tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56843766518612820342024-03-13T03:12:21.535-07:00A Life of Service:My experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in KenyaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-20154222341344165472012-02-10T04:27:00.000-08:002012-02-10T04:27:14.136-08:00The Floodgate of Affection<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.<br />~C.S. Lewis</blockquote>
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A few years ago I read a book called <i>The Secret</i> which talks about something that is not such a big secret- the Law of Attraction. In simple terms, the Law of Attraction states that the energy you send out to the universe will attract similar energy: so if you emit positive (love, joy, etc.) you will receive positive. Along the same lines, if you emit negative energy (anger, hatred, fear, sadness) you will receive negative energy.<br />
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Apply this animals in Kenya and you get animals at your doorstep all the time. Why is that?<br />
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Let's take a closer look at the way in which animals are treated in general.<br />
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In the U.S. many households have a tendancy to have a pet - whether the pet be a dog, a cat, a goldfish, a lizard, frog, or other mamal or reptile, there is a tendancy to have some animal in the house as a pet.<br />
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In general, the pet in the house tends to be treated with affection. Typically, the pet is fed on a regular basis and given water, and most importantly the animal is given affection. The way in which affection is shown can vary: dogs are taken for walks and play ball or fetch. Cats may be given a special toy to play around with, etc.<br />
Each type of animal is likely to be shown a different kind of affection, but alas the affection is there.<br />
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In Kenya, I have found that most locals - particularly those living in the village setting - do not show that same level of affection. Even animals which are guard dogs or such are not treated the same way. In my experince (based on living in Kenya and speaking with other volunteers) animals here are not treated with such high regard as in the U.S. In particular, dogs tend to be treated with neglect. They are not played with as in the U.S. nor are they given toys or such.<br />
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The reason for this difference seems to be simple: Finances. Is it more important to have money to have food for the family? To have money to pay for school fees? Or to feed a guard dog?<br />
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The mentality is that (guard) dog can always have some left overs from dinner or the cat can have some left-over milk.<br />
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That is not to say that all Kenayns treat their animals in such a way, but this is just my perspective based on my limited experience.<br />
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In a practical fashion, this means, that when volunteers and other individuals who come live short or long term in Kenya show affection to an animal (cat/dog/etc.) they are likely to be openning a flood gate of affection. The animals are so starved for affection that they keep coming back. In some situations, it can even be overwhleming (hence the floodgate metaphor).<br />
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Imagine if you will, treating one cat nicely - give him/her a little bit of milk or water. Next thing you know a whole litter of cats is meowing at your gate or door because they, too, seek the affection which they have been lacking for, in some cases, their entire lives.<br />
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Perspective. Give a little love and you may find yourself having a ton of animals seeking your love.<br />
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As the Law of Attraction states: Give a little love and you get it back.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-33751569686152928242012-01-03T03:39:00.000-08:002012-01-03T03:39:23.971-08:00A New Year, A New AdventureAs 2011 is finally behind us and the end of my Peace Corps service is in sight (just over two weeks) I can't help but wonder about what the future holds.<br /><br />Reflecting on the last 3 years of my life there are various things that stick out in mind:<br /><br />* My first few nights in Kenya: traveling and seeing elephants on day2<br />* Getting arrested in Kenya<br />* My home in Garissa<br />* My companion, friend, and pet Baraka (English: Blessing)<br />* My Peace Corps family<br /><br />...As time wraps up and I know I will soon write up the last three years of my life into the description of service (the only official document of my Peace Corps service) I can't help but feel that a short document can't hardly capture what the last three years of my life.<br /><br />At this time I certainly am feeling a bit sad that this chapter in my life is ending, and yet, I am also very hopeful for the next chapter of my life. Before long, I'll be visiting my good friend and current PCV Chad in South Africa. From there, I'll head off to Peru where hopefully I will also be able to connect with other PCVs and continue growing as my life of service continues to unfold.<br />
