As a white person in Kenya, I experienced something very different than I ever would have in the United States. Here, I stand out as the white or "mzungu" person walking down the street. They see me from a mile away and aren't afraid to shout or stare at me until I've passed. I've never gotten so much attention in my whole entire life (probably combined!) than I have here. If I stand out at home it's probably because I have a booger in my nose or my fly is down, but never because of my race.
During my whole time in Kenya, but specifically in Kisumu, I was constantly reminded of my "whiteness." I'd walk to my internship, and for the entire 45 minutes, people (mainly men) would shout at me saying, "MZUNGU!", "White lady!", "Baby!" or some other sort of cat call. They see white girls as "easy" based off of what they see on American television, and often times, I'd get marriage proposals just because they think I have money and can bring them with me to America. My first week in Kisumu was so hard because after an hour and half of that every day, I seriously wanted to punch the next person who talked to me. But after that first week, I got used to it, and now after our return to Nairobi, it actually felt weird that people weren't noticing us. However, it was frustrating at times because I was constantly battling with trying to understand
people's motives and whether they liked me for me or for the status they
thought it would bring them by being friends with me. I wanted to be friendly and form lots of relationships, but I wanted to be liked for the right reasons and not just because of the color of my skin.
Many people here think all white people are rich and will often times ask you for things or see you as their free pass to America. They want you to buy them things or give them your clothes, and this false idea that they had about us all being rich was frustrating, but it also made me realize that many people back home do the same thing. They have stereotypes about Americans in their giant mansions, driving a Mercedes, and with money to spend on absolutely everything. But then Americans, too, have this view of Africa as mud huts, where children are dying of starvation and orphaned because their parents had AIDS. Are either of these stereotypes true? Of course not, but I couldn't really be upset with their view of white people when I knew I had friends and family back home with stereotypes just as false about my life here.
While adults see you as some sort of money bank, with the kids, they see you more as some sort of god or goddess. All they want to do is touch your hair, hold your hands, and say hello. It's like they've been taught to have this idealized image of white people, that just really isn't true. I'd come to work covered in dust and mud from my walk, and the kids could not believe that I, the mzungu, could ever be dirty. Even the Kenyan food I ate or the fact that I took a bucket shower, they could NOT believe; they think even in Kenya, Americans bring their giant mansions, drivers, butlers, etc. (that we don't have) to accommodate our every need. I tried so hard to convey the concept that we're all human and actually have many similarities, yet I think they still thought I was somehow fibbing.
I can also remember when I visited this rural school, all the kids ran up to my friend, Jenna, and me. My professor said this was probably the first time they had ever seen a white person. She said this would be all they'd talk about when they went home to their parents, and they would probably remember this day for the rest of their lives. I was shocked! I could not believe that my 5 minutes with them would have such an effect even though I really didn't do anything but hold their hands. That was one of the moments when I had this feeling of guilt... I didn't want to be seen and remembered as some sort of celebrity because of the color of my skin, I wanted to be remembered because of who I was as a person.
Even in my internship at the children's home, I was called "mzungu" by the kids and even the other staff all the time! I was there for 6 weeks, and often times, I'd have to remind them that my name was Jenni and not mzungu. It made me feel so degraded because even though I had spent so much time with them, some of them still see all of us "mzungus" the same, not differing enough to even have our own names....
Yet, even though I was experiencing all of this in the sense of being the minority, I still carried my white privilege. At every supermarket, shopping mall, etc. there are security guards standing at the entrance with metal detectors to check your bags, and almost every time, I got waved through while a Kenyan next to me would be searched. In the few times I was checked, I set off the buzzer every time, and nothing happened-- just got a wave through the door. I could go somewhere and people would probably want to serve me first just because I'm white. It's so strange because in my education classes at the U, we talk a lot about the white privilege we have within the United States, but I guess I never really thought it would carry overseas. I was the MINORITY yet still got special treatment.
The sad part is, as much as I hate to say it, I know I'm going to miss the all the attention and all the special treatment I got here. Even if it was for the wrong reasons, I'm going to wonder why no one wants to talk to me when I walk into the grocery store or why no one is looking at me as I walk down the street. It's like I became so accustomed to such treatment that I almost expected it. For example, when we went to Uganda and thought we might need our Yellow Fever cards, one of my friends had forgotten hers, and all of our mindsets were full of arrogance wrapped around the fact that we were white: "Oh, you'll be fine. I mean, they're not going to NOT let you in."
The fact around all of this though is that I still have no idea what it really means to be the minority. Yes, I know what it feels like to have everyone stare at you and wonder what in the heck you're doing there every single day, but it's never in a negative light. I never would go into a store and have someone think my ulterior motive was to steal something just because of my race. I was never extra security checked. Never was questioned about motives. Never asked for my ID. It was like, "Oh, it's okay because she's white." You can't help but feel guilty in those types of situations, even though there's nothing you can do about it-- You are who you are, and you can't change the color of your skin. I wish the world was different and we saw our differences in a light that valued and embraced them rather than favoring one over another or having negative stereotypes about a person without even knowing them. And while it's sad the world is the way it is, I'm hopeful one day things will change. I'm grateful to have had such an experience that could maybe not give me full understanding of what it's like to be the non-white minority, but gave me one, in which allowed me to reflect on my own life experiences and put into a worldview context to better understand those different from me.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Playing catch up- My time in Kisumu!
Greetings to all my friends and family back home!
I have been neglecting my blogging due to a busy schedule
and a little bit more janky internet, but now that I am back in Nairobi, I am
able to write, and I’ll try update you as best I can! I have 1 WEEK left in my time here in Kenya,
and if the weather cooperates and warms up a little bit more back in Minne, I’ll consider
coming home ;)
I’m starting to have some anxiety about my return as I’m
very excited to go home and see all my friends and family and probably have a
chocolate chip cookie or two, but this only means that I have to say goodbye to
my new friends and family here. I’ve
made so many wonderful relationships with the people on my program and those
living right here in Kenya, and I can only wish that Minnesota and Kenya
weren’t so far away from each other. I
keep promising I’ll come back to visit as soon as I can (and I know I will
eventually), but it’s so hard to know when exactly that will be which makes the
goodbye process so much more difficult.
I’ll save my super sappy blog when the big goodbye process gets a little
nearer and I’m sitting and crying to Taylor Swift, so for now I’ll just move
onto my Kenyan life since the last update!
I’ve lived in Kisumu for the past 6 weeks, interning at Mama
Ngina Children’s Home. (I’ll also post another blog all about my experience there as
soon as I can!) I love this about the
program I’m on because not only did I get to experience Nairobi and take
classes on Kenyan development and history, but then I also had the opportunity
to get hands-on experience in the field I’m interested in.
The first week in Kisumu was tough because we had finally
figured everything out in Nairobi and now we had to do it all over again. But after we adjusted again, our time went by
so fast, and I cannot believe I already had to say goodbye and I am now back in
Nairobi! The people in Kisumu were much
more friendly than in Nairobi, and they all want you to feel so welcome! Ah! I
was so excited to see my Nairobi family again and all my friends from the
program who are scattered in other areas of Kenya, but I did not want to leave
Kisumu!
The new family I stayed with has a grandma and grandpa,
their daughter, and their 10-month-old grandson. CJ, the grandson, definitely kept us busy,
but he is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, so I couldn’t help but
want to hold him all day! My family
loved to feed me because they wanted me to come back BIG so people know there’s
food in Africa…. Um, no thank you! It’s
swimsuit season when we get back ;)
During the week, I was much more on my own than in Nairobi, where I didn’t see anyone from my program until Friday or Saturday. I would go to my internship and then come home and (try) to work on my papers that are due before I go back home. But let me tell you, if you think getting the motivation to be productive is hard in the U.S., it’s 10 zillion times worse 8,000 miles away when you just want to keep experiencing the culture and have fun adventures! The weekends were our time to get together and be a little more westernized, where we’d go out to dinner, maybe sit by the pool, and have lots of fun out on the town. Last weekend, we even went out on a boat on Lake Victoria and got to see the hippos!
