'Stories from the Kenyan Counties' Baringo County - Part Last: The Woman at the Equator Would you believe me if I told you all the drama, the near crisis in Aberdare Forest, the rain, the emotional unraveling… was for a 300km ride? (If you have no idea what I am talking about, I highly recommend you pause and read Parts 1 and 2. They will make this moment hit deeper.) Now, back to Baringo County. I rode straight into Mogotio, tired. And there she was, Ms. Ann Keter. Yes, the woman from the equator stop. (You will remember her from Part 1, the one who teaches tourists about the Coriolis effect with such precision.) Ann hugged me and I held onto this ‘stranger’ longer than I should have, partly from exhaustion, partly from disbelief that I had actually made it. She could tell I needed a moment. She asked me to remove my gear, bought me a soda, and let me breathe. For the first time in 24 hours, I truly exhaled. Those soul-level exhales that remind you you’re still alive? That one. What completely caught me off guard is that Ann is one of the women who run the curio shops at the Mogotio equator line. I had always imagined she was there solely to teach people about hemispheres and gravity. But no, she is one of many women preserving and selling Kenya’s handmade beauty to travelers. What was meant to be a brief stop turned into a full afternoon and evening of learning, sharing, and listening. Not only did I get schooled (again) on the Coriolis effect - yes, even plant growth changes depending on which side of the hemisphere you are on - but I also found myself in the presence of greatness. Ms. Ann Keter is also a certified Gender-Based Violence Trainer of Trainers. That’s right! She is an advocate against female genital mutilation, a grassroots mobilizer, and a woman deeply involved in community work through government and NGO partnerships. Her work spans across critical social issues affecting women and girls in her community, and she does it all from her base at the equator line. Her story floored me. (It’s now featured on my YouTube channel link, Kagwiria Murungi Rides. Please watch it and subscribe while you're there.) It was in that moment, sitting at the roadside with this remarkable woman, that I was reminded why I ride. I don’t ride to tick off counties. I ride to meet women like Ann. To bring their stories to the world. To shine light on the quiet power tucked in Kenya’s villages and towns. That night, I stayed in Mogotio, and Ann had arranged everything. As I lay down to sleep, I knew it had all been worth it: the mud, the rain, the nerves, the off-road madness. All of it. If you ever visit Kenya, make your way to Mogotio. Go meet Ann. Learn about the Coriolis effect. Shop from the women who keep culture alive in beads and carvings. Hear the stories that never make headlines. Yes, I rode all that way for a lesson on hemispheres. But what I found was a woman reshaping hers. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ms. Ann Keter.😍