Food

4/25/08

I give up. I want green chile enchiladas, I want pizza, I want steak, I want ice cream……The list is endless. People always ask what I eat in Kenya. The answer is pretty much the same thing day after day. Because Kenya was a British colony, the food is distinctly British. Chicken and tilapia are the only meat I eat, and with rice or French fries. Everything is bland, without spices. Most meals include ugali, the Kenyan’s favorite food. It is made from corn flour and water boiled together until it forms a type of a dense dumpling. It doesn’t have any taste to me and its main purpose is to fill your stomach. It is always accompanied by the staple Kenyan vegetable which is called sukuma wiki, or kale as we know it. I never realized before living in Kenya how much I like being able to choose something different to eat every day and how much I look forward to eating. For people here, meals are just a function of life and don’t have any other significance. I want tortilla chips, I want strawberries, I want…….

My brother Greg asked me once why I want to go back to Kenya. I guess it is like participating in a marathon or an Outward Bound course. It is a personal challenge to adapt and learn about living in a culture so different from ours and I feel that I grow as a person every time I am here. Having backpacked and camped for all my life has been the best preparation for coping with the inconveniences of the living conditions. Nothing has prepared me for learning to relate and communicate in a culture that is so different form ours. It is a challenge I face every day. This week I have visited a couple of places where, literally, the children have never seen a white person or even the image of a white person. They get so excited, I can hear them shouting to the other children, “come and see, there is a white person”. They all crowd around to shake my hand and greet me in the Kenyan fashion. Some of the children are too frightened and just stand back and stare at me. They are all very very poor. They are wearing tattered, dirty clothes from playing in the dirt, and none of them wear shoes. There is garbage disposed of everywhere and the houses are long concrete blocks with rooms on either side of an indoor hallway. Each family of 6,8,10 people lives in one room. The children will live their entire life in an area of about 3 square blocks.

As always, I am plagued by doubt if there is any big enough and long lasting solution for fighting poverty. It is like digging a hole in the sand, the hole gets to a certain depth, and then the side of the hole collapses and the sand falls back in again. My friend and mentor, Peter Ingosi, has dedicated his whole life to working on solutions here. He inspires me to be focused on doing what I can and hanging on to the faith that it will make a difference. That is when I repeat to myself for the millionth time, if I can help just one person then I will have succeeded.

No electricity and no water

No electricity and no water. People sigh and say, “Yes, the water is a problem”. The dogs are even howling in the daytime. I am hurrying to get this written before my computer battery dies. I might have to resort to writing by hand…..

There has actually been no water in the town of Kakamega since I arrived. The people I am renting from have been either bringing water from somewhere, I think probably from the river near town because it looks cloudy, or saving rain water. However, today, there is not even water in the storage containers. The down side is that we are using the outdoor pit latrine because there is no water to service the inside toilet…

Several people have complained that they are still getting bills from the water company and are expected to pay. The rumor circulating is that the water company owes the electric company 14 million shillings (60 shillings for $1, you do the math) for its services, so the electric company has shut off the power until the bill is paid. That means that even the management at the power company doesn’t have water in their own houses. When it rains cats and dogs, which is does frequently as Kakamega is located on the edge of a rain forest; everyone rushes outside with collection containers to save water. The unfortunate thing is that studies done here have shown that the rainwater is impure and not safe to drink, so people get sick from using it if they don’t purify it first. Yesterday’s paper reported 11 cases of cholera and there is serious concern about an outbreak. Don’t worry; mzungus drink Dasani, the only sure source of pure water here.

I’ve developed a great system for bathing in a skimpy 2 gallons of water in a plastic basin. I lather my hair, get myself wet, soap up, rinse off with a washrag, pour some refreshing water over my head and rinse my hair. Oh, and then I wash my underwear. The laundry ladies here do not do underwear. Anyway, when I take a bath, I realize how much water we waste in the US taking those long luxurious showers. But man I sure miss the shower and I don’t think I will be converting to the bath in a basin method anytime soon.

The reality is that everyday life in Kenya takes time and planning, it is sprinkled with inconvenience and uncertainties, and requires flexibility and a make do spirit. The simple fact that people here live without the expectation that things will go smoothly or be easy results in a pace of life that is so relaxed and people centered. The genuine stress that plagues poor Kenyans is generated by the struggle to earn enough small money each and every day to feed and educate their families.

I guess my rhetorical question is this; if we have enough money in the US to eat and educate our children, why are we so stressed?

