I want to start this blog off on a positive note.... and I think that I haven't yet mentioned that when we were at the Masai village on our safari the men danced for us and the dancing included A LOT of jumping vertically. It was explained to us then that although in general you had to pay 10 cows to get a wife, if you jumped the REALLY HIGH you got one for free! Many of the tribes and clans have particular rituals for dowries which are still in practice (although in the cities, the cash value of a set number of cows is sometimes acceptable).
As for singing loudly, it seems to be a factor in singing "well" here... my host family sometimes wants to sing after dinner (usual hymns) but it can be a bit overwhelming- the sheer volume and disinterest in melody.... but I say that a bit in jest because I've heard several people singing to themselves and it can be beautiful (although it's often still loud- even at 6am).
The less positive part is of course the continuing violence. I'm sure the killing of one of the members of parliament this morning is not going to help. Yesterday afternoon I went with some family members to the land where they grew up and where many of their relatives still reside- Nyeri. It is in the Central District and pretty overwhelmingly Kikuyu and therefore considered safe. One of the reasons we went there though was to see how Mary's brother is doing. He was attacked and expelled from his land in the Rift Valley (he has a large cut on his head and was shot by an arrow in the arm, beaten and left for dead but his friends found him). To hear him tell the story was absolutely heart-wrenching and as soon as you hear it you KNOW that the people who did that to him (they went to steal his cows after they left him but were unsuccessful) are using the clashes as an excuse to steal and just... be awful. It's hard to know what to say. The family wanted me to counsel him - they're worried about him. I spoke to him for some time and I had him go over the story and we talked about normal phases a bit. I can't imagine I did much for him - but I'm sure his sister bringing him food and people just BEING there for him was helpful. May your thoughts be with Kenya- a beautiful country but one with many needy people even without the threat of violence.
I will be in Egypt from tomorrow until Feb 9th and am not sure if I'll have access to blog so please don't worry if you don't here from me until the 11th or so.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
plastic or plastic?
I had a couple of confusing conversations before I figured out that what people refer to as "paper"
bags are actually those thin plastic bags that are everywhere (but particularly on the ground). I hate them! I hate using plastic bags in the U.S. because I am aware that they end up in the oceans, being burned (releasing lots of pleasant gases) but here they line the ground or are burned (people actually like to burn them because they burn longer). I was speaking with John about the environmental issue of the bags and he said that they had actually been banned in Nairobi. As in, you can be fined in Nairobi for carrying one. That seems really strange but I have to admit that I like the idea. At first, one would think that it's the poorest who will suffer b/c they can't buy other bags or they can't offer the customers at their fruit stand anything but those bags but who complained (according to John)? Not the people, but the manufacturers of those plastic bags.
Other thoughts on Nairobi: Nairobi is surprisingly clean. I'm told that it was awful 10 years ago with litter everyone and so much crime. I'm harldy saying it's crimefree but it's not a bad city to walk around in. From what I've gathered it was a Guliani-style clean-up so I can only hope that the street kids that are no longer on the street are actually someplace better. hmmmm
Pizza- I'm making pizza for my family tonight. We'll see how that goes. I was going to make tacos but they requested to try pizza despite 2 of the family members professing to dislike cheese. Should be interesting.
Skumaweeki.... is a kind of green (not spinach, not kale) that's eaten here a lot. Skuma means to push and as far as I can tell, is the real name of this vegetable. But.... it's called skumaweeki (I think jokingly) because since everyone has to eat those greens a lot (they're cheaper than many other foods and widely available) eating it 'pushes' the week forward.
Dogs and cats- not pets here but there are 2 of each in the household. Thomas and Snoopy are the dogs and Tina and Lied (named for volunteers) are the cats. They each have their jobs- the dogs to act as guards, the cats as pest control. Since the house often has Western guests the animals have become a little more pet-like. Thomas has a habit of escorting me places. Since I can't go into the main grocery store (yes a STORE- most people buy food at little stands which I do like the idea of better but the STORE- Tusky's, has fixed prices so I can't be charged a higher Mazungu (white) price) with Thomas I was trying to get him to go home and failing that, I was trying to lose him on one of the bigger roads. I already stand out but hiding from a dog added some amusement to the spectacle. (I did succeed in the end).
bags are actually those thin plastic bags that are everywhere (but particularly on the ground). I hate them! I hate using plastic bags in the U.S. because I am aware that they end up in the oceans, being burned (releasing lots of pleasant gases) but here they line the ground or are burned (people actually like to burn them because they burn longer). I was speaking with John about the environmental issue of the bags and he said that they had actually been banned in Nairobi. As in, you can be fined in Nairobi for carrying one. That seems really strange but I have to admit that I like the idea. At first, one would think that it's the poorest who will suffer b/c they can't buy other bags or they can't offer the customers at their fruit stand anything but those bags but who complained (according to John)? Not the people, but the manufacturers of those plastic bags.