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I see the end of this chapter in my life fast approaching and I also see the door that lies behind the closing of this one. What will I find behind the next door? Only time will tell.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-57261241912923560412011-09-26T01:37:00.000-07:002011-09-26T01:37:00.149-07:00There comes a time...There comes a time when a Peace Corps Volunteer begins to think maybe they've done as much as they can.<br />
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Sometimes this time comes during the first year of service.<br />
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Sometimes this time comes during the second year of service.<br />
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In some occasions, when a volunteer extends, this time even comes during the third year of service....<br />
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There comes a time when a PCV begins to think about plans after Peace Corps:<br />
What am I going to do? Travel? If yes, where? What about a job? Where? What type of job? And what about that non-competitive eligibility after finishing PC? Do I really want to work for the government?...<br />
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There comes a time when a PCV feels proud of all the small accomplishments he has had in his term of service.<br />
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There comes a time when a PCV feels the need to stop time and be able to continue living as they are for the rest of time.<br />
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There comes a time when a PCV needs to get a taste of America (pizza, cheese, stable electricity, a flushing toilet) and have a short break (read vacation) before continuing their service.<br />
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All these times comprise the ups and downs of Peace Corps service. In any given month it I find it possible that I may feel proud of what I've done one day and the next day I'll feel like I've done as much as I can. And then the next day I have another idea of something more I can give of myself to Kenya before my term of service is up.<br />
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It's hard to put the idea I'm trying to express into words - but there comes a time...<br />
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There comes a time when a PCV feels "old" in the country - when he doesn't know half of the PCVs in country any more; or when the PCV can provide detailed corrections to the information printed in a tour book (like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide)...<br />
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There comes a time when a PCV feels like he's a great asset to the community and feel like on top of the world.<br />
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There comes a time when a PCV feels like he's wasting time not really accomplishing much in the community.<br />
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There comes a time, near the end of service, when a volunteer realizes that all the downs of the roller-coaster of service were nothing compared to the ups.<br />
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There comes a time when a volunteer realizes that the true impact of the work he has done in the various communities in Kenya is not going to be visible during the short amount of time he is here..Yet he knows that his time here has been well spent and has been to the benefit of the various communities and community members who've been in contact with him.<br />
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There will come a time when it's time to say "Well Kenya, it's been a good run. I'll keep you in my thoughts and in my heart. Both of us have grown and changed over the last few years. Until we meet again..."<br />
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There will come a time for me to say farewell to my home these past few years...But I shan't be sad when that day comes because when one adventure ends, another adventure begins. And who knows, maybe the main characters (friends/colleagues/etc) of one adventure may end up being in another adventure later on. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-65534272827964793852011-09-13T10:38:00.000-07:002011-09-13T10:38:51.062-07:00Nostalgia<blockquote>
"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination." ~Don Williams, Jr. </blockquote>
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I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with the newest group of trainees, who've since sworn in as full volunteers in Kenya.<br />
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The group of 50+ trainees was due to arrive around 10 or 11 pm...and due to some travel delays they ended up arriving in Kenya a bit later.<br />
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At any rate, the fun began when the other volunteers and I were playing "spot the trainee" when their plane arrived. It's a rather easy game to play - you look at the people getting their luggage and guess if they are a Peace Corps trainee or not. Sometimes it's easy to tell - for instance if they have more than 3 bags they are likely a PC trainee. Though that is not always the case. I remember seeing one guy who had just 2 carry on bags with him.<br />
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After a long period of waiting, we finally got all of them and most of their stuff on buses to the hostel where they would be spending their first few nights in Kenya. (I say most of their stuff because there was a few volunteers who had luggage delays).<br />
