Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Yesterday, I went to the place where court cases are heard. One of the girls was supposed to have her case heard, but one of the lawyers couldn't make it, so it was postponed all the way to March! My supervisor said that this happens a lot. Some of the cases of the girls at the Tumaini Center are 3 or 4 years old, and they still aren't completed yet! The court compound was much different from the courthouses in America. There were many small brick buildings scattered about the compound for various offices and the court building. When we arrived, court was in session and there were many people smooshed in the room with a cluster of people outside of the door along with a police officer with a large rifle in one hand. Near the building were wooden benches under some trees where others were seated waiting for the next case to be heard. We waited for 2 hours to talk to the prosecutor, but there were so many people waiting to see him, that we just ended up leaving instead of waiting for who knows how long. My supervisor seemed really frustrated, but luckily we didn't go all that way for just the court case, we also did a home visit. From there, we went to the home of one of the girls to ensure that she would be safe when she leaves the center in December. The girl lives with her grandmother on a farm. It was quite a hike, literally, to the house! We followed a dirt path along a very steep hill that was surrounded by trees and various crops. There was also a stream along the way with a waterfall! It's a very beautiful area and it seems so peaceful! I got to meet the girls grandmother and other relatives, and they all seemed very nurturing. It made me feel a lot better about her going home knowing that she has so many people to care for her. 4 cups of tea later, were on our way back to Meru. The grandmother just kept pouring me another glass full, so I just went along with it. I didn't want to seem rude. Last night for dinner I had mashed potatoes and steamed cabbage. It was good, but not exactly the Thanksgiving feast I missed back home! I'm not going to miss out on Thanksgiving festivities though! This weekend I am celebrating it in Kisumu with some of my friends in the program. We're even going to cook a turkey!