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| My Bucket Shower |
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| Mama cooking chapati! |
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| My baby, CJ! |
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| The Chickens at our House |
During the week, I was much more on my own than in Nairobi, where I didn’t see anyone from my program until Friday or Saturday. I would go to my internship and then come home and (try) to work on my papers that are due before I go back home. But let me tell you, if you think getting the motivation to be productive is hard in the U.S., it’s 10 zillion times worse 8,000 miles away when you just want to keep experiencing the culture and have fun adventures! The weekends were our time to get together and be a little more westernized, where we’d go out to dinner, maybe sit by the pool, and have lots of fun out on the town. Last weekend, we even went out on a boat on Lake Victoria and got to see the hippos!
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| The Kisumu Gang |
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| Those blobs are hippos! |
A couple weeks ago a few of my friends and I went to Uganda for
an adventure full of bungee jumping and white water rafting on the Nile River! We had a blast, as I’m sure you can
imagine! We took a bus to Jinja, Uganda
and stayed at a hostel that organized the trips for us, so all we really had to
do was wake up ready to rock and roll! :) We did rafting on Saturday, and I
about had a panic attack. They casually
talked about the hippos and crocodiles in the Nile and told us that if we
happen to come across one after we fall out, we just swim fast and hope for the
best. Um okay, yeah that’s comforting….!
Rafting was super fun when we stayed IN the raft, but we flipped over 4
times in level 5 rapids, and I actually thought I was going to die! On our last flip, I was trapped under the
boat and kept getting sucked under the rapid and my helmet (because of my
stupid, small head) fell off, and 2 other people hit ginormous rocks during the
fall. We didn’t really realize until we
were finished, but it was actually probably super dangerous and wouldn’t be
legal in the U.S….. Oops! Good thing
we’re still alive :) (Mom and Dad- just ignore that last part..)
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| The platform we jumped from! |
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| Our friends we met at the hostel |
Easter was so weird not being at home. It’s the first time I haven’t been with my
family for a holiday, so calling back home and talking to the whole family made
me so bummed I was missing out but got me excited to see them in a few
weeks! Easter meal is also one of my favorites, so I’m hoping my family
will reenact it with a special Easter basket and egg hunt just for me when I
get back.
This past week was my last in Kisumu, and the night I
had to pack up my things I was a crying mess in my room. Even Beyoncé and double-stuffed oreos
couldn’t mask my pain. My family in
Kisumu was so great and saying goodbye was so difficult! Even though in Nairobi I will have to say
goodbye to my host family here, which will be super hard, there’s not as many
people I met just on the street in their little shops or on my walk everyday
that I will miss. I can’t even try to
explain how welcoming and caring they all were, and I know when I come back to
Kenya, I’ll definitely have a place to stay.
Nairobi and Kisumu were so different because I can call my house “home”
in Nairobi, but I would never consider the city itself my home. However, in Kisumu,
the city and the people all became a place that I can always call home. I wouldn't say Kisumu is rural, but many parts of it aren't as developed as places in Nairobi. The people in Nairobi all seem so busy and preoccupied, whereas in Kisumu, it's much more laid back. It’s nice to be back in Nairobi, but I’m
reminded of all the security issues, whereas in Kisumu, I got so accustomed to
taking any form of public transportation, walking down the street at night, and
carrying around some valuables. There are parts of each that I enjoy more than the other, and I'm so glad I got to experience both, but Kisumu won my heart!
It seems unreal that in exactly one week I will begin my
journey back home. I’m honestly just not
ready. I wish I could stay for another
month or two!! Ah! Why can’t Kenya be closer to home?
Sorry for the extremely long post filled with a bunch of
random, brief blurbs, but I was so behind!
I’ll post a couple a little more detailed in the near future. So for now, I’m going to go experience my
first hot, running shower I’ve had in weeks!
Happy Saturday :)
Blessings,
Jen
Saturday, March 22, 2014
One Chapter Ends, Another Begins- Leaving Nairobi for My Internship in Kisumu
Hamjambo, rafiki zangu! (Hello, my friends!)
I'm currently sitting in my house on my last day here in Nairobi. I seriously cannot believe my 8 weeks of being in Kenya has already come and gone. I'm over halfway done with the program, and in less than 50 days, I'll be back in the States. WHAT?!
We had our last week of class this week, so we wrapped up our courses, took our final Kiswahili exam, and now all that's left is to write our research papers. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning for Kisumu, located in Western Kenya on Lake Victoria to start my internship. I'll be getting a new host family and my internship is at an orphanage for abused, mistreated, abandoned, and orphaned street children. I'm very excited to start my internship, as I'll get to play with cute little nuggets all day :) ….
BUT, I don't want to leave Nairobi. The city itself is whatever, but I can't imagine leaving my family. We've finally gotten so adjusted to each other, I'm feeling right at home… And now I have to leave? I don't want to. I don't want to start all over and redo the whole adjustment and getting comfortable phase. I wish I could just pick up my brothers, my mom, and my dad, put them in my suitcase, and take them with me. I honestly believe that I got THE BEST host family out there. Seriously though. I can't imagine Kenyan life without them. So I'll probably cry and my host brothers will look at my like I'm psychotic (because that's what brothers do, and it's probably exactly what Tym and Chris would do back home), but I don't care because I'm so sad to leave! :( They've been the most welcoming, most caring, most warm-hearted, fun people, and while I'm sure my next family will be great too, they've sure got a lot to live up to!
I'll get to come back and stay with them for my final week in Kenya, but then it's off to small town PI (which my family here, like everyone else, loves to make fun of because it's so dinky). LOLZ. These last 7 weeks are seriously going to FLY by. All of the other students in the program with me are heading their separate ways for internship, so some will be going to the Kisumu area with me, but this time we are much more on our own. AHH! Just thinking about it is giving me anxiety. When we got to Nairobi we had each other to talk to while we were all adjusting and our program directors were right there every step of the way, but now, we won't be seeing each other much and our directors are 8 hours away… YIKES! (Let's hope we don't get into any trouble) ;)
Our final week in Nairobi was a good one to end on though! This week we had guest speakers who played African music and taught us some Kenyan dances! It was a blast, and the boys (who are total naturals) were fun to watch ;) Don't worry, I'll remember some of these moves to show all of you back home, so get ready to shake it! It was also one of our friend's birthdays, so we celebrated with some Indian food, cake, and dancing on our last night together in Nairobi!
I'm very excited to see what God has in store for me as I continue on in my African Adventure. I'm sure my anxiety will wear down once I get there, meet my host family, and start my internship, but for now I'm still a little bit of a mixed emotion mess full of happiness, excitement, anxiety, and sadness! BUT BRING IT ON, KENYA PART 2- I'M COMING FOR YA! :)
I'm currently sitting in my house on my last day here in Nairobi. I seriously cannot believe my 8 weeks of being in Kenya has already come and gone. I'm over halfway done with the program, and in less than 50 days, I'll be back in the States. WHAT?!