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During the first night, while they were there, I could not help but reflect on how I was dressed and how I must have looked getting off the airplane.<br />
<br />We stayed with the new trainees for a few days in Nairobi and we shared with them our experiences during our training - what our homestay was like..what the food was like...the first time using the choo (pit latrine)..and so on.<br />
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All of this brought back so many memories of the first few days, almost 3 years ago now, when I got off an airplane in Africa for the first time. I remember the excitement and anxiousness of getting in to the training and figuring out what we would be doing as volunteers.<br />
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Being around the new trainees, I felt a sense of nostalgia - I began remembering what it was like when I first began learning Kiswahili.<br />
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Then I found myself thinking, once again, of how far I've come. In 2 years and 23 months (to the day) I've come a very long way. I've changed in many ways which are beyond description. Kenya has also changed, of course.<br />
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In reality, I think that I have gained more than I have given to Kenya. For that reason I want to make sure that during my few remaining months I give back as much as I can to as many people as I can before the time comes for me to depart. <br />
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Life is full of opportunities, all we need to do is take them. For me, joining the Peace Corps has been a life changing experience that I am certain I will continue to cherish for the rest of my days.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-66597470156173342112011-07-04T23:35:00.000-07:002011-07-05T01:55:45.862-07:00A Single Grain of Sand<blockquote>"All you have to do is contemplate a single grain of sand, and you will see<br />in it all the marvels of creation." Paulo Coehlo, <em>The<br />Alchemist</em><br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br />Recently I finished reading the book <em>The Alchemist</em>, and I must say what a wonderful book it is. If you have not read it - I highly recommendi t.<br /><br />It was recently brought to my attention that I have not written a blog in some time and so I thought it's about time to write again. The question then arose -what will I write about? Should I write about the last few weeks that have been rather uneventful? Should I write about meeting the 53 new trainees? Should I write about....? Eventually I came to the decision to write about Nature.<br /><br />"All you have to do is conctemplate a single grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation."<br /><br /><br />This quote came to mind (even after having quoted it on Facebook as a status update a few days ago) as being a key phrase and therefore a theme for this blog post.<br /><br /><br />Last weekend I had the chance to, once again, head to the Narobi National Park and walk along the Safari Walk. The Safari Walk is just as it sounds - a safari that can be taken by foot. Imagine a Zoo cross mixed with a boardwalk - and shazam! you have the Safari Walk.<br /><br />The Safari Walk gives Kenyans and foreigners alike a "taste of Kenya's rich Animal collection including the rare rare bongo, white rhino, albino zebra, a collection of cats, antelopes and primates."<span style="font-size:85%;"> (Quote from </span><a href="http://www.kws.org/parks/education/nairobi_safariwalk.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">Kenya Wildlife Service Website</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">)<br /></span><br /><br />So with over 150 species of trees, large cats cheetahs, lions, a leopard, a rhino, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_hippopotamus">pygmy hippos</a>, and hundreds of birds - I would say that it is one of my favorite places to visit in Kenya.<br /><br /><br />Upon arriving at the Safari Walk I had one mission in mind: Have a good time relaxing! Reconnecting with nature.<br /><br />I walked up to the entrance, paid my 300Ksh entrance fee (Resident price) and headed inside. It was rather quiet upon entering and that was just perfect. No one around in the entrance area where there was a simulated marshland with at least 30-40 little birds and butterflies enjoying the sunny weather. Three little birds where having a bath in a small puddle. Now I know why a "bird bath" is so neat to have! I honestly never understood the concept of a bird bath as anything more than a decoration in people's yards - but having seen these three little fellas bathing in a puddle I can see how great it must be to have a small sanctuary for birds to come and relax.<br /><br />As I walked on the boardwalk I ended up coming accross more and more birds all over the trees in the area. The prettiest bird, in my opinion, that I saw is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Pygmy_Kingfisher">Pygmy Kingfisher</a>.<br /><br />I just enjoyed looking at the birds and seeing how they are such an important part of the ecosystem. Certainly I may not have had all the time in the world to see the entire ecosystem at work - and yet I felt connected to it. While contemplating the birds as part of the system, it was simply magical!<br /><br /><br />Next up I saw a Simba (reference from Lion King; Simba means Lion in Kiswahli). There were actually multiple Simba in the area though one was very close to the viewing area while the other(s) were resting a bit farther away. So once again I stopped to contemplate the single grain of sand...in this case that grain of sand being a large cat.