Other thoughts on Nairobi: Nairobi is surprisingly clean. I'm told that it was awful 10 years ago with litter everyone and so much crime. I'm harldy saying it's crimefree but it's not a bad city to walk around in. From what I've gathered it was a Guliani-style clean-up so I can only hope that the street kids that are no longer on the street are actually someplace better. hmmmm
Pizza- I'm making pizza for my family tonight. We'll see how that goes. I was going to make tacos but they requested to try pizza despite 2 of the family members professing to dislike cheese. Should be interesting.
Skumaweeki.... is a kind of green (not spinach, not kale) that's eaten here a lot. Skuma means to push and as far as I can tell, is the real name of this vegetable. But.... it's called skumaweeki (I think jokingly) because since everyone has to eat those greens a lot (they're cheaper than many other foods and widely available) eating it 'pushes' the week forward.
Dogs and cats- not pets here but there are 2 of each in the household. Thomas and Snoopy are the dogs and Tina and Lied (named for volunteers) are the cats. They each have their jobs- the dogs to act as guards, the cats as pest control. Since the house often has Western guests the animals have become a little more pet-like. Thomas has a habit of escorting me places. Since I can't go into the main grocery store (yes a STORE- most people buy food at little stands which I do like the idea of better but the STORE- Tusky's, has fixed prices so I can't be charged a higher Mazungu (white) price) with Thomas I was trying to get him to go home and failing that, I was trying to lose him on one of the bigger roads. I already stand out but hiding from a dog added some amusement to the spectacle. (I did succeed in the end).
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
sorry it's been so long. Since last Wednesday I've actually tried to get on 4 times but twice there was a blackout in the area of the cyber cafes and twice I just couldn't get to blogger.com. I'm still safe and happy despite the sadness and destruction going on around Kenya. Nowadays, almost everyone I meet here has some relative displaced or on the verge of being displaced by the violence. When I came, people thought it would calm down in a matter of days. People still say that and I hope that that's the case but I really don't know.... the longer this goes on, the more Mojimba (i think that's the word for the regionalism/tribalism that is going on) seems to be occurring.
Last weekend was a little hard. I was just getting to the point of homesickness- missing familiar activities, familiar people, familiar food AND the weather had turned rainy which really just translates into a mess with the roads here. But... on Sunday with some determination and a stop at an "American-style" coffee house and restaurant, Java House, I now feel much better. On Monday I had a wonderful day which included biking to the town Gataka (45 min. away) where they have another center and treating some fungal skin infections and helping them set up a filing system to keep track of the children they're feeding/educating/treating in some way. I walked back with the teacher and SW trading off on the bicycle and we stopped by the roadside halfway home to have some newly picked and roasted corn on the cob. I also taught some members of the family a word game and we had a lot of fun- even though Peter (the father/grandfather/head of the house) cheated terribly. I really enjoy the people I work and live with. I have to say that while there are may similarities to my being here and living in the Philippines I feel more comfortable here. I think this is in part because I'm older (and wiser?) and am just taking things as they come, REALLY focusing on relationships and not worrying so much about accomplishing anything. It's also SO nice to be a nurse and actually have some concrete skills- even though the illnesses and population I'm seeing is different. I think too, that the devout Christianity of the Philippines took me aback a little and this time I was prepared for that (for it's very similar here) and feel comfortable in our similarities and differences.
Other news.... my parents are coming to Kenya by way of Cairo (!) so I am meeting them in Egypt next Wednesday for a trip on the Nile and then we'll return here to spend some time in Ongata Rongai before visiting our family friend Alex in Western Kenya (provided it's safe). I'm so excited for the trip and to see them. And speaking of all things home, yesterday I met people from my home town (St. Cloud, MN) here in Ongata Rongai, Kenya. They didn't seem to know my parents but since the woman Robin Hasselan (sp?) taught child education at SCSU I thought she might know Dee Lamb (Allyssa's mom) which she did. It was so bizarre to find that out. They were visiting the center here b/c (I think) their church (First Presbyterian) supports the center in some way.
