With the camp over, I was ready to fully focus on village banking, what I hope will be my primary project while I'm here. Village banks are self-selected savings and loan associations meant for those normally outside of the formal banking sector. Even though micro-finance is the sexy topic of the decade, most truly poor people are still excluded because of outrageous fees or inaccessibility. With a village bank, the members of the group save small amounts through a share purchase program and those contributions are used to give loans to members in the group. The interest on the loans is kept within the group and then at the end of the year all profits and savings are re-distributed on a proportionate basis to what each member has saved. Best of all, ideally no outside money is needed, which reduced the ever present dependency syndrome in this country. OK, I know that was probably super boring for most of you but when I first saw this program online in August, I was so excited to get it started in Rift Valley. About a month ago I went to Nyanza to stay with another volunteer, Nadiya, and train on creating village banks. That week was awesome, socially and work-wise, and I will have to put pictures up later. Nyanza is like a Different World from where I come from (dang, I miss re-runs).
So far, I have two, possibly three, groups that I could start village banking with. All of them are women's groups and if it works out well hopefully I can expand it more into the interior where it is more needed. Explaining the process is the most difficult thing; it took our donor Nia a few times of me explaining in English for her to understand. Now imagine explaining it in Swahili or having it translated into Maasai where most of the words dealing with finance don't even exist! I'll be at all the meetings for the groups the first 2 months at least, so hopefully any misunderstandings can be resolved. And, thankfully, these are women I have known for a few months so we understand each other generally a bit more. I wanted to start off in January with the groups up and running but this country basically shuts down after mid-December- no complaints here!
Hope everyone is enjoying the snow, my uncle sent me a picture of snow covered Cleveland and not being home for Christmas is actually a much bigger bummer than I thought it would be. I had to physically stop myself from dissolving into tears many times yesterday and have just resolved to believe that Christmas is not actually happening this year. This is made easier by the fact that I am currently sitting in the sun with a T-shirt on ;-)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Day 5: Career/ Future
So.... this day took place a week and a half ago but after the camp ended I was too tired to post for awhile...
The last day of the camp was about career exploration and goal setting. If you ask an average a Kenyan student- girl or boy- what they want to be when they grow up you will invariably get doctor or nurse with the occasional teacher or accountant thrown in. While an overwhelming number of students wanting to be a medical professional is generally present in any country, what makes it more difficult in Kenya is that the kids really don't get to choose what they will study in college/university. You take a standardized test (similar to the Regents for my New York readers) and your scores on that test determine what, if any, major university program you qualify for. If you score high enough for the medical track, you can study medicine. If not, you won't be becoming a doctor unless you have a ton of money. In other words, my gameplan of choosing a major senior year of college would not have gone over nicely here...
Since they don't really get to choose what they want to do, I mostly wanted them to know about other careers that are out there and how to set realistic goals. If you don't qualify for one of the major tracks, all hope is not lost. There are hundreds of diploma and certificate programs someone can get in all sorts of subjects. I can't tell you how well these are regarded but at least they are out there. We had two women come and talk about their respective careers- one is a social worker and the other a youth officer. Then an education officer came to talk to them about how to choose a career path. After lunch we played two games to demonstrate the importance of realistic goal setting and networking (thanks Antony and PEPFAR!). Before the last session started, it was time for the question cup. At the beginning of the week, I put a question cup in the house and told the girls they could put any questions in there that they were too shy to ask in front of the gang. On the last day I answered all of the questions they had placed in the cup. Here are a few highlights from the cup:
--How do I stop having a boyfriend after having one for a long time?
--I hate my big pot belly and always worry my shirt won't cover it. How can I reduce?
--I like a boy but he never pays attention to me more than a friend, how can I get him to be my boyfriend?
It was a fun conversation to have with them and hopefully I gave them decent answers!
The last activity of the week was to make a vision board. Major shout out to all of you who have sent me magazines the past six months, they not only gave reading pleasure to the Peace Corps Kenya community but also were great resources for the girls to make their vision boards with. Essence and Ebony were naturally great hits!
So, with the camp over I retired to my room to relax and enjoy a (few) glass (es) of wine :-)
Bad internet today so pictures to come another day!
The last day of the camp was about career exploration and goal setting. If you ask an average a Kenyan student- girl or boy- what they want to be when they grow up you will invariably get doctor or nurse with the occasional teacher or accountant thrown in. While an overwhelming number of students wanting to be a medical professional is generally present in any country, what makes it more difficult in Kenya is that the kids really don't get to choose what they will study in college/university. You take a standardized test (similar to the Regents for my New York readers) and your scores on that test determine what, if any, major university program you qualify for. If you score high enough for the medical track, you can study medicine. If not, you won't be becoming a doctor unless you have a ton of money. In other words, my gameplan of choosing a major senior year of college would not have gone over nicely here...
Since they don't really get to choose what they want to do, I mostly wanted them to know about other careers that are out there and how to set realistic goals. If you don't qualify for one of the major tracks, all hope is not lost. There are hundreds of diploma and certificate programs someone can get in all sorts of subjects. I can't tell you how well these are regarded but at least they are out there. We had two women come and talk about their respective careers- one is a social worker and the other a youth officer. Then an education officer came to talk to them about how to choose a career path. After lunch we played two games to demonstrate the importance of realistic goal setting and networking (thanks Antony and PEPFAR!). Before the last session started, it was time for the question cup. At the beginning of the week, I put a question cup in the house and told the girls they could put any questions in there that they were too shy to ask in front of the gang. On the last day I answered all of the questions they had placed in the cup. Here are a few highlights from the cup:
--How do I stop having a boyfriend after having one for a long time?
--I hate my big pot belly and always worry my shirt won't cover it. How can I reduce?
--I like a boy but he never pays attention to me more than a friend, how can I get him to be my boyfriend?
It was a fun conversation to have with them and hopefully I gave them decent answers!
The last activity of the week was to make a vision board. Major shout out to all of you who have sent me magazines the past six months, they not only gave reading pleasure to the Peace Corps Kenya community but also were great resources for the girls to make their vision boards with. Essence and Ebony were naturally great hits!
So, with the camp over I retired to my room to relax and enjoy a (few) glass (es) of wine :-)
Bad internet today so pictures to come another day!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Days 3&4: Life Skills& Environment
By Day 3, I was exhausted and so thankful that the other PCVs were there to help me de-stress! I was actually giving the lecture on Day 3. Life Skills is supposed to be taught in secondary schools in Kenya, but many schools don't offer it because they lack a teacher. It is supposed to cover things like dealing with peer pressure, gender roles, self-esteem, etc. Since many of the girls are headed into secondary and the others are headed into the real world, I wanted to start them off with a little help. I gave a discussion on stress, what causes stress, and the best ways to deal with it. Next, Andrea gave a session on yoga and meditation which was VERY well received. On Friday, a mom told me that her daughter came home that day and gave her some meditation tips. Although it was hard to do a lot of the poses, like warrior pose, in skirts, the girls had a lot of fun and I especially liked the 10 minute quiet reflection :-) In the afternoon, I did a second session on self-esteem. Many of the girls lack confidence, they don't speak up and speak very low when they are asked something. We talked about surrounding ourselves with positive people and then we had a mini photo shoot in the courtyard, where I had to resist saying several times, "THE CAMERA LOVES YOU!" After the photo shoot, they all made and decorated their own "stress diaries".
Thursday was Environment Day and the JICA volunteer, Sachiko, came over to give a talk on environmental education. There's a big disconnect though because they all know the things they need to do to save the environment, the namely saving and replanting trees. Yet, most families still use charcoal or firewood to cook meals and heat water. I tried to garner some interest in biomass briquettes when I first got here but it's a bit like hybrid cars- the price point isn't quite there for the low/middle income consumer. In any case, after the lecture, we went back to the house to try and cook a cake with a solar cooker (Thanks Giles and Nia!). Unfortunately, the day became overcast so the cake was half cooked in the solar and half in the jiko oven. The last activity of the day was supposed to be making a sack garden, something I was really excited about, but rain was looming so we just enjoyed the afternoon off.
Enjoy the pictures!
Hellen posing for the camera
Andrea leading yoga and meditation
I really need to stretch more!
Siato smiling!
Thursday was Environment Day and the JICA volunteer, Sachiko, came over to give a talk on environmental education. There's a big disconnect though because they all know the things they need to do to save the environment, the namely saving and replanting trees. Yet, most families still use charcoal or firewood to cook meals and heat water. I tried to garner some interest in biomass briquettes when I first got here but it's a bit like hybrid cars- the price point isn't quite there for the low/middle income consumer. In any case, after the lecture, we went back to the house to try and cook a cake with a solar cooker (Thanks Giles and Nia!). Unfortunately, the day became overcast so the cake was half cooked in the solar and half in the jiko oven. The last activity of the day was supposed to be making a sack garden, something I was really excited about, but rain was looming so we just enjoyed the afternoon off.
Enjoy the pictures!
Hellen posing for the camera
Andrea leading yoga and meditation
I really need to stretch more!
Siato smiling!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Day 2: Health
The theme for Tuesday was all health related, which was great because I got to utilize some fellow public health volunteers. Clare came from Eastern province and helped with field day games but first we had a discussion with a female doctor from the hospital. The girls got to ask her all kinds of questions about their bodies, female circumcision, sex, illness, disease, etc and they were much more active than I had thought they would be. But of course, as always, I tried to do way too many things at one time. Those of you who watched my Cribs video know that my house is, ahem, small to say the least. Knowing I would have 2-3 people staying with me this week, I had to do something to create a bit more space. I never bought a bed frame when I got to site, I just used the one that was already waiting in my bedroom. However, it was a bit too small for my mattress meaning I could never quite tuck my mosquito net in. Last week, I decided to get a new bed made, one with drawers underneath so that I would finally have a place to put my clothes. Sounds simple enough right? Wrong. First, the fundi (carpenter) changed the price on me. He told me he would have it ready by Sunday and when I went to pick it up, not only was it not ready but he was trying to charge me an extra 1500 shillings! We got all that taken care of and I told him I would be by to pick up the bed on Tuesday morning. I get there Tuesday and the drawers are on the wrong side of the bed! The way my room is situation, I really need to have the bed where it is so now my bed is sitting backwards in my room. Which, I guess I should feel lucky because it almost didn't fit in the room at all.
After this little fiasco, it was time to start the camp for the day. After the doctor's session, Clare began Field Day. The girls LOVED it! We played dizzy bat, jump rope, had a sack race, a balloon race, did limbo and musical chairs. Many of the girls had never played any of the games, save maybe jump rope, and they are all teenagers! Since it was all fairly new to them they really enjoyed playing and just being outside.
After lunch we had a session on basic first aid. Many of them do not know what to do when someone is choking or how to care for a basic burn or sprain. We stressed the importance of keeping your wounds clean since the doctor told me that morning a little girl will have to have her foot amputated because she burned it three weeks ago and her father had just been trying to treat it with herbal remedies so it turned gangerous. Not fun. After first aid training, we talked about peer pressure and I gave them scenarios with different situations. They then made a drama, song, or story about how the person in the scenario should handle the problem. I was really impressed with their creativity!
In the middle of all this, another PCV Andrea came from Eastern to help out on Wednesday. It hasn't rained in about a month here but of course the day I need to schlep to town to get visitors, it's pouring! We decided to beat the rain and stop off for a drink at one of the restaurants I like.
Pictures!!!!!!!!!!
Limbo!
Anita and the sack race
Hellen going for the gold in the balloon race!
Masioi and Jecinta touching the ground with the jump rope
Jecinta won the limbo!
After this little fiasco, it was time to start the camp for the day. After the doctor's session, Clare began Field Day. The girls LOVED it! We played dizzy bat, jump rope, had a sack race, a balloon race, did limbo and musical chairs. Many of the girls had never played any of the games, save maybe jump rope, and they are all teenagers! Since it was all fairly new to them they really enjoyed playing and just being outside.
After lunch we had a session on basic first aid. Many of them do not know what to do when someone is choking or how to care for a basic burn or sprain. We stressed the importance of keeping your wounds clean since the doctor told me that morning a little girl will have to have her foot amputated because she burned it three weeks ago and her father had just been trying to treat it with herbal remedies so it turned gangerous. Not fun. After first aid training, we talked about peer pressure and I gave them scenarios with different situations. They then made a drama, song, or story about how the person in the scenario should handle the problem. I was really impressed with their creativity!
In the middle of all this, another PCV Andrea came from Eastern to help out on Wednesday. It hasn't rained in about a month here but of course the day I need to schlep to town to get visitors, it's pouring! We decided to beat the rain and stop off for a drink at one of the restaurants I like.
Pictures!!!!!!!!!!
Limbo!
Anita and the sack race
Hellen going for the gold in the balloon race!
Masioi and Jecinta touching the ground with the jump rope
Jecinta won the limbo!
Pictures from Leadership Day!
More posts to come tonight... I have never been so excited for a Friday!
Enjoying the discussion
Trying to untangle the knot
Success!
Women leaders they admire
Enjoying the discussion
Trying to untangle the knot
Success!
