While in Kenya, we encountered Grace. Grace is one of Kaylie's friends. It is her name and her namesake. It is also what she embodies.
Grace has had a very difficult year, but her life has hope and promise now. Grace makes jewelry and handbags and other items to sell. Some friends gave beads and wire to take to Kenya, and we decided to give it all to Grace. This woman has little but invited us to her home for lunch. A very delicious lunch! Gracious, indeed. After lunch, we gave her a couple of bags of beads. She pulled them out strand by strand (or container). After pulling out the first one, she was just so thankful. So excited, so expressive, so speechless. We sort of chuckled because if she spent so much time looking at and being so thankful for each one, there was no way we would go through the two bags. I do not know if I have ever seen someone so thankful in my life. Real gladness, real expression that this is unexpected and undeserved, real thankfulness at the gifts but also turning it to God and thanking Him for provision and care, real appreciation to and for others.
That is what I want to cultivate in my life. Sheer gratitude.
(Andrea)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
More notes on Kenya
It did not take me long after arriving in Kenya to realize that I most likely would not be able to live in Nairobi at this point in my life. I was amazed at Kaylie's love for the people, place, view into the slums, and ease at moving with their lifestyle. Nairobi is so...busy. People, noises, vehicles, more people, stuff, markets, more people. Just very busy. Nothing starts on time except apparently work and school. The city is just sort of overwhelming, but then again, I am from a town of 684, and we didn't even technically live in the town. Nairobi felt a lot like New York City. Only there were a lot of new cultural things that I would have had to learn too so it felt like a bit much. However, Kaylie thrives. In the first few days, I thought I would probably shrivel up if I lived there.
It was funny to me though that the first several days when I went through some sickness and was miserable walking around on my sad leg that I wanted to hurry past the ailments without much concern of experiencing Kenya. The last Friday though, I had to go home early because I was feeling really nauseous, and then I got sick Friday evening and Saturday and stayed home. I missed out on a new friend cooking us matoke (like green bananas...not the unripe ones but a kind that never turn yellow, are more starchy than sweet, and supposedly taste more like potatoes than bananas) on Friday and then our last art class in Mathare Saturday morning. During all of that, I was pretty sad that I was missing out on other experiences and time with these people. It is pretty interesting how my view changed in such a short time. If I lived there, maybe I would not be so overwhelmed. Maybe I would adjust. Maybe I would thrive, like Kaylie.
PS I'm not planning on selling my condo and packing my bags today. It is just interesting to note.
It was funny to me though that the first several days when I went through some sickness and was miserable walking around on my sad leg that I wanted to hurry past the ailments without much concern of experiencing Kenya. The last Friday though, I had to go home early because I was feeling really nauseous, and then I got sick Friday evening and Saturday and stayed home. I missed out on a new friend cooking us matoke (like green bananas...not the unripe ones but a kind that never turn yellow, are more starchy than sweet, and supposedly taste more like potatoes than bananas) on Friday and then our last art class in Mathare Saturday morning. During all of that, I was pretty sad that I was missing out on other experiences and time with these people. It is pretty interesting how my view changed in such a short time. If I lived there, maybe I would not be so overwhelmed. Maybe I would adjust. Maybe I would thrive, like Kaylie.
PS I'm not planning on selling my condo and packing my bags today. It is just interesting to note.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
I am one hot commodity.
There were certain experiences and feelings I expected when planning to visit Kenya. From Kaylie's blog and emails, I had a vague idea of how the transportation would go and some of the places we would see. Other information from various sources over the years of Kenya or Africa shed light on other pieces of the trip. What I did not expect though is what a hot item I might be.
Though I have looked quite different over the years, I do not believe it is a huge surprise to anyone who has met me that I am not a professional model. Never mind, that I would never be able to do a tiger or pouty/sultry face in front of a camera without laughing.
Of course, we got attention because we are young white women. More than that, I cannot tell you how many times I heard from people that though my friends Kaylie and Katherine are quite lovely, they are a little too thin and I am much more the ideal. Other than the looks or little comments I got from men, both women and men bluntly told me that I basically have it going on. The best and funniest statement I heard was from a woman while having dinner at her house: "But you...you are very marketable!"
Going from a land where I have little marketability to a land where I am all the rage is unexpected and amusing, somewhat flattering, and a whole lot of awkward.
Though I have looked quite different over the years, I do not believe it is a huge surprise to anyone who has met me that I am not a professional model. Never mind, that I would never be able to do a tiger or pouty/sultry face in front of a camera without laughing.
Of course, we got attention because we are young white women. More than that, I cannot tell you how many times I heard from people that though my friends Kaylie and Katherine are quite lovely, they are a little too thin and I am much more the ideal. Other than the looks or little comments I got from men, both women and men bluntly told me that I basically have it going on. The best and funniest statement I heard was from a woman while having dinner at her house: "But you...you are very marketable!"
Going from a land where I have little marketability to a land where I am all the rage is unexpected and amusing, somewhat flattering, and a whole lot of awkward.
Meet Miffy
Miffy joined Team Kenya on our way through Amsterdam and had many adventures in Africa. Hope you enjoy seeing the trip through her eyes: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=329616&id=697444883&l=86c48405a4
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Personality and Africa (Katherine's Thoughts)
As all my friends know, I have a freakish interest in personality types and their implications on our lives. So it should come as no surprise that I thought about Myers-Briggs while I was in Kenya. Its first relevance for me was in relation to my ability to write posts for this blog. I discovered that, as one would expect from an introvert, I need a lot of quiet time in order to process my thoughts. With only one computer and extremely limited internet time, I found it difficult to compose the types of reflective posts I had hoped to share. Hammering something out under pressure just doesn't yield the same results for me. I also realized I hate writing out my thoughts on paper. I feel restricted by space and the finality of putting ink to page. I write well when I can express my thoughts fluidly, an ever-evolving body of work that takes shape in much the same way a potter's work does.
