Thoughts/Reactions to Life in Kenya - Week 2

--- I Have 40 Brothers and Sisters in Kenya
A few days ago a couple of the kids began asking me the names of my family members, “What is your mother’s name?” “What is your father’s name?” “What is your mother’s father’s name?” On and on and on. Most of these kids are orphans. Some of their parents are dead. For others no one knows where their parents are. One boy was found living in the woods all alone. And yet they have such interest in family. It thrills them to look at pictures of mine and CJ/Keela’s families. I would like to think that faced with their situation at such a young age I would feel the same joy toward learning about another’s family. However, I’m not sure I wouldn’t instead be cynical of the concept of family and cynical towards those with families. I am so thankful that the leaders of Jambo Jipya created an environment where each boarder is surrounded by 40 brothers and sisters everyday and that they view me as their sister.

















--- Time, Trash, & Trying to Figure Out the Right Reaction
Though the heat is exhausting, the food is very different, and I only understand a handful of Kiswahili words, the only two things that really get to me here are the way in which people treat each other’s time and the trash. From my perspective the culture is very disrespectful toward another’s time. To quote Keela, “No one is where they are supposed to be when they say they will be there.” Being of the mindset that early is on time and on time is late I am finding it difficult to keep from getting annoyed with this aspect of their culture. What is more frustrating is that, as a guest, I do not know whether it is better/more respectful to go along with it or voice my opinion...Thoughts? Suggestions?

I have the same reaction toward what they do with trash (throw it anywhere on the ground and when a heap gets big enough, set fire to it). Although the trash issue is a little different as it pertains more to their Government and lack of public services, it is still a matter of respect for others and the earth, as well as a sanitary issue.

During our matatu ride to Mombasa last week I witnessed people, cows, and goats rummaging together through a heap of trash. I hope the people were not searching for food like the cows and goats, but I would be surprised if that was not one of the reasons. Riding in the 14 passenger matatu with 19 other people I began wondering if in America we are that much better putting trash in bags in our homes and public places only to have it totted off to a landfill. While I do believe it is a health risk to have trash scattered everywhere, we Americans are very ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ What is the effect of that?

The best answer I have come up with so far is to consume less, thus creating less trash. If we lived simple sustainable lifestyles, growing and catching much of our food and using our food waste for fertilizer, rather than buying food packaged in excess amounts of plastic, styrofoam, and cardboard, we would have much less trash. Less trash means less negative impact on our global climate, and yes less of an eye sore…Thoughts? Suggestions?

--- To Do My Own Laundry Or Not? (sure never thought I would struggle over this question haha)
Two days a week a woman ("Auntie") comes to do all the wash and clean the bathrooms and kitchen. The first time Keela, CJ, and I prepared to do our laundry Mama (Christine) told us to save it for the woman to do. However, we felt it was our responsibility to do our own wash. So we went against Mama and did it. When Auntie came later in the week, on the day CJ and I were planning to do laundry, we again met resistance from our host family who could not understand why we were going to wash our clothes, instead of giving them to the woman to do. This prompted a long conversation between CJ and I.

Standing in the yard holding our buckets of dirty clothes we discussed the pros, cons, and reasons for doing our laundry and for the woman doing our laundry. I am well aware how silly this entire situation probably sounds to you. If it does, think about being a guest at a friend or family member’s home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and how you change to respect the environment you are in, or maybe the crap you get for not? CJ and I are guests in a completely different culture trying to respect our host family, the local community, and Kenya.

If we do our own wash we convince ourselves and attempt to convince those around us that we are not lazy. We also think it is the responsible thing to do, to be willing do what our parents hounded us about growing up. However, by allowing Auntie to do our wash we are providing her with an income to feed her family and not contributing to her being aid dependant. The result of our conversation is that I am sitting on the roof writing this and CJ is sitting next to me reading. Auntie is standing behind me hanging up one of my skirts. Hopefully I’ve got it right that creating a sustainable existence is not always doing for yourself what you are capable of, but sometimes contributing to the sustainability of another human, while you take a break. No man is an island unto himself…we are all connected.














--- Church
Our first Sunday here we attended church. Out of respect for Mama, Keela, CJ, and I decided after that service that we would go with her every other week, instead of every week. It was a lot to handle. At the Miracle Center Church there are three columns of plastic patio chairs. Women sit on the right and in the back of the middle column, while the men sit on the left and in the front of the middle column. I was very thankful when Mama let CJ, Keela, and I sit in the back with the Jambo Jipya kids, instead of with her in the front row! The first half an hour was loud, energetic singing. The only instruments were people’s hands, which they clapped more enthusiastically than a Yankee fan could after watching their team defeat the Red Sox in game seven of a World Series. I recognized one song as the kids would sing the chorus in English while looking at CJ, Keela, and I… “nothing but the blood of Jesus.” The next two hours consisted of the Pastor screaming in Kiswahili into a microphone that resembled a huge strawberry ice cream cone (the heat may have gotten to me a little too much when I made this connection J). As the Pastor screamed into the “ice cream cone” he rushed back and forth across the stage. Every few words he would pause so the man following close behind him could translate into “English” for CJ, Keela, and I. In two and a half hours I only understood a handful of phrases. I know there was a lot about God’s providence and sexual immorality. The middle of the sermon felt like an infomercial as the Pastor elaborated on every spread of a 2010 calendar the Church had for sale. A few times he directly talked to CJ, Keela, and I, which was awkward as we were three of a couple hundred people. I love experiencing new things, especially when it pertains to a different culture, and I often say you have to try something new twice as the first time could have been a fluke. However, when CJ asked my reaction as we were walking out I told him I was glad I experienced it, but I never needed to again. Soon after returning home CJ, Keela, and I had church on the roof.