3rd and 4th Weeks of Advent: Love and Joy

Blog Post

12/21/09

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all."

-Emily Dickinson

Hope you are all doing well and are given the gift of time to enjoy the season. I miss home a lot- even the snow. “White Christmas” played recently on my matatu route, and I chuckled to myself out loud. Christmas definitely looks a lot different here- not only with it being summer instead of winter, but also there is just less. Less Christmas lights strewn about, less presents under the tree, and less stress. I think there is more emphasis and attention paid to our Advent pillars here of love and joy, mostly because, well, there isn’t as much other “stuff” to crowd it out.

I had a fantastic week. I met and worked with Susan, a social worker that operates HARC- The Hope and Reconciliation Center in Kibera. I donned my new title as children’s party planner and we got to work for the preparations of the end-of-the-year Christmas party for 150 children that she runs a weekly Sunday School for. I also was granted the opportunity to visit a women’s micro-finance group for the parents of those children earlier in the week.

It was my first time in Kibera, which is arguably the largest slum in Africa: home to about 1.5 million people. I was glad for the opportunity to be there, mostly because I feel as if it’s framed my whole experience in a much broader context. We’ve spent our fair share of time rubbing elbows with the upper classes here, relationships granted mostly because we’re Americans and we speak English. I value this experience as well for what it is. It’s important to realize that Kenya’s identity is not wrapped up solely in its poverty level, but it is also important to realize it is part of its reality and the country’s struggle.

The view was breathtaking, but not in the good sense. We weaved our way in and out of tin shanty after tin shanty, many huge garbage heaps, and feeble bridges covering the sewage streams. It wasn’t just my parasitic fever that started to make me shaky, but rather its harshness. We eventually made it to where we were going, which was another non-descript shanty that blended in with the rest on top of a hill. All I could see for miles were these tin roofs reflecting the harsh sun. I felt swallowed and small.

Contrasting the disparity, the sound of singing made its way down to where we were standing. It was a beautiful tune, joyful with clapping, signaling the start of the women’s meeting. The 30 + women welcomed us into the dirt floored meeting room with no windows. I couldn’t understand the Kiswahili, but I think I understood what was happening. After a few more songs, there were prayers, and then a speaker gave a message. At one point, she was swept away by emotion and started crying during her speech. Then, most of the women started crying together. Simultaneously, prayers began to break out. Loud ones that everyone uttered in desperate tones at the same time. Then silence.

It was somewhat out-of-body, and mostly confusing, but processing it later, it spoke to me on a couple of levels. It made me think of this Emily Dickinson quote, “Pain is missed in Praise.” All too often, the church overlooks the important process of grieving, or even simply recognizing the depth of suffering encountered every day. I think this neglect is particularly destructive here where situations are sometimes blamed on those who are suffering because they did not- pray enough, give enough, aren’t “saved” enough. But this was refreshing in that what was needed was a good cry. Experienced in the communal context, it was healing and it was honest. They have a harsh reality- situations largely bigger and beyond their control no matter how hard they’ve ____ enough.

The ancient writings of the Desert Fathers speak of “the gift of tears,” and I think this was true here. The ability to mourn their losses and struggles made way for joy. Because what followed after the silence was a prayer, then a solo voice, then a loud chorus broke out with dancing. Usually, I am pretty self-conscious of my mediocre moves, especially in front of people I don’t know, but I held nothing back this time. I wouldn’t be able to recall another time when I needed “to dance it out,” more than that moment. I was surprised to find my own anxieties and fears working themselves out in that room, singing and dancing with women from the other side of the world that didn’t speak my language. God this way, “turning mourning into dancing,” in this case, literally.

"While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole." -Hans Bos

2nd Week of Advent: Peace in Process

"Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice." -President Barack Obama

I know I’m a week behind on my Advent series, but I’ll try to catch up. Last week, peace was the theme of the candle. The angels that came to announce the birth of Christ proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth…” Advent is the season of expectation, and in this case, we’re told to expect peace. Jesus, the “prince of peace.”

It’s an interesting time to study the subject. My president just received the Nobel Peace Prize while sending more troops to fight a second war. Strange on a lot of levels. Here, they don’t understand when we talk about “deploying troops,” or what it means to fight in a world war, but they know conflict within their own borders. Two years ago this month, some of the worst violence in the country’s history broke out over a disputed election. The wounds are still very fresh. Last weekend, I went to a “Peace Concert” in Nairobi’s central park, which was an effort to bring people together in reverence and remembrance of the events that took place. It was pretty relaxed until… it wasn’t anymore. Some minor mob mentality broke out at the end. Bottles were smashed, the security started hampering down, half the crowd of mostly youth started running away towards the city. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a big deal, except with the overtones of the concert’s aim, it gave me an eerie feeling about how fragile the state of things are here.