Since Kenya was my second African adventure, I was able to compare and contrast my experiences here with those I had in Uganda. Uganda was a life-changing experience for me. I've detailed it extensively in my personal blog. My love for Uganda led to a love for Africa in general and I was thrilled to be going back. I didn't even think about the fact that I was going to a large city this time and not the small town/rural setting I enjoyed in Uganda. The number of people we continually shared space with on the streets of Nairobi and in the matatus overwhelmed me. My introvert self got anxious with so much going on at once.
The amount of need, no greater than the need I saw in Uganda but multiplied by the much greater population in Kenya, led me almost to point of discouragement. So many more people and a much more established and yet broken infrastructure. While I have this quote as my email signature - “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” - the idea of helping so many "ones" feels overwhelming.
It shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that I found my greatest pleasure in this trip when working with small groups or individuals - the girls at the rescue center, Grace, the women at the resource center, the individuals with HIV we visited in Kibera. This is what I should have expected, being an introvert and lover of one-on-one attention. But the realization gave me pause when I stopped to consider it in light of providing service to others. I've always thought I am willing to do anything when it comes to helping others, but I now see clearly that I am well-suited for some types of work, while other types of service feel more like labor to me.
I guess that's why God uses the analogy of a body when describing the church. We all have different abilities and functions; no two people work in the same way. I've appreciated the chance to learn more about myself and my world through this trip, and look forward to seeing how God will use me and stretch me in the future.
Since Kenya was my second African adventure, I was able to compare and contrast my experiences here with those I had in Uganda. Uganda was a life-changing experience for me. I've detailed it extensively in my personal blog. My love for Uganda led to a love for Africa in general and I was thrilled to be going back. I didn't even think about the fact that I was going to a large city this time and not the small town/rural setting I enjoyed in Uganda. The number of people we continually shared space with on the streets of Nairobi and in the matatus overwhelmed me. My introvert self got anxious with so much going on at once.
The amount of need, no greater than the need I saw in Uganda but multiplied by the much greater population in Kenya, led me almost to point of discouragement. So many more people and a much more established and yet broken infrastructure. While I have this quote as my email signature - “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” - the idea of helping so many "ones" feels overwhelming.
It shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that I found my greatest pleasure in this trip when working with small groups or individuals - the girls at the rescue center, Grace, the women at the resource center, the individuals with HIV we visited in Kibera. This is what I should have expected, being an introvert and lover of one-on-one attention. But the realization gave me pause when I stopped to consider it in light of providing service to others. I've always thought I am willing to do anything when it comes to helping others, but I now see clearly that I am well-suited for some types of work, while other types of service feel more like labor to me.
I guess that's why God uses the analogy of a body when describing the church. We all have different abilities and functions; no two people work in the same way. I've appreciated the chance to learn more about myself and my world through this trip, and look forward to seeing how God will use me and stretch me in the future.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Andrea's reflections
I have been thinking since arriving in Kenya how to describe the place, the people, the circumstances to friends and family. When I return, I know that people will ask enthusiastically, “How was your trip?!” It feels so odd to think of answers to this. This question seems to be for those purely pleasure trips. How do you answer when some of the circumstances have been difficult but not altogether negative?
Coming on the trip, I knew there would be a fair amount of walking but did not realize how much exactly or that it would be on a lot of uneven ground. I prayed that my ankle and leg would not swell much or remain constantly sore. It has, but I also got blisters on day one and most days after. The first has been the most painful, still has not gone away, and made it hard to walk. Then, somehow I popped my knee out of place when moving sideways...twice...making me limp around all the more. All on the same leg. I had some digestive issues, sunburn, and now a sinus cold. Needless to say, for the first few days, I was just hoping that my time would pass quickly here since the ailments did not seem to be, but I still wanted this to be a trip of purpose, learning, and encouragement. I think all of this brought me to a place of constant prayer, helped me to see how much I do have to be thankful for, and give me a reason to keep looking around at what others are going through.
I think that this sets up pretty well my feelings toward my visit to Kenya so far. It has been a trip of contradictions and witnessing difficulties of others that cannot be described so much as being “so fun!” or “wonderful” but the trip has been great. I have learned a lot. I have seen the hardships that many endure day after day. I have been brought to a place of compassion and sadness. I have also been amazed at the joy that many seem to have and their complete reliance on God. It would be easy for many of these people to be mad at God or feel abandoned. It would be really easy for them to lose hope. But most have not. Or at least, the ones I have seen have not. That is really encouraging. Oddly enough, we were told that a lot of people here see Americans and people from other developed countries as having great faith because we seem to have everything. We have money, homes, food, family, friends, and so they perceive that we have no lack, no need. Because we seem not to need as much, they think that we have no need to depend on God.
We have walked through some slums (though I had to sit out on one of the trips because of hike and my leg...but I got to stay extra at the baby care) to learn about the people living there and visit some of the sick. Kaylie has connected us with so many people here. Daniel offered to take us with him to visit people in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa and, I believe, third in the world. The conditions walking between the houses was sobering. Trash, every smell you can imagine mixed, animals walking around (chickens, roosters, pigs, mangy dogs). The homes were very simple one room shacks built mostly with a single layer of metal for walls and ceilings. No power, no running water, no room to really have things other than maybe a bed/couch and a very small table. Most of these rooms are shared with perhaps five people. They have to walk a distance to get water that may not be clean and carry it back to their homes in large jugs or jerry cans. One woman another had taken us to was debating on whether she should have a hysterectomy when they remove a large cyst she has. She needs medicines first, then a blood transfusion, and then the surgery. How do they even pay for this? How can any of them pay for the basic health assessments and treatments we take for granted?