<br /><br /><br />After concemplating the rather large grain of sand there, I proceeded to concemtplate the rare sight of an <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra">Albino Zebra</a> (<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tuRhYeLQfseVQNEz3xo_EA?feat=directlink">picture of albino zebra</a>). The Albino Zebra is a rare grain of sand to find, especially in the wild - so to see one up close and personal is quite magnificient.<br /><br />In the same area as the Albino Zebra there was also a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortoise">toirtoise</a>. Yet another magnificent creature to concemplate.<br /><br /><br />Later up was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard">leopard </a>which happeend to be relaxing in tree and so from the observation area it was not easily spotted (pun intended!) So to be able to see it fully, we had to walk up along the boardwalk a little bit to see it in full length relaxing on a tree branch paying no mind to the animals walking on the large flat trees.<br /><br /><br />Progressing from the leopard area, there was an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongo_(antelope)">bongo</a> being fed below the boardwalk. The impala is a rather large animal which I had not seen up close in my previous trip to the Safari walk so I rather enjoyed contemplating it as it was eating not 10 feet below me.<br /><br /><br />Skipping ahea a little bit, or rather going back, I found the simluated forrest area where I found 2 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dik_dik">Dik-Diks</a> which I must say are the cuttest little deer creatures I have ever seen!<br /><br />Seriously take a moment right now and look at the picture before continuing!<br /><br /><br />Ok did you see a picture? Good. Now let me tell you a little bit about Dik-Diks. Dik-Diks mate for life. If a Dik-Dik's partner dies, the Dik-Dik will starve itself to death. That level of dedication to something (or someone) is rather rare in humans. So I stalked the Dik-Diks like one of those nature show guys on National Geographic just following them along their way as they were living in their peaceful lives. I loved how their little tails were wagging so quickly and it was so darn cute - for when one fell behind you could tell he/she was about to take off because the tail would stop wagging. I contemplated their existance and their dedication to an idea/ideal while following them for about 20-30minutes. Thankfully, I was alone during this time so there was no disturbance to their natural being.<br /><br />After some time, they went away from the path area and I decided it was time for me to continue.<br /><br /><br />After having seen and comtemplated two cute grains of sand I moved on to see what other unique grains I would find.<br /><br /><br />Near the end of the park I came to the area where there were 2 <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah">cheetahs</a> relaxing in the grass not more than 10-15 feet from me. I remembered the <a href="http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=story_cheetah_tears">legend about the tear marks </a>(please note that there are other variations on the story as well). Well at any rate, as I contemplated the story of how the Cheetah was lonely and the tears were burned into it's face and I contemplated the loneliness I as a PCV will sometimes feel. In contemplating thus, I realized that the feeling of loneliness connects me and the Cheetah - and of course all other humans as well. At that moment when I had that thought of our connectedness, the Cheetah and I shared a moment of understanding - a moment when I was not a different animal and nor was the Cheetah. We were each of us single grains of sand in the same beach we call the universe.<br /><br />After the Cheetah and I shared our moment the Safari Walk ended but the contemplation of singular grains of sand did not end... The grains of sand may be in different forms, but the contemplation continues.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-57343266949436159642011-06-07T22:14:00.001-07:002011-06-08T07:39:35.158-07:00CKC Training<h2><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; ">In May, I transfered to Kisumu and was attached to One Global Economy, a non-governmental based in Washington, D.C. The project is a partnership with Cisco Systems and Appleseeds Academies to set up Community Knowledge Centers to deliver community skills, technology skills, leadership skills, management skills, and critical thinking skills and to ensure the sustenance of the Beehive (<a href="http://thebeehive.org/">http://thebeehive.org</a>), a locally produced website with resources related to the opportunities and needs of the community.</span></span></span></h2><h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; ">The following is a series of blog postst that I wrote during a training I attended last week.</span></h2><h2 style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Day 1 of CKC Manager's Training</h2><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="display: inline;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://ckg.runckc.org/_/rsrc/1307387918459/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/Commonvision.JPG?height=149&width=200" width="200" style="display: inline; float: right; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; " /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span">As Day 1 of the Community Knowledge Center Manager's Training comes to an end I can't help but reflect on how productive the day was.