I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all.
Last weekend was a little hard. I was just getting to the point of homesickness- missing familiar activities, familiar people, familiar food AND the weather had turned rainy which really just translates into a mess with the roads here. But... on Sunday with some determination and a stop at an "American-style" coffee house and restaurant, Java House, I now feel much better. On Monday I had a wonderful day which included biking to the town Gataka (45 min. away) where they have another center and treating some fungal skin infections and helping them set up a filing system to keep track of the children they're feeding/educating/treating in some way. I walked back with the teacher and SW trading off on the bicycle and we stopped by the roadside halfway home to have some newly picked and roasted corn on the cob. I also taught some members of the family a word game and we had a lot of fun- even though Peter (the father/grandfather/head of the house) cheated terribly. I really enjoy the people I work and live with. I have to say that while there are may similarities to my being here and living in the Philippines I feel more comfortable here. I think this is in part because I'm older (and wiser?) and am just taking things as they come, REALLY focusing on relationships and not worrying so much about accomplishing anything. It's also SO nice to be a nurse and actually have some concrete skills- even though the illnesses and population I'm seeing is different. I think too, that the devout Christianity of the Philippines took me aback a little and this time I was prepared for that (for it's very similar here) and feel comfortable in our similarities and differences.
Other news.... my parents are coming to Kenya by way of Cairo (!) so I am meeting them in Egypt next Wednesday for a trip on the Nile and then we'll return here to spend some time in Ongata Rongai before visiting our family friend Alex in Western Kenya (provided it's safe). I'm so excited for the trip and to see them. And speaking of all things home, yesterday I met people from my home town (St. Cloud, MN) here in Ongata Rongai, Kenya. They didn't seem to know my parents but since the woman Robin Hasselan (sp?) taught child education at SCSU I thought she might know Dee Lamb (Allyssa's mom) which she did. It was so bizarre to find that out. They were visiting the center here b/c (I think) their church (First Presbyterian) supports the center in some way.
I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
on doing nothing, politics and chocolate chip cookies
It started raining last night and continued until about 11am this morning. As a result, after breakfast at 8:30am it was suggested to me that I not go to work because the roads would be very muddy and not many people would be at the clinic. I had Peter (the father of the family) call the head nurse. She was at home and not planning to go in until it let up or until she was urgently needed. So I read and wrote until it stopped and then was planning to head to the clinic at about 12pm when it was suggested to me that it was almost lunch time so I ought to stay and have lunch and then go to the clinic. I readily agreed to this since the food at home is so good.. and set about to do my laundry (with the "help" of the resident two-year-old, Meshack). Somehow it got to about 3pm when we finally had our lunch. So, I decided to write the blog and pick up some groceries for the house and go to work tomorrow. I had a wonderful day in part because I didn't allow myself to set Western standards about getting things done. I was doing important things by much of the world's standards. I could tell Mary and Peter have been around enough Americans that they kept explaining to me why we couldn't have been more productive today. In the Philippines I had a hard time with it sometimes but it's not as if I dislike reading or talking politics with people...
Speaking of politics: I watched 3 hours of Kenyan parliament last night. Probably more. The MP's (ministers of parliament) were electing a speaker (it took 3 votes) and a deputy speaker. They both ended up being of the ODM party (Kibaki the president is of the PNU party) which I thought would make things more peaceful here because the ODM got some of their people in important places but not so. Others I was watching with felt this was bad because now nothing would get done because the opposition would just oppose anything (it's their job I guess). The voting had already begun when I was at the clinic and since the nurses all seemed to be rooting for PNU I asked what distinguished the 2 parties. I got the following answer: "PNU wants to develop the country while ODM wants to destroy it." Hmmmm. Luckily, Mary and Peter have a college-aged son, John, who is happy to explain things and really likes to discuss things in an enlightened manner. From observing it does seem ODM is being ridiculous in the ways they are protesting the presidential election but John has explained to me that the court isn't independent enough from the president for ODM to be able to trust a ruling so they're protesting in all sorts of ways.