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| Nailing our Kiswahili final |
BUT, I don't want to leave Nairobi. The city itself is whatever, but I can't imagine leaving my family. We've finally gotten so adjusted to each other, I'm feeling right at home… And now I have to leave? I don't want to. I don't want to start all over and redo the whole adjustment and getting comfortable phase. I wish I could just pick up my brothers, my mom, and my dad, put them in my suitcase, and take them with me. I honestly believe that I got THE BEST host family out there. Seriously though. I can't imagine Kenyan life without them. So I'll probably cry and my host brothers will look at my like I'm psychotic (because that's what brothers do, and it's probably exactly what Tym and Chris would do back home), but I don't care because I'm so sad to leave! :( They've been the most welcoming, most caring, most warm-hearted, fun people, and while I'm sure my next family will be great too, they've sure got a lot to live up to!
I'll get to come back and stay with them for my final week in Kenya, but then it's off to small town PI (which my family here, like everyone else, loves to make fun of because it's so dinky). LOLZ. These last 7 weeks are seriously going to FLY by. All of the other students in the program with me are heading their separate ways for internship, so some will be going to the Kisumu area with me, but this time we are much more on our own. AHH! Just thinking about it is giving me anxiety. When we got to Nairobi we had each other to talk to while we were all adjusting and our program directors were right there every step of the way, but now, we won't be seeing each other much and our directors are 8 hours away… YIKES! (Let's hope we don't get into any trouble) ;)
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| Happy 21st to Johnna! |
Our final week in Nairobi was a good one to end on though! This week we had guest speakers who played African music and taught us some Kenyan dances! It was a blast, and the boys (who are total naturals) were fun to watch ;) Don't worry, I'll remember some of these moves to show all of you back home, so get ready to shake it! It was also one of our friend's birthdays, so we celebrated with some Indian food, cake, and dancing on our last night together in Nairobi!
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| My first try at Indian food and I loved it! |
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| Just doing our thang. |
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| Learning the African Dance |
XOXO,
Jenni with a Heart
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| Last night out in Nairobi with my faves |
Friday, March 21, 2014
Tanzania: The day that never ended
So ever since 5th grade, the ONE place I have wanted to visit most was Tanzania. At camp one summer, a counselor was telling us about how she grew up in Tanzania with monkeys in her backyard, so naturally, for me (the monkey lover), I was hooked. A couple years later, Morgan wanted to go to language camp to learn German, and when my mom asked me if I wanted to join her, I said I would only go if they had Swahili (the language they speak in Tanzania)…. Well, they didn't, so I didn't go. As I prepared for Kenya, I was so excited because I thought I would get the chance to FINALLY see Tanzania (Kenya's neighbor). Last weekend I got my chance, but it was definitely nothing like I ever expected…
We had been talking about going to Tanzania the upcoming weekend, and Thursday rolls around, and we still have nothing planned. Oops. At this point there were now only 4 of us planning to go because of the lack of planning done ahead of time and the loads of homework we have yet to do (yes, we do have homework still while we're studying abroad). But of course we chose to go on an adventure instead of staying here and writing papers, and boy, we sure didn't know the adventure we had in store for us. We booked a bus ticket and a hostel for Friday night and were ready to set off.
Friday morning, our cab picked us up around 7 to drop us off at the hotel where the shuttle would be taking us to Arusha, Tanzania. As we're driving, our car (and all the other cars) stop for this woman to cross the street. Well everyone EXCEPT the motor bike. He zooms past the other cars, and hits this woman right in front of us! She flew in the air and her Bible and shoes went flying. She got up so quickly, just scared that another car would hit her. Pedestrians all circled around the motor bike, yelling at him for not looking, and he tried to drive away! Our cab driver was not about to let that happen, so he got out, took the guy's helmet, keys and license plate, and gave them to the woman. He told her to wait for him and that he'd be back for her. She just kept repeating, "Please don't leave me alone with him!" Our driver dropped us off, and by the time he went back to the scene, the cops had arrived. This was event number one in our Friday adventures.
We got on the bus and headed towards Tanzania. We were now at the border, ready to get our visas. For U.S. citizens, the visa costs 100 USD, and luckily for me, I had saved exactly that much before I exchanged my money for Kenyan shillings when we got here. Jenna and Kaitlyn both had $50 and some shillings, and Leah just had some Kenyan shillings. We were told there would be an ATM, but of course there wasn't, so we were getting super nervous about whether or not we'd have enough money to even get into Tanzania. No one would take Jenna's stupid $50 bill because it was too old… WHAT?! How were we supposed to know that they only take USD made after like 2003. I paid my money and sat down waiting for them to stamp my visa on my passport. All of a sudden, I hear, "JENNIFER!" I stood up, freaking out, and walked up to the counter. The mean visa man pulled out one of my $20 bills and was like, "DO YOU SEE THIS?!" Me: "No?" "LOOK AT THIS RIP!" (Okay, seriously it was the TINIEST rip I've ever seen.) He said they couldn't accept my money and that I would need to pay more or borrow from a friend. The problem was that we didn't have anymore money!!! Kaitlyn and I just start kind of freaking out at this guy telling him we've been in Kenya for 2 months, so 1. We don't have anymore USDs and 2. That money has been in our wallets for 2 months, how do you expect it to be completely rip free?! Annoyed with us I'm sure, he finally took my stinking bill and gave me my visa. We were still having this trouble with the old $50 bill. We were running all over the place trying to figure out what to do because we were SURE we didn't have any more money… But then Kaitlyn looks in her wallet and finds an extra 1000 shillings, which was exactly what we needed to pool our money together and cover this $50 bill. So basically, if we would've done that 25 minutes ago, we would've realized we were fine and our whole bus wouldn't hate us for taking for-freaking-ever at the visa line. We got back on the bus, ate a couple cookies, and could finally breathe again after thinking we would have to go straight back to Kenya. That was the end of the stress for the day…. (or so we thought).
We made it Arusha! Yay! The bus dropped us off at a super fancy hotel, where we met a nice man who worked there to take us to the ATM (because we had 0 money). After the ATM, he showed us which dala dala (public transportation van thing) to get on and where to get off. We were so excited we met someone so nice to show us what to do! We got on the dala dala, and they dropped us off at the post office, where we would get on our next dala dala to head to the hostel. We asked someone in the post office where to get on, so we walked to the station and waited and waited for the right dala dala to drive past. Eventually, some guy came up and asked us if we needed help because we clearly looked out of place. Apparently we were waiting at the wrong spot (thanks, post office man), and he took us to the right spot. We got on one right away that was heading to Sambatini Road, which is where our hostel was located. We get on, and Leah starts asking the guy next to her to tell her when we get to Sambatini Road, so we know when to get off. Just our luck that he has absolutely NO IDEA what we're talking about. Awesome. The directions said that it should take 10-15 minutes depending on traffic to get to the hostel. I set my watch to check how long we'd been driving. We're driving down this dirt road, literally in the middle of nowhere (so I don't know how on earth there could be "traffic"). But we keep driving along, and I look at my watch and it had been way more than 15 minutes… I don't know why this wasn't an indication that we needed to get off.
The guy next to Leah tells us this is Sambatini Road and that we should get off there, so we did. Okay. Now, we're seriously in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. We're standing there with our big bags with our clothes, passports, money, phones, etc. The people were definitely not used to visitors, let alone white visitors. We all surrounded Kaitlyn so no one could see and she pulled out her iPhone to look at her screenshotted directions. We asked some guy if he knew of The Greenhouse Hostel, but he said no. No one knew where this hostel was, and the people in this village just kept staring at us. A group of kids kept yelling "MZUNGU!" Kaitlyn saw this random orange building in the village and was convinced that that must be the hostel. Leah, Jenna, and I looked at each other like "this is the end…" All three of us just wanted to get back on the dala dala to head back to the city part because it was almost 5 pm and would be getting dark soon. Kaitlyn insisted we check out this building, so we walk over there with 17 kids holding on to each of our arms, and Kaitlyn asks someone next to the building what it is. All they say is, "Yes." Okay, no. Time to get out of there. Jenna and I start trying to call the one person our program director knows in Tanzania. His phone was out of service. Great. So we got back on the dala dala to head to town. We try the hostel and the guy again and both are out of service. We're sitting in the dala dala trying to figure out what in the heck to do. We were sitting in the back seat; I was next to the window and Jenna was next to me. I had to lean forward and sit at the front of the seat because my booty was too big to fit. All of a sudden, some guy runs up to the vehicle, reaches into the window, OVER my back, and grabs Jenna's phone. Nothing was going our way today. We could hear the word migrating to the front of the dala dala about the stolen phone, and everyone was super upset; they were ready to turn around and go get him, but we said it was okay and to just keep going. We were going to go to the Impala Hotel, where we got dropped off because we knew that was safe, and it was the only landmark we really had.