We recently had a small informal devotion and were sharing different places where we’ve felt or seen peace here. With what had happened that weekend, I was hard pressed to find something. Tribalism, as defined by a local op-ed contributor as,"a conscious choice to discriminate against others who speak a language other than your own or who do not share in your particular culture…" is still thriving here. Makes one worried for their 2012 elections and whether or not their forming constitution will indeed pass and unify its people. Overall, I felt a lot of tension, not peace.

It was ironic, then, that I felt most at peace this week coming face to face with the issue. There was a photo exhibit downtown displaying some of the worst of the violence for all to see. The pictures were expertly composed, but horrifying, and yet incredibly moving in the way that makes you want to change. I was also moved by what the NGO surrounding the photos was trying to do. Representatives were preaching to the onlookers about the need to expose the wounds in order to heal them. Before we can look forward, they urged, we must first of all LOOK . Only then, within an honest confrontation of the conflict, can we reach inside for the solutions that won’t let the future be the same. So, I’m in the looking stage right now, and that’s a good and healthy place to be, I think. At least I’m in some good company.

For now, it is the internal peace that I feel most prevalently in Kenya. When you ask, “How are you?” (Habari yako?) in Kiswahili, a common response is “Salama,” or, “I have peace.” It doesn’t answer the question necessarily, but is indicative of something, I believe, a little deeper that doesn’t sway with the comings and goings of the day’s emotion. I see it here, the inward peace manifested outwardly… in the way a child always carries the mother’s things for her, in how a mother wraps a child lovingly in a kitanga cloth to keep her close, in how there is always fresh milk on hand in case visitors come for tea time, and in how there is always time: for prayer, for a good conversation, and for family in its many extensions. Let us, "prepare the way..." inward, and then onward. But let us not move forward too quickly, for it is this internal peace communicated that is truly transformative.

"If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

PS: on an unrelated health update, I think they finally figured out what I had and am definitely on the road to recovery. thanks for the prayers.

KenyaNews Round-Up

Not only are Kenyans very politically engaged and aware about what is happening in their own country, but I also frequently receive updates on U.S. and other international news from my Kenyan friends. So as part of our exchange here, I thought it would be good to post some current Kenyan events for those that are interested in learning some more about what's going on where I am.

1.) The climate change talks in Copenhagen. Kenya is rooting for some real change and for people to speak out about the countries that suffer the most from climate change. Kenya has suffered one of the worst droughts in its history this past year, and because of it are now suffering food and water shortages all over the country. Not to mention the huge damaging effects it has on the country's already feeble economy... I bet this lady will shake things up.

2.) Mau Forest Evictions. The Kenyan government is evicting thousands of people from the biggest green area of the country. Controversy is over whether or not the squatters have a place to go home to, or if they are being evicted to homelessness. The controversy extends to who had land rights in the first place and whether or not that matters in the name of the conservation of this precious resource for the country and for the world.

3.) Kenyans are in the process of drafting their very own constitution. Kenya has been an independent nation since 1964, but has never changed the constitution since the time of British rule. Many attempts of writing a new constitution have been made in the past decade or so, but disagreements have stalled the process tremendously. Currently, pressure from the U.S. and the U.N. following the post election violence in 2007 has helped the process the move along. Kenyans would like to put the constitution into place before the next elections in 2012. One particularly hot area of debate is what a coalition government (between a prime minister and a president) would look like and what kind of power-sharing they would have.

4.) Cholera Outbreak. Especially in areas hard-hit by the drought, cholera is devastating the country. Already, 4,700 cases have been found in the past month and 119 deaths have been reported. A very sad state of affairs. The article linked above talks about this being a "disease of poverty," as the cure for cholera is mostly large amounts of clean water- an expensive commodity during this time.

5.) A move for reform. It was only two years ago this month that Kenya broke out into one of its most violent times in its history following the election of President Kabaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Former UN Secretary General and mediator, Kofi Annan, visited the country recently to check on Kenya's progress towards reforms. The draft constitution is one avenue, reorganizing the police force is another, and making the anti-corruption committee stronger and responsible for prosecuting those that committed some of the worst crimes during the period of post-election violence are some ways that the country is moving in the right direction.

1st Week of Advent: Susceptibility and Hope

Conveniently, I got pretty sick during a time of transition and my school holiday. It took about two weeks of tests to diagnose me with…food poisoning. It wasn’t malaria. Not typhoid. No chance of cholera, but food poisoning. I’m affectionately calling it “righteous food poisoning” to account for my suffering. I was finally put on the right kind of antibiotics, and now I’m feeling much better. I even started a new job.