Chocolate chip cookies? Another student (the students left last night) and I made chocolate chip cookies for the family (with no measuring cups and with an over without a temp. gauge). Big hit (we made about 70 to ensure that everyone could have at least 2-3. That's how many people are drifting through the house at any moment).
Speaking of politics: I watched 3 hours of Kenyan parliament last night. Probably more. The MP's (ministers of parliament) were electing a speaker (it took 3 votes) and a deputy speaker. They both ended up being of the ODM party (Kibaki the president is of the PNU party) which I thought would make things more peaceful here because the ODM got some of their people in important places but not so. Others I was watching with felt this was bad because now nothing would get done because the opposition would just oppose anything (it's their job I guess). The voting had already begun when I was at the clinic and since the nurses all seemed to be rooting for PNU I asked what distinguished the 2 parties. I got the following answer: "PNU wants to develop the country while ODM wants to destroy it." Hmmmm. Luckily, Mary and Peter have a college-aged son, John, who is happy to explain things and really likes to discuss things in an enlightened manner. From observing it does seem ODM is being ridiculous in the ways they are protesting the presidential election but John has explained to me that the court isn't independent enough from the president for ODM to be able to trust a ruling so they're protesting in all sorts of ways.
Chocolate chip cookies? Another student (the students left last night) and I made chocolate chip cookies for the family (with no measuring cups and with an over without a temp. gauge). Big hit (we made about 70 to ensure that everyone could have at least 2-3. That's how many people are drifting through the house at any moment).
Monday, January 14, 2008
"When elephants fight, the grass suffers"
This is a Kenyan saying that was used recently in an editorial to describe the fighting going on between rich politicians and the effect it has an on the average, poor Kenyan citizen.
It's been a while since I have been able to write. The first news (besides that I am safe and happy) is that I will be staying in Ongata Rongai a little longer than I originally intended. I originally planned to head to the other site, Ugunja Community Resource Center, tomorrow or the next day. However, even though that specific area is safe, my current host family is concerned about upcoming demonstrations (planned demonstrations have been continuously canceled and rescheduled but you never know- they could actually take place this Wed. and Thurs.) and particularly the travel itself. So it looks like I'm here for another few days and we'll relook the situation. Not that I'm complaining- the family is wonderful and I'm learning so much at the clinic. Last Thursday I went to Gataka, a slightly more rural town - 45minutes walk from the area I'm staying. The Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Group that runs the school, feeding center and medical check-ups here in Ongata Rongai also had a preschool and feeding center in Gataka. There is very little employment in Gataka (even less it seems than here) and many people make a sort of moonshine and as a result it seems that there are a lot of problems with alcoholism. The center in Gataka employs (and I use this term loosely because they cannot afford to pay them) a social worker and a teacher. The SW visits homes of the children about once a month unless there is a problem (child is absent or having behavioral problems) and the teacher (and asst.- for 57 3-6 year olds) teaches a little math, English, Swahili and they play some music and dancing games. I can't even start to explain how cute the kids are. The kids (as in Ongata Rongai) are also fed a lunch meal (most of them would probably note get lunch at home). Once the teacher, Nancy, found out I was a nurse she had me look at a couple of kids. Luckily, I had been at the clinic long enough to recognize things I wouldn't have known before but I took pictures with my digital camera and confirmed with the medical officer at the clinic the next day before purchasing medication for them (mostly deworming medication). Today one of the students and I will go with the teacher and SW to get bicycles for them (and the center) so that they won't have a 1 1/2 walk every day (w/out payment). To be fair, I should mention that the center paid for the SW's schooling and pays for food or other necessities that the workers need.
Before I go on I'd like to take the time to mention that anyone who wants to donate money is MOST welcome to do so. The Wagner students were required to raise at least $200 each and then one of their projects has been to figure out things/people/projects they would like the center to spend the money on. Some examples: 1. paying for 3 months rent of a shop/home for a family that just lost their father and only breadwinner to AIDS. The managers of the ctr advised that this was a good way to spend money b/c the family will be able to get back on its feet, pay for the kids (2) schooling and run a profitable business- self-sufficient in a matter of months. 2. Paying for boarding school (about $350/yr) for an 8-yr old probably being exploited by men that come into her home to buy alcohol and sexually abuse her when her mother, a prositute, is not home. I apologize for being so graphic but it was a very disturbing visit to find an 8 yr old home alone with 2 strange, drunk men and my host really suspects that that is what is occurring. 3. Buying chickens for a family to raise and make money off eggs/chickens 4. Just buying food for families that are hungry- this of course is not sustainable but really needed sometimes. If anyone would like to donate you can mail a check to my home address 1020 Grand Concourse 22P Bronx, NY 10451, let me know how much you sent and I will have my roommate deposite it and ALL of the money will go to projects here (or you can specify which kind of project you're interested in giving to and I will make sure that happens). I also recommend giving to the red cross right now for all the Kenyans displaced by the violence, unable to work on their farms.
