The People of Vipingo

Most of the people we have met in Vipingo are expatriated Brits. You can buy a three acre, beach front paradise for under $500,000. Many of the people here are retired and living on a fixed income. This is primarily a vacation neighborhood, Ernie and Lois are one of the few permanent residents. Ernie worked in insurance for years, Lois for a courier service, much like FedEx, they met in the Mombasa Club.

We have really enjoyed both of them, they have been wonderfully gracious hosts; introducing us to their friends and showing us around. Lois seems to be the mother of the neighborhood, watching over other’s property when they are gone, keeping the workers and natives straight and keeping eye on things. Ernie is such a gentle soul, he will pop over to help with something or to deliver some coconuts. They really make a great couple, like peanut butter and jelly or bacon and eggs, different but they come together to make a perfect harmony.

Our housekeeper’s name is Fenny a slight Giriama woman, never speaking unless spoken to, her kerchief on her head moving like a symphony continuous and beautiful in her own way. She works around the house in a silent frenzy, cleaning things as you set them down, washes your clothes everyday returning them like a good dry cleaner, folded and stacked perfectly, (Brad would love her).

Peter and Maureen are Lois and Ernie’s next door neighbors. Peter is on a quest to create his own little utopia. His life is consumed with building and improving his garden, personal compound and the area. The house was beautiful, with a full pool and gardens all across the three acres that were meticulously cared for; sidewalks wind all through the property and gardens to different spots that he has given African names. He has his own little construction crew that are constantly building and improving his home. He has enough water tanks (millions of gallons) and generators (over 60 KVA) to run a small city. It truly was amazing but I really like the quaintness and naturalness of Lois and Ernie’s place.

Peter and Maureen were good friends with an early pioneer in Africa, Michaela Denis. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaela_Denis) Michaela filmed one of the British safari shows called On Safari. She worked hard for animal conservation and tried to help the indigenous people. They told me she encouraged the use of condoms in the villages to reduce overpopulation. She would go into a village and demonstrate the use of a condom by rolling it on a pole in middle of the town square. She assumed the men got the message but came back only to find the rest of the condoms rolled onto the pole and the men wondering why it wasn’t working. Michaela died another amazing African woman leader at Peter and Maureen’s home at the age of 88.

Everybody here seems to be really involved in the community in one way or another. The neighborhood was able to declare the reef right off the beach a marine sanctuary and they all pitch in to have guards make sure that people don’t fish the reef. They work as a community to protect the sea turtle population. With the help of neighborhood donors and much of their own money, Peter and Maureen started a local medical clinic. The expats here seem to get along very well with the local native community, providing much needed jobs, helping with service projects, supporting local businesses. Contrary to what most of our friends thought, there is very little fear of crime or violence in the Vipingo community. It is a different story in Nairobi.