Ever thought of the process you take when heating up a snack? What’s to think about, right? you decide what snack you want, stick it in the microwave and seconds later you are enjoying your delicious snack.
But what happens when you don’t have a microwave or even electricity? The kids at Mercy showed me what a time consuming endeavor it is for them to heat up a snack which is usually githeri (a maize/bean combo) from the night before, or cook a meal.
IF they have firewood they must first collect the pieces they need to start a fire…if there is no firewood then no cooking.
Then if they have firewood it must be decided if this is something to use the resource on…perhaps there is only enough firewood to cook dinner, if so then no snack heating.
Find matches and begin the process of starting the fire – remember no lighter fluid, just wood and matches, and if there are no matches then no fire. I have come to find the kids are very good at starting a fire.
Once the fire is started and going well, the stones have to be arranged so the pot will sit over the fire.
Then it’s heat and eat!
Just a different perspective on something I took for granted, a microwave or oven or stove or electricity! Watching the kids at Mercy made me think their cooking process is like a camping trip that never ends.