Women

African women are tough! If I had to choose one word to describe the Kenyan women in general, it would definitely be "tough."


The status of women depends a lot on which tribe one comes from. I mentioned a lot about the Gabbra women in the desert, who do nearly all the work, yet whom some (generally uneducated) men still consider of a lower status than a camel, but living among the Kikuyu has been a completely different experience.



Gender roles are fairly clearly defined. Women are responsible for cooking, washing, and caring for the children (especially babies). Men then typically do the "hard labor." The entire family, works in the shamba (garden). The more rural a place is, the more traditional the roles. A lot of course depends on the family, but men often view themselves as the head of the family. I naturally disagree with this, and once had an animated discussion with the male teachers. When James was recently married, they were talking about how now he would never be late to work, would aways have clean matching clothes etc., so I asked them "How is it that he has been doing all of these things alone for years, and suddenly now that he is married someone else has to do this?" After light prodding, they conceded that yes indeed they all have two very good hands that are capable of doing laundry and dishes. We agreed that it is only fair to share the workload, and there are a lot more dishes than fences that need fixing! One of my favorite excuses as to why I can't marry a random stranger is that "in my culture men and women share the work so if you think I'm going to do all the work while you sit and watch TV you are wrong," although this has been met with the very incorrect answer of "we'll hire a househelp!"



While there are no specific laws limiting formal jobs women can have, it is much the same as in the U.S. where women tend to get paid less for equal positions, and hit 'glass ceilings' unfairly. I really have tried to emphasize to my students that girls are equally capable as boys, and that gender stereotypes should not limit the young women from pursuing math and sciences. I do not consider myself a feminist, and wholly believe that men an women are different, but those differences are definitely not in intelligence! Occasionally I will try to prove a point using an extreme "example" such as when asked by a student why men have mammory glands that



Occasionally small comments throw me off a bit, such as one older student saying that he "doesn't like to see women riding bicycles because it might spoil something." Not inherently sexist, but something also that I certainly see as a misperception! Also, in the case of an unplanned pregnancy girls and women are often left alone with the baby with absolutely no support, nor responsbility, from the father. There is not really a way of proving who the father is, and denial from the man is enough for him not to be involved.



I feel like I am beginning to ramble without making a point, but I think the point is that girls and women do have less opportunities in general, and while there are no specific rules that cause this, it is definitely present. Research proves that education, especially of women, is the number one way to reduce poverty levels, and I wholeheartedly agree. Education empowers women to believe in their own potential, as well as giving practical life skills.

25 Little Things I Love About Kenya

1. Little children squeaking “fiti” after you greet them “sasa”
2. Swahilized English words: toast = tosti, switch = swichi, freezer = friza, computer = kompyuta, guitar = gitaa, picture = picha etc.
3. Random people calling all their friends to see that I can actually respond to greetings in Kikuyu
4. Having to hope that I never again see a man peeing on the side of the road
5. That fact that peeing on the side of the road (or anywhere for that matter) is called taking a “short call”
6. Children continuing to ask if my father is the Prime Minister of America, after seeing a picture of him with President Obama
7. Really dramatic Kenyan soap operas such as “Tahidi High”
8. How the strangest bits of American culture get here -- such as everyone knowing who Chuck Norris is, and discussions about whether or not WWE is real or fake
9, Everyone sings in church
10. Children standing near the road pointing , jumping up and down and screaming “Mzungu!” (white person) and their smiles when I greet them
11. When you have to go to bed early because the power goes out.
12.Non-sequiturs such as being on a quiet street in Nairobi when a man carrying an armful of bananas walked past me and asked “banana?” and after I said “no” he continued with the bunches of bananas towards wherever he was going
13. Matatu rides!!!
14. That regardless of how busy a street is there is almost guaranteed to be a goat taking itself on an outing
15. Shop names such as “Vatican” (General Store) and “Cougar’s Meating Point” (Butchery -- there are no cougars in Kenya and most don’t know what they are)
16. If my hair is greasy people think I applied oil and comment how “smart” it is
17. That when you say “good morning” to your class, the students all stand up
18. That signs saying “fierce dog” in Kiswahili can roughly literally translate to “hot dog”
19. Pre-school children who latch onto you and only let go when you can free a hand to wave goodbye because they love waving goodbye and saying “bye, bye” so much they let go to do so!
20. Black Currant Fanta
21. Tea cooked over an open fire
22. That everyone greets each other with a handshake, sometimes more than once a day. There is no ignoring someone as they pass by.
23. Being an hour late is usually acceptable
24.Visiting a home is very relaxed and usually lasts all day, with no worries about the guest leaving so they can get other work done
25. Fantastic hair styles.