We got into Arusha again, and our very nice dala dala driver walked us all the way to the other dala dala we needed to get on to go back to the Impala Hotel. He looked like a pretty sketchy wannabe rapper, but he was our new favorite person. We made it to the hotel and finally felt safe again! We found the man who had taken us to the ATM, and he was probably wondering what in the heck happened that we made it back here. We were also starving because besides a candy bar, we hadn't eaten since 6 am. We decided to eat at the hotel's restaurant and calm down a little bit before we made any new decisions. As we ate, we decided to try and stay at Arusha Backpacker' Hostel because it's right in town. We got a cab, and he drove us to the hostel, but they were full. We had the taxi wait for us, and we booked a room for the next night and set up a tour of Moshi for the next day. Our taxi driver said he knew where The Greenhouse was so we asked him to take us and thought we'd try to get there just one more time. However, we were totally driving a completely opposite way then we were going before. We said we need Sambatini Road. Apparently, we knew different "Greenhouses," so we read him the directions and he took us down Sambatini. We asked him if this road was safe and he goes, "Well it used to be really unsafe. I don't know if it is now." ….. Comforting. The directions had 2 bars as landmarks, and our driver pulled over to ask multiple people if they knew of the bars or the hostel, and no one had ever heard of any of them. It was dark, the road was closed, and we just wanted to be safe somewhere. We asked him to take us to whatever Greenhouse he knew to stay for the night. As we drove there, he just kept telling us how unsafe that road was and how we shouldn't have gone down there. So again, comforting… We got to this new hostel, and he helped us book a room. He was so nice, and we were finally safe. After hours of stress, all we wanted to do was lay in our beds and go to sleep.
Saturday we were able to climb the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro and see the waterfalls! On Saturday, we werent't able to see the tip of the mountain because it was so cloudy. BUT on Sunday, on the drive back, we were able to slightly see the actual mountain part! It was GORGEOUS. It's hard to see with the pictures, but it's there I swear! We also went to a coffee plantation, where they made us freshly brewed dark roast coffee, and it was the most delicious coffee I have ever tasted!
The greatness of Saturday offset the badness of Friday, and although Tanzania was nothing like I had wanted it to be, it was an adventure that I'll hold with me for the rest of my life. We made it home safe and sound with a pretty great story.
Oh! And to finish off the trip: as we drove the bus back to Kenya, we heard a big CABLUNK. I thought it was a suitcase falling off the top of the roof, but no… I looked behind me to see why we weren't turning around for someone's luggage, and it was a sad little goat we hit and ran over with our giant bus. WAHHH :( Sorry little guy, it was probably our fault and our bad luck for the weekend that did that to you.
Sorry for the novel again. Tanzania was just too much for such few words.
We had been talking about going to Tanzania the upcoming weekend, and Thursday rolls around, and we still have nothing planned. Oops. At this point there were now only 4 of us planning to go because of the lack of planning done ahead of time and the loads of homework we have yet to do (yes, we do have homework still while we're studying abroad). But of course we chose to go on an adventure instead of staying here and writing papers, and boy, we sure didn't know the adventure we had in store for us. We booked a bus ticket and a hostel for Friday night and were ready to set off.
Friday morning, our cab picked us up around 7 to drop us off at the hotel where the shuttle would be taking us to Arusha, Tanzania. As we're driving, our car (and all the other cars) stop for this woman to cross the street. Well everyone EXCEPT the motor bike. He zooms past the other cars, and hits this woman right in front of us! She flew in the air and her Bible and shoes went flying. She got up so quickly, just scared that another car would hit her. Pedestrians all circled around the motor bike, yelling at him for not looking, and he tried to drive away! Our cab driver was not about to let that happen, so he got out, took the guy's helmet, keys and license plate, and gave them to the woman. He told her to wait for him and that he'd be back for her. She just kept repeating, "Please don't leave me alone with him!" Our driver dropped us off, and by the time he went back to the scene, the cops had arrived. This was event number one in our Friday adventures.
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| Our soon to be most dreaded sign. |
We made it Arusha! Yay! The bus dropped us off at a super fancy hotel, where we met a nice man who worked there to take us to the ATM (because we had 0 money). After the ATM, he showed us which dala dala (public transportation van thing) to get on and where to get off. We were so excited we met someone so nice to show us what to do! We got on the dala dala, and they dropped us off at the post office, where we would get on our next dala dala to head to the hostel. We asked someone in the post office where to get on, so we walked to the station and waited and waited for the right dala dala to drive past. Eventually, some guy came up and asked us if we needed help because we clearly looked out of place. Apparently we were waiting at the wrong spot (thanks, post office man), and he took us to the right spot. We got on one right away that was heading to Sambatini Road, which is where our hostel was located. We get on, and Leah starts asking the guy next to her to tell her when we get to Sambatini Road, so we know when to get off. Just our luck that he has absolutely NO IDEA what we're talking about. Awesome. The directions said that it should take 10-15 minutes depending on traffic to get to the hostel. I set my watch to check how long we'd been driving. We're driving down this dirt road, literally in the middle of nowhere (so I don't know how on earth there could be "traffic"). But we keep driving along, and I look at my watch and it had been way more than 15 minutes… I don't know why this wasn't an indication that we needed to get off.
The guy next to Leah tells us this is Sambatini Road and that we should get off there, so we did. Okay. Now, we're seriously in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. We're standing there with our big bags with our clothes, passports, money, phones, etc. The people were definitely not used to visitors, let alone white visitors. We all surrounded Kaitlyn so no one could see and she pulled out her iPhone to look at her screenshotted directions. We asked some guy if he knew of The Greenhouse Hostel, but he said no. No one knew where this hostel was, and the people in this village just kept staring at us. A group of kids kept yelling "MZUNGU!" Kaitlyn saw this random orange building in the village and was convinced that that must be the hostel. Leah, Jenna, and I looked at each other like "this is the end…" All three of us just wanted to get back on the dala dala to head back to the city part because it was almost 5 pm and would be getting dark soon. Kaitlyn insisted we check out this building, so we walk over there with 17 kids holding on to each of our arms, and Kaitlyn asks someone next to the building what it is. All they say is, "Yes." Okay, no. Time to get out of there. Jenna and I start trying to call the one person our program director knows in Tanzania. His phone was out of service. Great. So we got back on the dala dala to head to town. We try the hostel and the guy again and both are out of service. We're sitting in the dala dala trying to figure out what in the heck to do. We were sitting in the back seat; I was next to the window and Jenna was next to me. I had to lean forward and sit at the front of the seat because my booty was too big to fit. All of a sudden, some guy runs up to the vehicle, reaches into the window, OVER my back, and grabs Jenna's phone. Nothing was going our way today. We could hear the word migrating to the front of the dala dala about the stolen phone, and everyone was super upset; they were ready to turn around and go get him, but we said it was okay and to just keep going. We were going to go to the Impala Hotel, where we got dropped off because we knew that was safe, and it was the only landmark we really had.