Kenya observer

Today I love living in Kenya (not all days are like that). I’m travelling to Kisumu by matatu this morning. The matatu Nissan van is equipped with 14 seats for passengers, but it’s not officially full until there are 20 or 21 people crammed in, the unlucky passengers have to crouch between the seats in the narrow aisle. Boarding schools started their school break today so there are herds of girls in groups trying to catch a matatu home to their villages. Each girl is wearing a school uniform that identifies her as a student of that school. The uniforms are an array of colors, bright blue, forest green, gray, brown and maroon. They are wearing a white blouse, sweater or sweater vest, skirt, white anklets and black shoes. Some are required to wear ties. All have a number 2 haircut as required by the schools.

Really, I can’t emphasize enough the terrible conditions of the road between Kakamega and Kisumu. The potholes are so numerous and deep that it looks like it has been bombed. The matatus customarily drive very fast, not only so they can get to their destination and pick up another load of paying passengers, but also because the widespread belief is that by driving fast, the vehicle just skims over the holes and causes less wear and tear on the car. The whole matatu rattles and sways. The window next to me doesn’t latch and regularly rattles open so I hold it shut. Thank God for the numerous speed bumps that have been installed. We speed up to them, put on the brakes, crawl over them and then accelerate until the next one we encounter. I think riding matatus in Kenya has taught me more about not being in control than any other experience in my life. A day you arrive safely in a matatu is a good day.

Today there are numerous police check stations. The first few we breeze past with just a small bribe to the police officer for our infraction of the rules. But we are halted at a check station that is manned by two women police officers who mean business. On of them surveys the crowded matatu and begins ordering the extra passengers off, insisting that they catch the next matatu coming along. She grills the driver, asks to see his license and they move off to the side to discuss business. Shortly, the police officer returns and orders everybody out of the vehicle, announcing that this vehicle is under arrest. Uttering a weak protest, the passengers climb out and we stand by the side of the road, wondering how we are going to get a ride with all the matatus stuffed to the gills. The driver is arguing his case vehemently with the police officer across the road and after a few minutes, heads back to the matatu, tells us to get back in and we continue on our way. Apparently this particular police officer was holding out for something much bigger than “something small”, which is the customary price of a bribe. It is inexplicable, the matatu conductor will be forced the next run to take excess passengers to make up for the cost of the bribe, perpetuating unsafe travel conditions on the Kenyan roads.

Travelling Kenyan highways in the morning means being a spectator of the entire gamut of Kenyan lives. People simply live, work, play and socialize their lives outdoors and in public. Here is what I see:

-unaccompanied young children in groups of 3 or 4 walking on the dirt path along side the road, the oldest, about 8 years old, is carrying an infant on his back

-mamas in the traditional village dress, the kanga, carrying bundles of just about everything on their heads

- men digging holes by hand

-women hoeing fields of maize, potatoes, sugar cane

-vendor’s wooden stalls mile after mile, selling every type of commodity; tomatoes, onion, potatoes, mitumba, household goods, tea, sugar, cheap watches, hats, single bic pens, coffins

-hundreds of idle boda boda drivers

-people repairing bikes, tires, cars, motor bikes, shoes

-people sitting, people leaning, people laying on the ground, people walking on paths that have been worn into the countryside for generation after generation

There are crops growing in every clearing. It’s a hard thing for me to get my head around. As Americans, we have lived in our country for less than 500 years. The Kenyans have been depending on this land for thousands of years to provide for them and yet, it still continues to sustain them, a verdant green ecosystem that supports people, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chicken, dogs, cats and multiple types of trees, birds and plants. The uninterrupted connection to the land over eons is the undeniable birthright of every Kenyan, defining their place in the world. If I were a Kenyan with such deeply planted roots in this land, I would ferociously defend my claim to it.

two blogs for the price of one

There is a chatty blog right below the one describing my girls program.

girl power clubs

Girls in rural Kenya lack places to gather together, the time to meet with friends and role models to talk about and explore issues that are important to them. In rural Africa, social isolation is a burden that prevents girls from learning about and discovering ways they can improve their lives.

Beginning as early as age 8, girls in Kenya assume a major responsibility for domestic chores. If they are lucky enough to attend school, they are still working at a full time job at home. They get up early to perform chores and help get younger siblings get ready for the day. After school, they have more chores and their last priority at night is completing their school work. Many girls are so tired at school that they have difficulty concentrating. Only 54% of Kenyan girls entering secondary school actually complete their education.

In partnership with local secondary schools and community based organizations, Just One Person is creating “Girl Power clubhouses” throughout Western Kenya. Here, girls meet, receive the support they need to attend and complete high school and learn about new opportunities that will empower them to become active participants in redefining the role of women in Kenyan society. Community women who have achieved success in nontraditional ways visit our clubhouses, share their stories and inspire girls to complete high school and pursue post secondary prospects.