Women leaders they admire
Monday, November 29, 2010
Camp Day One: Leadership
As I said awhile back, I have been working on a holiday camp for the girls when they are home from school and the preparation for the camp has been the main cause of my lack of posts lately. During their last holiday break I noticed the majority of the time was spent watching Nigerian movies on the couch. While that may be fun for a week or two of decompressing after a term of school, a whole month and the girls just seemed bored. Today was the first day and, of course, it didn't go smoothly but went well nonetheless.
The speaker for today was a woman named Sintalo who I met at the plow competition at the end of October. She is young, Maasai, and a financial advisor for an insurance company so I thought she would be the perfect one to talk to the girls about leadership. She can relate to the girls and what they are going through in their lives right now in ways I just can't. The session was fantastic even though we did start an hour late. For the most part, the girls seemed interested and asked a bunch of questions so smiles :-)
After lunch we started with an activity, The Human Knot, where the girls stand in a circle and grab the hands of two people opposite them and then have to untangle themselves. After that we talked about different leadership styles and they each drew a picture or wrote a poem about a woman leader they admire and why. One drew a picture of me! I have been feeling really homesick the last week so that really helped me remember why I'm here and to keep on pushin'! They are all really shy and speak with a real lack of confidence so I hope I can work with them on speaking up and speaking out.
Now, PCV Clare is here from Eastern to help with tomorrow's activities. Stay tuned!
Pictures coming soon!
The speaker for today was a woman named Sintalo who I met at the plow competition at the end of October. She is young, Maasai, and a financial advisor for an insurance company so I thought she would be the perfect one to talk to the girls about leadership. She can relate to the girls and what they are going through in their lives right now in ways I just can't. The session was fantastic even though we did start an hour late. For the most part, the girls seemed interested and asked a bunch of questions so smiles :-)
After lunch we started with an activity, The Human Knot, where the girls stand in a circle and grab the hands of two people opposite them and then have to untangle themselves. After that we talked about different leadership styles and they each drew a picture or wrote a poem about a woman leader they admire and why. One drew a picture of me! I have been feeling really homesick the last week so that really helped me remember why I'm here and to keep on pushin'! They are all really shy and speak with a real lack of confidence so I hope I can work with them on speaking up and speaking out.
Now, PCV Clare is here from Eastern to help with tomorrow's activities. Stay tuned!
Pictures coming soon!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Pictionary: Transport
Sorry for the delay in writing folks. I've been in and out of site for different meetings and trainings, don't worry I'll catch you all up on it. First, I would like to dedicate this blog post to my mom who is always confused by my Kenyan lexicon and inspired this topic. Also, hello to Brian's mom- thanks for reading!
Transport in Kenya, while improving everyday thanks to China and their money for tarmac roads, is still not really ever a pleasant experience. There are, however, a myriad of options to get from point A to point B.
Matatu:
This picture was taken from the inside of my matatu on Thanksgiving. A matatu is a Nissan van that is supposed to fit 14 people. Matatus are the primary mode of transportation for most Kenyans who are going farther than 20 or 30km. Each town has a matatu stage where all of the vans congregate and vie for the business of travelers headed in their direction. If you are trying to get someplace but you aren't near a stage, just start walking in the direction of your destination and flag one down. There are two seats in the front plus a console seat and the driver's seat, and then 2 rows of 3 seats, and one back row of 4 seats. I don't have to tell you all that 14 is never the number of people in a matatu- unless you are nearing a police checkpoint. One time Frank and I rode back from Kisumu with 23 other people!
Tuk Tuk (Narok): I don't yet have a picture of the Narok version of a tuk tuk but it's a van about half the size of a matatu. These are used to get from my house to town (about 3 km). It costs 20 shillings (about a quarter) per ride and normally they don't pack them tightly because there are so many running back and forth to town. It is, however, very small (think Geo Metro) and takes some maneuvering of the hips to get in and out.
Tuk Tuk (Kisumu):
These are used in Kisumu, the major city in Western Kenya, to get around the city. Technically they hold 3 passengers, but we have fit up to six before. Usually they are open on the sides and the driver sits up front.
Boda Boda:
I really wish I had a picture of myself on the back of one but it's a bit awkward to take. A boda boda is a bicycle that you ride on the back of. They use these a lot in Western and Nyanza, the parts of Kenya close to Uganda. In fact, the term boda boda derives from their original use as a way to get across the border from Kenya to Uganda/ Tanzania. I like this form of transport the best because you get to see a lot of the scenery as you are passing (I have to sit side saddle with my skirt on) but then you start to feel a bit bad as the guy is huffing and puffing your weight, his weight, and the weight of the bike up the hills of Kenya. Other than that, quite a relaxing ride!
Piki piki:
I certainly don't have a picture of myself on one of these because it's strict rule from Peace Corps Kenya that volunteers can't ride motorcycles. In fact, if I'm ever caught on one I will be on the next plane back to America. Kenyans, however, use piki pikis a lot- they are fast becoming a primary mode of transportation especially in the rural areas. Look- it's a family vehicle!
Now, of course, there always the regular forms of transportation- like my two legs. That I use a lot. I also have my own bicycle but after Frank got hit by a truck walking in town, I decided it best to keep my bike excursions off the main road so I don't ride to town. Of course there are private taxis- usually Camry's. There are also shared taxis similar to Ford Taurus wagons if you are only going 20km or so. These should seat 4 total plus the driver but usually there are 4 people in the front, 4 in the back and at least 2 in the boot.
To fully grasp the travel situation here, I'll give a recent example. I went to another PCV, Nadiya's, site in Nyanza to train on village banking last week. To give an idea of distance, Kenya is about 2x the size of Nevada and I was going from the mid-west of the country to the western edge. To get there I...
Took a tuk tuk from my house into town.
Got on the matatu headed west in town.
Switched to another matatu in Kericho (about 3 hours from me)
Got off in Kisumu and took a tuk tuk to the hotel (it's now dark and we aren't supposed to travel after dark)
Stayed the night in the hotel.
Woke up in the morning, met her supervisor and went to two meetings in Kisumu by boda boda (with my 75L hiking back pack on- I thought I was going to tip off the back of the bike!)
Took a boda boda to the Kisumu stage
Got on a matatu to Siaya
Switched to another matatu going to Uranga
Arrived at her site, Uranga, and took a boda boda to her house
Total forms of transportation: 10
Total hours (not including sleeping in Kisumu) :11
More on Nadiya's site later! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I celebrated with other volunteers and we made a great meal but nothing beats home! Miss you all
Transport in Kenya, while improving everyday thanks to China and their money for tarmac roads, is still not really ever a pleasant experience. There are, however, a myriad of options to get from point A to point B.
Matatu:
This picture was taken from the inside of my matatu on Thanksgiving. A matatu is a Nissan van that is supposed to fit 14 people. Matatus are the primary mode of transportation for most Kenyans who are going farther than 20 or 30km. Each town has a matatu stage where all of the vans congregate and vie for the business of travelers headed in their direction. If you are trying to get someplace but you aren't near a stage, just start walking in the direction of your destination and flag one down. There are two seats in the front plus a console seat and the driver's seat, and then 2 rows of 3 seats, and one back row of 4 seats. I don't have to tell you all that 14 is never the number of people in a matatu- unless you are nearing a police checkpoint. One time Frank and I rode back from Kisumu with 23 other people!
Tuk Tuk (Narok): I don't yet have a picture of the Narok version of a tuk tuk but it's a van about half the size of a matatu. These are used to get from my house to town (about 3 km). It costs 20 shillings (about a quarter) per ride and normally they don't pack them tightly because there are so many running back and forth to town. It is, however, very small (think Geo Metro) and takes some maneuvering of the hips to get in and out.
Tuk Tuk (Kisumu):
These are used in Kisumu, the major city in Western Kenya, to get around the city. Technically they hold 3 passengers, but we have fit up to six before. Usually they are open on the sides and the driver sits up front.
Boda Boda:
I really wish I had a picture of myself on the back of one but it's a bit awkward to take. A boda boda is a bicycle that you ride on the back of. They use these a lot in Western and Nyanza, the parts of Kenya close to Uganda. In fact, the term boda boda derives from their original use as a way to get across the border from Kenya to Uganda/ Tanzania. I like this form of transport the best because you get to see a lot of the scenery as you are passing (I have to sit side saddle with my skirt on) but then you start to feel a bit bad as the guy is huffing and puffing your weight, his weight, and the weight of the bike up the hills of Kenya. Other than that, quite a relaxing ride!
Piki piki:
I certainly don't have a picture of myself on one of these because it's strict rule from Peace Corps Kenya that volunteers can't ride motorcycles. In fact, if I'm ever caught on one I will be on the next plane back to America. Kenyans, however, use piki pikis a lot- they are fast becoming a primary mode of transportation especially in the rural areas. Look- it's a family vehicle!
Now, of course, there always the regular forms of transportation- like my two legs. That I use a lot. I also have my own bicycle but after Frank got hit by a truck walking in town, I decided it best to keep my bike excursions off the main road so I don't ride to town. Of course there are private taxis- usually Camry's. There are also shared taxis similar to Ford Taurus wagons if you are only going 20km or so. These should seat 4 total plus the driver but usually there are 4 people in the front, 4 in the back and at least 2 in the boot.
To fully grasp the travel situation here, I'll give a recent example. I went to another PCV, Nadiya's, site in Nyanza to train on village banking last week. To give an idea of distance, Kenya is about 2x the size of Nevada and I was going from the mid-west of the country to the western edge. To get there I...
Took a tuk tuk from my house into town.
Got on the matatu headed west in town.
Switched to another matatu in Kericho (about 3 hours from me)
Got off in Kisumu and took a tuk tuk to the hotel (it's now dark and we aren't supposed to travel after dark)
Stayed the night in the hotel.
Woke up in the morning, met her supervisor and went to two meetings in Kisumu by boda boda (with my 75L hiking back pack on- I thought I was going to tip off the back of the bike!)
Took a boda boda to the Kisumu stage
Got on a matatu to Siaya
Switched to another matatu going to Uranga
Arrived at her site, Uranga, and took a boda boda to her house
Total forms of transportation: 10
Total hours (not including sleeping in Kisumu) :11
More on Nadiya's site later! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I celebrated with other volunteers and we made a great meal but nothing beats home! Miss you all
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Some days...
Some days I don't feel like going into town. It's noisy and dusty and I would just rather hang out around the house. Yesterday was one of those days. However, staying at home turned out to be just as interesting. I'm sitting in my room when I hear a bunch of kids at the gate. Our compound has a metal gate but it's only locked at night. I recognize some of the kids from the neighborhood and I hear the talking about Sianne's bicycle. One of them comes in the gate and I hear them going towards the house saying they are going to take her bike. Of course I can't properly communicate to them why this is not okay so I run in the house and tell the girls Sianne is about to get jacked. Problem solved, or so I think, until I hear them outside of the gate again talking about the bike. Somehow I managed to shoo them away.
When Frank was here last week he started talking about an egg salad sandwich and ever since then I have not been able to get it off of my mind. I had also been craving a tuna fish sandwich for a few weeks so, since lunch and dinner were going to be rice and potatoes again I decided to go to the supermarket and make these sandwiches a reality. I know I am incredibly fortunate that some of my food desires can be instantly satisfied. Frank and Brian would have to travel 3 hours on a bumpy road just to get to this supermarket. There are little vans that travel along the road going into town and they always drop off at a gas station on the edge of town. This gas station also happens to be where my stalker works. When I was fresh in town and trying to do my community needs assessment I made the grave error of giving one of the guys that I knew at the gas station my number so that I could interview him for the report. Silly me. He started calling multiple times in a day/hour to the point where I had to block his number which only made him call from a different number and ask me why I'm blocking his calls. If you have to ask... Finally I told him he is calling too much and to stop calling. Thankfully, he did. But, I still have to pass him nearly every time I go into town because that's where the tuk tuk drops off. Of course he's working yesterday. Here is a synopsis of the conversation:
Stalker: Where have you been?
Me: Here in town.
Stalker: Meet with me tomorrow.
Me: Why?
S: I want to talk to you
Me: About what?
S: About you.
Me: What about me?
S: About me and you. I want to be more than your friend.
Me: No. That's never going to happen. We don't need to meet.
S: But we can try?
Me: No.
You get the picture. I was annoyed and irritated. Ordinarily, I would just blatantly ignore the person but since I have to see him all the time and I'm the one who is new in town, I'm trying to keep things nice.
I really wanted that sandwich so I was trying to get the stuff from the supermarket and get home as soon as possible. On the way back to the gas station to get a tuk tuk home and group of probably mid-20s guys sitting on a bench decided to play the mzungu game. This game is usually played by children and it's annoying even then. It involves the participants saying "How are you?" in an incredibly annoying and nasal voice repeatedly. You can imagine how irritating this is from grown men. Finally, I'm in the tuk tuk and on the way home. But not before the lady sitting next to me decides she needs to sit clooooooseeeeee to me and then tries to fish things out of her purse, which of course means her elbows are flying all over the place in my face. Exasperated I give a look of death and move my arms so that she can't flap her wings all over the place. Ugh. Halfway home and the tuk tuk dies. Great. Now we have to wait for another one and pile in to get home. If I didn't have a bag full of groceries, including eggs in a plastic bag, I would have just walked. But I get to spend the rest of the way home with chicken lady, flapping her elbows all over.