We got into Arusha again, and our very nice dala dala driver walked us all the way to the other dala dala we needed to get on to go back to the Impala Hotel. He looked like a pretty sketchy wannabe rapper, but he was our new favorite person. We made it to the hotel and finally felt safe again! We found the man who had taken us to the ATM, and he was probably wondering what in the heck happened that we made it back here. We were also starving because besides a candy bar, we hadn't eaten since 6 am. We decided to eat at the hotel's restaurant and calm down a little bit before we made any new decisions. As we ate, we decided to try and stay at Arusha Backpacker' Hostel because it's right in town. We got a cab, and he drove us to the hostel, but they were full. We had the taxi wait for us, and we booked a room for the next night and set up a tour of Moshi for the next day. Our taxi driver said he knew where The Greenhouse was so we asked him to take us and thought we'd try to get there just one more time. However, we were totally driving a completely opposite way then we were going before. We said we need Sambatini Road. Apparently, we knew different "Greenhouses," so we read him the directions and he took us down Sambatini. We asked him if this road was safe and he goes, "Well it used to be really unsafe. I don't know if it is now." ….. Comforting. The directions had 2 bars as landmarks, and our driver pulled over to ask multiple people if they knew of the bars or the hostel, and no one had ever heard of any of them. It was dark, the road was closed, and we just wanted to be safe somewhere. We asked him to take us to whatever Greenhouse he knew to stay for the night. As we drove there, he just kept telling us how unsafe that road was and how we shouldn't have gone down there. So again, comforting… We got to this new hostel, and he helped us book a room. He was so nice, and we were finally safe. After hours of stress, all we wanted to do was lay in our beds and go to sleep.
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| At the Waterfalls with our fearless leader, Joshua |
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| Just making some coffee like a pro |
We stayed at Arusha Backpackers that night and tried to call all the numbers of The Greenhouse to make sure they weren't charging us for our stay since we didn't show up. Their numbers didn't work, so we thought we'd call the hostel booking website. Jenna's phone was gone, Kaitlyn's was out of money, so we thought we'd try mine. Kaitlyn got it all figured out with the hostel company, but now I had .2 shillings on my phone ….. That's less than 1 penny. So now Leah was the only one with a phone that was usable. I went to text my family on the way home on Sunday to let them know I'd be back soon, but just was I was putting in my mom's phone number into Leah's phone, mine died. JUST MY LUCK. So then I had to go to buy minutes, then go a friend's to charge my phone to be able to call my family just to get into my house. GOODNESS.
The greatness of Saturday offset the badness of Friday, and although Tanzania was nothing like I had wanted it to be, it was an adventure that I'll hold with me for the rest of my life. We made it home safe and sound with a pretty great story.
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| Mount Meru |
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| Our little chameleon friend we met |
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| Mt. Kilimanjaro is to the left mixed in with the clouds! |
Oh! And to finish off the trip: as we drove the bus back to Kenya, we heard a big CABLUNK. I thought it was a suitcase falling off the top of the roof, but no… I looked behind me to see why we weren't turning around for someone's luggage, and it was a sad little goat we hit and ran over with our giant bus. WAHHH :( Sorry little guy, it was probably our fault and our bad luck for the weekend that did that to you.
Sorry for the novel again. Tanzania was just too much for such few words.
Love,
Jenni
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| Coffee with our dreamboat, Jacob. |
The Disparities: Corruption, Development, and Education
This one's a little more real about life in Kenya compared to my previous posts all about my fun adventures, but I think it's important to talk about the other side too. And while I don't think anyone can really understand without experiencing it themselves, here's my attempt at describing some of the hardships and frustrations I see while living here in Kenya. Sorry for the novel:
It's so frustrating to be here in this beautiful country that has been overtaken by corruption- so much so that people don't trust their police, government officials, etc. People who get arrested are let go because they bribe the police, security guards protecting neighborhoods assist thugs because the pay they get is so little, people steal because that's their only way to put food on the table, and government officials are much more concerned with their relationship with the British that they don't even consider the well-being of their own people.
In orientation, we're taught not to trust anyone. Don't trust your security guard, don't trust friendly people you meet on the street, and don't even trust your host family too much. I struggled with this for a long time because in the U.S., I'm so trusting of everyone- if someone seems nice, I trust that it's because they are genuinely nice, not because they have ulterior motives… For a long time I sort of feared Kenyans. I thought all of them were bad who wanted to steal my valuables and take my money. They tell us these things and try to scare us somewhat so that we take precautions and are aware of what can happen. And I do think that is so important because we all would have gotten ourselves into so much trouble if we weren't always a little bit on edge and constantly aware. However, now being here for 7 weeks, I've finally realized how wonderful SO MANY Kenyans are and how frustrated they are with the corruption of their system too. I have the best host family I could have ever asked for (seriously, they're great), and I would trust them with my life. It's taken me some time to realize this, but just like everywhere else, there are people with good and bad intentions, however here, so many good people have been corrupted by the system, and it makes me so sad.
The disparities are huge and as Kenya continues to "develop," the areas being developed are those in the major cities (i.e.: building taller skyscrapers), but completely leaving behind those in the slums and rural areas who may not even have access to clean water. How can you say a country is developing when so many people are living in shacks that most Americans wouldn't even think about storing their tools in…
As we drove around areas of Nairobi where UN leaders live and shop, it looks like you're driving through Beverly Hills. The malls are pretty immaculate and you can tell it's a very Westernized area for the "mzungus" (white people). However, only minutes earlier, you passed the slums with families only hoping to make enough money to put food on the table that week. What kind of world do we live that makes this seem okay? Why is "development" in countries like Kenya seen as making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer?
It pains my heart to see people living in such areas where garbage fills the streets, dirty, sewage-filled water flows next to their homes, and crime/danger levels are so high.
Last week I was given the opportunity to explore some of the education systems in place here in Kenya by visiting various schools. The education system here is so full of corruption. I thought the U.S. was too test-oriented, and then I came here and realized we have nothing compared to what these kids go through. Starting in primary school, these kids are trained to test. They must take an exam to get into secondary (high school) and another to get into university. Instead of being taught how to think, they're solely taught how to pass these tests so they can move on to the next level. Of course disparities occur between those students living in poverty or in the rural areas and those going to private schools too. Children living in poverty or in the rural areas sometimes have to drop out because the family needs them to work or because the family simply cannot afford to send them to school. Primary education in Kenya is "free," but families still must pay for uniforms, books, materials, etc. If one of their children must be taken out of school, often times it's the girl. They keep the boy in school to give him the opportunity to succeed, however, the girl child drops out to be married off or work as a house girl. These are kids younger than 13 who don't even have the access to education!
To train for the exam needed to go on to secondary, these children start taking practice exams from the start of primary school. The children are ranked within the classroom, and often times a list hangs on the wall showing who got the highest score and who got the lowest on the last exam. As a future educator, this pains me so much to see. No student should feel inadequate or stupid because they are at the bottom of the list. When they're constantly being shown that they aren't as good as their peers, how will that motivate them to succeed? It just discourages them even more. Children should be taught to work together towards a common goal, not compete against each other (ESPECIALLY 1ST AND 2ND GRADERS!)- what sort of message does that send to children about their country as whole?