There is so much unemployment, but surprisingly, many of these people work. They just barely make enough to survive. The solutions I hear people mention in the US about the poor are usually something about them moving to a lower cost of living area, but how will they get there? Getting a better job, but that depends on education and a supply of jobs, which are hard to come by in a large city. There are others, and they all have counterpoints. I think that is why the organizations we have been hearing of and connecting with are doing such good. They seek to empower the youth to gain education, manage their money, give them basic preventative health knowledge, connect them with other artists to form a community to make and market their works, take care of babies so single moms can go out and work, provide small ($500 or less) microloans so someone can start his or her own business and hopefully help themselves out of poverty and on their way to financial stability, even at what we would consider a low level. All of these things are encouraging the community, building others up, giving them hope for life and a future. It is really a blessing to see how organizations are helping community members, community members are helping one another, and how individuals are now thriving with hope.
We visited a baby care center helping out single moms, but many babies do not have diapers. We are providing them with some cloth diapers to be used at the Inspiration Center so that the program may be able to use what very little money they have to feed the babies instead of diapering them, and hopefully there will be less infection and illness from a child walking around diaper- and pants-less. This seems to be such a small thing, but the center is just starting and I think this is a real need and will encourage hygiene and cleanliness for all of these crawling ones.
We have been able to supply a children's home and school with pencils. You should see the shape that many of their supplies are in. The children were writing with pencils that had been whittled down by a knife or something to only 2” or so. This is all they have. We were able to purchase pencils and small exercise notebooks for those in need to do their class and home work in. We also gave pencil sharpeners to the teachers who had none. One of our activities with the class two and class three grades involved crayons that we left with the teachers. The teacher I worked with had never seen the sharpener that is on the back of the crayon box and seemed somewhat amazed. We take little things like this for granted.
The place I have found the most meaning and hope for a future so far has been where we visited on Sunday. In Maasai country, there is a girl's rescue center in Olooloitikoshi. These girls are between ten and sixteen and to say they have been rescued is to put it so very lightly. The Maasai tribe have wealth in cows. They are the typical Kenyans you probably picture who are tall, thin, with colorful cloths draped around their shoulders, and sometimes with stretched earlobes. Droughts have been so bad that last year they lost 100% of their cows. 100% of what sustains them through the year. This is harsh. Boys are prized and will receive education. Girls are often not and are often abused or neglected by their fathers. Girls are also victims of genital mutilation (aka female circumcision). Once this heals, they are ready for marriage.
In an effort to gain some bit of money through a dowry, fathers will come home one day and tell their daughters (some even less than ten) that they will be married the following day, usually to much older (think sixty or seventy some year old) men. They are only one of the men's wives and rank low on the totem pole. Wife one tells wife two what to do, she tells wife three, she tells wife four, and so on, and basically the young girls become indentured servants and are abused and treated atrociously. Where does the hope lie there? Imagine being a girl of eight and having gone through a series of beatings and emotionally abusive exchanges to be followed by genital mutilation and then sold by your father to a man seven times your age only to be sold into basically slavery with conditions of the worst kind.
Mark, who runs the rescue center, has been sent from a church in Colorado to do good on the other side of the world. He picked us up in Nairobi and drove us 1.5 hours away to the center and told us many things about the girls, their circumstances, and Kenya to inform and prepare us for our visit. What can prepare you for such sweet faces so glad to see you when you know what they have been through and at the same time have absolutely no idea? What can prepare you for them showing you their bed and few belongings that we would see as so meager and they are so proud to now call their very own? What can prepare you for listening to them, who have overcome such emotional distress usually initiated by the hands of their fathers, sing a song about their Father (God) never leaving or forsaking them with such joy and beautiful voices? What can prepare you for one you have connected with smiling at you and saying, “I would like for you to be my sistah” when she is so disconnected from her family? What can prepare you for them sharing about their favorite subject in school or their brothers and sisters, who you know are back home or have been sold themselves, or what they want to be when they grow up? Not much. Not much can prepare you for such a very bittersweet meeting like this.
We did a small activity with them about being children of God as King and emphasized how precious they are and how they are all princesses. They got to put on necklaces and a crown and pose for a picture to put in a frame they were able to decorate. What creativity they had! Despite so much hardship, they are not stifled any longer. They are thriving in school, love to read, are making friends, share in chores, and seem to have a love of God that few I have encountered possess. I normally have a tender place in my heart for children of abuse, but meeting these children was somehow different. I could be simultaneously hurting for them and absolutely delighted at the future they may have. The healing and the hope. I needed to see this.
This is why I came.
PS This verse keeps coming up this week and all of the children at the children's home and at the rescue center know it and say it together: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Coming on the trip, I knew there would be a fair amount of walking but did not realize how much exactly or that it would be on a lot of uneven ground. I prayed that my ankle and leg would not swell much or remain constantly sore. It has, but I also got blisters on day one and most days after. The first has been the most painful, still has not gone away, and made it hard to walk. Then, somehow I popped my knee out of place when moving sideways...twice...making me limp around all the more. All on the same leg. I had some digestive issues, sunburn, and now a sinus cold. Needless to say, for the first few days, I was just hoping that my time would pass quickly here since the ailments did not seem to be, but I still wanted this to be a trip of purpose, learning, and encouragement. I think all of this brought me to a place of constant prayer, helped me to see how much I do have to be thankful for, and give me a reason to keep looking around at what others are going through.
I think that this sets up pretty well my feelings toward my visit to Kenya so far. It has been a trip of contradictions and witnessing difficulties of others that cannot be described so much as being “so fun!” or “wonderful” but the trip has been great. I have learned a lot. I have seen the hardships that many endure day after day. I have been brought to a place of compassion and sadness. I have also been amazed at the joy that many seem to have and their complete reliance on God. It would be easy for many of these people to be mad at God or feel abandoned. It would be really easy for them to lose hope. But most have not. Or at least, the ones I have seen have not. That is really encouraging. Oddly enough, we were told that a lot of people here see Americans and people from other developed countries as having great faith because we seem to have everything. We have money, homes, food, family, friends, and so they perceive that we have no lack, no need. Because we seem not to need as much, they think that we have no need to depend on God.