Not being used to the types of antibodies here, I’m susceptible to a new host of possible illnesses. This was my turn and it was easily curable. And that’s what was so striking to me. On day #2 of antibiotics, I was a new person. The scope of these infections is so widespread and damaging, but the solution has already been found. I found this article written by a worker in neighboring Rwanda.

He writes, “parasitic and bacterial infections…are the most common chronic infections among the world’s poorest people…These ailments… not only lead to pain, discomfort and the distended bellies you often see in pictures of poor, malnourished children; they also cripple entire generations. Infections reach maximum intensity in the age range of five to 14 years, effectively stunting both physical and mental development at the most critical time in the victims’ lives.”

This writer goes onto explain the subtle threat of these parasites and their hindrance to development. There are others on the list: malaria, typhoid, HIV/AIDS getting the most press. But the article resonates with my gut feeling, “we can do something about this…” Living in poverty makes one susceptible to infinitely more life-threatening dangers, but it does not have to be a death sentence.

All too often it is.

This being World AIDS week has made me think about how living with HIV is very different in other parts of the world. This year’s theme was “Universal Access and Human Rights.” It brings attention to the fact that the vast majority of people infected with HIV/AIDS are in low-income countries and do not have the kind of access required to put a significant decrease in the statistics. In Kenya, I am happy to say that the rate of infection and of death due to HIV/AIDs has been reduced. However, 1.4 million people here have HIV, and more than half of the people who need life-saving drugs are not getting them. I celebrate what is being done and say it proves only how much more we can do.

I started working for a new organization this week called Catholic Relief Services. My job is nothing glamorous, but I do what needs to be done (in this case, data entry) for an organization that is really doing things. They give comprehensive care all over Kenya. They are quick to point out that poverty has many faces, and most recently, these faces have been most devastatingly affected by the drought. One of the ways we might not think about right away is the drought halting many people's HIV treatment, since the medication must be balanced by good nutrition, which is hard to come by during drought times. When there is no rain, there is no food, no water, no livestock, which also means there is no income, which means no medical care, which means…the cycle continues. And to complete the circle, there is no rain because there is global warming, and there is global warming because…well, because of us, mostly. We are not so far removed. We are all connected.

My new roommates and I (other YAVs in Nairobi) made an advent wreath last night out of recycled things. The first candle during this first week of Advent represents hope. Recently, I felt really connected to chapter 5 in Lamentations. It felt like the writer was lamenting current events in Kenya, and even in that context there is still, “Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old.” Hope. After a bleak blog entry, I maintain my hope in things seen- programs that are working, people that are reached-and things unseen- a world where susceptibility turns to sustainability, and where we don’t put a cost on the saving of a life.

Good-bye Grads, Hello Kisumu

The school is on trimesters here and their third and final trimester just finished. Now we’re on holiday until January when their new school year starts. The past couple of weeks preparing for big tests and Prayer Day and Graduation have been a lot of fun. Set a week apart, the ceremonies were pre and post the really big tests for class eight.

The community aspect is one of the things I'm enjoying most about my school. Since many of the students live here and are in small classes from 1-8 together, all the ages really look out for one another. It didn't surprise me, then, that the support was tremendous for the 17 class eights who were preparing for their big transition. On Prayer Day, every class presented a song and a dance for them. A very exuberant pastor also came and gave them a message and some powerful prayers that got them in the right frame of mind for test-taking. A lot of pressure was riding on them, as the test determines what kind of Secondary School they go to, which in turn, has a really big impact on if they will make it to University. It was a very bright and determined class, so I’m sure they will go far. I think we all had fun learning and performing new songs (I brushed up on my limited guitar knowledge and played some Christmas carols on the piano…way fun). In true Kenyan style, the ceremonies both lasted all day and had many hitches, but that didn’t keep it from being a joyful and celebratory experience for all.

Next, I’m headed to Kisumu, which is in the Western Province of the country. It’s near Lake Victoria where the Nile flows up from. I hear they eat a lot of fish. I’ll be working for the YWCA this time. Job and living situation TBD. I’ve had a slight delay in Nairobi here, as I’ve contracted a mild form of malaria. Day three on medications and I’m feeling ninety times better. Mostly was a bad flu. Don’t Wikipedia malaria. Don’t.

On another unrelated note, I wanted to post a huge THANK YOU on my blog. I have officially met and exceeded my fundraising goal of $9,000. As many of you know, I was nervous about this aspect of this program and being able to raise this much money, but it seems like a lot of you had more faith than I did. So, really, I can’t thank you enough. I appreciate all of your support financially and otherwise. If you would still like to donate to some of the work here, I do have some ideas, so let me know. But wow, you’ve all blown me away.