When I got home, I decided to do a little exploring because I was tired of being in the house and desperately needed some exercise. I took a way around the back of the house that I had only been once and found a nice clearing where I could sit and read with only the sound of cow bells interrupting. It was a great two hours of peace and quiet. On the way back home (when everyone looks at the crazy mzungu who sits alone and reads) I run into the gang of kids who tried to steal Sianne's bike rummaging through trash. They ask again for her bike and I say it's not mine or theirs, it's hers. Then they ask for my bike and I tell them they are too small to ride it. Finally they ask for money so I tell them to give me something for my money. They hold up a decaying pineapple from and I politely refuse and keep heading home. For some reason these kids don't annoy me and now them asking me for things has just become a sort of game because they know I won't give them anything. Back at home I see that I missed some good fun. Apparently someone forgot to close the gate and 2 donkeys wondered in the compound. Awesome. I finally made my tuna fish sandwich but forgot how bad tuna makes a room smell. Especially a tin can one. Oh well, it was so worth it and delicious. Then Sianne and I played tag and had a dance party to Maxwell. Even though going to town irritated me, overall the day was really good and I even got some work accomplished in the morning :-)
This is a quick edit to further establish why sometimes staying at home is more fun. I forgot that last night was kind of a girls night where I was in charge of straightening hair (I know- scary that people trust me with an object of 230 degrees on their hair). The salons here use a blow-dryer to straighten, like a Dominican blow out minus the roller set. Ouch. They were amazed that a device existed to straighten without pain. I also learned that the girls are not allowed to have perms at school, no chemicals. They said it's because the teachers think the students will look better than them if they have a perm but whatever the reason, yay for chemical free heads!
Also, lately I have added bike teacher to my job description. Girls here don't ride bikes, in fact, most look at me like a crazy person for riding. But, I told Josephine she can have my bike when I leave if she learns how to ride it. This morning was lesson 2 and I'll just say it gives us all entertainment!
When Frank was here last week he started talking about an egg salad sandwich and ever since then I have not been able to get it off of my mind. I had also been craving a tuna fish sandwich for a few weeks so, since lunch and dinner were going to be rice and potatoes again I decided to go to the supermarket and make these sandwiches a reality. I know I am incredibly fortunate that some of my food desires can be instantly satisfied. Frank and Brian would have to travel 3 hours on a bumpy road just to get to this supermarket. There are little vans that travel along the road going into town and they always drop off at a gas station on the edge of town. This gas station also happens to be where my stalker works. When I was fresh in town and trying to do my community needs assessment I made the grave error of giving one of the guys that I knew at the gas station my number so that I could interview him for the report. Silly me. He started calling multiple times in a day/hour to the point where I had to block his number which only made him call from a different number and ask me why I'm blocking his calls. If you have to ask... Finally I told him he is calling too much and to stop calling. Thankfully, he did. But, I still have to pass him nearly every time I go into town because that's where the tuk tuk drops off. Of course he's working yesterday. Here is a synopsis of the conversation:
Stalker: Where have you been?
Me: Here in town.
Stalker: Meet with me tomorrow.
Me: Why?
S: I want to talk to you
Me: About what?
S: About you.
Me: What about me?
S: About me and you. I want to be more than your friend.
Me: No. That's never going to happen. We don't need to meet.
S: But we can try?
Me: No.
You get the picture. I was annoyed and irritated. Ordinarily, I would just blatantly ignore the person but since I have to see him all the time and I'm the one who is new in town, I'm trying to keep things nice.
I really wanted that sandwich so I was trying to get the stuff from the supermarket and get home as soon as possible. On the way back to the gas station to get a tuk tuk home and group of probably mid-20s guys sitting on a bench decided to play the mzungu game. This game is usually played by children and it's annoying even then. It involves the participants saying "How are you?" in an incredibly annoying and nasal voice repeatedly. You can imagine how irritating this is from grown men. Finally, I'm in the tuk tuk and on the way home. But not before the lady sitting next to me decides she needs to sit clooooooseeeeee to me and then tries to fish things out of her purse, which of course means her elbows are flying all over the place in my face. Exasperated I give a look of death and move my arms so that she can't flap her wings all over the place. Ugh. Halfway home and the tuk tuk dies. Great. Now we have to wait for another one and pile in to get home. If I didn't have a bag full of groceries, including eggs in a plastic bag, I would have just walked. But I get to spend the rest of the way home with chicken lady, flapping her elbows all over.
When I got home, I decided to do a little exploring because I was tired of being in the house and desperately needed some exercise. I took a way around the back of the house that I had only been once and found a nice clearing where I could sit and read with only the sound of cow bells interrupting. It was a great two hours of peace and quiet. On the way back home (when everyone looks at the crazy mzungu who sits alone and reads) I run into the gang of kids who tried to steal Sianne's bike rummaging through trash. They ask again for her bike and I say it's not mine or theirs, it's hers. Then they ask for my bike and I tell them they are too small to ride it. Finally they ask for money so I tell them to give me something for my money. They hold up a decaying pineapple from and I politely refuse and keep heading home. For some reason these kids don't annoy me and now them asking me for things has just become a sort of game because they know I won't give them anything. Back at home I see that I missed some good fun. Apparently someone forgot to close the gate and 2 donkeys wondered in the compound. Awesome. I finally made my tuna fish sandwich but forgot how bad tuna makes a room smell. Especially a tin can one. Oh well, it was so worth it and delicious. Then Sianne and I played tag and had a dance party to Maxwell. Even though going to town irritated me, overall the day was really good and I even got some work accomplished in the morning :-)
This is a quick edit to further establish why sometimes staying at home is more fun. I forgot that last night was kind of a girls night where I was in charge of straightening hair (I know- scary that people trust me with an object of 230 degrees on their hair). The salons here use a blow-dryer to straighten, like a Dominican blow out minus the roller set. Ouch. They were amazed that a device existed to straighten without pain. I also learned that the girls are not allowed to have perms at school, no chemicals. They said it's because the teachers think the students will look better than them if they have a perm but whatever the reason, yay for chemical free heads!
Also, lately I have added bike teacher to my job description. Girls here don't ride bikes, in fact, most look at me like a crazy person for riding. But, I told Josephine she can have my bike when I leave if she learns how to ride it. This morning was lesson 2 and I'll just say it gives us all entertainment!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
TIA= This is Africa
First.... WELCOME TO THE WORLD DARRELL BROCKMAN III! My sister had her second baby on Monday and he was two months early so he will have to stay in the hospital for at least a month. I'm so sad I wasn't there for his birth like I did for his sister (who was also early) but now I can't wait to be greeted by two toddlers when I go home next year :-)
TIA is a common response to the many odd and annoying and sometimes humorous things that occur here. Things work differently here and getting upset about it doesn't do anything but put you in a bad mood so most things get shoved off with a sigh and a "TIA". This past weekend I wanted to meet up with some other volunteers in Kisumu for Halloween. I don't even really like Halloween in the States but it was an excuse to get together and I was all for it. Since I was on my "lets find work kick" last week, I attended the plough contest on Friday and I wasn't able to leave until Saturday. Also, Moses asked me to help teach a business and ICT (computer) class starting Monday so I knew it would be a tight weekend. Kisumu was a blast even though I only had about 24 hours in the city itself. Going there took about 5 hours, which is not too bad. Coming back on Sunday, I didn't get to the stage until 2:30, which means the matatu (van for 12-14 passengers that invariably holds no less than 20) didn't leave until 3 because heaven forbid we leave without filling each and every nook and cranny in the vehicle. TIA. We were making good time to Kericho, where I have to switch matatus for one going to Narok. That's when the fun really began. Again, I'm the first one in the matatu so I have to wait an hour for all the other passengers to come and fill up. In that time span, the hawkers are constantly coming up to the window to hassle me to buy things I don't want or need like spoons and terrible looking books. My friend Frank said he counted the number that accosted him while waiting for a matatu in Kisumu and lost track after 117. TIA. Finally, we are leaving Kericho and we get to Bomet, which is about an hour and a half away from Narok. The matatu stops in Bomet, empties and then we wait another hour for more people to fill it up. After going on the road for about 20 minutes, we ALL have to get out and switch to another matatu. Now we have so many people in the matatu that four are standing on the door ledge and are only halfway in the car. It's cold and raining but we have to ride with the door open because we can't close it with four people riding in it. Why all this switching of vehicles? TIA is the only answer I can think of.
Monday, I wake up bright and early to go to this class that I rushed from Kisumu for. I get there and 5 students are already there as well as Moses, all on time and I'm quite surprised. We set up the computers and start to talk and Moses and I get called into the head person's office. Apparently, we didn't get sufficient clearance to use the facilities and we need to consult the management committee on Thursday to make sure we have the proper permissions. So we can't really start class until NEXT Monday. Sigh. TIA. We just ended up having an introductory class where each person told us their level of computer literacy and what they wanted out of the business class.
Later in the day on Monday, I was watching The Wire (again- just as good as the first time) and hiding in my room while it was raining. All of the sudden I see a great spark from my ceiling, kind of like when a light bulb blows out but it definitely was not by my light bulb. Ummmm, scary. So like any other hard-core PCV I run in the main house and hide there until the rain stops. The next day, I could see where there was clearly a hole in the tin roof and that must be where the water is coming in. I'm no engineer but I'm pretty sure water and electrical wires don't mix. Before I could get to the bottom of it, it started raining again and now the sparks were really flying. Every few seconds fire sparks would erupt from the place where the wiring was, which is also next to the wooden beam of my roof. I ran and told my supervisor and his wife and he came in my room with a screwdriver, apparently to disconnect the wire from the wall. Again, I'm no electronics genius but I'm pretty sure if something is sparking, handling it with a metal object is not the best course of action. My supervisor's wife, Josephine AKA my bestie in Kenya, sprang into action and threw the wet sweatshirt they use to mop the floor over the hole on top of the roof. Of course this set off more sparks. Then she wanted to take it down but I convinced her to please not touch the metal roof that has electrical currents running through it somewhere. Frank was staying with me the last couple days and he and my supervisor figured out how to turn off the electricity so they could look at the problem. Apparently, the electrical tape had somehow burned through and now the wires were exposed. The water was dripping from the hole onto the exposed wires, hence the sparks. Lovely. In the end, Josephine ended up putting a piece of bubble gum in the hole to stop the water from leaking and Frank pulled the wires from the wall so they are no longer resting on the wooden beam. Clearly, I was very instrumental in helping with this potential disaster. Oh yea, you read right- bubble gum. TIA.
The rain, apart from trying to set my house on fire, also makes all of the critters come from their hiding places and try to find refuge in my sweet home. Armed with a can of Doom (the Kenyan version of RAID), I attacked hard core last night. The bottom of my walls aren't really sealed in any way to the floor so it's pretty much a great place for roaches, beetles, spiders and all of their friends to hide and stay warm and dry. Not last night. I used half the can of Doom and woke up this morning to see some bugs and their comrades laid out on the floor. But not before I saw a roach on the INSIDE of my mosquito net this morning. What did this sucker want? I don't even eat in my room! Oh well. Sigh. TIA.
TIA is a common response to the many odd and annoying and sometimes humorous things that occur here. Things work differently here and getting upset about it doesn't do anything but put you in a bad mood so most things get shoved off with a sigh and a "TIA". This past weekend I wanted to meet up with some other volunteers in Kisumu for Halloween. I don't even really like Halloween in the States but it was an excuse to get together and I was all for it. Since I was on my "lets find work kick" last week, I attended the plough contest on Friday and I wasn't able to leave until Saturday. Also, Moses asked me to help teach a business and ICT (computer) class starting Monday so I knew it would be a tight weekend. Kisumu was a blast even though I only had about 24 hours in the city itself. Going there took about 5 hours, which is not too bad. Coming back on Sunday, I didn't get to the stage until 2:30, which means the matatu (van for 12-14 passengers that invariably holds no less than 20) didn't leave until 3 because heaven forbid we leave without filling each and every nook and cranny in the vehicle. TIA. We were making good time to Kericho, where I have to switch matatus for one going to Narok. That's when the fun really began. Again, I'm the first one in the matatu so I have to wait an hour for all the other passengers to come and fill up. In that time span, the hawkers are constantly coming up to the window to hassle me to buy things I don't want or need like spoons and terrible looking books. My friend Frank said he counted the number that accosted him while waiting for a matatu in Kisumu and lost track after 117. TIA. Finally, we are leaving Kericho and we get to Bomet, which is about an hour and a half away from Narok. The matatu stops in Bomet, empties and then we wait another hour for more people to fill it up. After going on the road for about 20 minutes, we ALL have to get out and switch to another matatu. Now we have so many people in the matatu that four are standing on the door ledge and are only halfway in the car. It's cold and raining but we have to ride with the door open because we can't close it with four people riding in it. Why all this switching of vehicles? TIA is the only answer I can think of.