We have walked through some slums (though I had to sit out on one of the trips because of hike and my leg...but I got to stay extra at the baby care) to learn about the people living there and visit some of the sick. Kaylie has connected us with so many people here. Daniel offered to take us with him to visit people in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa and, I believe, third in the world. The conditions walking between the houses was sobering. Trash, every smell you can imagine mixed, animals walking around (chickens, roosters, pigs, mangy dogs). The homes were very simple one room shacks built mostly with a single layer of metal for walls and ceilings. No power, no running water, no room to really have things other than maybe a bed/couch and a very small table. Most of these rooms are shared with perhaps five people. They have to walk a distance to get water that may not be clean and carry it back to their homes in large jugs or jerry cans. One woman another had taken us to was debating on whether she should have a hysterectomy when they remove a large cyst she has. She needs medicines first, then a blood transfusion, and then the surgery. How do they even pay for this? How can any of them pay for the basic health assessments and treatments we take for granted?
There is so much unemployment, but surprisingly, many of these people work. They just barely make enough to survive. The solutions I hear people mention in the US about the poor are usually something about them moving to a lower cost of living area, but how will they get there? Getting a better job, but that depends on education and a supply of jobs, which are hard to come by in a large city. There are others, and they all have counterpoints. I think that is why the organizations we have been hearing of and connecting with are doing such good. They seek to empower the youth to gain education, manage their money, give them basic preventative health knowledge, connect them with other artists to form a community to make and market their works, take care of babies so single moms can go out and work, provide small ($500 or less) microloans so someone can start his or her own business and hopefully help themselves out of poverty and on their way to financial stability, even at what we would consider a low level. All of these things are encouraging the community, building others up, giving them hope for life and a future. It is really a blessing to see how organizations are helping community members, community members are helping one another, and how individuals are now thriving with hope.
We visited a baby care center helping out single moms, but many babies do not have diapers. We are providing them with some cloth diapers to be used at the Inspiration Center so that the program may be able to use what very little money they have to feed the babies instead of diapering them, and hopefully there will be less infection and illness from a child walking around diaper- and pants-less. This seems to be such a small thing, but the center is just starting and I think this is a real need and will encourage hygiene and cleanliness for all of these crawling ones.
We have been able to supply a children's home and school with pencils. You should see the shape that many of their supplies are in. The children were writing with pencils that had been whittled down by a knife or something to only 2” or so. This is all they have. We were able to purchase pencils and small exercise notebooks for those in need to do their class and home work in. We also gave pencil sharpeners to the teachers who had none. One of our activities with the class two and class three grades involved crayons that we left with the teachers. The teacher I worked with had never seen the sharpener that is on the back of the crayon box and seemed somewhat amazed. We take little things like this for granted.
The place I have found the most meaning and hope for a future so far has been where we visited on Sunday. In Maasai country, there is a girl's rescue center in Olooloitikoshi. These girls are between ten and sixteen and to say they have been rescued is to put it so very lightly. The Maasai tribe have wealth in cows. They are the typical Kenyans you probably picture who are tall, thin, with colorful cloths draped around their shoulders, and sometimes with stretched earlobes. Droughts have been so bad that last year they lost 100% of their cows. 100% of what sustains them through the year. This is harsh. Boys are prized and will receive education. Girls are often not and are often abused or neglected by their fathers. Girls are also victims of genital mutilation (aka female circumcision). Once this heals, they are ready for marriage.
In an effort to gain some bit of money through a dowry, fathers will come home one day and tell their daughters (some even less than ten) that they will be married the following day, usually to much older (think sixty or seventy some year old) men. They are only one of the men's wives and rank low on the totem pole. Wife one tells wife two what to do, she tells wife three, she tells wife four, and so on, and basically the young girls become indentured servants and are abused and treated atrociously. Where does the hope lie there? Imagine being a girl of eight and having gone through a series of beatings and emotionally abusive exchanges to be followed by genital mutilation and then sold by your father to a man seven times your age only to be sold into basically slavery with conditions of the worst kind.
Mark, who runs the rescue center, has been sent from a church in Colorado to do good on the other side of the world. He picked us up in Nairobi and drove us 1.5 hours away to the center and told us many things about the girls, their circumstances, and Kenya to inform and prepare us for our visit. What can prepare you for such sweet faces so glad to see you when you know what they have been through and at the same time have absolutely no idea? What can prepare you for them showing you their bed and few belongings that we would see as so meager and they are so proud to now call their very own? What can prepare you for listening to them, who have overcome such emotional distress usually initiated by the hands of their fathers, sing a song about their Father (God) never leaving or forsaking them with such joy and beautiful voices? What can prepare you for one you have connected with smiling at you and saying, “I would like for you to be my sistah” when she is so disconnected from her family? What can prepare you for them sharing about their favorite subject in school or their brothers and sisters, who you know are back home or have been sold themselves, or what they want to be when they grow up? Not much. Not much can prepare you for such a very bittersweet meeting like this.
We did a small activity with them about being children of God as King and emphasized how precious they are and how they are all princesses. They got to put on necklaces and a crown and pose for a picture to put in a frame they were able to decorate. What creativity they had! Despite so much hardship, they are not stifled any longer. They are thriving in school, love to read, are making friends, share in chores, and seem to have a love of God that few I have encountered possess. I normally have a tender place in my heart for children of abuse, but meeting these children was somehow different. I could be simultaneously hurting for them and absolutely delighted at the future they may have. The healing and the hope. I needed to see this.
This is why I came.
