On Wednesday 12th November, King's Somborne WI held an open meeting: men were welcome too! Sue Jackson and Janet Ingleson gave two very different talks about their experiences of Africa.
Sue and husband Roger worked in Somalia to help establish a sugar plantation and factory. The environment was much hotter and drier than Kenya where they had lived for the previous five years. Food was scarce in Somalia as it had to be shipped in every three months from the UK, the only local produce being tomatoes and pumpkins. The site was more remote than the Kenyan Estate meaning they spent much of their time in the compound. With ingenuity they and the other families managed some normality by staging pantomimes and drinks/dinner parties. After three years they returned to King’s Somborne to educate their young family.
After refreshments, Janet told how she and husband John took two trips to Kenya, travelling between Mombasa and Nairobi by car. They visited the families of Kim and Karuri, two Kenyan students they got to know through their church in Winchester.
The men’s families treated John and Janet as honoured guests. This involved killing a goat and digging a fresh “toilet” (hole in the ground).. Despite little English, they were able to communicate with gestures and symbols. Janet and John kept in touch with both men for many years and enjoyed a good relationship with their families. They are still in regular email contact with Karuri whose daughter has trained in horticulture and recently visited the UK.
Linda warmly thanked both ladies for their fascinating talks and presented each of them with beautiful flowers in appreciation.
Sarah Pennington
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