College

There is a VIDES+Kenya volunteer, Joseph who "schools" (as they say here) at a teacher's college about a mile away. I met him while we were animating an Oratory camp, and so the other day went to visit him. I very much enjoyed being around students and seeing a college campus. I'd been there for Mass, in which they have an EXCELLENT choir and a lot of life, but Saturday afternoons provide a different experience.
Most of the students are in their 20s, because very few people go straight through all of their studies. Most work in between to save money for school. Murang'a Teachers' Training College is specifically for those who want to teach primary school. That is a 2 year degree here, although there are different "levels" you can move up to with more school - I believe first you get a certificate, then a diploma, then a degree. Secondary school teachers must attend a four year university, and study the subject(s) they want to teach.
Many students were out and about as this is everyone's free day. The clothing lines were completely full so many had laid their clothes on the ground to dry. There are no washing machines or dryers, of course. Some students were outside studying, others playing basketball, really what you would expect at college. Even the cows of the college were out and about grazing. The dorms are rather, dorm-like I have to say. Each floor has a common bathroom, and each room, or cube, holds 4 students. The rooms are very simple -- one light hanging from the ceiling, two sets of bunk beds, two chairs, one long desk, one electrical socket, and 4 cabinets that lock. That's it! The students seem happy with their rooms, however, and have some study lounges and common rooms as well. One thing that surprised me is that high school students here often go on strikes. The strikes can become violent and destructive (such as burning buildings etc.) and if students don't participate and students leading the rioting find out, the innocent student gets retribution. When I learned, however, that the issues arising are often things like there has been no water for three weeks so students must walk 1/2 hour to a nearby river for bathing and washing, it begins to make a little more sense.
Joseph was having another round of teaching practice (the abbreviation used is TP) the following week, so we sat outside and made teaching aids, (much like dioramas!) of a homestead, including a cattle dip! No, it's not something you eat, but like a swimming pool where cows walk through to get chemicals to kill ticks and the likes. They couldn't believe I had never heard of one before! For their teachi g experiences, everyone has a partner to work with, so many of the students walking by kept asking Joseph "Is this your partner?"
Overall, it seems that the life of a college student in Kenya and the US is fairly similar. The standard of living is quite different -- no one here has a TV or mini-fridge in their room, and the cafeteria only serves one option for each meal (and the students don't complain about that either). Also, it seems that discipline is significantly less of a problem. There are people who serve as something like RAs, but few roommate conflicts, and it's easy to switch rooms if there is an issue, alcohol is not a problem it seems, and in general the students know that they are all mature adults and expected to behave as such, and see no reason to cause trouble!

My Students

Here are just a few stories of some of my older students. I really admire many of them, yet am unable to really put myself in their shoes.

The top picture is of the Form 2 Class I taught during their month long holiday -- very needy students who the Sisters follow. I also taught Form I, and they were a wonderful group of young people! Sister Dionesia keeps them busy during their holiday so they don't "go around" and some are very clever and motivated to study.

Joseph Njoroge:* Joseph is now in his freshmen year of high school. He's stayed in the mission since he was in class 5. I met him only recently during revision classes during their holiday. Joseph is very willing to help others and while he is a bit quiet, still has a presence that is felt. Definitely I would say he is a leader by example. He hasn't had a father in his life, and both he and his sister witnessed the shooting murder of their mother. He doesn't have any relatives that were able to care for him, so until this year when he went to boarding school, and now for holidays, he stays in a house in the mission for boys - they are mostly secondary students who take care of themselves. I am constantly amazed at how mature students here are: without supervision these boys cook, study, and generally get along well in their house. The house is only one room, with bunk beds and two picnic tables.

Joyce Njoki: Joyce only recently came to the mission. She is young -- maybe 15 or 16. She had to drop out of middle school because her mother forced her into prostitution then she became pregnant. After the baby was born, the mother secretly made plans to sell the child. Joyce found out and ran away with the baby. She's now studying knitting (about a 3 month course) in the Girl's Technical. On Saturdays she works for the Sisters in exchange for food, soap etc. The baby, Millicent, is 9 months old or so. She hasn't started crawling yet, so she can sit in the class on the floor while mom learns. I take the baby with me to assistance at lunch time so Joyce can play -- she's still very young! She takes wonderful care of the baby however, and I admire her determination.