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">The day began with several groups of strangers coming into the training room. Groups of strangers from different CKCs throughout Kenya - ranging from Western/Nyanza Provinces to North Eastern Province.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">We began the day with introductions - getting to know one another's names and where we all come from.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">As the day progressed, we had group activities whereby we got to know each other quite well. </span><div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">We had a session talking about the importance of a joint vision, and had group discussions were we worked with CKC owners to see how the operations of CKCs are affected by the mission and objectives of an organization.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">As the day progressed, by lunch time we were no longer shy with one another and quickly we all were mingling with other CKC managers, owners.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Lastly, we finished out the day by setting up our own accounts on the RunCKC website.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">What a great day we all had!</span><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; font-size: 1.2em; background-color: transparent !important; width: auto; display: block; float: none; clear: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; "></ul></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></div><h2 style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><a name="TOC-Day-2-CKC-Manger-s-Training-Nairobi" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); "></a>Day 2 CKC Manger's Training</h2><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; display: inline; float: right; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; "><a href="http://ckg.runckc.org/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/Day2Kiberavisit2.JPG?attredirects=0" imageanchor="1" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img border="0" height="149" src="http://ckg.runckc.org/_/rsrc/1307388035211/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/Day2Kiberavisit2.JPG?height=149&width=200" width="200" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; " /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span">Day 2 started with a song sang by our very own participants.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Following the opening with the song, another one of our participants led us in a review activity of the previous day's events.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">One of the participants wrote the following regarding the previous day's events:</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">" Yesterday was a great day for me. It was a start. The beginnign of a journey of learning. We met each other, we mapped the goals, we hope to achieve in the end, we learned what tools we had at our disposal and which ones we needed to acquire.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Yesterday was the first step and I'm excited to be part of the grand commencement"</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">It was a great activity that helped us see where we were from the day before and getting us on track for today's activities.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Next we had a session on sustainability and we discussed different income generating activities.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Following the sustainability session, we had a session in which learned about the different equipments each CKC will have. We had a group activity to try and indentify the different equipments and then we had some live demonstrations of setting up the equipment.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Later we talked about community asset mapping - and we had some live demonstrations of how to approach members of the community and also a demonstration on how to approach potential donors. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">After lunch, we had a field trip in which we went out into the community where the Soweto CKC is located and practiced community asset mapping by asking members of the community the questions we created during the sessions before lunch.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">And stay tuned for further updates from the CKC Manager's Training in Nairobi.</span><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></div><h2 style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><a name="TOC-Day-4-of-CKC-Manager-s-Training-in-" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); "></a>Day 4 of CKC Manager's Training</h2><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><div><div style="display: inline; float: right; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; "><a href="http://ckg.runckc.org/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/WP2.jpg?attredirects=0" imageanchor="1" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img border="0" height="149" src="http://ckg.runckc.org/_/rsrc/1307388123371/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/WP2.jpg?height=149&width=200" width="200" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; " /></a></div>For those who may be wondering what happened to day 3, well June 1st happens to be Madaraka Day in Kenya. It's a national holiday commemorating the day that Kenya attained internal self- rule in 1963, preceding full independence from the United Kingdom on 12 December 1963 (according to Wikipedia).