Dear mom, It has been too long since I last wrote you. A lot has happened in the meantime. After all, I am no longer in the refugee camp in Brussels. A few months ago, I moved to Ghent, a city a couple of dozen kilometers away from Brussels. I live here with Rudo - who you still know from our village - and several other ‘new Ghentians’ in a vacant building that we have converted into a pretty cozy place to live and reside. Mom, after all these years of instability, I finally feel as if I can make myself somewhat useful and as if I matter again!
Because although the city has degenerated considerably, and many people need to gather basic products, we do our very best to not throw in the towel. Based on the together-we-are-stronger idea, peer-to-peer networks shoot up like mushrooms here these days. As for me, I offer services as a handyman - you know how much I love doing that! - through online and real-life market places. These days, especially my talk and lessons on setting up Do-It-Yourself facilities for private energy production are very popular among the many Ghentians who are less well off. It just goes to show that our misery in Kenya and the way in which we have always managed for ourselves can still be of some use!
Yesterday, a lot of people visited my stand at the meeting center of our neighborhood. I particularly received many questions regarding the use of the waste management compost bin for private heating. I promised them to organize a workshop on it next week. This allows me to collect all questions at once and help them on step by step. It would be nice if we could all go to the nursery garden afterwards, so we can have a little talk while harvesting. I think the atmosphere will be good, because for the first time since I’ve participated in maintaining the communal garden, our cultivation has managed to survive the sometimes extreme weather conditions. Who knows, perhaps Rudo will feel like cooking us something special and cozy with the harvest afterwards…
But dear mom, what I miss most are you and your delicious food. Let me know how you are doing there soon!
Love, Bem