Monday, I wake up bright and early to go to this class that I rushed from Kisumu for. I get there and 5 students are already there as well as Moses, all on time and I'm quite surprised. We set up the computers and start to talk and Moses and I get called into the head person's office. Apparently, we didn't get sufficient clearance to use the facilities and we need to consult the management committee on Thursday to make sure we have the proper permissions. So we can't really start class until NEXT Monday. Sigh. TIA. We just ended up having an introductory class where each person told us their level of computer literacy and what they wanted out of the business class.
Later in the day on Monday, I was watching The Wire (again- just as good as the first time) and hiding in my room while it was raining. All of the sudden I see a great spark from my ceiling, kind of like when a light bulb blows out but it definitely was not by my light bulb. Ummmm, scary. So like any other hard-core PCV I run in the main house and hide there until the rain stops. The next day, I could see where there was clearly a hole in the tin roof and that must be where the water is coming in. I'm no engineer but I'm pretty sure water and electrical wires don't mix. Before I could get to the bottom of it, it started raining again and now the sparks were really flying. Every few seconds fire sparks would erupt from the place where the wiring was, which is also next to the wooden beam of my roof. I ran and told my supervisor and his wife and he came in my room with a screwdriver, apparently to disconnect the wire from the wall. Again, I'm no electronics genius but I'm pretty sure if something is sparking, handling it with a metal object is not the best course of action. My supervisor's wife, Josephine AKA my bestie in Kenya, sprang into action and threw the wet sweatshirt they use to mop the floor over the hole on top of the roof. Of course this set off more sparks. Then she wanted to take it down but I convinced her to please not touch the metal roof that has electrical currents running through it somewhere. Frank was staying with me the last couple days and he and my supervisor figured out how to turn off the electricity so they could look at the problem. Apparently, the electrical tape had somehow burned through and now the wires were exposed. The water was dripping from the hole onto the exposed wires, hence the sparks. Lovely. In the end, Josephine ended up putting a piece of bubble gum in the hole to stop the water from leaking and Frank pulled the wires from the wall so they are no longer resting on the wooden beam. Clearly, I was very instrumental in helping with this potential disaster. Oh yea, you read right- bubble gum. TIA.
The rain, apart from trying to set my house on fire, also makes all of the critters come from their hiding places and try to find refuge in my sweet home. Armed with a can of Doom (the Kenyan version of RAID), I attacked hard core last night. The bottom of my walls aren't really sealed in any way to the floor so it's pretty much a great place for roaches, beetles, spiders and all of their friends to hide and stay warm and dry. Not last night. I used half the can of Doom and woke up this morning to see some bugs and their comrades laid out on the floor. But not before I saw a roach on the INSIDE of my mosquito net this morning. What did this sucker want? I don't even eat in my room! Oh well. Sigh. TIA.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Look and ye shall find
The second half of last week turned out to be fairly productive and confidence-boosting. After slightly freaking out about the volunteer report form I had to fill out where I felt like I had nothing to fill out, I decided to hit the pavement- hard. Since coming back from training in Nairobi,I had a series of different visitors and officials to plan for and semi-entertain so I hadn't really had much time to find work. On Thursday,I called Sachiko and Moses to see if they knew of any groups I could work with. Sachiko said she was a little bored so I invited her over for dinner. My family loves having guests and they welcomed her, which I really appreciated because I don't really have the space in my shack to play hostess. She ended up staying the night and then we were greeted in the morning by Nia's son, Giles, making crepes! They were delicious :-) and a great way to start out a Friday.
After a great breakfast, I said good bye to Giles and Nia, who were heading back Friday evening and set out to meet some of the women in Rotian. There was a plough contest sponsored by the Ministries of Livestock and Agriculture. I had been told that they would also be exhibiting some goats so I invited the women so they could see some dairy goats but, alas, no animals were there. Except the donkeys pulling ploughs. I felt bad that I dragged the women to town and away from their jobs and didn't even have what was promised so I tried to make the best of it and snagged one of the livestock officers to answer their questions. They also got some pointers from the agriculture officer about how to make farming a business. I pounced on this opportunity and told him that I was a business advisor working in town for the next two years and I would looooove to advise some farmers on agri-business. We set up a meeting for next week, so hopefully I will get some more people to work with out of it.
On the way back into town with the women, I ran into Moses and he wanted to hang out for awhile. Usually I wouldn't have minded but I was filthy. The farm where the exhibition was was dusty and Narok itself is pretty dusty on a normal day. That day was windy and I literally had a layer of dirt/dust on my skin. Luckily I was wearing brown (and I am brown) so I didn't look too terrible but I just wanted to go home and take a bath. I'm glad I stuck around though because he took me to a friends house so I got to meet more people and also took me to see a legit business woman. She has a tailoring shop tucked away in town that I would have never found on my own and she works with many women's groups and women entrepreneurs. I also set up a meeting with her for next week. Moses also asked me to teach a computer class beginning next Monday, to which I happily agreed. It will be working with youth so I'll be able to meet some new faces and maybe start working on some youth enterprises. All in all a good day! Hopefully some of these can turn into actual working projects and I can get some sort of schedule established. Just in time for the holiday season when everyone will be doing their own thing anyway :-)
After a great breakfast, I said good bye to Giles and Nia, who were heading back Friday evening and set out to meet some of the women in Rotian. There was a plough contest sponsored by the Ministries of Livestock and Agriculture. I had been told that they would also be exhibiting some goats so I invited the women so they could see some dairy goats but, alas, no animals were there. Except the donkeys pulling ploughs. I felt bad that I dragged the women to town and away from their jobs and didn't even have what was promised so I tried to make the best of it and snagged one of the livestock officers to answer their questions. They also got some pointers from the agriculture officer about how to make farming a business. I pounced on this opportunity and told him that I was a business advisor working in town for the next two years and I would looooove to advise some farmers on agri-business. We set up a meeting for next week, so hopefully I will get some more people to work with out of it.
On the way back into town with the women, I ran into Moses and he wanted to hang out for awhile. Usually I wouldn't have minded but I was filthy. The farm where the exhibition was was dusty and Narok itself is pretty dusty on a normal day. That day was windy and I literally had a layer of dirt/dust on my skin. Luckily I was wearing brown (and I am brown) so I didn't look too terrible but I just wanted to go home and take a bath. I'm glad I stuck around though because he took me to a friends house so I got to meet more people and also took me to see a legit business woman. She has a tailoring shop tucked away in town that I would have never found on my own and she works with many women's groups and women entrepreneurs. I also set up a meeting with her for next week. Moses also asked me to teach a computer class beginning next Monday, to which I happily agreed. It will be working with youth so I'll be able to meet some new faces and maybe start working on some youth enterprises. All in all a good day! Hopefully some of these can turn into actual working projects and I can get some sort of schedule established. Just in time for the holiday season when everyone will be doing their own thing anyway :-)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Month-aversaries!
This week marked the fifth month I have been in Kenya and the third month I have been at site. I really didn't want to be one of those people who counts month-aversaries like a high school relationship but I thought it would be a good point to stop and reflect on my time here. Also, we got our first Volunteer Reporting Forms from Peace Corps and I may or may not have freaked out a bit because I felt like I didn't have anything to write on the paper. In training, we were told to always lead with accomplishments because nobody like a Debbie Downer (or Bitter Betty as is often the case with me). Thus, I present you the highs and lows of my PC experience so far:
Victo
Victories!
1. Women's group in Rotian
I have been working with several women's groups in a village Rotian, about 20km from town. OFDC provided a micro-credit loan for one group last year and they will pay their last payment next month. I am working on getting a work-able micro-credit program in place that can outlive my stay here in Kenya. On paper, there isn't much that I've "accomplished" with these women but I feel that there is now a trust between us and my sister/counterpart/translator/supervisor's wife/bestie Josephine. When I say something, they generally listen and they feel comfortable asking me questions, which I really appreciate. there's a kind of yes-ma'am culture here where people tell you they agree with something or you have a good idea but then they never do it so obviously they didn't like it. I feel like I'm getting less of this from the women.
2. Taking back my diet!
When I first came to site, it was a hard adjustment. I imagined I would be living in my own house, maybe with a guest room and sitting room and my own kitchen. Well, I live in a house that always has between 5 and 20+ people in it and all the cooking is done communally. It was hard at first to try and eat what I wanted because I had to conform to their meal times. And, even if I had already eaten in my room, if they didn't see me eat, they would make me eat again. Now, I feel more comfortable with my family here and will just tell them when I don't want something (I hate eating rice and potatoes) or when I've already eaten something. This was partially done by letting them taste a bit of what I had cooked. If they said they liked it, I told them I would make it for them. I'm still eating oatmeal alone in my room in the morning :-) Also the amount of oil and/or lard that is in every meal is just taking it's toll on me and I can't deal with it and I told them that. They think I should just get fat and marry a Kenyan. Ummm.... no thanks- Kenyan women do too much work!
3. Friends!
Even though I am super far from other PCVs, especially those in my training class, I have been able to make a few friends here at site. Two are pictured in the last post, Moses and Sachiko and there is also another volunteer working at an organization AfricaHope. There is another JAICA (Japanese PC) volunteer but I haven't met her yet, and another woman who works at a different safehouse who comes back and forth between Kenya and America. I'm estatic that many of these friends are girls because guys and girls really aren't seen as friends here. Friends pretty much equals FWB in some way. The first two months I was just hanging out with Moses and the two other PCVs in the Mara, Brian and Frank, so my town probably thought I was some loose floozy. Oh, and two of these friends have their own apartments with SHOWERS!
4. Internet and iPod
A bit of me was jealous of those PCVs in villages when I found out I would be in a 40k person town. Isn't that the whole PCV experience? Being in the bush, tucked away from society? Well, the good things about being in a town are: reliable transportation (as reliable as it can be in Kenya), access to different kinds of food (I found cucumbers the other day!), aaaaand speedy-ish internet service. Which means iTunes has been my best friend for the past month (iTunes gift cards still a great gift that needs no shipping!!!). Maybe it's a bit un-PC-like but I have been keeping up on my prime shows like Gossip Girl, The Good Wife, The Office and Modern Family. Oh and of course the podcasts- I heart Anderson Cooper and Neil Conan is my best friend I never see. Sure it takes a whole night do download one episode but when I lay in the morning under my mosquito net and listen to Michael Scott or chuckle at the ridiculousness that is Serena van der Woodson, it's like a slice of home and gives me some uuumph to get through the day. I could pretend that I didn't have access to these shows or the internet, but what's the point in that? PC is hard enough with me denying myself the small pleasures I can actually have.
5. My iPod
So, I was going to the airport on May 26 and halfway there I realize I forgot my iPod on the charging dock. Who does that?!!? We thought we didn't have enough time to go back even though my flight ended up being delayed so I totally did. At that time I was in the whole, let's not be materialistic, this is the Peace Corps frame of mind. Well, I landed in Nairobi and saw that my music had also not transferred from my Mac to my netbook. So I had no iPod and no music on my computer= NO MUSIC AT ALL! Seeing as how someone in the post office stole 6 letters to my mom and sister and 4 packets of Crystal Light someone sent me, the chances of my iPod making it from Cincinnati, Ohio to Narok, Kenya were below 0. Thankfully, my mom was able to send it to Nia, who was able to bring it with her when she came last week. Yay!!!!!!!!
6. Health
I haven't been sick yet! Well except the one day I accidentally ate a piece of meat and another day when I don't know what happened but I spent the night with my bucket. Both of these were one night occurrences that passed by morning so I don't count them but during the 12 hours when they happened I could tell that being sick here would make me very unhappy. And Josephine's dad happened to be in the room next to me that night and told me in the morning he heard me hurl. That must have been awesome for him...
Frustrations
1. Lack of personal space and privacy.
Those of you who know me, know that I like my me time and I like my space. No one in my house (except my supervisor) has ever lived on their own, alone, and they think I am crazy when I go sit in my room and read or surf the internet. I definitely try to be social but I'm usually working alone for a few hours in the day or running errands in town (I hate running errands with people) and then at night they pretty much know after I take a bath and eat dinner I'm going to my room. They think I just sleep a lot even though I told them that I go and read for a bit and then go to sleep. They seem incredulous but I just can't sit in the living room for 3 hours while the TV is on super-full blast watching terrible Nigerian movies or even more horrible Kenyan dramas. Sometimes I like to watch the English version of the news at 9 but usually by then I am in my cocoon.