PS This verse keeps coming up this week and all of the children at the children's home and at the rescue center know it and say it together: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Katherine's Update
Yesterday (Tuesday) we had our first somewhat leisurely day in Kenya. We had pictures to develop to send to the rescue center and even though we had spent all day Monday trying to get them developed, we still hadn't found a place to print them. We were successful after two more stops yesterday and were able to deliver the pictures right on time – whew! Brenda was kind enough to spend the day with me and Andrea, as Kaylie had meetings, and Brenda was concerned we would get lost trying to take all the matatus we would need to get where we were going (and her concern is definitely warranted – the matatu system obviously takes more than 2 weeks to figure out).
I haven't been feeling my best the past few days, so we went American for lunch yesterday and went to Pizza Inn. The pizza was good and they had Coke-Cola Light (their version of Diet Coke, which is hard to find here); I would definitely recommend it to any Americans visiting Kenya. We also hoped to get ice cream at the adjoining Creamy Inn, but power had been out and the ice cream was too soft to serve. :(
We actually got home in time to take naps and read, which was a great treat. I even got a shower last night (my second so far) and am glad I got one when I did, because the water is out again this morning. The bucket baths aren't really a problem, but the fact that we can't flush the toilet for days on end is kind of gross. I just try not to look or smell.
One thing I've learned in Kenya so far is that things are often not as they appear. Men and women dressed very smartly (their word for stylish dress), who are walking with purpose down the streets of Nairobi, are often, in fact, headed nowhere and don't even have a job. People who live in Kibera or Mathare, two of the biggest/most violent slums, dress the same as those who have a nice apartment or house. You would never guess they're destitute.
It is the same with things for sale. You can buy DVDs off the street for 50 or 100 shillings (about $0.75 to $1.20) and they often have 10 different, new release movies on them or more. But when you get them home you realize that the DVDs skip over parts of the movie, or the movies are divided into strange sections, with part 2 coming first and then part 1. There are obviously no government regulations or standards for goods sold.
In a country where the government is hands-off on most things, it is easy to see why there is so much poverty and people getting into all kinds of trouble. One of the towns we visited has an 80% unemployment rate. Imagine what the U.S. would be like if so many people weren't working! I don't judge Kenya for the state it is currently in. Like in Lord of the Flies, men left to their own devices most often choose to live for themselves.
Modern technology has also allowed Kenya to see things available in the rest of the world; everyone has cell phones or smart phones, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and most people are addicted to Spanish soap operas with English voiceovers (we Americans think they're hilarious to watch). Music videos play all the time in the matatus and in houses or businesses we've visited. There's always something going on and yet nothing at the same time. It's an interesting place.
We've had spotty internet service and can only write in very short chunks, so please excuse my hurried thoughts. We just wanted to give you an update since it's been a while.
I haven't been feeling my best the past few days, so we went American for lunch yesterday and went to Pizza Inn. The pizza was good and they had Coke-Cola Light (their version of Diet Coke, which is hard to find here); I would definitely recommend it to any Americans visiting Kenya. We also hoped to get ice cream at the adjoining Creamy Inn, but power had been out and the ice cream was too soft to serve. :(
We actually got home in time to take naps and read, which was a great treat. I even got a shower last night (my second so far) and am glad I got one when I did, because the water is out again this morning. The bucket baths aren't really a problem, but the fact that we can't flush the toilet for days on end is kind of gross. I just try not to look or smell.
One thing I've learned in Kenya so far is that things are often not as they appear. Men and women dressed very smartly (their word for stylish dress), who are walking with purpose down the streets of Nairobi, are often, in fact, headed nowhere and don't even have a job. People who live in Kibera or Mathare, two of the biggest/most violent slums, dress the same as those who have a nice apartment or house. You would never guess they're destitute.
It is the same with things for sale. You can buy DVDs off the street for 50 or 100 shillings (about $0.75 to $1.20) and they often have 10 different, new release movies on them or more. But when you get them home you realize that the DVDs skip over parts of the movie, or the movies are divided into strange sections, with part 2 coming first and then part 1. There are obviously no government regulations or standards for goods sold.
In a country where the government is hands-off on most things, it is easy to see why there is so much poverty and people getting into all kinds of trouble. One of the towns we visited has an 80% unemployment rate. Imagine what the U.S. would be like if so many people weren't working! I don't judge Kenya for the state it is currently in. Like in Lord of the Flies, men left to their own devices most often choose to live for themselves.
Modern technology has also allowed Kenya to see things available in the rest of the world; everyone has cell phones or smart phones, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and most people are addicted to Spanish soap operas with English voiceovers (we Americans think they're hilarious to watch). Music videos play all the time in the matatus and in houses or businesses we've visited. There's always something going on and yet nothing at the same time. It's an interesting place.
We've had spotty internet service and can only write in very short chunks, so please excuse my hurried thoughts. We just wanted to give you an update since it's been a while.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Things We've Learned While Becoming Local
- Men, Valentine's Day is coming and your lady wants Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate. Add Nivea as prescribed on the billboard below and you should be all set.
- Billboard in town: Have you checked out my boobs? I just did. (insert clothed picture of woman's chest)
- All white people apparently look alike and Katherine was mistaken for someone who is fluent in Swahili.
- Would have been good to know that Sunday and Monday are the days with running water in our area of town. Probably wouldn't have tried to be a trooper in the beginning and skip showers. And yes, this includes toilet flushing (or lack thereof).
- Katherine loves chapati. Andrea likes it.
- Our eardrums have not busted (yet) from the matatu rides, but the music is absurdly loud and either regular American songs (old) or Rastafarian songs or blasting cheeky Kenyan hip hop.
- Who knew getting picked up by a stranger while walking down the road could be an answer to prayer?
- Not all matatus go where they confirm they are going.
- "Kenyan time" means everything starts late, runs late, is always uncertain.
- Soda comes in glass bottles and is only about $0.40 for a large. Fun flavors include: Pineapple Fanta (yum!), Passion, Black Currant, Apple (Katherine gives it a double yum), Bitter Lemon, Stoney Tangawizi (like ginger ale with a kick).
