Goat’s blood sausages and sheep brains – not for the faint of heart

“Maybe if I have a taste of the goat liver, and then go back to the sheep brain, the brain will taste better...”

“Just eat the potatoes, it’ll help cover up the taste of the sheep tongue...”

By now you must be wondering how we managed to get ourselves into this situation.

(We’re in the second week of classes teaching social entrepreneurship to Kenyan youth, and classes are in full swing. Since one of my esteemed colleagues is preparing a blog entry about our teaching experiences so far (and about how great our students are!), I happily leave that topic to him.)

This past weekend, after an exhausting yet gratifying five days of teaching, our group went off to explore more of this magnificent country.


The SE101 team spent all of Saturday on a day trip to the Rift Valley, organized by Mickey, a longtime friend of the program. After making a stop at an excavation site of Richard Leakey’s, where we learned all about homo habilises and erectuses (to the snickers of our immeasurably mature male students), we made a stop at a village in Kikopey region, and indulged in their natural hot springs.

This is the village where Mickey has evidently spent countless hours to help rebuild, after Kenya’s post-election violence. The chief of the village welcomed our visit by graciously ordering the slaughter of a goat and a sheep, so we could all partake in a traditional Kenyan lunch.

It was a cultural experience, to say the least! Some of the foods were delicious, and some were hair-raising in their looks and taste. All the same, it was a privilege to be able to meet with these friendly locals, and we were floored by their level of hospitality.


To wrap up the tour, we stopped by Lake Elementaita, one of two lakes in the Rift Valley that flamingos can call home. What a sight – the flamingos seemed to stretch on for miles and miles, as we were treated to a sunset view of the lake. It was also a sobering part of the trip, though. Thanks to the drought, which has affected so many people in Kenya, the lake had shrunk to half its size, and the surrounding ground was cracked and brittle.

After the tour, it was off to the next activity: Nancy had arranged for our entire team to go to a rather unique event – a goodbye party for a Kenyan high school student who will soon be entering Sauder as a first year student! The parents had stumbled across the SE101 website, and contacted Nancy to invite us to their son’s goodbye gathering. It was a real treat to be able to visit their home, meet their friends and family, and share our tips about life at Sauder. And of course, no Kenyan party is complete without a sampling of the traditional brew, drunk out of hollowed horns! (Note: they are very hard to grip)

We all had a blast during the weekend, and with that now behind us, we’re off to a great start to the SE101 program!