The secondary schools don't have enough room for all students (or even all students who pass the exam) to move on. Because the system is corrupt, some children in higher socioeconomic backgrounds are able to pay their way to the next level, even if other students received higher marks. It's such a different world because I cannot even begin to imagine children in the U.S. not having the opportunity to go to 9th grade! As Kenya continues to develop, I hope and pray that it's system as whole is corrected in terms of corruption, but especially in its education system. People often forget that investing in youth is so important because THEY are the future of the nation. They are the ones who will be future political leaders, doctors, teachers, lawyers, and without them, the country has no chance at being successful. This isn't just in Kenya but in all parts of the world. The schools here in Kenya are so unbelievably unequal, that something needs to change: teachers need to be trained, more schools need to be built, "free" education needs to actually mean free, corruption needs to disappear, and resources need to be adequately distributed.
The first school we saw was in Kibera, called Kibera Girls Soccer Academy. A little bit about Kibera is that it is the largest slum in Africa, located here in Nairobi, where it covers less than 1% of the total area of the city but hosts more than 25% of Nairobi's population. The school started off in 2002 as a club for girls living in the slums to play soccer, and in 2006, it became a secondary school. There are about 130 girls who attend this school that's funded by donors. All the girls admitted to this school are in high-need and this is their last chance at secondary education. The school has to admit students on a first come, first serve basis because all the girls wanting admittance are in such high need. Many of the girls are orphaned, and while they may be living with an aunt and uncle or some other family member, they are often times, overworked and abused in that household. All the girls live in extreme poverty, many sexually or physically abused, and because their test scores after primary school were not very good, this school is their last hope before they turn to a life as a house girl (maid), work in the slums, are married off, or turn to prostitution.
The teachers and administrators in this school are untrained, so the education these girls are receiving is subpar because the teachers can only teach what they remember from secondary school. The school is fortunate that they are able to provide lunch for the students through their donations. Yet still, when these girls go home, that may have been their only meal for the day. Since the school is not government funded, Kibera Girls Soccer Academy can only afford sanitary pads when the donations are high. This leads many students to miss school for the whole week they have their period or they simply must soil themselves while they sit in class. The girls stay at school as long as possible, dreading going back to their home lives. They aren't able to get any homework done because the "family" they stay with guilts them by making them work for their ability to stay there… These are 14 and 15 year old girls waking up at the crack of dawn to clean and cook before school, and after school, they're back to work again until late into the night. Kibera Girls Soccer Academy also does not have high scores in the tests they must take to go on to university. Very few go on to university, so when the girls finish secondary, many may still live life in the slums without many opportunities to get out…
The second school we visited was a private, primary school called St. Christopher's Preparatory School, located in Karen (the wealthy area of Nairobi). Wow! Pulling up to this school after just being at Kibera Girls was a stark black and white. It was immaculate. It looked like a fancy resort with pools, basketball/tennis courts, and playgrounds, on a very new/modern-looking facility. I had never seen anything like it. This school had about 400 students, with trained faculty, a special education section, extra-curricular activities, and a provided lunch program. St. Christopher's follows the British education system rather than the Kenyan system, so it is not exam-oriented. The principal was very passionate about what he does and believes each individual child has their own strengths and weaknesses. He works to try and find those talents and interests to further their growth in whatever area that may be. Because this school is private, students must pay tuition, and since the school does not follow the Kenyan system, many students in the primary school will go on to St. Christopher's Secondary and then to other countries around the world for university. I loved this principal's attitudes and beliefs towards education, and if more people were like him, the education here in Kenya (and in other parts of the world) would be much better off. You don't need fancy facilities to teach children to be strong individuals, able to think critically about the world around them, they just need to be cultivated in a system that's not exam-oriented and with passionate leaders taking charge of the schools.
The final school we saw was a village school in Ngong, about an hour outside of Nairobi. It was actually the school one of our program directors went to as a child, so it was fun to go there and have him show us around. This primary school also had about 400 students but was MUCH smaller than St. Christopher's. Because this school is government funded, they are able to provide sanitary pads to girls to keep them from missing school. In this area, it is also more common for boys to be taken out of school than girls because many families around the area need help on the farms.
For some reason or another, the government does not fund a school lunch program for the students at this school because of their location. So during the rainy season when crop production is high, the kids come to school and receive a meal, however, during the dry season and when funds are limited, the school cannot offer students any sort of food. During the dry season, those children probably go home to no food on the table either, so the time when the kids need the food the most, they don't have any. This keeps attendance rates much lower too. Some of these children also walk over 10 km (about 6 miles) EACH WAY to school every day. They leave at very early hours in the morning and don't get home until very late just because of the distance they have to walk to get to school. Can you imagine walking that far and having NO food for the whole entire day?
For the 400 students, I think the principal said they had 11 teachers… The classroom sizes range from about 45-60 students per one teacher. I cannot even begin to imagine trying to manage, let alone teach, 50 first graders all on my own, and this is common for many schools in Kenya. In addition, during the last elections, there was an initiative to provide laptops to every school (one for each student). This village school is starting to prepare for this by setting up desks, outlets, etc. in a special computer room. But first of all, the question still remains as to whether or not this initiative is ACTUALLY going to be implemented, and second of all, does this school NEED laptops right now or would those funds be better allocated for a lunch program or for more teachers?
Every day I see something I'm bothered by in Kenya's way of running things, and it's so hard to try to come up with ways to fix it. There are so many things I want to do to help, but the change needs to come from within their country. There are also things about America that make me angry sometimes, but this experience has made me realize how fortunate I am to have been able to grow up where I did and where I can trust that consequences will face those who break the law, I can (somewhat) walk around at night and not fear my safety, and everyone has the opportunity for education. I still love Kenya with all my heart and this experience has been life-changing, so don't think this post is about how I hate my time here. Not at all. I still love it so much that I may never come home. ;) I just wanted to give a little insight into other parts of my experience that aren't so glamorized (i.e.: the beaches, the giraffe kissing, the mountain climbing), and I hope I did so with this post. I cannot wait to share more stories, experiences, and pictures when I come home. See you in 50 days! :)
It's so frustrating to be here in this beautiful country that has been overtaken by corruption- so much so that people don't trust their police, government officials, etc. People who get arrested are let go because they bribe the police, security guards protecting neighborhoods assist thugs because the pay they get is so little, people steal because that's their only way to put food on the table, and government officials are much more concerned with their relationship with the British that they don't even consider the well-being of their own people.
In orientation, we're taught not to trust anyone. Don't trust your security guard, don't trust friendly people you meet on the street, and don't even trust your host family too much. I struggled with this for a long time because in the U.S., I'm so trusting of everyone- if someone seems nice, I trust that it's because they are genuinely nice, not because they have ulterior motives… For a long time I sort of feared Kenyans. I thought all of them were bad who wanted to steal my valuables and take my money. They tell us these things and try to scare us somewhat so that we take precautions and are aware of what can happen. And I do think that is so important because we all would have gotten ourselves into so much trouble if we weren't always a little bit on edge and constantly aware. However, now being here for 7 weeks, I've finally realized how wonderful SO MANY Kenyans are and how frustrated they are with the corruption of their system too. I have the best host family I could have ever asked for (seriously, they're great), and I would trust them with my life. It's taken me some time to realize this, but just like everywhere else, there are people with good and bad intentions, however here, so many good people have been corrupted by the system, and it makes me so sad.
The disparities are huge and as Kenya continues to "develop," the areas being developed are those in the major cities (i.e.: building taller skyscrapers), but completely leaving behind those in the slums and rural areas who may not even have access to clean water. How can you say a country is developing when so many people are living in shacks that most Americans wouldn't even think about storing their tools in…
As we drove around areas of Nairobi where UN leaders live and shop, it looks like you're driving through Beverly Hills. The malls are pretty immaculate and you can tell it's a very Westernized area for the "mzungus" (white people). However, only minutes earlier, you passed the slums with families only hoping to make enough money to put food on the table that week. What kind of world do we live that makes this seem okay? Why is "development" in countries like Kenya seen as making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer?