Happy early thanksgiving,

DD

Cultural Day, Safari Weekend

One of the most anticipated days of the year at Meru Junior is Cultural Day. The kids have been practicing for it since I’ve gotten here and they put all their heart and soul into learning various tribes’ traditional songs and dances. There was some poetry, skits, a fashion show, and an eating contest thrown in there just for fun. Even I got a little dressed up for the occasion. I didn’t exactly blend in, but they did applaud my efforts- and adjusted my head scarf thingy about a million different times in a million different ways. Below you will see me dressed in my kitanga gear.

So rhythm, moves, sometimes some harmony- they had it all. Most of the songs were from the KiMeru tribe, which makes sense as most of the school population is Meru. They extended their scope beyond, however, and learned some pieces from the other tribes as well. Currently in Kenya, there are 42 definitive tribes. This sense of “tribal identity” or how that contributes to one’s personal identity is something I’m still trying to get a grip on. My education started on this day, in an atmosphere where there was the freedom to express the pride of varying heritages. Hopefuly, I’ll have some video soon.

The next day, I left with the Scouts to Meru National Game Park, a couple hours from school. I thought our fun was going to be spoiled when we reached our destination late and they had no room for us (I suppose reservations for the fieldtrip of 32 kids would have been a good idea, but just saying…). Thankfully, the workers were good sports about it and let us bunk together. Wonderful accommodations minus the scorpions (thank god not in my room). I had a single track mind on our first game drive: lions and hippos. First, buffalo- impressive the first time around, but boring the 100th time you see them. But second…buffalo, no wait, that’s lions eating buffalo! I was so lucky. A lot of driving later we came upon some streams. The first stream stop no hippos, but the second- a mother and her baby. Perfect. I felt ready to go home after that, but the kids had not gotten their fill. Eventually, we saw the other “usuals”- the giraffe, the warthogs, an elephant, and a rhino. When we returned, we did the usual campy stuff. You know, studied for exams, threw some rocks at baboons, watched the crocodiles swim around while we ate lunch… Ok, well we did do those things AND had a bonfire with songs and stories. I really need to teach them the glory of s’mores.

A little less than two weeks of school left. Now, we’re gearing up for “Prayer Day,” which is appropriately the day before the big final exams. I decided to spice things up this week by bringing in a guitar and teaching them some songs to be performed. We’ll see how that goes. Right now, my out of shape guitar fingers really hurt.

Taking Tea, Taking Time

I am on my third week of teaching English to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, or really whatever they need me to teach, at whatever time. I'm realizing it's the American way to have systems and schedules that are rather rigid, and that it's not that way everywhere...

Within these systems in the U.S., I do not always perform the best. People who know me well generally tell me to arrive somewhere an hour before they actually want me to be there. My mother instituted the "double everything" rule with me, where I should take whatever amount of time I think something is going to take and then double it so that I actually make it on time. Brenda, my mission co-worker friend, thinks that the fact that I'm most attracted to elephants during game drives is also indicative of this personality trait- I like to go at my own pace. But amidst Kenyans that are more like me, I have never felt more American when it comes to keeping time.

My first day has set the general trend for how it works here. I was told I would start teaching three classes on Monday, each period having 35 minutes. I had a blast planning my lessons, gazing excitedly over text books and curriculums. I found that my creative process was heartily engaged during this exercise, and it was fun. First thing I learned on Monday morning was that I would be teaching double lessons- 70 min. Ok, no problem, I'll just teach them two days worth. Well, 70 minutes slowly turned to two hours and I've made it through my week's worth of lessons and the kids look like their heads are going to explode. Not only was it a ton of material to digest, but they have been having a rough time deciphering my accent on top of it. Lesson 1: take it slow.

Because my first class went so long I was "late" for my second class which only went for 20 minutes. Second lesson: plan for everything and- nothing. I eventually made it over to 6th grade for another unexpected double lesson. I finished explaining my word of the day vocabulary project, which I had proposed in each class, when a brave hand hesitantly rose in the air to ask simply, "what is a definition?" Great question. Deep too. Third lesson of the day: clarify each step- define, define, define.

At this point in the day I'm horribly confused about where I'm supposed to be at what time, and for how long. I was determined to get an answer, so I collected some of the class teachers so that we could figure out this whole schedule thing. My flood of questions seemed to confuse them and I was met with another question, "Have you taken tea?" "Well, no, but I'm trying to figure out when I'm supposed to teach so I know how to plan..." "Yes, yes, but first you must take tea," and with that I was shuffled over to the office where a cup had been prepared just for me. I was loosely promised a time table at the end of the day.

