OVERSEAS
A postcard from...
K E N YA How long have you been an Army family? 10 years. T ime in Kenya: 18 months. How many other military families live there? We live on the new Peacock estate with around 10 families. Another 40 are in Nanyuki and eight BATUK families live in Nairobi. What's your quarter like? Our house is large. There are four bedrooms with a big garden, perfect for barbeques and sundowners. Although it's the standard magnolia that we all know and love, somehow the sunshine makes it better! Can spouses work? Work permits are very difficult and expensive to get and the wages from any employment probably wouldn't cover the cost. You can volunteer locally though. I've used my time here as an opportunity to study and have recently finished an Open University course. What about schools? The small primary school in Nanyuki has a lovely family feel and open-air classrooms. Roughly 40 per cent of the children
42 Army&You spring 2015
are British Army. The rest come from expat and local families so there's a happy mix of nationalities, cultures and religions. Older children either board in the UK or weekly commute to Nairobi, which is about three hours away. Where do Army families get together? Everyone is really friendly and supportive, more so than anywhere we lived in the UK, probably because none of us are at work so there are more social events; barbeques in the mess, coffee mornings and parties at weekends. It's easy to integrate with the local community too; a lot of the expats are former British Army and are all really friendly and welcoming. Who supports families? The UWO is helpful and other spouses are full of information about things to do in the area, especially those who've been here a while. What's the best thing about living in Kenya? Waking up to the breath-taking view of Mount Kenya every morning, the sunshine, safaris and experiencing a culture like no other!
FROM: V icky, Jeff and Tag the dog WHERE: Kenya
autumn 2014 Army&You 35 @ArmyandYou