The time is flying here in Kenya. It seems as though every day is a huge adventure and I feel I could write a novel about every day. It is now Tuesday night and I finally have some sort of routine that I think I can get used to. I am starting to feel less and less like a mzungu, but this will definitely be a timely process. My first week in Kenya ended with a very cultural Sunday. Although it was the fourth of July, I found myself completely immersed in an entirely new world like never before. The day started by going to church with my host sister, Irene. We took boda bodas to church, which always seems to be an experience in itself- between trying to stay on the bike and hearing people yell "mzungu" at you every other instant. Once at church, I found myself in a situation I had never been in and could never have imagined. In this Catholic church there was praying, extensive singing, clapping, communion, 400 Kenyans and one white American girl. Although most of the procession was similar to that of a Catholic church at home, it certainly didn't feel like home. It was so incredible to feel as though I was really at the heart of the culture and the people. Looking around the room, I knew that was a sight I would not soon forget.
The rest of the day, the family slept and watched TV. It seems as though when Kenyans rest, they mean business. From my experiences at work and at home, rest is very important to Kenyan life. After resting for a bit, we cooked lunch for about two hours. Kenyans also love oil. So when I say lunch, I mean fried eggs and fries.
Monday came and it was time for work. I took a boda boda into town, filled with both excitement and anxiety. I came here with goals and a real desire to get at the heart of the issues that interest me. If I am to get what I want, it will be done at work, so I felt like a lot was riding on my work experience.
I work at a large house, called the Mission House. The house is complete with bedrooms, a kitchen, and a family room and is very nice to Kenyan standards. I met with two volunteers, one from Finland and one from Sweden who had both been there a few weeks and who live at the house. I was introduced to the women outside in the sewing class. There were about eight of them, some with children and some without but none married. I felt a bit out of place as the director left me to speak with them, yet their english skills left much to be desired. I was unsure of what was appropriate to ask them and the whole language barrier made things challenging. After that I went into the computer "class" which is essentially three computers and three women trying to learn Microsoft programs. It seems as though the directors want me to help out with the computer class, but I'll have to explain to them that I'm not here to teach Microsoft Word skills, alhtough I'm happy to help out now and then.
In the afternoon we visited the Ramand Children's Home. Here, the two volunteers teach girls from 12-16 important lessons like anger management and conflict solving. All of the children here are child offenders who are awaiting a court date. I was a little taken aback when someone explained that two of the girls we were teaching have been accused of murder, one of her own child. To my surprise, most of the girls were extremely happy and completely wonderful. They loved working with us and diligently took notes. They were of course so interested in the American and asked about my family, Obama, what food I like, if I'm married or have a boyfriend, etc. It was really a shame to think about the things these girls did, as it's clear that they are just a product of their environment. Most came from horrible homes and were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, or some simply ran away from home and school. We ended the lesson by a song of choice from the girls, "if you're happy and you know it"-- an interesting choice I thought from child offenders accused of horrendous crimes and living in a children's home without family. After the lesson, we noticed some boys singing hymns and dancing in the courtyard. We all joined in singing, clapping, and dancing. The girls translated to me what they were singing, most of which was about how God will bring them peace and how they will find happiness with God.
At home, I shared my day with Irene as we all cooked dinner. It was such an intersting time as we cooked ugali and sukuma wiki while listening to Ja Rule, Ashlee Simpson, Celine Deon, and Shakira. We all sang along and I felt as though I was a part of the family. I couldn't help but laugh to myself about what music they listen to, it felt kind of like a flashback to the 90s.
Today at work started off with another visit to the Ramand Home. Afterwards, our director met us and seemed to be leading us all over town and I was really clueless to the point of this seemingly endless adventure. Finally we arrived in the office of the Department of Adult Education. It was perfect. I felt as though I was watching my thesis paper write itself as we talked with the woman in charge. She runs a program with adults who previously dropped out of school and are now receiving their education in hopes of being financially self-sufficient. This was just what I was looking for as I asked her about issues of gender inequality in education and why these women dropped out of school in the first place. She touched on the tradition of a valued male education and the lack of value of women's education. She also talked about how this is changing because of various women's empowerment movements. I can't wait to speak with her again and speak with these women. I finally felt like I had a breakthrough and saw something that could actually help me with my work.
Next we visiting the Muslim primary and secondary school. We met with about 20 girls and spoke to them about adolescence. It has been a really interesting experience working with the 29 year old Swedish volunteer and the 22 year old Finnish volunteer. In our free time, we talk about our countries and I feel as though I am really getting a multi-cultural experience.
After work I have been meeting up with my friends to talk and unwind at Nakumat--the local Target. We all buy soda and sit around and talk about our days and what we are experiencing. It is so nice to see everyone and really feel a bit of comfort and home, even if it is at the local convenience store.
