Since this was my third year going on the Marich trip, I climbed Mount Koh for the second time. Even though the climb is tough and long to get to the very top, seeing the magnificent view that first time encouraged me to go again. James and I had been the only ones to make it to the top the previous time so I wanted to share the experience with more people this time around. We split up into three groups to climb the mountain and the first group would be the only one that would make it to the very top. This system turned out to be very successful because we were able to go at a quicker pace and so it took less time to reach the school at the base of the summit. After taking a quick lunch break at the school, we started the tough climb to the very top. Since we were a much larger group that when James and I went alone with the guide, this climb took much longer than the first time. However, the mountain had some challenges this time around for us to overcome.
When we were hiking through the many patches of farmland and small forests, a swarm of bees suddenly attacked our group. The moment we realized that the bees were everywhere, we all rushed up the mountain in different directions. Every 20 meters or so we would stop and turn around and just when we would each think we lost them, a bee would fly against our heads. This shouting and running went on for almost half an hour and by the time we had finally gotten rid of the bees, we were hundreds of meters further up the mountain. When we gathered again to see the damages, we discovered that some of us had more than 9 bee stings. Matthew and I were the only ones that escaped the onslaught without a bee sting and I only escaped because of my long hair at the time. Then, after a long trek through bushes and trees, because the path had been destroyed by falling stones, we finally reached the top. I was leading the front group of students because I had been to the top before and I wanted to take up the challenge. The guide, David, stayed behind with Matthew and Mr. Currey because Mr. Currey was struggling with his knees.
It was difficult to find the exact path to get to the top but I managed to find a way by following the direction that I remembered we had taken the previous time. Some of the boys in the group went on ahead and some struggled behind so it was tough for me to make sure everyone went the right direction but in the end everyone made it to the top safely. When I reached the top with the first group I was pleased to see them react exactly the same way I did when I first saw the view, with absolute awe. The view was still magnificent. I was happy that I had climbed it again; the view was definitely worth it. As we waited for the guide to come with his little group, I lay down at the edge of the tip of the rock and gazed down at the beautiful landscape of the West Pokot region. When the last group got to the top we ate our food and rested for a while. In total, 9 ISK people made it to the top.
When we were ready we started the long descent back down. To avoid the bees we took a detour around the place where they had attacked us and then our group slowly started to expand as we passed the school as I went ahead with a small group at a high pace and Mr. Currey, Matthew and the guide slowed down at the back because of Mr. Currey’s knees. I relied on my memory and common sense to take us down without the guide but I managed to lead the group the right way. There were some places that I hesitated a short while but I quickly picked the side that I thought was the right one after trying to recognize the surroundings. We only took a few short breaks before continuing down the long path back to the road. When our small group made it down we went under a tree next to the road and lay down. An hour and a half later, when everyone else had finally made it down, we got on the bus and drove back to the camp. It had been a long and tiring day.
It had been nice to see David, the guide, again since he had also been our guide the first time I had gone to the top of Mount Koh. We talked about what had changed since the last time and it was interesting to see that life was still very much the same as the year before. All the daily troubles were the same. Later during the week I fully realized how much the people in the Marich region rely on foreigners when I saw our guide again at the camp, but this time instead of a water bottle and a phone in his hands, he had a bunch of souvenirs laid out in front of him. These people were desperate to make some money off us. This realization, along with hearing the speeches at the bridge ceremony, showed how much the people from this barren region rely on foreign aid and how little they believe in the ability of their own people to build and create the same things as we can with our fundraising. It lay bare the unpleasant fact that we truly live in a privileged community and that these people from Northern Kenya simply do not have the same opportunities as we do. This only added more determination to my desire to make the Friends of Marich group really big and successful so that we could help these people develop on their own with the privileges that we have.
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