Made in Kipingi

Now, one may ask, "how do the Kipingi Villagers spend their day and how do they make money?". Well, you may have already deduced from previous posts that Kipingi is an agricultural community. A majority of the day is spent tending to and harvesting crops. The main cash crop for Kipingi (and for most of the ruraltowns we have visited in Kenya) is Tobacco. Rick and I were fortunate enough to stubble upon a tobacco packaging and selling operation in Pinyoyier (a neighboring village). The leaves that are harvested and let to dry for several days in a heated room in Kipingi are brought here to be eventually sold to the Kenyan Tobacco Alliance.

Almost all of the other crops that are grown in Kipingi is food for the villagers. They do have a small stand at the main road in the center of town to sell to passersby, but this is a very small amount in relation to how much is harvested every day.

After walking throughout the farmland these past few days, I have tried to compile a list of the different crops I have seen......here goes!

Aside from tobacco, the two most common crops are Maize (corn.....reference picture of woman thoroughly enjoying an ear of Kipingi corn) and Casava (a white potato-like substance that is a little sweet). The Maize is widely used to make Ugali which is, for lack of a better word, the bread they use to eat with almost all their meals. We are often greeted with a mound of it when the villagers invite us to sit with them for lunch. I have been promised a lesson on how to make ugali....stay tuned for the directions so you can make it at home!

There are also ground nuts (peanuts) which take on a completely different taste and texture when they are not roasted. We have tried them raw and boiled. Both ways have a texture similar to a harder piece of corn and a taste that is a little sweeter than the peanuts I'm used to back in the States.

Kipingi also has millet (which can also be used for ugali), sunflower seeds, red beans, pumpkins (yes, really), tomatoes, onions, green bananas, and papaya. I am sure there are more crops I am missing. Every time I walk around, I find something different.

To add, the villagers also raise cattle, goats, chicken (which are very, very tough), pigeons, rabbits, and some even catch small fish! (exclamation because it is too exciting) in the local streams. George, Rick, and Ted were fortunate enough to have the small fish! for lunch one day....their report was...."ummm...they were crunchy?" By the time Marina and I were able to sit for lunch, the small fish! were miraculously not at the table anymore....I guess judging by the guys' reactions, they new it was just too fantastic for us to handle.