It pains my heart to see people living in such areas where garbage fills the streets, dirty, sewage-filled water flows next to their homes, and crime/danger levels are so high.
Last week I was given the opportunity to explore some of the education systems in place here in Kenya by visiting various schools. The education system here is so full of corruption. I thought the U.S. was too test-oriented, and then I came here and realized we have nothing compared to what these kids go through. Starting in primary school, these kids are trained to test. They must take an exam to get into secondary (high school) and another to get into university. Instead of being taught how to think, they're solely taught how to pass these tests so they can move on to the next level. Of course disparities occur between those students living in poverty or in the rural areas and those going to private schools too. Children living in poverty or in the rural areas sometimes have to drop out because the family needs them to work or because the family simply cannot afford to send them to school. Primary education in Kenya is "free," but families still must pay for uniforms, books, materials, etc. If one of their children must be taken out of school, often times it's the girl. They keep the boy in school to give him the opportunity to succeed, however, the girl child drops out to be married off or work as a house girl. These are kids younger than 13 who don't even have the access to education!
To train for the exam needed to go on to secondary, these children start taking practice exams from the start of primary school. The children are ranked within the classroom, and often times a list hangs on the wall showing who got the highest score and who got the lowest on the last exam. As a future educator, this pains me so much to see. No student should feel inadequate or stupid because they are at the bottom of the list. When they're constantly being shown that they aren't as good as their peers, how will that motivate them to succeed? It just discourages them even more. Children should be taught to work together towards a common goal, not compete against each other (ESPECIALLY 1ST AND 2ND GRADERS!)- what sort of message does that send to children about their country as whole?
The secondary schools don't have enough room for all students (or even all students who pass the exam) to move on. Because the system is corrupt, some children in higher socioeconomic backgrounds are able to pay their way to the next level, even if other students received higher marks. It's such a different world because I cannot even begin to imagine children in the U.S. not having the opportunity to go to 9th grade! As Kenya continues to develop, I hope and pray that it's system as whole is corrected in terms of corruption, but especially in its education system. People often forget that investing in youth is so important because THEY are the future of the nation. They are the ones who will be future political leaders, doctors, teachers, lawyers, and without them, the country has no chance at being successful. This isn't just in Kenya but in all parts of the world. The schools here in Kenya are so unbelievably unequal, that something needs to change: teachers need to be trained, more schools need to be built, "free" education needs to actually mean free, corruption needs to disappear, and resources need to be adequately distributed.
The first school we saw was in Kibera, called Kibera Girls Soccer Academy. A little bit about Kibera is that it is the largest slum in Africa, located here in Nairobi, where it covers less than 1% of the total area of the city but hosts more than 25% of Nairobi's population. The school started off in 2002 as a club for girls living in the slums to play soccer, and in 2006, it became a secondary school. There are about 130 girls who attend this school that's funded by donors. All the girls admitted to this school are in high-need and this is their last chance at secondary education. The school has to admit students on a first come, first serve basis because all the girls wanting admittance are in such high need. Many of the girls are orphaned, and while they may be living with an aunt and uncle or some other family member, they are often times, overworked and abused in that household. All the girls live in extreme poverty, many sexually or physically abused, and because their test scores after primary school were not very good, this school is their last hope before they turn to a life as a house girl (maid), work in the slums, are married off, or turn to prostitution.
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| Kibera |
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| Kibera |
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| Kibera Girls Soccer Academy |
For some reason or another, the government does not fund a school lunch program for the students at this school because of their location. So during the rainy season when crop production is high, the kids come to school and receive a meal, however, during the dry season and when funds are limited, the school cannot offer students any sort of food. During the dry season, those children probably go home to no food on the table either, so the time when the kids need the food the most, they don't have any. This keeps attendance rates much lower too. Some of these children also walk over 10 km (about 6 miles) EACH WAY to school every day. They leave at very early hours in the morning and don't get home until very late just because of the distance they have to walk to get to school. Can you imagine walking that far and having NO food for the whole entire day?
For the 400 students, I think the principal said they had 11 teachers… The classroom sizes range from about 45-60 students per one teacher. I cannot even begin to imagine trying to manage, let alone teach, 50 first graders all on my own, and this is common for many schools in Kenya. In addition, during the last elections, there was an initiative to provide laptops to every school (one for each student). This village school is starting to prepare for this by setting up desks, outlets, etc. in a special computer room. But first of all, the question still remains as to whether or not this initiative is ACTUALLY going to be implemented, and second of all, does this school NEED laptops right now or would those funds be better allocated for a lunch program or for more teachers?
Every day I see something I'm bothered by in Kenya's way of running things, and it's so hard to try to come up with ways to fix it. There are so many things I want to do to help, but the change needs to come from within their country. There are also things about America that make me angry sometimes, but this experience has made me realize how fortunate I am to have been able to grow up where I did and where I can trust that consequences will face those who break the law, I can (somewhat) walk around at night and not fear my safety, and everyone has the opportunity for education. I still love Kenya with all my heart and this experience has been life-changing, so don't think this post is about how I hate my time here. Not at all. I still love it so much that I may never come home. ;) I just wanted to give a little insight into other parts of my experience that aren't so glamorized (i.e.: the beaches, the giraffe kissing, the mountain climbing), and I hope I did so with this post. I cannot wait to share more stories, experiences, and pictures when I come home. See you in 50 days! :)
God Bless,
Jen
Monday, March 10, 2014
Sorry friends, I'm never coming home.
Let me start off by saying: I AM ABSOLUTELY LOVING MY LIFE HERE.
I mean, how can you not when it looks like this?
It's finally starting to REALLY feel like home. I can get around without feeling lost and work my way through the markets like a pro. I can't imagine coming home, and I just want to stay here and travel the world for the rest of my life. So sorry friends and family, but if you want to see me, you're going to have to buy a plane ticket to Kenya, and I promise I'll show you around :)
I leave Nairobi for my internship in 2 weeks, and I don't know what I'm going to do without my host family here… My brothers and I pester each other just like back at home, and I can't imagine Kenyan life without them by my side!! I'm so excited to leave for my internship in Kisumu, but I'm having anxiety about having to start over in a new place again!
Last weekend was my host dad's 50th birthday, so we had a surprise party for him at a restaurant on the water! He thought he was old until I told him my dad was turning 60 this year, and then he didn't feel so bad. ;) I got to experience some of the traditional songs and dances performed at Kenyan parties, and I'm totally bringing them home for everyone to see. Everyone had such wonderful things to say about my dad, and it was clear how supportive and caring he is, not only to me but to everyone he meets. As everyone sat in their warm jackets, sweaters, and blazers, I was just chilling with a tank top on… I don't think Kenyans would be able to handle our cold midwestern winters! ;)
Last week we got the opportunity to visit the U.N. Headquarters in Nairobi, so my dream of being like Mary-Kate and Ashley in Winning London finally came true! We also visited a glass-blowing place called Kitengela… The work they do there is absolutely beautiful!
On Tuesday, we also tested out our Kenyan karaoke skills, so Sharpay Jenni definitely came out as I belted out "Call Me Maybe" with a few of my friends! Trust me, we rocked the house… standing ovation and all.
The past couple weekends have been pretty relaxing! Last weekend, besides my dad's birthday party, I spent my Friday laying next to the pool, and on Sunday, I laid in the sun petting fluffy puppies and watching cute boys play soccer in the backyard…. Could life get any better? I think not.