</div><div>So after a day of celebrating Kenya's self-rule, we're back to work!</div><div>The day started off with some group activities: I sang for the group in Spanish - the song I *tried* to sing is called Quizas by Enrique Iglesias. Following my performance, Ayan Farah led the group in sining the Kenyan National Anthem. After the Kenyan National Anthem was sung, Keren and Roni taught us a Yemeni dance!</div><div>We had a great start to the day.</div><div> </div><div>Next we had a recap of Tuesday's activities since we had been off on Wednesday (June 1st). We talked about the survey responses we had from our trip to Soweto and put it all together.</div><div> </div><div>Later on we had a session on marketing - we got into groups from each CKC and came up with marketing plans and strategies for each of our individual CKCs.</div><div> </div><div>Next we had 'a day in the life' of a CKC manager. We had a tremendously enjoyable group activity in which we had a mock up of a manager - in the form of Homer Simpson - and we had group discussions about different organs and how they are used by a CKC manager - the brain, the eyes, the mouth, the right arm, the left arm, and the feet. We went back into plenary and discussed as a group the similarities and some differences each CKC may have based on the different management styles of the owners of different CKCs.</div><div> </div><div>Now this was my favorite session of the day! Why? Well several CKC managers said what drives them - why they do what they do. Here are a few quotes from some of the CKC managers:</div><div> </div><div>"I'd like to have a CKC which not only draws people because of what it offers...but where they will offer themselves to the CKC. I want people to come and say "I have a lot to offer" not just going to get something but to give as well"</div><div> </div><div>"what drives me is my desire to empower my community to have knowledge in technology, to be sustainable economically"</div><div> </div><div>"My driving force is, one, Love. I love doing what I'm doing right now. It is important to remember that first you must have a heart for it...with your heart in it you give more commitment. Love takes it all..."</div><div> </div><div>It was truly touching how several of my fellow trainees opened up to the group and expressed why they do what they do. It was truly an inspiring time, listening to them.</div><div> </div><div>We had a budgeting session in which we worked in groups to create sample budgets. It was a great activity that allowed us to see how it takes many pieces of the puzzle to achieve financial sustainability for each CKC.</div><div> </div><div>In the evening, we had a session regarding ICT 4 development (ICT4D) in which we had a guest from www.askadoc.co.ke talk to us about a social enterprise which he started 6 years ago with 3 other physicians. It was really neat to hear about how something can start off as a simply idea and expand, with love and passion, to what it is and how it keeps growing.. It is truly inspiring.</div><div> </div><div>We finished out the day with Joyce leading a session telling us about MyCKC websites and how versatile they are. Tomorrow morning, we'll be having a practical MyCKC session, I can't wait to see what the different CKCs come up with!</div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></div><h2 style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><a name="TOC-Day-5-of-CKC-Manager-s-Training-in-" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); "></a>Day 5 of CKC Manager's Training</h2><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><div><div style="display: inline; float: right; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; "><a href="http://ckg.runckc.org/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/FP.jpg?attredirects=0" imageanchor="1" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img border="0" height="149" src="http://ckg.runckc.org/_/rsrc/1307388221770/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/FP.jpg?height=149&width=200" width="200" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; " /></a></div>We started off today working in groups by CKC coming up with subject areas and topics for the websites each CKC created on MyCKC.</div><div>We worked in groups coming up with ideas based on what is important in each community.</div><div> </div><div>Later on, each of the CKCs further worked in groups to create SMART work plans.</div><div> </div><div>After we created SMART work plans for each CKC, each CKC was assigned their *drum roll please* Final Project. In the Final Project, each CKC is required to put all the information together that we have learned about throughout the week.</div><div>The Final Projects include: The group members names, demographics of the communities, a CKC profile, the work plans created earlier today, information for marketing their packages and which tools will be used to market, the budget, and ideas on how to use ICT for development of each of their communities.</div><div> </div><div>After lunch, we had a practical session on updating the MyCKC websites: <span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://garissa.myckc.org">http://garissa.myckc.org</a></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kiberaeast.myckc.org/">http://kiberaeast.myckc.org/</a></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://kiberadecanting.myckc.org/">http://kiberadecanting.myckc.org/</a></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://pala.myckc.org/">http://pala.myckc.org/</a></span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" ><a href="http://koige.myckc.org/">http://koige.myckc.org/</a></span></div><div> </div><div>Following the updating of the newly formed websites, we finished the day by making sure the Final Projects were ready for tomorrow mornings' presentations.