Keoki the Mentor

I can't even believe I'm writing this. I can't even believe my life here is more about dogs than people. But wait, maybe I'm doing what I'm supposed be doing afterall--capacity building. Maybe I've taught Keoki skills I didn't even know I was teaching him. So in the spirit of capacity building, there are 2 new pups in the neighborhood---long nosed, little black scrawny, skinny, un-fed pups! They have a home--they're just not fed, so they come around to my neighbors house daily, where Keoki originally began his hunt.  I swear to myself I am not taking these dogs, I'll go broke! But the past few mornings, I see the pups, and my new short term neighbors, watching intently on Keoki and I playing fetch with the handmade ball my neighbor boys made for him. Ok, let'em all watch, it's all good, maybe they'll get that a dog's life can be fun too!  A few minutes later, off to work I go, and in turning around to make sure Keoki isn't following me to school, I see him showing the pups how to play ball. Within 10 minutes, Keoki is throwing the ball, the kids...oh, the pups, are fetching it, and then they all start romping around like bucking broncos. This is no joke! Keoki has become their MENTOR! I've watched for several days now, and each day he teaches them something new----he's showing them where the leftovers are, showing them how to be happy, and showing them which paths are the best to herd the cows. I don't mind Keoki being a Mentor, I do mind 2 new pups thinking this is their home. Soon I'll have 50 orphaned pups in my yard, and Keoki will have big time mentor status in Mmathethe.

As I sat tonight having my own dinner on the porch, the moon was so full and hanging so low in sky that it was mesmerizing, but I shifted my eyes to see Keoki plopping down outside the gate, and the little guys or gals, plopped the same way, gazing at him, admiring him like he is their GURU! It really is the cutest thing--but I wonder if I can post Keoki's capacity building on my quarterly Peace Corps report....afterall, he's doing a really good job!