Obviously, I know there are many good causes out there and I am not writing this blog for donations- just wanted to give people the option of giving directly. There also might be a place to donate online if you search the Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Charity... P.S. this is not an evangelical charity at all- most people are Christian here but the work is not intended to change people's religion.
Back to what's been going on... on Sat. I played soccer for about 2 hours with a bunch of Kenyans and 2 of the students. At first we were just trying to keep the ball away from the other team (no goals). I never realized that scoring goals actually gives the players a bit of respite. 20 minutes after playing non-stop I thought my lungs were going to burst through my chest. We played 2 games after that and my team won both. It being my team and my team winning had nothing to do with me... it had to do with the fact that 2 AMAZING soccer players that hang around the house- were on my team- Tabitha and Rael. Rael is getting to go to secondary school this year because a Wagner student payed for her uniform and school supplies. This girl can run forever and fast!
I'd love to write more- I have so much to tell but I should also do some work too! I'll have to write about the adorable baby elephants at the elephant orphanage later. :)
It's been a while since I have been able to write. The first news (besides that I am safe and happy) is that I will be staying in Ongata Rongai a little longer than I originally intended. I originally planned to head to the other site, Ugunja Community Resource Center, tomorrow or the next day. However, even though that specific area is safe, my current host family is concerned about upcoming demonstrations (planned demonstrations have been continuously canceled and rescheduled but you never know- they could actually take place this Wed. and Thurs.) and particularly the travel itself. So it looks like I'm here for another few days and we'll relook the situation. Not that I'm complaining- the family is wonderful and I'm learning so much at the clinic. Last Thursday I went to Gataka, a slightly more rural town - 45minutes walk from the area I'm staying. The Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Group that runs the school, feeding center and medical check-ups here in Ongata Rongai also had a preschool and feeding center in Gataka. There is very little employment in Gataka (even less it seems than here) and many people make a sort of moonshine and as a result it seems that there are a lot of problems with alcoholism. The center in Gataka employs (and I use this term loosely because they cannot afford to pay them) a social worker and a teacher. The SW visits homes of the children about once a month unless there is a problem (child is absent or having behavioral problems) and the teacher (and asst.- for 57 3-6 year olds) teaches a little math, English, Swahili and they play some music and dancing games. I can't even start to explain how cute the kids are. The kids (as in Ongata Rongai) are also fed a lunch meal (most of them would probably note get lunch at home). Once the teacher, Nancy, found out I was a nurse she had me look at a couple of kids. Luckily, I had been at the clinic long enough to recognize things I wouldn't have known before but I took pictures with my digital camera and confirmed with the medical officer at the clinic the next day before purchasing medication for them (mostly deworming medication). Today one of the students and I will go with the teacher and SW to get bicycles for them (and the center) so that they won't have a 1 1/2 walk every day (w/out payment). To be fair, I should mention that the center paid for the SW's schooling and pays for food or other necessities that the workers need.
Before I go on I'd like to take the time to mention that anyone who wants to donate money is MOST welcome to do so. The Wagner students were required to raise at least $200 each and then one of their projects has been to figure out things/people/projects they would like the center to spend the money on. Some examples: 1. paying for 3 months rent of a shop/home for a family that just lost their father and only breadwinner to AIDS. The managers of the ctr advised that this was a good way to spend money b/c the family will be able to get back on its feet, pay for the kids (2) schooling and run a profitable business- self-sufficient in a matter of months. 2. Paying for boarding school (about $350/yr) for an 8-yr old probably being exploited by men that come into her home to buy alcohol and sexually abuse her when her mother, a prositute, is not home. I apologize for being so graphic but it was a very disturbing visit to find an 8 yr old home alone with 2 strange, drunk men and my host really suspects that that is what is occurring. 3. Buying chickens for a family to raise and make money off eggs/chickens 4. Just buying food for families that are hungry- this of course is not sustainable but really needed sometimes. If anyone would like to donate you can mail a check to my home address 1020 Grand Concourse 22P Bronx, NY 10451, let me know how much you sent and I will have my roommate deposite it and ALL of the money will go to projects here (or you can specify which kind of project you're interested in giving to and I will make sure that happens). I also recommend giving to the red cross right now for all the Kenyans displaced by the violence, unable to work on their farms.