John and I at his home

John Karanja: John is a very special student to me. My family is supporting his secondary school, and I very much enjoyed to visit his home while he was on midterm break. (Most high schools are boarding). John is a FANTASTIC writer, and even hopes to publish a book someday. I first learned of him through reading the compositions of class 8, and noting his talent. But, what really impressed my was that on their "outing" (field trip) during the bus ride he, by his own free will, was explaining to me about the areas we were passing through -- not often done by teenage boys! John placed 1st in his class for the National Exam, and was 10th in the district. He was called to go to Njiiri's School, a very good government school, in the tea-region of Kenya. At the school, the boys work very hard: they go to bed at 10:30 and get up at 4:30AM, have very little free time and are always doing some kind of work -- the students really do learn a lot, but seem to suffer in the process. They get little food, little sleep, and aren't allowed visitors! I went to the school with Sr. Dionisia, and we were allowed to see John for about 15 minutes, and I think only because she is a Sister and I'm a foreigner! The deputy (vice-principal) is fierce!!! I guess the students have nicknamed him "cockroach" (using the Kikuyu word) because he is always scurrying around everywhere after people, and it is like he is always in the shadows looking for people wasting time. The principal is very strict against bullying, however, which is so important in a school of 1000+ students.
Within the first month of school, John broke his leg playing soccer . He is now walking without crutches, but the recovery seems to be quite long. Despite this (and missing a week of school) he still was 7th out of 52 students in his stream. He says he is happy at school, despite the hardships, and is really learning a lot and dreams of being a doctor. John's family is needy, in fact he was really worried that he wouldn't be able to attend a trade school, much less high school, because of money. His mother is a prostitute, and I believe has been since she left school in class 4, but it seems she really loves her 3 children. John is the 2nd child and oldest boy. He doesn't know who his father is, but has a close relationship with his mother. The mother only speaks Kikuyu so I couldn't communicate with her much during my visit. She is HIV+ and I have heard (it is not good of course to spread rumors, but if the following is not true for this family it is for another) that after she had a falling out with a man who was somehow supporting her, a judge, as revenge he took the daughter for a week, and the daughter is now also HIV+. Regardless of the home situation, John is working really hard in his studies, and is also very mature for his age, and I have no doubt he will continue to become someone great.

The family of John: From Left to Right: A cousin, his mother, the child of his cousin, and him

Julius Kamau: I've only gotten to know Julius over the past few weeks, but have become very fond of him. A student of the Boy's Technical in printing, he works on weekends as the watchman for the gate that is just outside of my house and helps with general work. The watchmen sit on my porch, and so I pass by often. When Julius was 5, his mother became suddenly ill and passed away. He and his older brother were sent to live with their grandmother, who abused them horribly. When asked what he wanted to do when he grew up, the older brother once replied that he wanted to be rich so he could buy and car and run over the shosho (grandmother). An aunt took them in, but shortly after was married and the husband refused the children. That is how they came to be with the Sisters. The Sisters used to have a mixed children's home, but later switched to only girls. The other boys were sent to a home for street children, but Kamau and his brother did not quite fit there, so they stayed in a room attached to the chicken coop in Makuyu. Julius went to both boarding primary and secondary, as the Sisters are not equipped to care for boys. He passed his exams very well. However, after that he became somehow lost, and turned to drinking as he couldn't find a job. Sr. Dionisia "rescued him" as he says, and he came to work in the shamba (garden) for a couple years, and now has joined the printing trade. Julius is one of the people Sr. Dionisia really trusts, which certainly means something. He is very good in school, and is really trying hard to make a life for himself -- he has even started a club for "good boys" in the town, those who want to stay out of trouble. I very much enjoy just chatting with Julius as he is very open to answering questions about life in Kenya, and straight-forward.

Julius Kariuki: This Julius is also a student of the printing press. I have come to know him because he is a photographer and takes very nice pictures for many events. I lend him my camera for some occasions. He learned photography from his father, and for a while worked for Kodak (I think?) taking photos around the country. He still uses an old film camera as well.
We are "age mates," which means like it sounds, the same age. He has recently become traditionally married, and has a beautiful 3 month old baby. He uses photography to generate some income to care for his family. Julius is also very active in the church, especially the choir.


* I didn't use their real names because I know I personally might not want mine used, even if the people reading didn't know me