- Kaylie is a natural Kenyan.
- You can order lunch for 5 people for $3!
- Yesterday's walking adventure included several separate herds of cattle and some token donkeys.
- Put on the rose-colored glasses and use the power outage as an excuse for dinner by candlelight (and the debate on candlelight/candlelit dinner continues).
- African days start much earlier for Andrea than when she is at home.
- Don't be fooled, that clear beverage might not be water. We are proud to have been in Kenya to witness the legalization of chang'aa, which, if made incorrectly, can cause blindness and/or death. Bottoms up!
- Even in the slums, there are American clothes everywhere (presumably donations). One boy in our art class today had on a shirt that said, "My first Sacramento shirt." :)
Things You Won't See in the U.S.
'Nuff said. ;)
Trying not to become intimate friends with the scary monkey
Sweet baby caught at the one moment she wasn't scared of the mzungu (white person)
Two cuties shy in front of the camera - in Mathare
Just in case you didn't know - this is how you do it.
Getting ready to try matumbo (cow intestine)
First inspection - texture is like clams that expand in your mouth when you chew
Doesn't taste like chicken - LOL. Jury's still out on whether it merits a second test.
Andrea gulped hers down and pronounced it better than expected!
Two cuties shy in front of the camera - in Mathare
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Long Awaited Pics
Our first visit to Cheryl's Children's Home
Our wonderful host family - Kevin and Brenda
This is the polite monkey (and our friend Kaylie)
At City Park
Close-up of a monkey and her baby
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Feb 1st, Day 2
We have not had a lot of success with the internet so far. Every time we get to the Center for Transforming Mission (CTM), the ministry Kaylie's host family runs (where there is free internet), it's down. So please be patient with us as we try to update you.
Katherine: This morning we went for our first official volunteer time at Cheryl's Children's Home. We walked part of the way and then got on a matatu. Rush hour traffic in Nairobi is much worse than we had anticipated, so we ended up being an hour late to school (two hours total travel time). Good thing we're on Africa time! Andrea and I managed to get off at the correct stop and then hail a matatu for the way back, too. We're pretty proud of ourselves, especially since we negotiated our ride for only 10 bob (or shillings) – about 12 cents.
We spent the morning helping out in the classroom – Andrea was in grade 3 and I was in grade 2. Andrea's lessons were more interesting than mine, so I'll let her share about that. I did help grade English papers and learned a little Swahili. Karibu = welcome. Ashante = thank you. And of course I am proficient with “hakuna matata” (no worries) and “rafiki” (friend), thanks to the Lion King. :) The most adventurous part of the morning was trying porridge. The porridge was nothing like what I was expecting when I heard the word “porridge;” I've always thought of porridge as just another word for oatmeal. I wasn't expecting to share in the kids' snack, but someone brought me a mug of porridge, and I felt I had to drink it to be polite. Maybe you noticed I said “drink.” Apparently, Kenyan porridge is not oatmeal. It's a brown cornmeal/liquid pudding substance, which was hot and slightly sweet, but it didn't really taste so great going down. I drank as much as I could, but I did stash about half of it with the kids' dirty dishes.
In the past two days, the thing that sticks out most to me so far is the overall uncertainty of plans, communication, commitment, future, etc. Everything seems to be up in the air or tentative. We arrive whenever we can get there; we meet if people show up; we ask questions several times because we think people haven't understood, when they've actually given their answer, which just sounded like another question. The idea of “African time” is quite appropriate. It's really not possible to operate any other way when you have to factor in walking, riding matatus, traffic, flat tires, gas, etc. It's been great to jump right in to African life, though – taking public transportation, eating at local restaurants, walking through lots of neighborhoods and community markets, buying things off the street.
Andrea: So far, we have tried a lot of new things. Like Katherine said, porridge. I can't say I'm a fan. Washing from a bucket of water and a pitcher because the water has to fill into the large container before the shower or toilets work. The sink and toilet were working but not the shower until today (Tuesday). Drinking yogurt (like yogurt but thinner...still delicious). Chipati (delicious bread-like dish similar to Indian naan or other types of flatbread), Coke in glass bottle with slightly different mixture for only about 35 cents and it was large! (also amusing because today's lunch restaurant did not have bottled beverages but took the order and ran across the street to get them at another shop), ginger drink called Stony Tangawizi (tangawizi means ginger), liver, which if you can believe it is much better than in the US. We also drink chai at breakfast, and at least one other time during the day. This is not like chai tea but is a boiled black tea and then a lot of milk. Saw a goat walking down the street. Lots of rush hour traffic this morning so that it took us 2 hours to get to the children's home, which only took about 20 minutes yesterday. In the middle of the rush hour traffic, a man stood between cars that already do not allow much space to pass, in order to sell newspapers. With the crazy traffic and matatus, the newspaper sales seems to be a dangerous or thrilling job.
The observation at the children's home was excellent. I was in grade 3, which is about the same age as what Americans would expect as 3rd grade, but because some students were held up to get school fees and such, the age range is more varied. I was able to help the teacher by grading math, English, reading, Kiswahili, social studies because she was a little behind with a larger and very active class. I got to help some students with fractions too (yay!) and during PE, we went out to plant seeds. This would have typically been in a science class in America and also the supplies would have been provided. Students here were expected to bring a container, seeds or most brought dried beans, soil, and a bottle of water to water the soil in addition to the bottle of drinking water they bring for the day. Temperatures also are in the upper 80s or expected high of 91, though a drier and more comfortable heat, and students wear a lot of clothing. For example, a girl had on a dress, then her school dress over it, then a fleece sweatshirt, then her school sweater over that. Whew. I'm hot just thinking of it. Katherine and I were able to get the right matatu on the way back to meet Kaylie and dodge cars/cross the street. We only had to pay 10 shillings for the ride to Kaylie too. Success! The guy who helps out the matatu drums up business and also tells us how much to pay. It seems to be quite variable depending on peak times, how you approach them, or if they think you are a tourist or do not know the system. The fact that we got the ride for only 10 was pretty great and ability to get on and get off at the right places was also great.
