun starts to descend and the temperature drops). At times, we were no more than 10 ft. away from elephants, zebras and lions. Lions are the biggest attraction and quite rare to see.

On Saturday afternoon, our safari guide heard something on the radio and barked at the driver with urgency in his voice. He turned to us and explained that Lions have been spotted mating. We arrived to a huddle of vehicles observing a Lion and Lioness mating no more than 20 ft away. We stayed around for 40 minutes and witnessed their animalistic mating practices not once but twice. I know that it sounds odd that we were so interested in this event, but it was quite a sight to see the Lions interact in their natural habitat (there was also 100 other people in 20 cars gathered around). Interestingly enough, lions can mate up to 100 times in a day (during mating season) lasting only 1-2 minutes each time.

I learned much during the safari

This is the point at which our safari guide explained that the lioness was satisfied.  Sorry, inapproriate.

The park is on Masai land and a percentage of the proceeds go to the many tribes living inside the park. The Masai people are very traditional. They are known for their extravagant decoration of beads they wear, homes made of cow dung, limited hygiene, limited education, cattle herding with limited farming, the men being feared warriors and men having multiple wives. The women live a rough life in western standards. They do most of the work inside and outside the home and are often not afforded the opportunity of education. Their husband is selected for them and they must share the husband with several other wives. As we were passing near one of the tribes, our driver stopped to say hello to a young Masai man no older than 16 or 17. The drive later explained that he knew the man for many years, and the man had explained how excited he was to marry his second wife this year. Recently in the Kenyan newspaper there was a story about an old Masai man that died and had over 100 wives.

Wildebeests



Masai women selling items at the entrance of Amboseli

The weekend presented me an opportunity to gain back some of the weight that I have lost during my Kenyan Quest. Although all three of us stuffed ourselves as full as possible each meal, I do not think I gained much of the weight back (or have since lost the weight back). My great Uncle, Fr. Angelo D’Agostino, always stressed the importance of going on a safari in Kenya. Now I know why. A special thanks to Uncle Mike, Aunt Sharon and the boys for all their guidance and support with my safari!

Other Info

I recently received a package from my parents that included six bottles of the best barbeque sauce in the world, Gates Original BBQ Sauce. When mixing it in with beans and other meals in the guest house, it provides a wonderful reminder of baked beans from Smokestack and a beef-on-bun from Gates. I miss KC BBQ.

A little taste of KC

Jeremy, one of the Americans who volunteered for two months, left us last week. We both found ourselves in similar places in life and truly enhanced each other’s experience. Maybe I should be more jealous than sad considering he left us to go on a week long tour of Amsterdam. When you go without certain amenities for a period of time, the things that we westerners take for granted can be a treat. For instance, Jeremy was as excited to sit on the plane, watch a movie and order a cold Heineken as he was to arrive in Amsterdam (I would have felt the same way).

Until Next Time....