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TURKANA DIARY 1 - Our journey there

  • Manlio Trovato

Frederic, our driver from Lodwar to Todonyang

Frederic, our driver from Lodwar to Todonyang

Imagine the place most different to the one we are accustomed to: that's Turkana, the remotest and poorest area of Kenya. Think of the things we take for granted: water, food, electricity, a home with a bed, a toilet, a kitchen, hospitals, schools, roads, shops. In Turkana, these basics are absent, or at least, in the way we know them. It's not just society that's different; the people are different too, and, as surprising as it may sound, I believe they are better. Let me tell you why.

In November 2024, I travelled to Turkana with my long-time friend and spiritual guide, Canon Pat Browne. We went to visit the Catholic mission of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Todonyang, run by Father Wycliffe and Father Victor of the Missionary Community of Saint Paul the Apostle. It took us three days to reach Turkana from London.

The final leg of our journey involved driving over five hours on dusty, unpaved roads through a semi-desert landscape in a 4x4. A skilled local driver, Frederic, drove us safely to our destination, sharing his life story along the way.

Frederic lives in Lodwar, the northernmost city of Turkana. He has a wife and three school-age children. He works as a driver, taking occasional jobs, and dreams of owning a car and starting his own business one day. His wife walks miles every day to buy vegetables from farmers and sell them in the local market. Frederic has little money and barely manages to provide for his family. He built their home himself, from mud, and knows that he'll likely never afford a car. Yet, Frederic remains hopeful, joyful, and contented. He embraces life with joy and hope. Frederic is humble and a kind man, a very kind man.

After hearing Frederic's story, I thought, "How different is life in Turkana!" But that was nothing compared to what awaited us. Beyond Lodwar, the landscape turns arid and desert-like, harsh and inhospitable. And yet, nearly a million people live in this region, mainly in small villages with houses made of reeds and straw. The area is vast; you can drive for miles without seeing any village. However, you meet people walking in the middle of nowhere-often women or children-rolling water barrels or carrying wood on their heads. Where do they come from? Where do they go?

There is no easy access to water in this region. Children and women walk long distances to the nearest borehole, fill their barrels, and then walk back to their village. Similarly, there is no gas or electricity for cooking, so they collect wood, which they use to cook the scarce food they manage to find. They do this every day. They don't complain; they just do it. And everyone must do it. When they see you passing, they wave and smile. The women keep walking, slowly, calmly, and elegantly. The children start running after you, laughing and smiling.

We hadn't even arrived at the mission, and already I felt incredibly humbled.

LINKS

To sponsor a Turkana child, please visit: Children Sponsorship Programme

To contribute to Manlio's trip crowdfunding, please visit. Manlio for Turkana

To support New Ways, please visit Fundraising - New Ways

Read all the Turkana Diary stories here: www.indcatholicnews.com/search/TURKANA%20DIARY

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