Like the restaurant going across the street to get the Coke, I think I am more aware here how other businesses and pursuits are dependent on others. Though a lot of people do not have much money, they feel that they are responsible to share with others and employ them. For instance, the place we are staying is nicely furnished, but the husband and wife run a business and have to supply their own support. Needless to say, they do not have so much extra. However, they employ “house girls” to help with the washing, making breakfast and some dinner, boiling water and chilling it to be safe for the visitors (us) to drink, etc. I do not know their hours, but they were there this morning before 6 am and there last night around 9 pm. With so much unemployment here, it is really great that people seek to hire others. Part of them taking on the burden of the many and aiding where they are able. It gives a very different perspective of many people here than I think is usually portrayed.
Katherine: This morning we went for our first official volunteer time at Cheryl's Children's Home. We walked part of the way and then got on a matatu. Rush hour traffic in Nairobi is much worse than we had anticipated, so we ended up being an hour late to school (two hours total travel time). Good thing we're on Africa time! Andrea and I managed to get off at the correct stop and then hail a matatu for the way back, too. We're pretty proud of ourselves, especially since we negotiated our ride for only 10 bob (or shillings) – about 12 cents.
We spent the morning helping out in the classroom – Andrea was in grade 3 and I was in grade 2. Andrea's lessons were more interesting than mine, so I'll let her share about that. I did help grade English papers and learned a little Swahili. Karibu = welcome. Ashante = thank you. And of course I am proficient with “hakuna matata” (no worries) and “rafiki” (friend), thanks to the Lion King. :) The most adventurous part of the morning was trying porridge. The porridge was nothing like what I was expecting when I heard the word “porridge;” I've always thought of porridge as just another word for oatmeal. I wasn't expecting to share in the kids' snack, but someone brought me a mug of porridge, and I felt I had to drink it to be polite. Maybe you noticed I said “drink.” Apparently, Kenyan porridge is not oatmeal. It's a brown cornmeal/liquid pudding substance, which was hot and slightly sweet, but it didn't really taste so great going down. I drank as much as I could, but I did stash about half of it with the kids' dirty dishes.
In the past two days, the thing that sticks out most to me so far is the overall uncertainty of plans, communication, commitment, future, etc. Everything seems to be up in the air or tentative. We arrive whenever we can get there; we meet if people show up; we ask questions several times because we think people haven't understood, when they've actually given their answer, which just sounded like another question. The idea of “African time” is quite appropriate. It's really not possible to operate any other way when you have to factor in walking, riding matatus, traffic, flat tires, gas, etc. It's been great to jump right in to African life, though – taking public transportation, eating at local restaurants, walking through lots of neighborhoods and community markets, buying things off the street.
Andrea: So far, we have tried a lot of new things. Like Katherine said, porridge. I can't say I'm a fan. Washing from a bucket of water and a pitcher because the water has to fill into the large container before the shower or toilets work. The sink and toilet were working but not the shower until today (Tuesday). Drinking yogurt (like yogurt but thinner...still delicious). Chipati (delicious bread-like dish similar to Indian naan or other types of flatbread), Coke in glass bottle with slightly different mixture for only about 35 cents and it was large! (also amusing because today's lunch restaurant did not have bottled beverages but took the order and ran across the street to get them at another shop), ginger drink called Stony Tangawizi (tangawizi means ginger), liver, which if you can believe it is much better than in the US. We also drink chai at breakfast, and at least one other time during the day. This is not like chai tea but is a boiled black tea and then a lot of milk. Saw a goat walking down the street. Lots of rush hour traffic this morning so that it took us 2 hours to get to the children's home, which only took about 20 minutes yesterday. In the middle of the rush hour traffic, a man stood between cars that already do not allow much space to pass, in order to sell newspapers. With the crazy traffic and matatus, the newspaper sales seems to be a dangerous or thrilling job.
The observation at the children's home was excellent. I was in grade 3, which is about the same age as what Americans would expect as 3rd grade, but because some students were held up to get school fees and such, the age range is more varied. I was able to help the teacher by grading math, English, reading, Kiswahili, social studies because she was a little behind with a larger and very active class. I got to help some students with fractions too (yay!) and during PE, we went out to plant seeds. This would have typically been in a science class in America and also the supplies would have been provided. Students here were expected to bring a container, seeds or most brought dried beans, soil, and a bottle of water to water the soil in addition to the bottle of drinking water they bring for the day. Temperatures also are in the upper 80s or expected high of 91, though a drier and more comfortable heat, and students wear a lot of clothing. For example, a girl had on a dress, then her school dress over it, then a fleece sweatshirt, then her school sweater over that. Whew. I'm hot just thinking of it. Katherine and I were able to get the right matatu on the way back to meet Kaylie and dodge cars/cross the street. We only had to pay 10 shillings for the ride to Kaylie too. Success! The guy who helps out the matatu drums up business and also tells us how much to pay. It seems to be quite variable depending on peak times, how you approach them, or if they think you are a tourist or do not know the system. The fact that we got the ride for only 10 was pretty great and ability to get on and get off at the right places was also great.
Like the restaurant going across the street to get the Coke, I think I am more aware here how other businesses and pursuits are dependent on others. Though a lot of people do not have much money, they feel that they are responsible to share with others and employ them. For instance, the place we are staying is nicely furnished, but the husband and wife run a business and have to supply their own support. Needless to say, they do not have so much extra. However, they employ “house girls” to help with the washing, making breakfast and some dinner, boiling water and chilling it to be safe for the visitors (us) to drink, etc. I do not know their hours, but they were there this morning before 6 am and there last night around 9 pm. With so much unemployment here, it is really great that people seek to hire others. Part of them taking on the burden of the many and aiding where they are able. It gives a very different perspective of many people here than I think is usually portrayed.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
We Made It (and we're on Kenyan time now)
We thought a good way to give everyone a report of all we're experiencing is for both of us to write our thoughts every day. I'm not sure how often we'll be able to post what we write, but we'll do it as often as we can.