2. Lack of work
Yes, I know, 2/3rds of my "job" here is supposed to be cultural exchange. I share about America and learn about Kenya. However, that in and of itself is not enough for me to spend two years away from my friends and family and out of the real work force. Part of me joined PC to have a slower pace of life and take some reflection time but a much bigger part joined to DO SOMETHING! Which means I need to DO SOMETHING! There's not much to do, or more likely, I haven't found it yet. That's not to say I haven't been looking though. I try to meet at least one new person a day, explain that I'm a business volunteer and let them know if they need any help to call me. I figured as free labor I would be highly sought after. Not so. Once they see that I'm not giving out money (with the exception of Rotian), they usually aren't interested. Part of it is that I am wary of pushing myself onto someone's business or their group. If you don't think you need accounting help, fine. You think your inventory and pricing are the best they can be, cool with me. I would think that learning how to make more money would be just as interesting as getting loan money. Oh well
3. Being out of the loop
Kenya is about 2x the size of Nevada, so a decent size when you are traveling by car all the time. PCVs are throughout the country but many are clustered in Western (about 5 hours from me) and the Coast (about 15 hours from me). The PCVs in Western get together all the time, some see other volunteers on a daily basis because they live so close. Even those who aren't clustered are usually within a 1hr walk/ bike ride from another volunteer. My closest volunteer is a 1.5hr matatu (van) ride away in Bomet, where there are 5 or 6 volunteers around each other. Although I am making do (see #3 Victory), I always feel out of the loop of what goes on with fellow PCVs. After all, the PC friendships many people make last a lifetime and I'm lucky if I get to meet up with other PCVs once a month and it costs me 1/4 of my living allowance and a full day's trip.
4. The choo
I just hate it. I don't think I will ever get used to it. It's gross and inevitably smelly no matter how you clean it because it's a hole in the ground filled with people's waste.
So, all in all, the victories seem to be outweighing the frustration even though it doesn't feel that way on a daily basis. I constantly wonder what the heck I am doing here and if me being here will actually make any difference. I have had some moments where I didn't want to be here, as in at site, but I haven't yet had a period of time where I wanted to get on a plane and go back home. They say the first three months are the hardest so I'm putting a lot of stock in November!
Sorry for the long post!
Victo
Victories!
1. Women's group in Rotian
I have been working with several women's groups in a village Rotian, about 20km from town. OFDC provided a micro-credit loan for one group last year and they will pay their last payment next month. I am working on getting a work-able micro-credit program in place that can outlive my stay here in Kenya. On paper, there isn't much that I've "accomplished" with these women but I feel that there is now a trust between us and my sister/counterpart/translator/supervisor's wife/bestie Josephine. When I say something, they generally listen and they feel comfortable asking me questions, which I really appreciate. there's a kind of yes-ma'am culture here where people tell you they agree with something or you have a good idea but then they never do it so obviously they didn't like it. I feel like I'm getting less of this from the women.
2. Taking back my diet!
When I first came to site, it was a hard adjustment. I imagined I would be living in my own house, maybe with a guest room and sitting room and my own kitchen. Well, I live in a house that always has between 5 and 20+ people in it and all the cooking is done communally. It was hard at first to try and eat what I wanted because I had to conform to their meal times. And, even if I had already eaten in my room, if they didn't see me eat, they would make me eat again. Now, I feel more comfortable with my family here and will just tell them when I don't want something (I hate eating rice and potatoes) or when I've already eaten something. This was partially done by letting them taste a bit of what I had cooked. If they said they liked it, I told them I would make it for them. I'm still eating oatmeal alone in my room in the morning :-) Also the amount of oil and/or lard that is in every meal is just taking it's toll on me and I can't deal with it and I told them that. They think I should just get fat and marry a Kenyan. Ummm.... no thanks- Kenyan women do too much work!
3. Friends!
Even though I am super far from other PCVs, especially those in my training class, I have been able to make a few friends here at site. Two are pictured in the last post, Moses and Sachiko and there is also another volunteer working at an organization AfricaHope. There is another JAICA (Japanese PC) volunteer but I haven't met her yet, and another woman who works at a different safehouse who comes back and forth between Kenya and America. I'm estatic that many of these friends are girls because guys and girls really aren't seen as friends here. Friends pretty much equals FWB in some way. The first two months I was just hanging out with Moses and the two other PCVs in the Mara, Brian and Frank, so my town probably thought I was some loose floozy. Oh, and two of these friends have their own apartments with SHOWERS!
4. Internet and iPod
A bit of me was jealous of those PCVs in villages when I found out I would be in a 40k person town. Isn't that the whole PCV experience? Being in the bush, tucked away from society? Well, the good things about being in a town are: reliable transportation (as reliable as it can be in Kenya), access to different kinds of food (I found cucumbers the other day!), aaaaand speedy-ish internet service. Which means iTunes has been my best friend for the past month (iTunes gift cards still a great gift that needs no shipping!!!). Maybe it's a bit un-PC-like but I have been keeping up on my prime shows like Gossip Girl, The Good Wife, The Office and Modern Family. Oh and of course the podcasts- I heart Anderson Cooper and Neil Conan is my best friend I never see. Sure it takes a whole night do download one episode but when I lay in the morning under my mosquito net and listen to Michael Scott or chuckle at the ridiculousness that is Serena van der Woodson, it's like a slice of home and gives me some uuumph to get through the day. I could pretend that I didn't have access to these shows or the internet, but what's the point in that? PC is hard enough with me denying myself the small pleasures I can actually have.
5. My iPod
So, I was going to the airport on May 26 and halfway there I realize I forgot my iPod on the charging dock. Who does that?!!? We thought we didn't have enough time to go back even though my flight ended up being delayed so I totally did. At that time I was in the whole, let's not be materialistic, this is the Peace Corps frame of mind. Well, I landed in Nairobi and saw that my music had also not transferred from my Mac to my netbook. So I had no iPod and no music on my computer= NO MUSIC AT ALL! Seeing as how someone in the post office stole 6 letters to my mom and sister and 4 packets of Crystal Light someone sent me, the chances of my iPod making it from Cincinnati, Ohio to Narok, Kenya were below 0. Thankfully, my mom was able to send it to Nia, who was able to bring it with her when she came last week. Yay!!!!!!!!
6. Health
I haven't been sick yet! Well except the one day I accidentally ate a piece of meat and another day when I don't know what happened but I spent the night with my bucket. Both of these were one night occurrences that passed by morning so I don't count them but during the 12 hours when they happened I could tell that being sick here would make me very unhappy. And Josephine's dad happened to be in the room next to me that night and told me in the morning he heard me hurl. That must have been awesome for him...
Frustrations
1. Lack of personal space and privacy.
Those of you who know me, know that I like my me time and I like my space. No one in my house (except my supervisor) has ever lived on their own, alone, and they think I am crazy when I go sit in my room and read or surf the internet. I definitely try to be social but I'm usually working alone for a few hours in the day or running errands in town (I hate running errands with people) and then at night they pretty much know after I take a bath and eat dinner I'm going to my room. They think I just sleep a lot even though I told them that I go and read for a bit and then go to sleep. They seem incredulous but I just can't sit in the living room for 3 hours while the TV is on super-full blast watching terrible Nigerian movies or even more horrible Kenyan dramas. Sometimes I like to watch the English version of the news at 9 but usually by then I am in my cocoon.
2. Lack of work
Yes, I know, 2/3rds of my "job" here is supposed to be cultural exchange. I share about America and learn about Kenya. However, that in and of itself is not enough for me to spend two years away from my friends and family and out of the real work force. Part of me joined PC to have a slower pace of life and take some reflection time but a much bigger part joined to DO SOMETHING! Which means I need to DO SOMETHING! There's not much to do, or more likely, I haven't found it yet. That's not to say I haven't been looking though. I try to meet at least one new person a day, explain that I'm a business volunteer and let them know if they need any help to call me. I figured as free labor I would be highly sought after. Not so. Once they see that I'm not giving out money (with the exception of Rotian), they usually aren't interested. Part of it is that I am wary of pushing myself onto someone's business or their group. If you don't think you need accounting help, fine. You think your inventory and pricing are the best they can be, cool with me. I would think that learning how to make more money would be just as interesting as getting loan money. Oh well
3. Being out of the loop
Kenya is about 2x the size of Nevada, so a decent size when you are traveling by car all the time. PCVs are throughout the country but many are clustered in Western (about 5 hours from me) and the Coast (about 15 hours from me). The PCVs in Western get together all the time, some see other volunteers on a daily basis because they live so close. Even those who aren't clustered are usually within a 1hr walk/ bike ride from another volunteer. My closest volunteer is a 1.5hr matatu (van) ride away in Bomet, where there are 5 or 6 volunteers around each other. Although I am making do (see #3 Victory), I always feel out of the loop of what goes on with fellow PCVs. After all, the PC friendships many people make last a lifetime and I'm lucky if I get to meet up with other PCVs once a month and it costs me 1/4 of my living allowance and a full day's trip.
4. The choo
I just hate it. I don't think I will ever get used to it. It's gross and inevitably smelly no matter how you clean it because it's a hole in the ground filled with people's waste.
So, all in all, the victories seem to be outweighing the frustration even though it doesn't feel that way on a daily basis. I constantly wonder what the heck I am doing here and if me being here will actually make any difference. I have had some moments where I didn't want to be here, as in at site, but I haven't yet had a period of time where I wanted to get on a plane and go back home. They say the first three months are the hardest so I'm putting a lot of stock in November!
Sorry for the long post!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ostrich egg party and some random pics
Sachiko and Moses with the ostrich egg
Kids cutting the grass at a school- Dad if you had to mow the lawn this way, would you still enjoy yard work so much?
Sianne, my best friend in Kenya and my Swahili teacher, imitating me reading on my couch
Giles, Moses and I drilling into the egg
Nimepotea
My Swahili is fast out-pacing Maasai, the local language I spent 8 hours a day learning in training. This is mostly because the family I live with is made up of a Maasai mom and a Kikuyu dad so they teach the daughter (2 years) Swahili. Anyhow, whenever you are gone for more than a couple days and you see someone, they say to you "Umepotea", which means "you have been lost." The first time someone said that to me I was, understandably, confused. No, I haven't been lost- I've known where I was all along! And, usually the other person did too because I have said, Oh I'll be in Nairobi for two weeks so I won't see you for awhile. But, I didn't tell you guys what's been going on for the last three weeks so I guess I really have been nimepotea.
Things at site are the usual up and down. I posted some lyrics from one of my favorite movies, The Wiz, on facebook and they are so relevant to me this week that I'll put them again here...
"Cause there may be times when you think you lost your mind and the steps you're takin' leave you three more steps behind. But the road you're walkin' might be long sometimes, you just keep on steppin' and you'll be just fine"
That pretty much sums up PC life, for me at least. Also, I realize that I have been quite remiss in talking about life in general here. I have talked quite a bit about the work I've been doing and my silence has generally been because of lack of aforementioned work. But you guys don't want to hear about just work work work right? So I will try to infuse a bit more of the everyday in these ramblings, ahem, I mean posts.
Starting with... the ostrich egg party! There is a JAIKA (Japanese equivalent of Peace Corps) volunteer who lives not too far from me. Funny how my worlds collide. We met through a mutual friend when he was on his way to a medical camp. At the medical camp, she bought an ostrich egg from a villager so we thought, why not have a party and cook it? Nia, the director of our donor organization OFDC and her son Giles (also a former Japanese student!) are here for two weeks to check on all of the projects they have funded for my organization. So, after a week of looking at latrines, water wells, and crazy kids, I invited them to come along with me to Sachiko's place. We picked up some chapati and chips and then the fun really began. Our only Kenyan representation, the mutual friend Moses, was the only one of us with ostrich egg cracking experience. Those shells are hard! We had to drill a hole because Sachiko wanted to keep the empty shell and have it decorated with beads. So, there we sat, taking turns drilling a hole with a knife and subsequently blowing out the insides. Best Friday night in a long time (not even being sarcastic!). I cooked up the egg, which is the equivalent of about 2 dozen chicken eggs, and then we all sat around Sachiko's place and just chatted about development, women's rights, why we all love our countries, and other random topics. What does ostrich egg taste like? I thought it was pretty good, but a bit yolky compared to a chicken egg.
Other than that, it has been slow going work wise. I went to a school today and volunteered to teach their business class next term (January) and I am trying to get a dairy goat cooperative going with some of the women's groups. Also, the girls come back in a couple weeks and I want to do a mini holiday camp with them, so we will see how that goes. I know that seems like a lot but most of the things I have to do involve a lot of waiting and then a meeting and then more waiting... I read a whole book on Sunday which I thought I would stretch out to last the week so now I'm blogging and bored!
THANK YOU MELANIE for my birthday package! We made the cake with the frosting as soon as I got it. One of my housemates, Alice, had never had frosting and they ate the whole tube even thought I told them it would make them sick! Also, reading Kaffir Boy (great pick!) rejuvenated my reasons for being here and trying to make a difference, even when I feel I am failing miserably. Love you and miss you!
Even though we lost the game (no surprise) still going to give a shout out to Columbia homecoming. Roar lions roar!!!
Things at site are the usual up and down. I posted some lyrics from one of my favorite movies, The Wiz, on facebook and they are so relevant to me this week that I'll put them again here...