Then again this past weekend, we had some more R&R as we traveled to Kenya's coastline in Mombasa and spent our time on the beach swimming in the Indian Ocean. IT WAS GORGEOUS! The water was so beautifully blue, and we were able to snorkel and even ride camels down the beach! But it was SO HOT. Very high humidity and high temperatures so I was constantly wiping my forehead and my hair was in a hot, frizzled mess. I know, I know, I shouldn't complain with the winter we've been having back home… But I hear there is a heat wave coming your way!!
We also got to ride the public transportation motor bikes while we were in Mombasa, so I have decided it is a new requirement that my future hubby must drive a motorcycle WITH a rose in his mouth. So boys, start working on it.
I hope this post convinced you all to come visit me here in Kenya, so I never have to leave. My pictures and posts definitely make it seem like all I do is go on vacation, but I swear I ACTUALLY go to class 4-5 days a week with homework and papers… There's so much for one to see, experience, and learn, so you have to come visit to get the full effect!! (Feel free to book your flights now) :)
6 weeks ago today I arrived in Nairobi and in 9 weeks, I will be on my way back home! AHHH HOW THE TIME FLIES.
XOXO,
I mean, how can you not when it looks like this?
It's finally starting to REALLY feel like home. I can get around without feeling lost and work my way through the markets like a pro. I can't imagine coming home, and I just want to stay here and travel the world for the rest of my life. So sorry friends and family, but if you want to see me, you're going to have to buy a plane ticket to Kenya, and I promise I'll show you around :)
I leave Nairobi for my internship in 2 weeks, and I don't know what I'm going to do without my host family here… My brothers and I pester each other just like back at home, and I can't imagine Kenyan life without them by my side!! I'm so excited to leave for my internship in Kisumu, but I'm having anxiety about having to start over in a new place again!
Last weekend was my host dad's 50th birthday, so we had a surprise party for him at a restaurant on the water! He thought he was old until I told him my dad was turning 60 this year, and then he didn't feel so bad. ;) I got to experience some of the traditional songs and dances performed at Kenyan parties, and I'm totally bringing them home for everyone to see. Everyone had such wonderful things to say about my dad, and it was clear how supportive and caring he is, not only to me but to everyone he meets. As everyone sat in their warm jackets, sweaters, and blazers, I was just chilling with a tank top on… I don't think Kenyans would be able to handle our cold midwestern winters! ;)
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| Maggie and I at Dad's Birthday Party |
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| The Floating Restau |
Last week we got the opportunity to visit the U.N. Headquarters in Nairobi, so my dream of being like Mary-Kate and Ashley in Winning London finally came true! We also visited a glass-blowing place called Kitengela… The work they do there is absolutely beautiful!
 |
| AT THE U.N. |
On Tuesday, we also tested out our Kenyan karaoke skills, so Sharpay Jenni definitely came out as I belted out "Call Me Maybe" with a few of my friends! Trust me, we rocked the house… standing ovation and all.
The past couple weekends have been pretty relaxing! Last weekend, besides my dad's birthday party, I spent my Friday laying next to the pool, and on Sunday, I laid in the sun petting fluffy puppies and watching cute boys play soccer in the backyard…. Could life get any better? I think not.
Then again this past weekend, we had some more R&R as we traveled to Kenya's coastline in Mombasa and spent our time on the beach swimming in the Indian Ocean. IT WAS GORGEOUS! The water was so beautifully blue, and we were able to snorkel and even ride camels down the beach! But it was SO HOT. Very high humidity and high temperatures so I was constantly wiping my forehead and my hair was in a hot, frizzled mess. I know, I know, I shouldn't complain with the winter we've been having back home… But I hear there is a heat wave coming your way!!
We also got to ride the public transportation motor bikes while we were in Mombasa, so I have decided it is a new requirement that my future hubby must drive a motorcycle WITH a rose in his mouth. So boys, start working on it.
I hope this post convinced you all to come visit me here in Kenya, so I never have to leave. My pictures and posts definitely make it seem like all I do is go on vacation, but I swear I ACTUALLY go to class 4-5 days a week with homework and papers… There's so much for one to see, experience, and learn, so you have to come visit to get the full effect!! (Feel free to book your flights now) :)
6 weeks ago today I arrived in Nairobi and in 9 weeks, I will be on my way back home! AHHH HOW THE TIME FLIES.
XOXO,
Jen
Monday, February 24, 2014
Mount Longonot & Hell's Gate: How I Discovered the Muscles I Never Knew I Had….
It's unreal to think I landed on Kenyan soil exactly one month ago today! This means almost one-third of our time here has come and gone… It went by so fast, and as we begin to plan more of our weekend trips, I can only imagine how fast this experience is going to fly by before my eyes.
Once we got back to Nairobi, I literally fell out of the bus, and my body was so sore and tired that I think I actually forgot how to walk…. Muscles I never knew I had made it clearly known that they were there when they throbbed in pain every time I moved. If you've ever seen the commercials for Weeble Wobbles (those toys for toddlers), I'm convinced that is what I looked like. Despite the pain my body is suffering from our extensive adventures this weekend, I had THE BEST time, and if my butt continues to hurt from that bike seat for the next 4 days, then so be it. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Saturday morning, some of us rose early to load a bus and head for Mount Longonot about an hour and half from Nairobi. Mount Longonot is a crater that was formed by the volcano eruption in the 1860s. Now, Longonot serves as a spot for tourists and residents to visit and enjoy the immaculate view, fresh air, and intense workout! (Seriously intense. I don't think my butt has ever been so sore). To hike up and down the crater, it's 3.1 km each way and around the crater is another 7.2 km (about 8 miles in all). We slipped and slid all over as we tried to go up and down the ash and loose rocks… (I think I fell about 936 times, so obviously I'm a natural at volcano hiking). As we hiked we saw zebras, giraffes, and even fresh lion/leopard foot prints!! EEK!
Exhausted as we were, we came home, fell asleep, and prepared to wake up early for Sunday's adventures. Sunday morning we headed for Hell's Gate National Park, where we rented bikes and went on another safari. We were able to ride our bikes down the path with animals all around us. It was one of the COOLEST things I've ever done: giraffes to our left, zebras crossing the road in front of us, and gorgeous scenery all around.
After our bike ride down, we stopped to have our sack lunches at a little picnic table. After Lake Nakuru, we were pretty comfortable with baboons chilling in the area around us, but as we began to take out our food, one of them jumped on our table, grabbed a mango, and ran away! *Insert girly shrieks here.* Then about 5 minutes later, another one came up to take the scraps of the mango on the table. I tried to be really intimidating to get them to leave us alone, but I'm sure you can imagine how well that worked out for me…
After that, we went through Hell's Gate Gorge, which is where the park has had problems with flash flooding during the rainy season and can be extremely dangerous if you're not careful. (We were careful though… So no need to worry) :) Parts of the gorge are also where The Lion King was based, so naturally we sang The Circle of Life from one point to another, all of us with our own versions of, "NAAAA SAVENYA NANANEE SEEBABA MMMMM NENYA NAY!" After hiking through the gorge, we had to bike back to our bus (this time up hill and against the wind, so I thought I was going to die before I ever saw that stinkin' bus again).
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| The rock Simba is held over in The Lion King! |
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| Casually Chilling with our Zebra Friends. |
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| SO TIRED. MUST GO ON. |
Once we got back to Nairobi, I literally fell out of the bus, and my body was so sore and tired that I think I actually forgot how to walk…. Muscles I never knew I had made it clearly known that they were there when they throbbed in pain every time I moved. If you've ever seen the commercials for Weeble Wobbles (those toys for toddlers), I'm convinced that is what I looked like. Despite the pain my body is suffering from our extensive adventures this weekend, I had THE BEST time, and if my butt continues to hurt from that bike seat for the next 4 days, then so be it. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Love from Kenya,
Jen
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