Obviously, I know there are many good causes out there and I am not writing this blog for donations- just wanted to give people the option of giving directly. There also might be a place to donate online if you search the Ongata Rongai Christian Women's Charity... P.S. this is not an evangelical charity at all- most people are Christian here but the work is not intended to change people's religion.
Back to what's been going on... on Sat. I played soccer for about 2 hours with a bunch of Kenyans and 2 of the students. At first we were just trying to keep the ball away from the other team (no goals). I never realized that scoring goals actually gives the players a bit of respite. 20 minutes after playing non-stop I thought my lungs were going to burst through my chest. We played 2 games after that and my team won both. It being my team and my team winning had nothing to do with me... it had to do with the fact that 2 AMAZING soccer players that hang around the house- were on my team- Tabitha and Rael. Rael is getting to go to secondary school this year because a Wagner student payed for her uniform and school supplies. This girl can run forever and fast!
I'd love to write more- I have so much to tell but I should also do some work too! I'll have to write about the adorable baby elephants at the elephant orphanage later. :)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
"No hurry in Africa..."
One of our hosts said that the other day as I was rushing a bit to catch up with her. I had 2 amazing days. Yesterday I spent another day at the clinic Wananchi (Community) Jamii (Family) Clinic. It was so much busier than the other day- I think in part because of the post-election chaos and in part because it was still school holidays then. I was with Rose, a nurse, for the morning. There are no doctors at the clinic- only 5 nurses and a couple of other staff who manage to run the clinic (for very little cost to the patients) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Rose and I saw 20-some patients in the first 3 hours. I say "Rose and I" but Rose really does the work and I assist only. I took notes on the first 18 of the day and then had to stop. Example: 1. A 44 yo male who had come in the night before for stitches in his cheek after being knifed. He was stitched and given a tetanus shot last night. He came back yesterday for antiobiotics, painkiller, and to pay the rest of his bill. 2. Possible bacterial meningitis. A woman who looked to be about 40 (but I don't know), she had come in the day before unable to move her neck and they had given her an antibiotic injection. If it didn't improve by today they would have referred her out to a bigger hospital to run tests. She had some improvement today so they gave her another injection on antibiotics. I asked about this treatment (it seemed slow for treatment of meningitis) and Rose explained that if it were a child he/she would be referred directly b/c the meng. could progress more quickly. 3. was a prenatal visit (2nd child, everything normal) 4. a weight check for an infant and vaccinations (DPT and 1st polio vaccine which is oral). Rose asked me to give the oral vaccine which I did but I declined to give the injection. I wasn't quite ready to cause babies to scream. I discussed vaccinations with the owner of the clinic (Magdalen- also a nurse) and she found it shocking that people in the U.S. sometimes refused vaccinations. During the day we did many more vaccinations, many more prenatal checks, many malaria tests and medications... we also treated burns, UTI's, typhoid etc... I learned so much yesterday I can't begin to record all of it. Everyone is so nice too- and most of the workers I meet (teachers, nurses, social workers) rarely, if ever, get paid. After another amazing dinner I spoke with Mar-i and Peter's (hosts) youngest son John about Kenyan and U.S. politics. Really interesting. From the people I've spoken to it seems that the Kenyan parties don't have much ideology attached to them- that they serve as a platform to advance one's own interests (I'm not really saying here how much that does or doesn't differ from American politics. So people switch parties all the time. Kenya is evidently considering a rule about not allowing members of the opposition to serve in the cabinet of the Pres. w/out permission from the parties. This at first seemed counter-intuitive to me - it seems like a good thing to have the opposition as balance but I guess since there isn't ideology attached to that party/person it happens that the person serving under the pres. just does what the pres. wants. AND since that person has essentially left the opposition party by joining the president's cabinet - the opposition is drained of its leaders and the opposition is weakened. Opposition of what if there is no ideology? Opposition just to be opposition- a balance of sorts to question the current authority. Hmmm... (All of this that I've gleaned is from 2-3 Kenyans only AND for the sake of time, I left out all the tribal implications. I'm currently living in a Kikuyu area- Kibaki is a Kikuyu- so even if they think the election was a sham they're not unhappy to have him as president still) As for U.S. politics, most Kenyans seemed really interested in what being Republican or Democrat means. And most of them are excited about Obama b/c his father was Kenyan.