"Cause there may be times when you think you lost your mind and the steps you're takin' leave you three more steps behind. But the road you're walkin' might be long sometimes, you just keep on steppin' and you'll be just fine"
That pretty much sums up PC life, for me at least. Also, I realize that I have been quite remiss in talking about life in general here. I have talked quite a bit about the work I've been doing and my silence has generally been because of lack of aforementioned work. But you guys don't want to hear about just work work work right? So I will try to infuse a bit more of the everyday in these ramblings, ahem, I mean posts.
Starting with... the ostrich egg party! There is a JAIKA (Japanese equivalent of Peace Corps) volunteer who lives not too far from me. Funny how my worlds collide. We met through a mutual friend when he was on his way to a medical camp. At the medical camp, she bought an ostrich egg from a villager so we thought, why not have a party and cook it? Nia, the director of our donor organization OFDC and her son Giles (also a former Japanese student!) are here for two weeks to check on all of the projects they have funded for my organization. So, after a week of looking at latrines, water wells, and crazy kids, I invited them to come along with me to Sachiko's place. We picked up some chapati and chips and then the fun really began. Our only Kenyan representation, the mutual friend Moses, was the only one of us with ostrich egg cracking experience. Those shells are hard! We had to drill a hole because Sachiko wanted to keep the empty shell and have it decorated with beads. So, there we sat, taking turns drilling a hole with a knife and subsequently blowing out the insides. Best Friday night in a long time (not even being sarcastic!). I cooked up the egg, which is the equivalent of about 2 dozen chicken eggs, and then we all sat around Sachiko's place and just chatted about development, women's rights, why we all love our countries, and other random topics. What does ostrich egg taste like? I thought it was pretty good, but a bit yolky compared to a chicken egg.
Other than that, it has been slow going work wise. I went to a school today and volunteered to teach their business class next term (January) and I am trying to get a dairy goat cooperative going with some of the women's groups. Also, the girls come back in a couple weeks and I want to do a mini holiday camp with them, so we will see how that goes. I know that seems like a lot but most of the things I have to do involve a lot of waiting and then a meeting and then more waiting... I read a whole book on Sunday which I thought I would stretch out to last the week so now I'm blogging and bored!
THANK YOU MELANIE for my birthday package! We made the cake with the frosting as soon as I got it. One of my housemates, Alice, had never had frosting and they ate the whole tube even thought I told them it would make them sick! Also, reading Kaffir Boy (great pick!) rejuvenated my reasons for being here and trying to make a difference, even when I feel I am failing miserably. Love you and miss you!
Even though we lost the game (no surprise) still going to give a shout out to Columbia homecoming. Roar lions roar!!!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Stones into Choos
Ok, I haven't read Stones into Schools, but I have read Three Cups of Tea, and I shared some of Greg Mortenson's frustrations yesterday. Thankfully, I did not share the experience of being held hostage or having to deal with anti-American sentiment. Doing business here in Kenya, however, is never a cake walk. Our organization receives funding from OFDC to do a number of projects, one being providing choos (latrines) for schools around the district. Imagine being in elementary school and not having a place to go to the bathroom (well, other than the bush)? The issue is compounded even more for girls, who, once they get towards the end of elementary school really need a place to go to the bathroom. We have been budgeting for six locations and the first location has been rife with difficulties. Shady contractors, lazy builders, difficult oversight- it's hard to keep an eye on a project 100km away. Also, being the first project, there were many lessons to be learned about cost, efficiency, and motivation. Yesterday we went to purchase the materials for the second latrine project, about 2 hours north of Narok.
The Plan:
Purchase materials, hire a truck, pick up materials, take them and drop them off at the site, take before pictures, arrive home.
What really happened:
My supervisor and I left to purchase materials in town around 10AM. Lesson learned #1 from the first project is find a hardware store that has ALL of the supplies you need. Check. I checked the materials against the list of things we needed (lesson #2: Builders never tell you all the materials you need on the first project. Keep a list so the next time you have everything you need before they start building). After checking around following the first project, we were able to save a bit of money on some of the materials. So far so good.
Next on the list was to buy timber, which meant a trip to the other side of this dusty town and get pelted by woodchips from the carpenters working. Oh, did I mention I was wearing my contacts for the first time at site? Good choice Meg. We need to find 3 types of timber and one type we can only see at the bottom of a stack of tons of lumber. Hmmm... We keep looking and find some. After agreeing on a price (3600 shillings), my supervisor gives her 4000 shillings and she brings back the receipt for me. I ask, "Wapi changi?' (where's the change?). She says there is no change; we must have heard her wrong, the lumber is 4000 shillings, not 3600. Yea, those sound soooo similar. I begin to see my supervisor's heart rate climb and me, being a "that's not fair" American start to protest. Why should we get ripped off here? We'll just take our business elsewhere. But, having dealt with these things his whole life, my supervisor tells me that there's nothing we can do because, "That's how things are done in Kenya." If you go somewhere else, you will likely get ripped off there as well. Humph.So that's what happened to the budget last time. Lesson #3: Always carry small bills so you can give exact change.
By now it's noon and the sun is blazing- even my supervisor is complaining about the heat. I'm famished and am elated when he suggests we eat lunch while waiting for the wood to be sanded. In the meantime, he has been trying to get in touch with the truck driver all morning. While at lunch, he finally gets him on the line and they agree to meet after lunch. We eat and then go to meet the owner of the truck, which has a flat. They claim it's not a puncture, just the air pressure because the nozzle wasn't on tight enough. Mmmmhmmm. They fill it with air and off we go to the quarry. Oh yea, it's still hot and dusty and we are riding down a buuummmmpppppyyy road in the interior to the quarry to get ballast. When we left town, the workers said they would load the ballast into the back of the lorry for 500 shillings. When we get to the quarry, that figure has magically jumped up to 800 shillings. And, the woman working in the quarry tells us that, even though we asked for 2 tonnes of ballast, she has set aside 3 tonnes, so we need to pay for three tons. I try to crack jokes to calm my supervisor down even though I fear he just might fall out in the sun any moment. Those fears are allayed since it's now 2PM and the sky is darkening. Oh, afternoon rain shower, hello! It takes the workers an hour to load the ballast (now we are 3:30pm) and I'm wondering how we are possibly going to make it to this school today??? My supervisor is hopeful. We leave the quarry but not before the police stop us because you have to pay 200 shillings to the government whenever you remove something from the quarry. Even though the receipt just says 200 shillings, they claim it's supposed to be 200 shillings per ton
. Really? We have three tonnes so we should pay 600 shillings but, if we just give them 50 shillings they'll call it even. Woo-saa!!!!
It's approaching 5PM and we are just getting back to town. And it's pouring. We load the timber first and then go to get the cement and the rest of the materials but the truck is open on top so we need a cover. We go back to the hardware store and count and check off each item that is going on the truck. It's still raining and the roads become impassable outside of town when it rains so we decide to park the truck overnight and take it at 6AM. My supervisor could tell I had had my fill of Kenyan economics so he said he would go alone today. When I called him at 9:30, they still had not reached the schools. It was raining all night and I'm sure the roads are bad. Pole bwana. We are in for a long road ahead. This was only purchasing the materials- we still have to stay on the workers and make sure they complete the latrine in a timely fashion and produce quality work. And then learn more lessons and apply them to projects 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Want to help provide latrines for children? Consider donating to OFDC for A Mission with a Vision and we'll do the heavy lifting :-)
THANK YOU TO MOM, DAD, TRACY, JR, TALIBAH AND MELANIE! Judging by my smile, the people at the post office probably thought I was picking up liquid gold out of the PO Box. Well, candy, magazines and a sweatshirt are like gold to me :-) Also, you are totally promoting goals 2&3 of Peace Corps (cross-cultural exchange). Example: While looking through Lucky, my supervisor's wife, Josephine, pointed to a GAP ad showing ripped jeans and asked, "Who would buy these ripped?" Just one more reason they think Americans are crazy. It was also great for them to see Essence and Ebony as proof that there are black Americans- we have whole magazines dedicated to them!
The Plan:
Purchase materials, hire a truck, pick up materials, take them and drop them off at the site, take before pictures, arrive home.
What really happened:
My supervisor and I left to purchase materials in town around 10AM. Lesson learned #1 from the first project is find a hardware store that has ALL of the supplies you need. Check. I checked the materials against the list of things we needed (lesson #2: Builders never tell you all the materials you need on the first project. Keep a list so the next time you have everything you need before they start building). After checking around following the first project, we were able to save a bit of money on some of the materials. So far so good.
Next on the list was to buy timber, which meant a trip to the other side of this dusty town and get pelted by woodchips from the carpenters working. Oh, did I mention I was wearing my contacts for the first time at site? Good choice Meg. We need to find 3 types of timber and one type we can only see at the bottom of a stack of tons of lumber. Hmmm... We keep looking and find some. After agreeing on a price (3600 shillings), my supervisor gives her 4000 shillings and she brings back the receipt for me. I ask, "Wapi changi?' (where's the change?). She says there is no change; we must have heard her wrong, the lumber is 4000 shillings, not 3600. Yea, those sound soooo similar. I begin to see my supervisor's heart rate climb and me, being a "that's not fair" American start to protest. Why should we get ripped off here? We'll just take our business elsewhere. But, having dealt with these things his whole life, my supervisor tells me that there's nothing we can do because, "That's how things are done in Kenya." If you go somewhere else, you will likely get ripped off there as well. Humph.So that's what happened to the budget last time. Lesson #3: Always carry small bills so you can give exact change.
By now it's noon and the sun is blazing- even my supervisor is complaining about the heat. I'm famished and am elated when he suggests we eat lunch while waiting for the wood to be sanded. In the meantime, he has been trying to get in touch with the truck driver all morning. While at lunch, he finally gets him on the line and they agree to meet after lunch. We eat and then go to meet the owner of the truck, which has a flat. They claim it's not a puncture, just the air pressure because the nozzle wasn't on tight enough. Mmmmhmmm. They fill it with air and off we go to the quarry. Oh yea, it's still hot and dusty and we are riding down a buuummmmpppppyyy road in the interior to the quarry to get ballast. When we left town, the workers said they would load the ballast into the back of the lorry for 500 shillings. When we get to the quarry, that figure has magically jumped up to 800 shillings. And, the woman working in the quarry tells us that, even though we asked for 2 tonnes of ballast, she has set aside 3 tonnes, so we need to pay for three tons. I try to crack jokes to calm my supervisor down even though I fear he just might fall out in the sun any moment. Those fears are allayed since it's now 2PM and the sky is darkening. Oh, afternoon rain shower, hello! It takes the workers an hour to load the ballast (now we are 3:30pm) and I'm wondering how we are possibly going to make it to this school today??? My supervisor is hopeful. We leave the quarry but not before the police stop us because you have to pay 200 shillings to the government whenever you remove something from the quarry. Even though the receipt just says 200 shillings, they claim it's supposed to be 200 shillings per ton
. Really? We have three tonnes so we should pay 600 shillings but, if we just give them 50 shillings they'll call it even. Woo-saa!!!!
It's approaching 5PM and we are just getting back to town. And it's pouring. We load the timber first and then go to get the cement and the rest of the materials but the truck is open on top so we need a cover. We go back to the hardware store and count and check off each item that is going on the truck. It's still raining and the roads become impassable outside of town when it rains so we decide to park the truck overnight and take it at 6AM. My supervisor could tell I had had my fill of Kenyan economics so he said he would go alone today. When I called him at 9:30, they still had not reached the schools. It was raining all night and I'm sure the roads are bad. Pole bwana. We are in for a long road ahead. This was only purchasing the materials- we still have to stay on the workers and make sure they complete the latrine in a timely fashion and produce quality work. And then learn more lessons and apply them to projects 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Want to help provide latrines for children? Consider donating to OFDC for A Mission with a Vision and we'll do the heavy lifting :-)
THANK YOU TO MOM, DAD, TRACY, JR, TALIBAH AND MELANIE! Judging by my smile, the people at the post office probably thought I was picking up liquid gold out of the PO Box. Well, candy, magazines and a sweatshirt are like gold to me :-) Also, you are totally promoting goals 2&3 of Peace Corps (cross-cultural exchange). Example: While looking through Lucky, my supervisor's wife, Josephine, pointed to a GAP ad showing ripped jeans and asked, "Who would buy these ripped?" Just one more reason they think Americans are crazy. It was also great for them to see Essence and Ebony as proof that there are black Americans- we have whole magazines dedicated to them!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Safari pics
Wildebeest
Black Rhino
Wildebeest migration with savannah backdrop
That's a leopard in the tree
Full album coming when I'm in Nairobi next week!
Sekenani & Narok Pics
This is actually in the park, a bunch of wildebeest
One of the "main roads" in Sekenani
The view of Brian's community from his compound
Narok town view, across the street from the stage
Cows taking over the road in Narok, a daily occurrence
Thursday, September 9, 2010
I live in Africa
The first three months, that has been more of a question than a statement or exclamation. But, over the past few weeks Narok has started to feel more like home.