The Wedding

The day before the wedding, or in our case very early the morning of, the bridesmaids go to stay with the bride and help her prepare herself. We had a very interesting matatu ride there! The one we were in got stopped by the police, who were very friendly to us and the little flower girl we were taking as well, but not so to the driver. They wanted a 5,000 Shilling bribe (like $70 -- a lot. The alternative is the vehicle being impounded and a 10,000 Shilling fine) so the driver had to call the owner which was taking a long time etc. I asked the policeman what the problem was, and he listed off so many violations: the driver had no documents/insurance, the conductor wasn't wearing a uniform, no speed governer etc. I tell you, every matatu trip is an exciting one!
Anyway, so when we (finally) arrived, everyone enjoyed making last minute preparations -- putting on bright lipstick etc.
Then, the bride is locked in her room and the women from the man's village come. There is a traditional Kikuyu song that the women from the bride's village and the groom's village sing to each other -- the groom's side about coming to take the bride, and the bride's side saying they won't let her go! Then, the mother of the groom and some other key women go to break the bride out of her room; in some cases she literally has to be broken out because they might hide the key. If the dowry hasn't been really settled I guess this can be a long process. Once the bride is "free" lesos are laid on the floor and ground and she is led to the decorated car. On the way, the best man comes and checks under the veil to make sure she is really the right one.
Matatus are specially hired for the journey to the church. The church ceremony is somehow similar to ones in the U.S., although it was in Swahili so I'm not entirely certain. A couple differences are that the bride has a long train on her dress that after the exchange of rings is wrapped around the groom as well, showing that they are now connected.
Also, there is no smooching! I turned to the bridesmaid next to me and asked her if they were "officially married" when people started clapping and ululating, and she said yes. I asked if they were going to kiss, and she looked at me like I had asked if they were going to run around the church screaming. It was later explained to me that while it is an option, almost no one chooses to include that in their ceremony.
One tradition that I would like to adopt is that of having a best couple, instead of maid of honor and best man. The bride and groom choose an already married couple to be their "best couple" who guide them not only through the wedding, but also through the beginning of their marriage. You are to choose people you are very free talking to, so that if you have any conflicts in your marriage, you are able to go to them for advice.
After the wedding there is a photoshoot (I've posted pictures on facebook again) then the reception. After the pictures, the bridal party marched behind the school band to the reception which was held in the amphitheater of the primary school.
Everyone is given food, and various people provide entertainment. The children of the school danced, others sang, etc. In between acts, people bring up their gifts. The bride's parents traditionally give a bed, and make it in front of everyone.
The groom's parents gave a pair of goats. Towards the end the cake is cut, the newlyweds feed it to eachother, and the bridesmaids help to hand out tiny pieces to some of the attendees (usually there is not enough for everyone).
In the evening, there is an "evening party" for the bridal party and some of the younger guests. We went to a place called "Traveller's Inn" in the nearby town. There is dinner...we had goat intestine sausage wrapped in the skin of the goat which still had some hair on it, cabbage and ugali. The Kenyans thought this was fantastic, and I tried a couple bites, but couldn't quite stomach it. I was trying to be polite of course as so not to be that obnoxious foreigner who won't even try anything, but perhaps shouldn't have been as I ended up being quite sick the next day probably from that... and my tongue was black. Gross! People then dance, and "take something" (this is the only time I've seen people consuming alcohol) and just enjoy themselves. I had been asking one of the teachers where people meet their spouses as men and women tend to naturally separate themselves at many events, especially in church. The teacher replied, "Oh Lauren, you don't meet your husband at church!" So, I think it is at these evening parties where many people meet their future significant other. I really enjoyed a lot, and we didn't come back until 2 AM. The Sisters were kind enough to give me the gate key so it was no problem. This is the first time I've been out after dark here, as it's not always especially safe.
Really, it was such an enjoyable experience. I was so blessed to be really included and have others to translate and explain what was going on.

Wedding Planning

I was so honored to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of one of the teachers in the primary school, James Kariuki. While it was a church wedding, the Kenyans have some beautful unique traditions.
Courtship is a relatively private thing: while your "allies" (friends) likely know you have a "friend," the parents generally don't know until things are very serious. There is also such thing as a "Come we stay" marriage, where basically it is exactly as it sounds. You come and you stay with your spouse -- some eventually have an official wedding but it's not required. I guess this kind of marriage happens very quickly; you maybe meet someone in the market and soon after decide to come and stay.
There is no big proposal or engagement ring. Instead, when the couple decides they would like to be married, the man goes with some of his close friends and relatives to negotiate the dowry with the bride's parents. A couple weeks after this, the man along with close friends brings the dowry -- goats, chickens, and/or money -- along with soda or beer to the bride's parents, and if they accept, then the wedding is announced. I guess some parents are greedy and so won't agree to the wedding if the bride-price isn't high enough, but nowadays the dowry is becoming less critical and more dependent on individual situations. In my opinion, it doesn't at all seem like the husband is buying a bride. Rather, it is as if the man is proving that he is capable of caring for another person using financial responsibility, as it takes time, and work, to save for a dowry. People are very surprised that a fiancee in the U.S. has to maybe take the Dad of the bride to lunch to ask permission and give a ring.
All of this exchange usually happens only about 2 months before the wedding! A wedding committee of about 20 people is then formed, with positions like secretary and chairperson. They meet weekly to plan the wedding. This is mostly the groom's responsibility as well, but the bride is certainly involved (naturally especially in picking colors and outfits for the bridal party! Kenyan men are not afraid to admit they don't know how to match things nicely). People pledge an amount to help to pay for the wedding. A wedding overall costs about 80,000 Kenyan Shillings, or about $1000 US. The very rich spend ridiculous amounts on weddings, but that is generally seen as ridiculous!