I still have yet to see this time table, but I have been taught to take tea time seriously. So what if I'm late to class if I've had a good conversation along the way? It's an accepted practice here so no one is ever mad or surprised when you are late, or if anything runs over time. In fact, people are more surprised when things actually do start on time (I was on time for church the other day and was one of 5 people there- the 400 other members came rolling in at half past or later). And it's ok, even good for a person to wake up every day not knowing what to expect. Control is illusory anyway, right?

Don't get me wrong, my American sense of timing (that I didn't know I had) still gets ruffled when I plan a really great lesson only to find that today is a gov exam day, or that the class 3 teacher quit unexpectedly, so that I would be with 3rd graders all day, but...I'm learning. I'm learning how to control less and stay in the moment more. I'm also learning a lot of improvisation and to go with the flow. I'm reorganizing my priorities and learning again and again that NOW and PEOPLE matter the most, and I'm happy my Kenyan community is holding me accountable to these values.

Off to bed now for who knows what tomorrow. Stay tuned for my adventures in farming and also a review of cultural day.

Pictured: Zakary, our school driver, taking a tea break on the farm. That's Mt. Kenya in the background.

Sweet, Sweetwaters

Visiting writer, church mouse here to report on our fabulous safari weekend spent at Sweetwaters Game Park. Deanna and Brenda thought they were alone in the vehicle with Boneface, the driver, but little did they know that I was a stowaway in one of their suitcases…The Mrs. outfitted me in safari boots, vest, and hat so I looked like a typical game drive participant.

All the animals came out to greet us as soon as we entered the park. It was as if they had been signaled ahead of time to put on a good show. Three of the “big five” appeared right away, crossing the road in front of us. Deanna scrambled for her camera as the safari vehicle whizzed away and Brenda laughed as she watched Deanna take in her first “I’m actually in Kenya” moments, promising better photo opportunities in the near future. I, on the other hand, froze in my seat at the size of the animals and the close proximity to our vehicle.

Next, was the short drive to our tent. Deanna and I were mentally prepared for roughing it, and had visions of re-enacting some “(wo)/man vs. wild” sketches. We knew we weren’t going to be eating bugs or drowning in rain water when we were met at Sweetwaters with umbrella escorts. They shuttled our bags to tent number one. Brenda had insisted that we should be closer to the water hole, and thus closer to the scary animals promising that there was a safe distance and an electric wire protecting us. I’m not sure how she thought a tiny electric wire and a 3 ft ditch was going to stop any animal from crossing, but I suppose she lived to tell the tale. Then, I got lost in the tent. It was at this time that the girls realized I was with them and I was quickly delegated to the verandah outside the tent- well, what they called a tent, and what I would call a Hilton room with cloth around it instead of walls.

After I gobbled up the crumbs from Deanna and Brenda’s five course breakfast, we went for our first game drive. Just before that, we arose to coffee on the verandah watching the sun come up over Mt. Kenya. Brenda was in search of her “twiga”- the giraffes, and Deanna couldn’t get enough “tembo”- elephants. I found the warthogs most curious. Our first stop was to Jane Goodall’s Chimpanzee Sanctuary. They say that humans are the closest to the chimpanzee and, wow, could I see the similarities. When Deanna and Poco took their little walk together, I thought they would have held hands had it not been the electronic force field protecting them both. For the most part, the chimps looked like bored teenagers, but I thought I heard the guard say they have 200 acres to play around in. After lunch, we went rhino petting. I stayed in the vehicle with Boneface, but peeped my head out enough to see that Deanna did indeed touch a rhino, even if it was at a far arm’s length. Brenda was getting a little anxious about her twiga at this point, but “ask and ye shall receive,” I heard that somewhere, and there popped out of the acacia a herd of giraffes. Brenda was really excited and a little more peaceful for the rest of the trip having gotten her fill. We spent the rest of the day watching the activity surrounding the water hole: more zebras, antelope, elephants, buffalo, impala, warthogs, and exotic birds.

We enjoyed our own sort of church waking up the next morning to the sound of birds. We were sad to be nearing the end of our two day excursion. They warded off their melancholy when a word from the desk arrived that lions and cheetahs had been spotted that morning. They didn’t shower or anything and loaded up the van for one last hoorah. Since cats and mice don’t really make very good bedfellows, I wasn’t at all excited about this prospect. Boneface took us on some back roads hoping we’d find my enemies in their solitary mood and therefore in a solitary spot. Then, there, under a bush, we saw some spots and some movement, and identified the cheetahs. I have no doubts that this is one cat that could definitely out run me. Luckily, they were distracted by Thompson gazelles. I breathed a sigh of relief when the ladies grew tired and hungry from the search, for I was not looking forward to seeing the biggest baddest cat of them all. Boneface promised Deanna, “next time” for sighting lions.