Monday: brownies
I didn't have anything planned for this Monday so another PCV, Brian, suggested I visit his site. We share the same supervisor (even though we are 3 hours away from each other) and I will be trying to fund raise for his site as well so I figured, why not? Plus, he has a friend who drives people into the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and he said he would take us for free= free safari! However, I got to the matatu (Nissan vans that act as the Kenyan version of the Greyhound) stage and all of the vehicles to the Mara were full. But, since I live here, there's no rush so I figured I would go home and hang out. I get home and decide to make brownies. This necessitated it's own project since I had to "bake" something using my kerosene jiko (stove). How does one do this? I took a big sufuria (pot) and put it on top of the stove, put a few stones on the bottom of the pot and then put the pan with the brownies on it on top of the stones. Then I covered the big sufuria with a lid and a wet towel to insulate the heat. It worked in the sense that they baked and they tasted delicious but they baked into a funny shape and ended up looking like a pile of cow dung. Graciously, my family here didn't let looks set them back and ate them anyway and I guess they liked them because I went in the house yesterday and only crumbs were left on the plate.
Tuesday: safari
But, I digress... While I was making the brownies, Brian called and told me he found me a ride! Apparently, the guy who offered to take us into the park was travelling from Narok to the Mara that afternoon and he said he would come pick me up. So I got a free ride, which, after some pricey weekends last month, I definitely appreciated. After two hours down a bumpy dirt road and after passing a family of elephants, some zebra, and tons of gazelles, I arrived at Brian's. What a difference. I live in a town and he lives, quite literally, in the bush. Well, actually it's a pretty dry area so there aren't many bushes to speak of but you get the drift. I'll put some pictures up of his site and mine and you will see the difference. He is about 200m away from the Sekenani Gate into the park, which is the main gate. Tuesday morning I walked around his village with him, greeting and talking with various people who were all wondering why the white guy is walking with the black woman, why they are so far from the tourist lodges, and where the hell we were going. We tried to explain that no, we aren't married, yes, we are both from America, and we were just walking. To people with a load of firewood or water on their back, this understandably made no sense. After the "tour" of Sekenani, consisting of tons of bars, a few "restaurants", some small dukkas (store stalls), the cyber cafe, and the county council area, we sat and waited for Lefty, our friend/guide. He came and took us into the park for about 3 hours, it was awesome. First, you see the deleterious effects of overgrazing clearly. Around Brian's compound there's barely any grass but in the park just a bit away it looks like a true Savannah. I came at the end of the wildebeest migration, so when we looked out into the distance you could see lines and lines of wildebeest. The other highlights of the safari were: a leopard in a tree, a lion walking right next to our car, lots of zebra and gazelles, some ostrich, and one of about 3,000 black rhinos left in the world. A good day indeed.
Wednesday: Olikirkirai
Wednesday it was back to work. We were going to Olikirikirai (about 50km N of Narok) to meet with a women's group but it coincided with National Literacy Day so I got to meet the chief, DO, area counsellor, Ass. Chief, and a bunch of other people I should have met a month ago. 2 birds, one stone. Oh, I forgot. In order to get back to Narok from the Mara I had to wake up at 5am to catch the matatu (they only leave in the morning) but we did do some great star gazing: Orion's belt, some galaxies, Jupiter, and a bunch of other stars Brian pointed out to me that I forgot. On the bumpy three hour ride back sitting by bags of maize or potatoes or who knows what, a giraffe came right in front of the matatu! I got back to the house about 8, had a breakfast of Kenyan pancakes, and left for Olikirkirai around 10. It started raining at the end of the Literacy Day program, around 3pm so we met with the women and then tried to catch a ride back to Narok. It took about 30 minutes walking down the muddy road in the rain before a car came, which they then packed full of people and vegetables. (Sidenote: I now play a game called, how much can you fit in a car? So far the record is 12 people but this was a close second with 8 people and 8 bags of veggies). At 7PM, my supervisor and I arrived back in town and I was exhausted in the best way possible and starving. I hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning! Home, dinner, two wine spritzers and 3 episodes of Sex and the City later, I was asleep.
Thursday: Rrotian
Yesterday was another full day. OFDC has provided loan money for 6 women groups but we have to do home assessments for all interested loan applicants to ensure they really are needy. Yesterday was home assessment day 2 of 5 in Rrotian, which meant more walking in the hot sun, more chai and chapati and failing to understand any more than 10% of the Maasai spoken. Luckily Josephine, my supervisor's wife and my unofficial counterpart, was there to translate. I asked them a bunch of question about their lives, families, homes, businesses and their community. It was worth it though, when at the end of the day one woman thanked me for coming and said no one had ever been to their homes or asked about their problems. Intangible rewards.
Today I am going to finally get some statistics I have been after for a month and then going to Naivasha to look at a group do some briquette making, a possible IGA (income generating activity) for some of the women's groups. Tomorrow I am going to one of the first senators of Kenya's house to meet his grand-daughters and family and I'm going to try and make pizza. Sunday it's off to Nairobi!!!!!
Happy Eid al Fitr to all my Muslim friends! Fasting in August had to have been haaaaard, feast well!
Monday: brownies
I didn't have anything planned for this Monday so another PCV, Brian, suggested I visit his site. We share the same supervisor (even though we are 3 hours away from each other) and I will be trying to fund raise for his site as well so I figured, why not? Plus, he has a friend who drives people into the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and he said he would take us for free= free safari! However, I got to the matatu (Nissan vans that act as the Kenyan version of the Greyhound) stage and all of the vehicles to the Mara were full. But, since I live here, there's no rush so I figured I would go home and hang out. I get home and decide to make brownies. This necessitated it's own project since I had to "bake" something using my kerosene jiko (stove). How does one do this? I took a big sufuria (pot) and put it on top of the stove, put a few stones on the bottom of the pot and then put the pan with the brownies on it on top of the stones. Then I covered the big sufuria with a lid and a wet towel to insulate the heat. It worked in the sense that they baked and they tasted delicious but they baked into a funny shape and ended up looking like a pile of cow dung. Graciously, my family here didn't let looks set them back and ate them anyway and I guess they liked them because I went in the house yesterday and only crumbs were left on the plate.
Tuesday: safari
But, I digress... While I was making the brownies, Brian called and told me he found me a ride! Apparently, the guy who offered to take us into the park was travelling from Narok to the Mara that afternoon and he said he would come pick me up. So I got a free ride, which, after some pricey weekends last month, I definitely appreciated. After two hours down a bumpy dirt road and after passing a family of elephants, some zebra, and tons of gazelles, I arrived at Brian's. What a difference. I live in a town and he lives, quite literally, in the bush. Well, actually it's a pretty dry area so there aren't many bushes to speak of but you get the drift. I'll put some pictures up of his site and mine and you will see the difference. He is about 200m away from the Sekenani Gate into the park, which is the main gate. Tuesday morning I walked around his village with him, greeting and talking with various people who were all wondering why the white guy is walking with the black woman, why they are so far from the tourist lodges, and where the hell we were going. We tried to explain that no, we aren't married, yes, we are both from America, and we were just walking. To people with a load of firewood or water on their back, this understandably made no sense. After the "tour" of Sekenani, consisting of tons of bars, a few "restaurants", some small dukkas (store stalls), the cyber cafe, and the county council area, we sat and waited for Lefty, our friend/guide. He came and took us into the park for about 3 hours, it was awesome. First, you see the deleterious effects of overgrazing clearly. Around Brian's compound there's barely any grass but in the park just a bit away it looks like a true Savannah. I came at the end of the wildebeest migration, so when we looked out into the distance you could see lines and lines of wildebeest. The other highlights of the safari were: a leopard in a tree, a lion walking right next to our car, lots of zebra and gazelles, some ostrich, and one of about 3,000 black rhinos left in the world. A good day indeed.
Wednesday: Olikirkirai
Wednesday it was back to work. We were going to Olikirikirai (about 50km N of Narok) to meet with a women's group but it coincided with National Literacy Day so I got to meet the chief, DO, area counsellor, Ass. Chief, and a bunch of other people I should have met a month ago. 2 birds, one stone. Oh, I forgot. In order to get back to Narok from the Mara I had to wake up at 5am to catch the matatu (they only leave in the morning) but we did do some great star gazing: Orion's belt, some galaxies, Jupiter, and a bunch of other stars Brian pointed out to me that I forgot. On the bumpy three hour ride back sitting by bags of maize or potatoes or who knows what, a giraffe came right in front of the matatu! I got back to the house about 8, had a breakfast of Kenyan pancakes, and left for Olikirkirai around 10. It started raining at the end of the Literacy Day program, around 3pm so we met with the women and then tried to catch a ride back to Narok. It took about 30 minutes walking down the muddy road in the rain before a car came, which they then packed full of people and vegetables. (Sidenote: I now play a game called, how much can you fit in a car? So far the record is 12 people but this was a close second with 8 people and 8 bags of veggies). At 7PM, my supervisor and I arrived back in town and I was exhausted in the best way possible and starving. I hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning! Home, dinner, two wine spritzers and 3 episodes of Sex and the City later, I was asleep.
Thursday: Rrotian
Yesterday was another full day. OFDC has provided loan money for 6 women groups but we have to do home assessments for all interested loan applicants to ensure they really are needy. Yesterday was home assessment day 2 of 5 in Rrotian, which meant more walking in the hot sun, more chai and chapati and failing to understand any more than 10% of the Maasai spoken. Luckily Josephine, my supervisor's wife and my unofficial counterpart, was there to translate. I asked them a bunch of question about their lives, families, homes, businesses and their community. It was worth it though, when at the end of the day one woman thanked me for coming and said no one had ever been to their homes or asked about their problems. Intangible rewards.
Today I am going to finally get some statistics I have been after for a month and then going to Naivasha to look at a group do some briquette making, a possible IGA (income generating activity) for some of the women's groups. Tomorrow I am going to one of the first senators of Kenya's house to meet his grand-daughters and family and I'm going to try and make pizza. Sunday it's off to Nairobi!!!!!
Happy Eid al Fitr to all my Muslim friends! Fasting in August had to have been haaaaard, feast well!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
I Got a New Attitude
The blog waves have been quiet over here, partly because not much has been going on and partly because I was in a funk and I didn't want to just come on and vent. So, I waited until I got through it a bit before I blogged. That first month was HARD. You hear how your first 3-6 months in the Peace Corps are difficult, but knowing doesn't make it any less difficult. I was frustrated for a multitude of reasons, but then I took a couple escape weekends and came back ready to deal with it. My first boss at LB always told me: Don't come to me with a problem if you don't have a solution. That's probably the censored version of his sentence but you get the point: there's no use in complaining if you aren't going to do anything to change it. So, I came back last weekend recharged and refreshed. Some days are still frustrating, like Friday when I didn't leave the house all day but I made up for it yesterday and today.
Saturday I went to see the big market at Rotian, one of the villages I am working with. They have a market on Tuesday and Saturday, but the one on Saturday draws a big crowd from neighboring villages. I wish I could have taken a picture so you guys can get an idea of what "big" is, (this ain't the Farmer's Market in Union Square) but people were already looking at me like I was crazy just for being there walking around so I didn't want to attract any extra attention. I don't know if they stare because they know I'm a foreigner or just because they know I'm not Maasai.
After leaving the village, I went back to town and hung out at my one of my favorite restaurants. I met another CBO (community based organization) worker and he invited me to take a walk Sunday. I was so estatic to find a Kenyan I could speak English with at regular speed, complete with euphemisms, who could also translate Swahili and Maasai to people around me that there was no way I was turning that invitation down. I met with him today and he said we were walking 10km (about 6 miles). I figure I used to run 6 miles frequently, walking shouldn't be a problem. Two hours later (why do I always end up walking in 2 hour increments?) he pointed out the town we were going to waaaaaay off in the distance. We both looked at each other and thought it best to turn around. Along the way we met an 11 year old boy who gave us some laughs. He had heard us speaking English so he asked where I was from. I told him, in Maasai, that I live in Narok but I am from America. First he said it can't be true and then asked why my hair wasn't like a white persons. Laughing, I told him, because I'm not white and he replied that I wasn't black enough to be Kenyan. I think he didn't know what category to put me in but he was happy to show off the little English he had learned in school. He took us to his house so my friend could get some water and then we headed the two hours back home. Including the times we stopped, this walk went from noon- 5PM, meaning I missed lunch and I had only had about 1/2 a liter of water. Bad decision on my part.
My plan was to come home, cook up some ramen really quickly (don't judge me!) and then relax till dinner time. But, the girls asked me did I want to help them cook chapati and of course I said sure. They cook for me all the time so any time they let me help out, I take it as a sign that they are thinking of me more as a family member and not a guest. After rolling out about 20 pieces of chapati dough, I felt a little lightheaded and thought I would get some water. Yea, so I never made it past the corridor. I have never fainted in my life and doing it in front of a house full of girls who wash clothes, dishes, watch children, fetch water, cook, and clean from dawn till evening was not where I would have chosen. But, they all surrounded me, brought me water, and made sure I was ok, which was a great feeling. So fam, rest assured, I'm certainly not out here on my own.