Easter Season

The Stations of the Cross walk -- returning back to the church



Dancing around the Pascal Fire
Easter Season was really beautiful in Kenya. The season here is kind of the end of summer, soalthougthe time does not match up with new growth of plants, it didn't seem to matter.
For the "general population" (those who are not Sisters???) the school term finished on Holy Wednesday or Thursday - Easter was early this year otherwise they would have had the whole week. On Good Friday, the Makuyu Parish does a Stations of the Cross walk, or Jia ya Msalaba in Swahili. It was certainly an experience! Around 10 o'clock (African time, so it was a bit later) the people gather at the main parish. Then, following a tractor with a trailer the congregation begins to walk. For each of the stations, there is a certain stop where the Senior Youth act out the event. I was really impressed by their costumes and seriousness. The path goes through several of the outstations/prayer houses, and the whole walk ends around 3 when everyone comes back for the Passion Service. I was very grateful that the weather was not so hot -- although it rained and so at some points the mud almost got your shoes (roads in the bush are definitely not paved). I guess when the weather is really warm by the end some people struggle a lot, especially volunteers who are not used to the event as it is a 5 hours walk! The people sing and pray the Rosary while they walk. It was all in Kikuyu so I couldn't understand much, but really beautiful to see so many parishioners, even the elderly, completing the long journey.
The Passion Service was fairly similar to those at home (I think, again it was not in English so I'm not entirely certain). For the Veneration of the Cross, however, all of the people come forward and kiss the cross -- something I hadn't seen before.
On Saturday evening, the Vigil is held. It begins outside with the lighting of a bonfire. Some years they even send a ball of flame from the belltower to light the fire! The Pascal candle is then lit, and the children dance around the fire. Then everyone proceeds into the church for the service. It is a "bring your own candle" procession. The Baptism of older children takes place at this time, while babies are baptized on Sunday morning.
Sunday morning was certainly a joyful experience! Many people come to the Mass, but it's not a time of wearing fancy clothes and hats -- more a celebration. The Priest saying the Mass was very lively, and turned on a CD player with music so everyone could have a little dance party in their pews. He had a whistle and was right up there blowing it and dancing along with everyone. So lively.
In the "Motherhouse" we made decorations and had a beautiful feast after the Mass. The afternoon was relatively quiet as everyone had been up late the night before because of the vigil and being with the young people at their "Easter Experience."
The Easter Experience is like a retreat for the senior youth -- they come and stay in the school and have various talks and activities. It's wonderful to walk down to the school at night when they are there and be able to hear singing and clapping and laughing from a distance. Really, if I could sum up Easter here in a phrase it would be "joy in the Risen Christ."

A Trip to the Hospital

Today I needed to run errands with one of the Sisters, and this included taking a young man to the hospital. I have heard what the government hospital in Thika (the nearby town) is like, but it was still not what I was expecting.
Apparently this boy, Reuben, broke his leg a month ago, and when he went to the hospital they sent him away without doing anything. It is a fairly severe break -- it looks like right now he has two knees because of how the bone is sticking out. I'm not entirely sure how the Sisters came upon this case, but I guess no one is his village is willing to help him and the parents aren't capable.
Reuben is somehow "not okay" -- I believe there is a problem with using glue, but I'm not sure if that started/increased because of the pain he must have in his leg. Regardless, this young man is not capable of telling even exactly how he broke his leg.
The Casualty Section of the hospital (I think it is the equivalent to ER/Walk in Care) is first come first serve. There is a sign posted with the prices, and if you cannot pay they will not treat you. Services like resuscitation, however, are free. Major emergency surgery costs about 5,000 shillings (less than $100 direct equivalent, but a little less than half of a worker's monthly salary). Being in the waiting room made me want to become a doctor just so I could help all of the people. It's really not even a room -- a covered area with benches to sit on.
Like the dispensary, there is a lot of waiting involved. When you first arrive they check on you immediately to determine the seriousness of the problem, but then you have to see the doctor/nurse, who sends you to the x-ray, who sends you back to the doctor, who sends you to the place of plastering etc. All of these places have lines.
Because it has been so long since the injury, Reuben has to come back for surgery in about 10 days. 10 days! He can barely walk, and judging by the way his leg looks must be in a large amount of pain.
What really struck me is the fact that unless you are literally dying, if you don't have money you will not be treated. If you are admitted to the hospital, someone from your family/a person you know, must come to clean you and feed you etc. That means that many people go without treatment for severe injuries. It actually upset my stomach a little to see all the people in pain, and knowing they have to wait hours just to see a doctor. I know the American health care system has a lot of problems, but here not only the quality of treatment you get depends on how much you can pay, but whether you are treated depends on if you can pay at all. The private hospitals are generally much better taken run than the government, but that costs more money.
I wonder how the staff of this hospital feels and thinks. Are they so used to seeing all these people that they are "used" to it? I would guess they are given more work than they can reasonably do, but I wonder how much they care. It seems blunt to assume that they are only in it for money, which I'm sure is not exactly the case, but in order to have reasonable service you must really speak with them, for lack of a better way to put it. I know when you are overworked the break you get for lunch is important to take care of yourself, but when the workers leave for an hour for lunch and just leave all the people there to wait for another hour -- without lunch -- I think it must be something that affects a person.
So please pray for all the people in Kenya who are sick with no one to take care of them, and also for the health care workers!