We sorrowfully left Sweetwaters, made a quick pit stop at the wood carvers’, and arrived safely home in Meru. I will promise to stowaway with the girls whenever possible and report back. Someone has to keep an eye on them.

Until next time,
~Church mouse

expecting rain

Spotty internet connection in Meru so far. And by spotty, I mean it’s been down for over a week. A practice in patience.

They say the long rains will start soon. Every day there is a long ritual hopeful gaze up in the sky, wondering if today will be the start. Instead, the wind kicks up the dust and the cows chew up the final few patches of green. This year, they will be thankful for El Nino, as it attempts to repair some of the damage that four years of drought has done. As my host mom says, “When Kenya has rain we are happy, when we don’t, we suffer.” An insightful comment on how they maintain a very delicate threshold here dependent on the unpredictability of the weather.

I am also in holding here. I arrived in Meru last week and have been in classes observing the ins and outs of the Kenyan style of teaching. Finally received my assignment yesterday to teach 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th graders English and maybe some Christian Ed. Music is also a must, as they sing almost incessantly here, in every class and are anxious to learn some new songs. They are thrilled that I play an instrument and so by outing myself, I may have incidentally been contracted to teach every student piano lessons. Yikes, we’ll see how that develops...

I was surprised myself at how excited I became at lesson planning. There is so much I can do with these kids because they are so bright, dedicated, eager, fun, and hard-working. The second graders I observed were practically leaping out of their seats to answer grammar questions. You’d have to pay most kids in the U.S.

A little bit about the school. It’s a primary school which ranges from preschool to 8^th grade and is partly a boarding school (all the rage in Kenya) and partly a day school. Students start as early as 6 am and “end” their day around 5 pm (boarders go until 9 pm). It’s a private school so leaves some room for some additional religious education. It also hosts a fair number of orphaned children who are on scholarship. Children are heavily structured, but incredibly happy. I knew I had arrived in good hands when the children welcomed me out of my van with a song and dance of “Jambo Bwana.”

wikendi meru

Probably our biggest highlight of this month long orientation has been our weekend spent in Meru as a group. It was our first road trip together which connotes bonding automatically, but we were overjoyed at how easy it was to also bond with the "youth" (ages 18-35) there. They had a youth rally for their presbytery and had activities planned all weekend with us in mind. We're definitely not used to all the attention, but we wrote it off as Kenyan hospitality at its finest.

It was everything we hoped it would be: a mutual cultural exchange. They schooled us in volleyball and soccer, taught us some new songs and dances, told some good stories...ok, maybe it wasn't exactly mutual in that we received a whole lot more... though Jacob (other YAV) did do a mean rendition of "the Princess Pat" (any campers out there?) that was requested several times after it was led. Anyway, the spirit of the whole thing was incredibly welcoming and warm.

In our "heart to heart" discussions, we talked about the many ways in which our lives were different. They were very interested to see how Americans view Kenyans. Unfortunately, much of the truth is that Americans see the poverty level, the HIV epidemic, and the violence before anything else. Oh, and they have animals. And wasn't Barack from there? I tried to pair this view with my own desires for coming to Kenya and gaining a perspective rich enough to educate and inform, so I'm hoping it's not the overall impression they took home that day about Americans. It even felt awkward to mention the general American's perspective on Kenya to people that had become friends in such a short time. It didn't fit them at all. Hopefully, they felt their general perspective on Americans was also oddly placed in the context of our newfound relationships. One labeled America as "up here" while Kenya is "down here." America as the ideal they were striving for... This struck me as somewhat sad- I definitely didn't ever think of myself as setting a bar for others, and definitely didn't think about devaluing others' way of life while I was at it. Ugh, the weight. But I think this is how attitudes start changing. We're both made more aware and will continue to live in such a way condusive to this relationship.

I'm moving to Meru on Thursday after I get cleared on my swine flu status. The weekend we spent there made me look forward to my time there immensely. Not sure if I mentioned my placement change, but I am now working in a primary school. I'll be teaching music or english, or whatever they need. I can't wait to get started there, and to make Meru my new home.

Random Update: Orientation

I’ve been in orientation for the past couple weeks. I’m feeling slightly more oriented- still getting used to the idea of being on the other side of the globe. Jet lag was hard to overcome, but was helped by the excitement of my host family who kept me awake, showed me around, and immersed me into the culture rather quickly. They were very warm and welcoming, calling me their daughter all weekend. My two younger sisters really made me feel at home with plenty of Kiswahili lessons, Beyonce singing, and Tusker Project 3 watching (their version of American Idol). They were a joy, but more on them later…

For the most part, we’ve been taking some Kiswahili in the morning, and then we attend lectures in the afternoon on Kenyan history, politics, religion, economics, ethnicity, etc. All the lectures have been given by very distinguished officials here, and have been pretty mind-blowing. I wish I knew more economics. The systematic oppression of the World Bank/IMF stuff is dizzying. And depressing.