Day One – Jan. 31
Andrea's perspective (1st time in Africa)
I have been looking forward to much and read Kaylie's blog and other information about where I would be traveling to, but after only one day, cannot say that I had a specific view of how things or people would be. One noticeable difference is how many people are out walking all of the time. People always out walking and often dressed up. Many of these people were dressed for work, and since there is so much unemployment, it is kind of baffling to think about how many more people are walking around the town and not working. Our host mom, Brenda, took off some time to be with us on the first day and would share tidbits about Kenyans throughout the day. There are 42 million people in Nairobi and about 1.9 million in Kibera (largest slum in Africa) alone. That is a lot of people and Kaylie and Brenda would wave every now and then. Kind of amazing. Katherine and I are going to try to go to the children's home/school tomorrow and figure out the matatu system ourselves to go back to meet Kaylie. I'm not as tired at the moment as I feel a bit scattered. My perception of time is very off. I stayed in bed for hours this morning thinking that it was so late and kept getting up to check on Kaylie and Katherine to see if they were awake. Finally, Kaylie woke up and it wasn't even 8 am (went to bed after midnight), and then, that is nearly what happened all day. I kept thinking it was a very different time. Must be something about the jet lag and the way Africans do things. So, I'm going to stop my rambling thoughts for now. More to come. PS It's mango season! Get one for about 10 cents!
Katherine:
We had quite a trip to get here – flew from Charlottesville to Atlanta (1 hour) to Amsterdam (8 hours) to Kenya (also 8 hours). We left at noon on Saturday and arrived in Kenya at 8:00 Sunday night (Kenyan time). We didn't get to sleep as much on the plane as we had thought we would, mainly because the airline was constantly bringing us food and drinks. We had at least three full meals, two snacks and drinks every hour. I'm surprised the plane wasn't over weight by the time we arrived. :) The plane was a double-decker, which I'd only heard of a few months ago and had never seen. We still haven't seen the upstairs (I think it's for first class), but it was cool to ride in this kind of plane anyway.
I'm glad to be back in Africa; everything feels so similar to Uganda, and yet Nairobi is a much bigger city than where I was in Uganda and is more developed. Everyone has cell phones with texting and often internet access, too. We rode matatus today – vans that act as buses. The driving is crazy here, just like it's been in Guatemala and Uganda. I think I can say I'm getting braver and no longer freak out every time it looks like we're going to hit another car or a pedestrian (which is about every five minutes). Like Andrea said, we're hopeful we can figure out the matatu system on our own tomorrow.
I do have to rub in the fact that we are enjoying temps in the upper 70s/low 80s, with lovely cool breezes; probably not what you were expecting when you heard Kenya is located on the equator. It's gotten late now and I'm still adjusting to the time difference, so I'm going to go to bed now. Kenya – day two: tomorrow!
Day One – Jan. 31
Andrea's perspective (1st time in Africa)
I have been looking forward to much and read Kaylie's blog and other information about where I would be traveling to, but after only one day, cannot say that I had a specific view of how things or people would be. One noticeable difference is how many people are out walking all of the time. People always out walking and often dressed up. Many of these people were dressed for work, and since there is so much unemployment, it is kind of baffling to think about how many more people are walking around the town and not working. Our host mom, Brenda, took off some time to be with us on the first day and would share tidbits about Kenyans throughout the day. There are 42 million people in Nairobi and about 1.9 million in Kibera (largest slum in Africa) alone. That is a lot of people and Kaylie and Brenda would wave every now and then. Kind of amazing. Katherine and I are going to try to go to the children's home/school tomorrow and figure out the matatu system ourselves to go back to meet Kaylie. I'm not as tired at the moment as I feel a bit scattered. My perception of time is very off. I stayed in bed for hours this morning thinking that it was so late and kept getting up to check on Kaylie and Katherine to see if they were awake. Finally, Kaylie woke up and it wasn't even 8 am (went to bed after midnight), and then, that is nearly what happened all day. I kept thinking it was a very different time. Must be something about the jet lag and the way Africans do things. So, I'm going to stop my rambling thoughts for now. More to come. PS It's mango season! Get one for about 10 cents!
Katherine:
We had quite a trip to get here – flew from Charlottesville to Atlanta (1 hour) to Amsterdam (8 hours) to Kenya (also 8 hours). We left at noon on Saturday and arrived in Kenya at 8:00 Sunday night (Kenyan time). We didn't get to sleep as much on the plane as we had thought we would, mainly because the airline was constantly bringing us food and drinks. We had at least three full meals, two snacks and drinks every hour. I'm surprised the plane wasn't over weight by the time we arrived. :) The plane was a double-decker, which I'd only heard of a few months ago and had never seen. We still haven't seen the upstairs (I think it's for first class), but it was cool to ride in this kind of plane anyway.
I'm glad to be back in Africa; everything feels so similar to Uganda, and yet Nairobi is a much bigger city than where I was in Uganda and is more developed. Everyone has cell phones with texting and often internet access, too. We rode matatus today – vans that act as buses. The driving is crazy here, just like it's been in Guatemala and Uganda. I think I can say I'm getting braver and no longer freak out every time it looks like we're going to hit another car or a pedestrian (which is about every five minutes). Like Andrea said, we're hopeful we can figure out the matatu system on our own tomorrow.
I do have to rub in the fact that we are enjoying temps in the upper 70s/low 80s, with lovely cool breezes; probably not what you were expecting when you heard Kenya is located on the equator. It's gotten late now and I'm still adjusting to the time difference, so I'm going to go to bed now. Kenya – day two: tomorrow!
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