Just One Person equips Girl Power clubhouses with computers and internet access, providing members with access to Information and Computer Technology and formal computer training. In addition, through projects like our “Girl Power” on line magazine, girls can share their stories with Girl Power members at other clubhouses and with interested American high school girls. Along with providing incentives for improving academic performance in science and math, these girls will be better prepared to compete for high tech jobs in the developing Kenyan economy.

Girl Power members also take part in outreach activities in their communities. During school breaks, the girls might volunteer to help clean and paint a school or organize an arts and crafts day at an orphanage. In turn, the local communities contribute to the sustainability of each clubhouse by supporting the program through fundraising and through financial support from those members who have graduated from the program and return as alumni to continue to participate as role models and mentors.

Although there are no tuition fees for secondary education, with assistance from our donors, Just One Person and our local partners award annual scholarships to qualified members on merit. Scholarships help pay for additional expenses such as uniforms, textbooks, shoes, transportation to and from school, supplies and lunch.

Girls in Africa face other challenges as well. The lack of access to clean toilets and sanitary napkins causes girls to miss an average of 3 school days per month, often negatively affecting their academic achievement. Many families in rural areas literally must choose between food and sanitary napkins for their daughters. The simple act of supplying sanitary napkins to girls through the Just One Person project boosts girls’ self confidence and empowers them to excel at school.

There are many reasons educating girls in Africa is a good idea. Studies by the World Bank show that by increasing the share of women completing secondary education by 1 percentage point can boost the annual per capita income growth in a developing country by 0.3 percent on average. Girls’ secondary education reduces infant mortality, increases childhood immunization and nutrition, lowers fertility rates and unwanted pregnancies, and significantly reduces the rate of HIV infections.

However, at Just One Person, we believe that the most important reason for our program is the human connection we share with people in developing countries who are struggling to improve their lives. We know that we can’t save the world. Our mission is to create opportunities for caring members in our communities to reach out in a personal and meaningful way and help just one person.

I jumped on my magic carpet and arrived back in Kenya. Every time I make the trip, I marvel at how easy it is to be in a different world in such a short period of time. However, having come so many times now, I am really starting to feel like everything is normal here. Fewer things are a mystery to me and some things are a comfort to me. It is probably made easier by the fact that I am renting a room from a family in a nice, by Kenyan standards, house.

The people I am living with both work for the provincial government so they are very well off. The woman is the only female veteranarian in Kakamega and her husband is an agricultural researcher. Various people live in the house and I am still trying to sort them out. Kenyan families are very fluid. There are 4 children, some of which are at boarding school and will be home during school break. The youngest child, John, who is about 2 1/2 is affected by cerebral palsy, which is a funny coincidence, being that our youngest granddaughter, Bailey is also affected by cerebral palsy. There are a couple of "housegirls" and a sister of the wife, who is deaf, providing me an opportunity to learn some sign. From time to time, there are some old Luhya mamas here who must be relatives from the village. Hospitality is very generous in Kenya and a fact of life.

I am working like crazy to develop my programs for the short time I am here. The first one, Just One Person, is a girls empowerment group, for which I have included a description of our project to give everyone a better sense of what we are doing. We have hired my colleague and good friend, Peter Ingosi, to be the program director. His experience at working in Kenya is absolutely invaluable. All of our good ideas would not be possible without his guidance. We will also be hiring a woman to be the program coordinator.

My other project is the group of entrepreneurs that was formed by micro finance clients I worked with before. We are working to set up some type of manufacturing enterprise that will result in a bigger business than is possible by each of them working independently and that will ultimately create employment here in Kakamega. They may have a chance to work with a Chico based company called Chico Bag, a manufacturer of reusable shopping bags. It seems like a perfect fit and I am hoping things work out.

I have spent the last couple of days renewing my friendships here and learning about "the post election chaos", Everyone comments that it was startling how quickly things descended into violence. There was a community of Kikuyu (the opposite side from the Luhya) in Kakamega so there was the burning of houses and physical violence for a short period. Apparently, people were confined to their houses, without the ability to buy airtime for their phones or food. The local Kikuyus are now camping as displaced persons on the grounds of the police station. There is still some anxiety here, but it seems like for the most part, things have returned to normal, aside from high inflation of prices resulting from a disorganized economy.

In any event, above is a description of what we hope to accomplish with our girls project. Once again, I feel so fortunate to have found at this time of my life, a work of passion.