A Little Humor

I read a lot of compositions, and as English really is a second language in "the bush," the students make some mistakes that do make me smile. I thought I would share some in hopes of making you smile as well! (I am in no way attempting to make fun of my students, because I know I make equally ridiculous mistakes in Swahili!)Incidentally, I finally made my high school students laugh today by telling them my aspiration to be a matatu conductor (see section on transportation)... I figure I could set a good example by never cheating the people, and being on of the few women conductors, but apparantly it is one of the most stressful jobs in Kenya, but where else to you get to hang out the window of a vehicle driving past the "jam" on the "shoulder" (aka dirt siding, where in areas of construction they show a road sign of cars falling over the edge)???

The people started drinking bear.

[On using bhang(marijuana)and then being hired to work in someone's garden] If you could have come in front of me I could have even digged you.

He went to his bedroom and opened his wadrope.

...and took a blood curdling shower.

I will be very gland if you understand me.

When the boat overslide in the river, a big whale caught my leg.

It was a remantic weeding ceremony.

We cleaned the clothes and hugged them.

A few minutes later the bride and the spinster arrived home from church.

The preacher preached the Bible to the people, bride and even the spinster.

[From an exam] Define fable: The toilet is clean

[From an exam asking to fill in the blanks with the spelling rule 'i' before 'e'] I before pray except after God.

For the Greeks were not insane when invented a dage that states: stength is unity.

Eventually, let us pull our hands up together and say like Dr. Martin Luther King Juniour "we have a dream that one day Kiswahili will be a language in Kenyan cities, that in the streets of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, where the young and the old, the Luo and Kikuyu will all humble ourselves and share our experiences -- using the Kiswahili language"

Angeline Manthi

I am just so amazed about one of my friends here, that I wanted to write about the amazing things she is doing!
I mentioned Angeline before as the young woman whose family sold all their cows in order to educate her.
She is about the same age as me, and trained as a dressmaker. Angeline works for the Sisters at Don Bosco Mission in the production area, and has recently opened her own shop.
Late last year, her family's home area was struck very hard by floods, so her parents had to leave their home and go to temporary housing for awhile. After their return, instead of just sending them money, Angeline taught her parents (subsistence farmers) how to sell their extra produce to earn some income.
In order to open "fashion store" as they are called here (provides tailoring, stitching, clothes, accessories and toiletries) she took out a large micro-loan of 80,000 shillings -- about $1,000 US, and has rented a store-front just off the main road passing Makuyu. She has hired her younger sister to run the store during the day while she is at work, and has really worked hard to have beautiful things. It has been great to notice the huge increase in the amount of customers in just the couple months she has had it open!
I am just amazed that at the same age as me she is already an entrepreneur who basically supports her entire family (she was also helping to pay school fees for her younger siblings) and has such a positive outlook on life and so much wisdom to know how to use money! Imagine being able to not just support your parents financially, but to teach them how to learn to support themselves! As the oldest in her family, she also is an inspiration to the younger siblings -- the sister who works in the shop now aspires to open her own shop someday and has started saving money to do so.
In addition to the hard work she does, Angeline has a wonderfully friendly and hospitable personality, and deeply rooted faith (she even attends morning Mass every day!). In my first weeks in Kenya she was kind enough to show me how to take the matatus (crazy method of public transportation) and around the Makuyu area. As they say here, she is my "very nice friend."

Links to a few photos

I haven't been able to put up a ton of pictures due to internet constraints, but in lieu of having them in my blog I have posted some on Facebook. The links are as follows (you shouldn't need an account to view them)
Enjoy!
Lauren

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2091499&id=32503907&l=594bf295af

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089045&id=32503907&l=ff4cc63138

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2085714&id=32503907&l=07512bb1e2

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081939&id=32503907&l=9d43ac21c7

Birthdays!