Highlights apart from the schedule have included visiting A New Life, an orphanage for 0-3 year olds who are diagnosed with HIV. It was a very moving experience to be able to play with them and to see the new opportunities they are given from being there. It’s definitely good to be literally “in touch” with this issue while we’re here. I won’t forget them, and hence won’t be able to forget easily the HIV epidemic and how it affects, devastatingly, the “least of these.”

As a group, we’ve been growing together and are having a blast interacting with each other and all the Kenyans we meet. All in all, we’ve been really spoiled so far, living in a doctor’s “guest house,” being dinner guests at important people’s houses, eating delicious food cooked by my coordinator, and getting taken around in our own van everywhere we go. Not a lot of “on the ground” stuff yet, but at least we can hit it running after we get our heads filled with all this good stuff.

I was in Meru this past weekend with the group, which is where I’ll be living and working for the year. I LOVED it and am very excited to move. More on that later as I’m running out of space and time.

Tutaonana! Kwa heri!

Taking it all in...

It’s hard to process so much new at once, so I’m breaking it down a bit.

SIGHTS:

-Beautiful lush foliage. Despite the drought here, everything besides the grass remains green. At least in these upper class neighborhoods we’ve been staying in… Beautiful flowers: bougainvillea, birds of paradise, poinsettias. Everything grows here.

-The drought has brought cow herds at random to Nairobi. They are moving further and further into the cities in search of pasture. They block traffic.

-Speaking of traffic. There’s a lot of it, and unparallel to any other I have experienced. I rode their public transportation aka a matatu. First of all, I was squished, as they are cargo vans that they pack about 20 people in (max and legal amount is 14). As soon as one of these matatus approaches a jam, they swerve up on the sidewalk, or chance the diameter of a roundabout, or blatantly bustle down the wrong way on a one-way to bypass it. Time is money for them. Unfortunately, it’s also my life. Don’t worry, I’m told that even though they drive dangerously, they are very competent drivers.

-Nairobi is a mass of people and traffic everywhere. It feels like a big American city at rush hour all day. It’s all a lot more confusing and random for me though since I am so unfamiliar. They have some nice building structures and are trying to make it greener, but for the most part it feels like the city is consumed in one big pollution cloud. Lots of gray. I felt like I could finally breathe again when I was out in the ‘burbs again. Hopefully, I’ll find my niche there sometime.

- The disparity between the rich and the poor is definitely seen (at a second look) in their neighborhoods. There are large Italian style villas that have extensive grounds and full time staffed security right next to some of the largest slums in Africa- piles of sheet metal shacks on top of each other in a rut of mud. I almost missed them, but when my host father was taking me on a tour, we turned the corner and behind the large wall, a whole different world.

SMELLS:

-Smoke: people burning garbage, pollution

-Earth: people kicking up dust everywhere they go

-Sweet Tea Incense: there is some sweet smell, kind of like the tea steeping or fruit being sliced or squeezed

-All combines for something distinct, haunting, and actually pleasant

SOUNDS:

-A hip-hop reggae combo is popular here- similar to Reggaeton but African, if that makes sense. It blasts out the matatus.

-Church choirs seem to be practicing all the time here. The sound radiates from the open sanctuary windows. I wish I heard some distinctly African accapella action, but I’ve only been picking up on interesting sounding versions of American contemporary worship music.

-Kiswahili greetings and conversations as well as people speaking in their various mother tongues. English and Kiswahili are used pretty interchangeably here, and many times combined to form ShENG. ShENG should be announced the official language of Kenya. But besides these, there are 42 tribes, all with their own languages. Frequently, Kenyans speak at least three languages. I’m struggling to learn one new one.

-A cacophony of car horns and matatu drivers whistling for passengers.

-There is a 10% Muslim population in Kenya. Especially in Nairobi, you’ll hear the call to prayer from the mosques.

TOUCH:

-Everyone shakes hands in Kenya, and they do it for hello and good-bye, and even if you’ve met the person before a million times. I’m also a fan of the female-friend cheek touching on each side.

- The red dirt in Kenya definitely contrasts the green around it, and it clings to your skin and clothes. I never thought I’d use “dusty” as a way to describe how I feel. I like it though.

-We do a lot of praying. A lot of hand holding. Before meals, after meals. Before meetings, after meetings. Out loud, at the same time, all the time…

TASTE:

-I have drank a million cups of tea. Black, made with milk and sugar. It’s delicious and people offer it everywhere at all hours of the day. A great way to get to know someone.

- Nescafe. Gross. They grow the stuff, why don’t they drink it?