This week the rest of the girls return to school and the house will seem a little too quiet without them here. I can't say I will miss the band practice in front of my door from 10am-lunch time but I will miss seeing all of the girls every day. This week I am going to Maasai Mara to see the other PCV in my organization and the wildebeest migration on a "safari" and then I will meet more women's groups, which is exciting. Next week is back to Nairobi for In Service Training which means friends, pizza, sushi, movies, and the demise of my bank account!
Some funny things:
There are more churches here than a block in Harlem. One of the ones on the way into town is, "Jesus the Fountain of Life Church Total Transformation Center House of Worship". Not lying.
The grocery store (and various other places) sells copies of movies but they put like 6-10 movies on one disk. Included in this collection was "Black American Super Movies No. 4": Game Over, Corrupted Minds, Get Rich or Die Tryin, POETIC JUSTICE, Confessions of a Thug, Out of Time, Rude Boy, Dance Hall Queen, Third World, JUICE, CITY OF GOD, Shottas, Rollin' with the Nines, Waist Deep, Jacked up, and BELLY. I have to disagree with some of their definitions of Super Movies but looks like 125th street needs to step up their movie game...
Thanks Trenita for my bday package! Can't wait until Peanut comes!
Thanks Dad, Tracy and Jr for my Amazon gift card. I'm blowing through books here...
Thanks Mom and Aja for my letters and pictures and thanks to all those who email/ check up on facebook- it really means a lot! The rest of you...ahemmmmm.....
Saturday I went to see the big market at Rotian, one of the villages I am working with. They have a market on Tuesday and Saturday, but the one on Saturday draws a big crowd from neighboring villages. I wish I could have taken a picture so you guys can get an idea of what "big" is, (this ain't the Farmer's Market in Union Square) but people were already looking at me like I was crazy just for being there walking around so I didn't want to attract any extra attention. I don't know if they stare because they know I'm a foreigner or just because they know I'm not Maasai.
After leaving the village, I went back to town and hung out at my one of my favorite restaurants. I met another CBO (community based organization) worker and he invited me to take a walk Sunday. I was so estatic to find a Kenyan I could speak English with at regular speed, complete with euphemisms, who could also translate Swahili and Maasai to people around me that there was no way I was turning that invitation down. I met with him today and he said we were walking 10km (about 6 miles). I figure I used to run 6 miles frequently, walking shouldn't be a problem. Two hours later (why do I always end up walking in 2 hour increments?) he pointed out the town we were going to waaaaaay off in the distance. We both looked at each other and thought it best to turn around. Along the way we met an 11 year old boy who gave us some laughs. He had heard us speaking English so he asked where I was from. I told him, in Maasai, that I live in Narok but I am from America. First he said it can't be true and then asked why my hair wasn't like a white persons. Laughing, I told him, because I'm not white and he replied that I wasn't black enough to be Kenyan. I think he didn't know what category to put me in but he was happy to show off the little English he had learned in school. He took us to his house so my friend could get some water and then we headed the two hours back home. Including the times we stopped, this walk went from noon- 5PM, meaning I missed lunch and I had only had about 1/2 a liter of water. Bad decision on my part.
My plan was to come home, cook up some ramen really quickly (don't judge me!) and then relax till dinner time. But, the girls asked me did I want to help them cook chapati and of course I said sure. They cook for me all the time so any time they let me help out, I take it as a sign that they are thinking of me more as a family member and not a guest. After rolling out about 20 pieces of chapati dough, I felt a little lightheaded and thought I would get some water. Yea, so I never made it past the corridor. I have never fainted in my life and doing it in front of a house full of girls who wash clothes, dishes, watch children, fetch water, cook, and clean from dawn till evening was not where I would have chosen. But, they all surrounded me, brought me water, and made sure I was ok, which was a great feeling. So fam, rest assured, I'm certainly not out here on my own.
This week the rest of the girls return to school and the house will seem a little too quiet without them here. I can't say I will miss the band practice in front of my door from 10am-lunch time but I will miss seeing all of the girls every day. This week I am going to Maasai Mara to see the other PCV in my organization and the wildebeest migration on a "safari" and then I will meet more women's groups, which is exciting. Next week is back to Nairobi for In Service Training which means friends, pizza, sushi, movies, and the demise of my bank account!
Some funny things:
There are more churches here than a block in Harlem. One of the ones on the way into town is, "Jesus the Fountain of Life Church Total Transformation Center House of Worship". Not lying.
The grocery store (and various other places) sells copies of movies but they put like 6-10 movies on one disk. Included in this collection was "Black American Super Movies No. 4": Game Over, Corrupted Minds, Get Rich or Die Tryin, POETIC JUSTICE, Confessions of a Thug, Out of Time, Rude Boy, Dance Hall Queen, Third World, JUICE, CITY OF GOD, Shottas, Rollin' with the Nines, Waist Deep, Jacked up, and BELLY. I have to disagree with some of their definitions of Super Movies but looks like 125th street needs to step up their movie game...
Thanks Trenita for my bday package! Can't wait until Peanut comes!
Thanks Dad, Tracy and Jr for my Amazon gift card. I'm blowing through books here...
Thanks Mom and Aja for my letters and pictures and thanks to all those who email/ check up on facebook- it really means a lot! The rest of you...ahemmmmm.....
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Relativity
Relativitiy:
By American standards, I am poor. Here in Kenya, however, myself and the family I live with are probably squarely in the middle class. I came to this realization on Sunday, while eating (and enjoying) a lunch of rice and potatoes. Sunday lunches are notoriously starch heavy. For most households, Sunday is the only day of “rest” for women and/or househelp. They go to church and fix an easy lunch and dinner. And, if you remember from the previous post, church can be a full-time job's worth of hours on a Sunday. So, when we got home at 3PM, the girls cooked up what was easiest and most filling. Yesterday I went on house visits to a women's group in Rotian, a village about 20km away from my town. Rotian is one of the two villages I will be working closely with during my two years. This group is the pilot for the micro-finance project with my organization and OFDC. OFDC is a top donor for MWV; they provide sponsorships for many of the children, have built water wells at the safehouse and some schools, fund women's trainings like the one I attended last month, installed the electricity in the safehouse and provide uniforms and various other things for sponsored children. Their budget is small but they make it stretch! Rotian village was selected last year and, after looking through many proposals, one group was selected to receive the loan money. Yesterday, I got to see how the loan has changed their lives. Here are just a few highlights:
Out of the 6 women:
*All of them were very hospitable, making us drink chai (tea) and some sort of food before moving on to the next home :-)
*2 have never gone to school, 1 has gone through second grade, 1 through freshman year of high school, and 2 have completed 2 years of college.
*The nearest primary school is 1-2 hours away, depending on where in the village you live
*The nearest hospital is 20km away. The women told me when someone is hurt they carry them in lesos (sheets of fabric usually used as a wrap skirt) to the hospital. There is a dispensary in the village, but it is private and expensive.
*All the women must walk around 3km each day to fetch water for the household and for crops.
*Only one woman had a choo (latrine) on her land. The rest either use hers or the bush, whichever is closest.
*The average number of children is 4.6
*Half of the women are in a polygamous marriage
The number of children and multiple wives add up to a bad combination for many of these women. When there is a drought (like last year) or not enough food to go around, the girls end up being married off, usually after 8th grade. When there are multiple wives, one is usually favored and if that wife isn't you, guess who's girls get married off first?
So how has this small loan (around $300 per woman) helped them? The women told me that before the loan they had to depend on their husbands for food and school fees. Most of them farmed on their own shambas (farms) and sold what they didn't eat. When times are good, time are good. But when they are bad, if the crop gets destroyed (like a lot of wheat did last year) or the rains are late, the results can be disastrous. The loan has helped them learn basic business skills and also to buy more nutritious food for their children and pay for school fees. One woman is saving for a tin roof; her current home is made of cow dung and thatched grass. All of them are interested in how to open a bank account to save for hard times. I know micro-finance is the “sexy” word of the decade, but that's in large part because it can work. There are many micro-finance institutions (MFIs) in town but they charge high fees and interest and are targeted toward people who are already engaging in some sort of business. Some require a cow as collateral. These are women who don't own any property and 10-20% interest would eat up any profit they were able to make. The project with OFDC is targeting the very poor of the poor, women who have no other avenues of financial services. For this one group of 6 women, there were at least 30 other women that I met yesterday who wanted the same opportunity, and I'm sure tons of others who I didn't get a chance to meet. If you would like to help, send me an email!
The rest of the week has been business as usual. There is now a music teacher here to teach the girls trumpet, trombone, and drums. So, the house is somewhat of an “orchestra” until noon each day. The girl's and I had a photo shoot on Saturday, pics coming soon. Today I am going to a women's conference in town. Someone asked me about reading and, yes, I do a lot of it. Not as many as some but here's a list of what I've read so far:
*1984- one should not read this while taking Mephalquin (malaria meds that can cause hallucinations and nightmares). You've been warned.
*Their Eyes Were Watching God- I had read it back in middle school but it was better the second time around.
*The Street- Great pick by Melanie that she has been trying to get me to read since senior year of college.
*44 Scotland Street- by the same author who wrote No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Pass.
*Three Cups of Tea- Read it! Inspiring.
I'll take any of your suggestions as well!
By American standards, I am poor. Here in Kenya, however, myself and the family I live with are probably squarely in the middle class. I came to this realization on Sunday, while eating (and enjoying) a lunch of rice and potatoes. Sunday lunches are notoriously starch heavy. For most households, Sunday is the only day of “rest” for women and/or househelp. They go to church and fix an easy lunch and dinner. And, if you remember from the previous post, church can be a full-time job's worth of hours on a Sunday. So, when we got home at 3PM, the girls cooked up what was easiest and most filling. Yesterday I went on house visits to a women's group in Rotian, a village about 20km away from my town. Rotian is one of the two villages I will be working closely with during my two years. This group is the pilot for the micro-finance project with my organization and OFDC. OFDC is a top donor for MWV; they provide sponsorships for many of the children, have built water wells at the safehouse and some schools, fund women's trainings like the one I attended last month, installed the electricity in the safehouse and provide uniforms and various other things for sponsored children. Their budget is small but they make it stretch! Rotian village was selected last year and, after looking through many proposals, one group was selected to receive the loan money. Yesterday, I got to see how the loan has changed their lives. Here are just a few highlights:
Out of the 6 women:
*All of them were very hospitable, making us drink chai (tea) and some sort of food before moving on to the next home :-)
*2 have never gone to school, 1 has gone through second grade, 1 through freshman year of high school, and 2 have completed 2 years of college.
*The nearest primary school is 1-2 hours away, depending on where in the village you live
*The nearest hospital is 20km away. The women told me when someone is hurt they carry them in lesos (sheets of fabric usually used as a wrap skirt) to the hospital. There is a dispensary in the village, but it is private and expensive.
*All the women must walk around 3km each day to fetch water for the household and for crops.
*Only one woman had a choo (latrine) on her land. The rest either use hers or the bush, whichever is closest.
*The average number of children is 4.6
*Half of the women are in a polygamous marriage
The number of children and multiple wives add up to a bad combination for many of these women. When there is a drought (like last year) or not enough food to go around, the girls end up being married off, usually after 8th grade. When there are multiple wives, one is usually favored and if that wife isn't you, guess who's girls get married off first?
So how has this small loan (around $300 per woman) helped them? The women told me that before the loan they had to depend on their husbands for food and school fees. Most of them farmed on their own shambas (farms) and sold what they didn't eat. When times are good, time are good. But when they are bad, if the crop gets destroyed (like a lot of wheat did last year) or the rains are late, the results can be disastrous. The loan has helped them learn basic business skills and also to buy more nutritious food for their children and pay for school fees. One woman is saving for a tin roof; her current home is made of cow dung and thatched grass. All of them are interested in how to open a bank account to save for hard times. I know micro-finance is the “sexy” word of the decade, but that's in large part because it can work. There are many micro-finance institutions (MFIs) in town but they charge high fees and interest and are targeted toward people who are already engaging in some sort of business. Some require a cow as collateral. These are women who don't own any property and 10-20% interest would eat up any profit they were able to make. The project with OFDC is targeting the very poor of the poor, women who have no other avenues of financial services. For this one group of 6 women, there were at least 30 other women that I met yesterday who wanted the same opportunity, and I'm sure tons of others who I didn't get a chance to meet. If you would like to help, send me an email!
The rest of the week has been business as usual. There is now a music teacher here to teach the girls trumpet, trombone, and drums. So, the house is somewhat of an “orchestra” until noon each day. The girl's and I had a photo shoot on Saturday, pics coming soon. Today I am going to a women's conference in town. Someone asked me about reading and, yes, I do a lot of it. Not as many as some but here's a list of what I've read so far:
*1984- one should not read this while taking Mephalquin (malaria meds that can cause hallucinations and nightmares). You've been warned.
*Their Eyes Were Watching God- I had read it back in middle school but it was better the second time around.
*The Street- Great pick by Melanie that she has been trying to get me to read since senior year of college.
*44 Scotland Street- by the same author who wrote No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Pass.
*Three Cups of Tea- Read it! Inspiring.
I'll take any of your suggestions as well!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
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