So much has happened, and I know we all have a lot to say, but looks like I will be the first to post, so I will do my best to catch you up on what’s been going on thus far.

Our flight was around 20 hours, not including a 3 hour layover. So with the time changes we ended up in Nairobi, on the morning of May 5th. We then took a 6 hour bus ride to Moshi, where we ended up staying the night.

Moshi has a bit of tourism as it is right at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, and most people assumed we had come to climb the mountain. I definitely felt out of place and there was no chance of blending in, but the people seemed friendly enough, so I didn’t worry much about all the looks we were getting. We ate some Indian food, and went to bed early as we were all exhausted form all the traveling.

I was grateful that the traveling went as smooth as it did, which was mainly due to Keri’s logistics planning.

It is amazingly beautiful here right now, as we have come at the end of the rainy season, so everything is very lush. The plants are bright green, and the soil is a rich red, and the open blue sky is scattered with clouds.

We left our hotel in Moshi and headed to Rombo where we will be staying. Our village is up the mountain a bit and the only way to get there is a shady dirt road. We held our cameras and computers on our laps, as it was ridiculously bumpy. I was amazed that this was the only road into town, and that buses also took this same road. It’s one of the those roads you can tell changes every time it rains.

It’s great having Megan who has taken the lead in making sure that everything runs smoothly. For the people who don’t know Megan, I think they are surprised when a white girl opens here mouth and starts speaking Swahili, and is well versed in the culture.

That being said, once we got to Rombo it appears as though Megan knows most of the people, and many were happy to see her return again. She left about six months ago, and I’m sure some of these people thought they would never see her again. Instead she brought an Entourage of Americans with big ambitions.

We’re all a bit jet lagged still, as I find myself waking up around 4 in the morning. I try to take advantage of this quiet time to write and reflect. Yesterday was our first shooting day, so I took the couple hours before the sun rose to get all the gear ready.
Ryan and I went outside to test some settings on the camera, and we amazed with all the sounds we could here. The sun was just coming up, and we were listening to the symphony of animals.

heres a short little sample, have to keep them short due to poor internet connection

watch it here 

I haven’t taken many pictures as my main focus is to shoot video. But I did shoot one roll of film mainly from the window of the car, and the rest of the team has been shooting digital.

Yesterday we stopped for breakfast on our way to the Ngaleku Orphanage, and the five of us all ate, and had coffee for less $1.50. It appears we will be eating lots of bananas, as they are a staple here.

After a long car ride we ended up at an Orphanage in the middle of nowhere, that looked more like a resort, that an orphanage. The place was being run by a Dutch couple, and was for orphans who were younger than 7. We offered to help create some promotional material, in exchange do some shooting for our film.

After a quick coffee, we geared up and walked into the school where the children were singing a song. Immediately I think we all felt like we were watching one of the films we’d seen before. 20 little children singing and dancing in a circle, all dressed the same, and eyes wide at their new visitors, who were armed with cameras. These kids were use to cameras, which made shooting a little easier. I quickly learned how to say don’t touch in Swahili, and quickly found myself surrounded by children.
We learned a few of these children had HIV, and one for sure had full on AIDS. I tried to take some special time we these children, but from the outside it was hardly noticeable. I asked the head doctor about it, and he explained that there was lots of sickness, and no one distinguished the differences, and that they were all doing there best to just be healthy.

watch it here 

We spent some time shooting the children, then went to visit the babies… Most were sleeping and a few were crying. I went in looking for powerful images for my film, but as I saw the snot filled noses, and the tears in their faces, I felt the burden of being human, and wanting to put my camera down, and pick up the babies.

I got the rest of my shots, and then went outside for a breather. A bit heavier than I was expecting, and I know that this is just the beginning. It much easier to watch the images on TV, than to be able to hear the breathing, and smell the shit, and look into their eyes and know they’re looking back at you.

I went to look for my bag and found a baby sitting alone, and when he saw me reached his arm out to me. I started to give him a high five, but realized that he was looking to be held. He reeked of poop, but I picked him up any way. He looked indifferent, as I expected him to smile when I picked him up. We sat there for a minute just looking at each other, and as I was rubbing his little body, I felt like he could have easily been my child.

watch it here 

It’s hard to think about these little people who are still so helpless, and in need of love and guidance as being victims.
Peter said, it takes more than financial support to raise an Orphan; it takes Love.
As much as I like to be a hater, and say that this topic has been over done, when your there with these orphans, you see the value in getting this message out.

I don’t think this will be the topic of our film, but will definitely try and do what ever I can to help these children.

On our way back, we stopped to shoot some scenics of the beautiful landscapes. One of which was this long dirt road, filled with people walking to the market. We got some shots of people walking through the frame, and most seemed ok with this and we were not focusing on any one person, and usually the children find us to check out what we were doing.

watch it here 

The Masai tribe, which tends to reject the western world, and has done there best to keep there tribal traditions, are amazing to look at but are very sensitive about you taking their picture. A group of women happened to walk down the road we were filming, and they were offended to know that we had been shooting them, there was a little argument, but we apologized, and left. I don’t blame them, I get the feeling their image is exploited all the time, and I don’t want to be one of those people. They aren’t the reason we’re here, although it would be amazing to have them as subjects, and give something back to them.

We have a nice little house here in Rombo. It’s actually the guest house of a German couple who live here part time. The place was much nicer than I expected, as we have hot water, a stove, a fridge, power, and two sleeping rooms. We bought some groceries, and borrowed some pots, and had our first home made meal here after returning from the orphanage.

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