Today and its excitement will have to wait. Kwaheri (good-bye in Swahili)
Today and its excitement will have to wait. Kwaheri (good-bye in Swahili)
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Safari
For the past couple of days I've been on safari with James and Maureen (our hosts in Nairobi), one other volunteer and 6 students. It's a lot of time in a car but absolutely worth it. So far we've seen lions (including cubs), warthogs, zebras, all sorts of antelope-like animals, elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, ostriches, lots of beautiful birds that actually fly, water buffalo and wildebeasts. We saw all these animals at Masai Mara. Masai is the tribe made famous for the way they elongate their ears and Mara means "land of scattered bushes). I also had the chance to meet many Masai who worked at the campsite at which we stayed. I was a real tourist of a Masai village- the huts in which they slept were so dark and (as is often shown in pictures) there were so many flies- especially on children's faces. When I returned to camp I found out I had missed the monkeys running around the camp and one of the Masai workers at the camp offered to take me on a walk to see some monkeys. On our way out he grabbed his spear "in case of lions". I let him know that if a lion showed up I intended to leave as quickly as possible. He laughed. We didn't end up seeing any monkeys although we saw a Maribo (bird), a bushbuck and a dikdik (looks like a cross b/w a rabbit and a small deer). He also regaled me with plenty of stories: apparently he sometimes accompanies a filmmaker from Pennsylvania into Tanzania to film pygmies (or that's what I understood from his description, he was a little difficult to understand although since English is an official language, most Kenyans speak it well). He told me that they were "stupid" because they ate baboon and hyena meat instead of antelope and other larger, tastier animals. I didn't really know what to say to that. We hope to see rhinos and flamingos tomorrow and then we head home. Wherever we go it's a long, bumpy and dusty ride.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
day of banned demonstration
I'm still safe. It was a big day today because of a banned demonstration by ODM (the party that "lost" the pres. election) and of course there is still a lot of violence and problems in many areas around Kenya. I'm not sure it's clear from western media but on Kenyan TV there are a lot of calls for peace and condemnation of protesters looting and burning buildings. At the same time, the media is clearly stating that there needs to be talks between Odinga and Kibaki(pres) and that the problems of the elections should not be swept under the rug to keep peace. Today I went to the clinic I will be more or less visiting/working at for the next couple of weeks. I took about 6 pages of notes, weighed babies, observed a lot.... mostly learned from Magedeline, the head nurse there. I can never write for long because there are always people more or less waiting for me. Our host family prefers that we not go places alone. I am glad we have locals to guide us. The clinic I was at today is not a free clinic but charges minimal fees to keep going. A consultation or 2-3 drugs run about 200-350 kenyan shillings (around $5) but they do not turn people away but treat them for as much as they can pay. When I asked Magdeline if she was from the area she explained to me that she was a community nurse, living and working in her community. That is why, she said, "...I cannot turn people away. If I do and they die I have to pay money for the burial anyway" (the whole community shares the responsibility and financial burden of burying community members). Over the weekend the group will be going on a safari- one of the sons in the family is a tour guide.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
1st day in Kenya
I arrived safe and sound yesterday with the group from Wagner. It was a bit of a nerve-wracking decision to get on the plane after watching the news about the riots and problems here. But I am so glad we came. We have seen no sign of violence although I am aware there is still violence in the country. The family we are staying with and the people in the area (in Ongata Rongai) say they/we are safe in this area. The family we are staying with is so lovely and we are staying in their compound with the extended family. As we walked around today all the kids were shouting "How are you?", most people are smiling. We got in late last night (11pm by the time we got to the house) but they had food for us. It was the best beans and rice I've ever had! Today it is around 75F, sunny and beautiful. It's very dirty with garbage on the ground and lots of donkeys, goats, ducks and chickens. But the people and smiles are so beautiful here. I've got to go.
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