Birthdays here are not so widely celebrated as they are in the US. If someone asks you your age it is generally okay to ask them in return. There is definitely not the same obsession with looking young. In fact, because of the amount of sun and hard work people do, many of them look much older than their years -- especially young mothers and shoshos (grandmothers)and babus (grandfathers). Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
For children, it seems that they have their friends over for the day and the parents make a nice lunch. For adults, I think it is common that the person who's birthday it is brings a cake to work. Sadly, they don't eat frosting here.
My birthday was a few weeks ago (eek shows how behind I am on this blog) and it was very nice. In the morning, all the Sisters "greet you" and tell you they are praying for you. They have a special placemat they put out that says "happy birthday" and right away in the morning they sing. In the evening, they made for me my favorite dinner (thin pancakes with lentils), and did the aspirants and postulants did a cute skit about the day I was born "in the hospital of Mary." Then, they came in singing with a cake and candles even! They have so many birthday songs, and even the normal "Happy Birthday" is sung in so many languages, French, Kinyarwanden, Kiswahili etc. Then, the person whose birthday it is cuts the cake -- there is also a song for cutting the cake. It was so nice that they remembered and prepared for me so nicely. Definitely made it a special day.

Did Western Culture Ruin Africa?

Now that is a big topic! But, it's been something on my mind since I first came. I somehow had a view of Sub-Saharan Africa as an ideal world, except for huge issues with poverty and exploitation. Yes, there are the enormous problems of poverty and exploitation, but that is not the only thing that harms the people.
Tribalism is a major issue. Certain groups marry the outcasts of others, others are in longstanding feuds -- simply because of the tribe. One example is the conflict with the Masaai and some of their neighbors. In Masaai culture, it is believed that cattle were created for them, and for them only. Therefore, if someone else has a cow, it rightfully belongs to the Masaai so it is "okay" for them to steal it back. This obviously causes problems for the original owners of the cattle who then go to steal the cows back etc. The post-election violence in 2007 was fueled especially by tribal groups who believed their leaders should be in power. Today, the government is mainly controlled by Kikuyus, the largest ethnic group. The country is divided into tribal areas, and the people find it very foreign that I don't have a tribe because the U.S. is so mixed.
Distribution of wealth is another major issue. While in general the majority of the wealth belongs to outsiders, the Kenyans who are very rich for the most part do not help the poor -- there are few in the middle class. The poor believe that the rich have taken what is rightfully theirs and the high school students jokingly aspire to be Robin Hood-like "international thieves."
Speaking of thieves, violent crime is prevalent. While this is most certainly fueled by need, more than one of my students have had a parent killed by robbers, or known someone who has been kidnapped for ransom etc. I used to be worried by the gruesome creative compositions they would write, but have come to learn some of them are their reality. If people catch a thief, the police come to save the thief from being burned alive, rather than just to arrest the person. I definitely don't want to make it sound like everywhere someone is trying to cheat you, but perhaps just to point out that everywhere in the world there are criminals.
So, my current conclusion is that colonialism did do harm to the social and economic systems in place in Kenya, and has also left a major British influence in the judicial and educational system. While some of this is good, for example equal education for boys and girls, the effects of the horrible murders against those who opposed colonization and other events that took place still linger. However, before Africa was "discovered" by the West, there were still problems. In literature courses you learn that people are the same everywhere and it is true --in both their assets and faults. Yet, the joy I see the people find in life is something I've found unique to Africa and am blessed to experience their happiness regardless of external circumstances.

Computing by Candlelight

I think I've mentioned that the intersection between modern and the, well, not so modern. For example, it's not uncommon, even in Nairobi, to see someone in traditional dress talking on a fancy cell phone.
During the rainy season it is really hard to predict when there the electricity will be turned off. Apparantly the substations aren't "waterproof" or something, so the power gets turned off, or something just goes wrong. Anyway, it's dark by around 7, so as I write this I have a candle lit to see but am using my laptop battery so that's how the computer is working. It just seems really funny to me to be using candlelight to type!
Just a couple other things that struck me as an interesting mix of contemporary and conventional: in the airport bathrooms, three of the stalls are "normal" toilets, while the fourth is a "squat one." (It "flushes," but you don't sit on anything). Last time I was there, there was a line for the bathroom, but I was able to go right to the front because the tourists making up the line didn't want to use the "squatter." I figured I've been in Kenya long enough to be used to interesting bathrooms...
In the staffroom at the school during lunch (so all the teachers were there, eating and doing normal teacher things, schools are somehow similar to the ones in the US), when a man walks in selling bedsheets! The other teachers did not seem phased by this at all, and some even examined the sheets. They thought it was funny I was so shocked by this.
The mission compound has watchmen for safety, and a Sister told me the ones at night keep bows and arrows rather than guns.
I'm sure there are so many other connections I'm missing, but hopefully this gives a bit of an idea of the mix of current and customary.

