Maize Party and New Mum

I have acquired a new skill!  I now know how to remove kernels of corn (maize) from the cob by hand! First let me tell you about Kenyan maize - it is not like our corn, but more like a cross between U.S. hominy and field corn. It is very chewy and not sweet. It is used (at least at Hekima Place) mainly in a dish called githeri. Githeri is a vegetarian dish loved by many in Kenya, so much so that they’ll eat it twice a day for days in a row. It is based on maize, tomatoes, beans and onions. I haven’t detected any spices other than salt (but then I haven’t detected spices other than salt in any Kenyan dishes). I like it fine, but just not twice a day for multiple days.

The occasion for my learning this significant new skill was the recent maize harvest from the shamba. We now have two really large bags full of maize that will go bad if not shucked, de-kerneled and cooked right away. When that happens, there is a ‘Maize Party’ at Hekima Place - which is really like an old fashioned corn huskin’ party except that you also have to get the kernels off the cob. So all the girls were called in this afternoon for a Maize Party. Everyone sat around the courtyard of the dining hall shuckin’ maize and removing kernels. I already knew how to shuck, so that’s mostly what I did. Until the end, when all the shuckin’ was done and all that remained was to tend to the last few cobs that needed de-kerneling. I tried on my own, with the result that I mashed a lot of kernels. So I asked the mums to explain the technique. Turns out, what you have to do is use thumb and thumbnail to remove a few rows of kernels from the bottom of the cob, then clear a 3-kernel wide channel up the cob. Once that is done, you can use your thumb to push the kernels sideways into the open channel and they pop right off! Don’t you feel enlightened? Githeri, anyone?

After the Maize Party, the new hire, Mum Brendah arrived to finalize things and discuss her duties and the contract. I will miss Mum Lucy, but today I feel even more comfortable than after her interview that Brendah will work out really well. I took her around to introduce her to the girls and other resident mums, and she seemed to fit right in. One of the girls who came to us from the Kibera slum (where Brendah has been working/volunteering) spotted her and ran over to give her a big hug. The babies all seemed to be instantly happy to attach themselves to her and the other mums welcomed her warmly. She has a very immediate and easy rapport with all the girls she spoke with. Kids know.