-Delicious fresh produce everywhere. I swear to you bananas have never tasted this good. Oh, and there’s passion fruit, papaya, guava, mango, avocado etc all readily available off the side of the road or at markets all over the place.

-A traditional Kenyan meal has some combination of rice, ugali (a grits kind of substance), a stew with vegetables and meat (maybe goat), beans, cabbage, chapatti (a crepe like thing), and beans and corn. Pretty good. Still gaining a taste for it.

PIC: host family members gnawing on some sugar cane

Soon to be on a jet plane

Leaving in 2 hours for Kenya. I am a big ball of nerves and energy, and even calmness as the time approaches. It was a very spiritually rich time for me at orientation this week. About 70 of us gathered together to gear up for assuming national or international placements as part of the program. For most of us, it means leaving all that we know behind for a year of the unknown. I've been reassured, though, by all the stories we've gathered from former YAVs. Largely, tales of finding mutuality in mission, and being constantly reminded of how God meets us on the margins. It was encouraging to hear their discomfort and awkward moments, but also about their moments when they found their true selves in their relationships with those they were "serving." At this point, I haven't gained any new information on what my job will be or what our month-long orientation schedule will look like, but I am excited to gain my own stories.

PS: pic of Cameron (India), myself, and Dana (Guatemala)- all getting psyched for our flights

Placement and Promise

I have learned my placement: theYWCA . I'm thrilled to be working with women and am encouraged by the Y's social agenda. The YWCA was the first women's organization established in Kenya. It seems they are well rooted concentrating on HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and awareness, sustainable development (micro-finance and the like), human rights (stopping and speaking out about violence against women), and leadership training and development. My proposed location is Meru, Kenya- supposedly one of the most beautiful areas near Mt. Kenya.

Fundraising is looking more and more promising, and I'm blown over by the kindness and generosity of individuals. Major props to Westmoreland UCC, their members and their Board of Community Action that has made major contributions. It was an honor and a blessing to be part of the Westmoreland Volunteer Corps. They are serious about their support, getting me off to my future on even footing here. I've enjoyed so much hearing your stories and am feeling very fueled by them. Thank you!

And we have lift off!

Swahili: Asante
def: Thank You!

A huge thanks to the Blackhawk Presbytery who has donated $1,250 towards my fund raising goal of $9,000 with a promise that they will match your donations dollar for dollar up to $3,000 more. Words cannot express my gratitude. Kenya, we have lift off.

Deanna

For Starters...

Welcome to my blog documenting my year in Nairobi, Kenya. Thanks for taking an interest in my adventure.

In anticipation of many questions regarding this off-beat trajectory, an interview with myself:

Deanna, this seems so crazy! How are you getting to go to Kenya?

Good question, self, but it's not as crazy as you might think. I heard about the Young Adult Volunteer Program while I was in high school, and thought it would be a great mix of connecting to my Presbyterian roots in service, while also discerning my Presbyterian and social work future. The program places young adults in five different countries, and placements within the U.S. in service positions. There is focus on community with the other volunteers and becoming community where we all are placed. Throughout the year, support is filtered through churches where we are serving, knowledgeable site coordinators, host /adopted families, and work communities.

Ok, but you could have gone many places. Why Kenya?

All prospective volunteers (around 40 of us) gathered for one weekend in Louisville and discerned and discerned over the different countries. I felt most connected to and challenged by the Kenya placements, and living conditions. The Kenya program felt the same about me...and here we are. That said, I have never been to Africa, much less Kenya, and am now ferociously devouring books and movies and random Kiswahili vocabulary. Not knowing is some of the appeal because I believe I have the most growing to do in my knowledge of this part of the world.

When do you leave and come back?

September 1st- August '10.

Then what?

Ah, you are getting ahead of yourself. Stay tuned. Ok, possibly an MSW/MDiv combo somewhere. I'm not going to kid you.

So what will you be doing?

That is a big T-B-D right now. I'm preferencing work with women in a domestic violence shelter, as I would like to focus on women's groups and issues in my social work practice later on in life, and believe the experience there would be invaluable in comparison. Other cool things would be possibly traveling around the country and writing for Church World Service's newsletter, maybe working on the Sudan/Kenya border with refugees, or maybe doing some other work with organizations working on Christian/Muslim relations. A lot of BE-ing in Kenya and seeing where it takes me...and DO-ing that.

Well this sounds nice, but how are you going to pay for all this?

Ah, you are right. It is a sweet experience with a price. I'm hoping that people will support me with their prayers, love, letters, good vibes, and financial support. I hope they follow my blog, and connect to the cause with a commitment going into my online account. I am open and available to come speak about my experience to your group or church community upon return.

Thank you for taking an interest. Stay tuned!
-Deanna