A Brief Holiday

Since the children don't have school in December, after Christmas I was able to take a short holiday with my friend Serena who I met on the airplane coming here. We went up to Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha to be tourists.
Serena is a "black American," a concept people here are fascinated with! Since everyone thinks she is Kenyan, however, this can definitely work to our advantage in terms of pricing! For example, we went to the market because I needed to get something for a host family I was staying with, so she pretended to be my "Kenyan friend" and give me advice as to what things should cost, but quietly because generally speaking if she talks it gives away the fact her knowledge of Swahili is limited! It was quite funny walking down the street and everyone coming up to me trying to sell things (one man said "Hello. My name is Mr. Cheap - o") and basically leaving her alone. When I would even just say "hapana" [no] the vendors would be so shocked. One even echoed it back to his friends, as in disbelief I had just said that. But, if I wouldn't buy something from them they would then make fun of the way I attempted to speak Kiswahili, as if that would make me then buy their product!
We went to Lake Nakuru National Park for a morning to look for animals. Our driver-guide spotted a leopard, which is funny because I thought they came that way! Seriously though, there are thousands of flamingoes in the lake which was neat to see. We also saw rhinos, giraffes, zebras etc. It was definitely cool! Fun fact: Baby zebras have brown stripes. They are not to be mistaken for "mzungu zebras" which stay brown.
We also visited Hyrax Hill, a prehistoric site initially developed by Richard and Mary Leakey, and the Menengai crater. Both very beautiful! I have put some photos on facebook if you would like to see them.
The next night was New Years Eve, and Serena and I decided to stay in an actual hotel. We were so excited to have toilet seats and mosquito nets without giant holes! The hotel had a nice celebration with live music. At midnight, the tradition is to burst balloons and cut a cake. It was fun to experience that and also be completely amazed at how well the people here dance. They were trying to teach us, but...
We then headed to Lake Naivasha where all the flamingoes used to be, but due to water fluctuations the lake has either been too salty or alkaline for them. We went on a boat ride across the lake to a game sanctuary where you could walk around amidst the giraffes and zebra, and on the way back we stopped to see the hippos in the water. There were also people poaching fish. They were standing in the water (brave!) I think each holding a part of a large net. The legal fisherman use boats, so that is how the guide knew the difference.
In the evening we had a bottle that needed opening, and no bottle opener. Previously Serena was very creative and somehow used to windowsill to open them. With only wooden windows this time, I ventured out to the nearest campfire I could see to ask the people there. I was taught how to use a car door to open the bottle. They were very friendly and I chatted with themfor quite some time -- people from Nairobi who come out to get away from the city for a bit. For some it was their first time camping.
The next day, Saturday, Serena and I took the matatu (mini bus) back to Nairobi. We were coming a day earlier than initially planned, but this was quite fortunate as we discovered upon return that the matatus were going on strike Monday. Sunday the prices were ridiculously high as many people were travelling back for work and school. I was lucky enough to get a ride with one of the sisters back to Makuyu. She pointed out to me that lining the roads were people who just looked like anybody out, but were really the drivers and conductors of the matatus looking for anyone who would be trying to pick up passengers. In the newspaper that week there was an article abotu how hearses were serving as public transportation, but you had to pay double to sit where the coffins usually go! There was also a picture of a burned matatu that was trying to run during the strike, and some drivers/conductors posing as passengers boarded and beat up the other passengers and then burned the vehicle. Eek!
On a lighter note, it was wonderful to have some "time away" to rest a bit and see new things. I'm so lucky I met Serena on the plane coming! We both had a nice time using our new "alien cards" for discounted rates and exploring Kenya for a couple days.

Entitlement

What do people deserve? Not so much what are the basic needs (physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual), but what do you DESERVE? One of the things that has taken me the most adjusting is getting used to how people ask, and a sense of entitlement they seem to have.
Please and thank you are not words frequently used in most people's vocabularies, partly I believe because in Kiswahili and the tribal languages here "please" is used only in the most formal situations.
Still, it is really off-putting when the school children (or the sho-shos [grandmothers] come up to you and say "give me sweet." When you say "no" they question "why." These statements are not phrased as questions, but as demands. I have even had children literally tell me to give them the clothes I am wearing! White people are associated with pockets full of money, and I think they are used to the ones they see handing out candy etc. I purposely do not carry things like that with me for the sole purpose of trying to break that association.
Appreciation is something usually only shown in business deals (if you buy from someone they will say "thank you thank you thank you about a million times), and a lot of times it feels that when you do something nice for someone they "expect" it.
I taught an English lesson to the aspirants and postulants on manners, and came at it from the angle of "English is a different language than the others here, in English it sounds really harsh if you don't use please/pleasant tone of voice/etc. During class the students looked bored, but afterward I was surprised how many came and said it was a beautiful lesson -- they must also notice!
I know I cannot force people to be appreciative of others, but the primary school children are catching on to saying "thank you" when they are served in the lunch line. Mostly this is just an observation I have made that is one of the main places my culture clashes with the one here.