</div><div> </div><div>On paper, it seems like we did not do as much as we have in previous days, but in practice I think today has been the most intensive day in terms of activity.</div></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></div><h2 style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><a name="TOC-Day-6-of-CKC-Manager-s-Training-in-" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); "></a>Day 6 of CKC Manager's Training</h2><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><div><div style="display: inline; float: right; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; "><a href="http://ckg.runckc.org/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/DSC03730.JPG?attredirects=0" imageanchor="1" style="color: rgb(194, 29, 12); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img border="0" height="149" src="http://ckg.runckc.org/_/rsrc/1307388403067/Home/manager-manual/personal-story-from-kenya-managers-training/DSC03730.JPG?height=149&width=200" width="200" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; " /></a></div>Today was the last day of the training. It was a sad day and at the same time an exciting day.</div><div>Sad in the sense that all of us new friends are going our own ways after sharing a wonderful week of learning. And yet it was also very exciting in seeing how far we've all come this week.</div><div> </div><div>The day began with Group Therapy led by Teddy with Peter assisting. Following our group therapy session, which was rather fun and interactive with Peter tossing marker pens into the group whereby the person who caught the marker pen was to provide input.</div><div>Later on, Roni led a leadership session in which all of us voted on what we felt was the most important qualities of a leader using candies.</div><div> </div><div>Then a bit later on, after our leadership discussion, each CKC had a chance to present their Final Projects to the group and receive feedback from other participants and the trainers. </div><div> </div><div>After a short break, we got into a circle and shared how we felt about the training. Many different people shared their stories that I would like to share.</div><div> </div><div>At the beginning of the training, Omondi said he had come with his pockets empty - and literally showed us an empty trouser pocket turned inside-out. He said he expected to leave this training with his pockets full, full of knowledge. I think Omondi and others will agree that all our of pockets have been stuffed with knowledge this week. In fact, another participant said "All in all I'm grateful for this opportunity to come and learn and make new friends. I think I'm pregnant with information, though our 'due dates' may be different.. the ball is in our court to perform the big task. Let's take it positively!"</div><div> </div><div>I think the above quote really states how everyone was feeling at the end of training today.</div><div> </div><div>Let's finish today as we did (just before the presentation of the certificates) with a story:</div><div><br /></div><div>The story of the businessman and the carpenter, which goes something like this:</div><div>There was a businessman who built communities. This businessman hired a carpenter to do work for him in the construction work. The businessman would continually pay the carpenter just enough even though the carpenter was continually doing his best work. Eventually the carpenter grew tired of doing his best work and being paid little for it, coincidentally this occurred near the time of his retirement. So the businessman asked the carpenter to create a great big house. The carpenter resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. When the carpenter had finished the house, the businessman told him "This is your house, my gift to you."</div><div><br /></div><div>Think of yourself as the carpenter. </div><div><br /></div><div>Think about your CKC as your house.</div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-76578684479570551132011-05-12T08:15:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:51:35.867-07:00Reverse Culture Shock<span class="body"></span><blockquote><span class="body">If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.</span><br />~John F. Kennedy<span class="bodybold"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johnfkenn109214.html"></a></span></blockquote><br />There I was...in one of the biggest airports I'd been in or seen in the last few years. I was at London's Heathrow airport. Destination: the US of A, my home away from home. Or more specifically, my more permanent home.<br /><br />I had just gotten off the airplane that had flown me from Nairobi's international airport to London where I was to have a layover before the next flight to Dallas. As soon as I got off the plane, I experienced the biggest single episode of culture shock that I can recall. It is hard to describe what actually took place inside my mind but I'll try anyway: As I was walking from one gate to the next, I saw a large electronics store located inside Heathrow airport. Now coming from a small town in Kenya where such stores not common I was completely and utterly blown away. More than anything I was flabbergasted by the amount of advertising for all the electronics one "needs" and absolutely cannot live without. The newest products such as e-book readers, digital cameras and camcorders, all kinds of smart phones and of course all the possible accessories for every single item in the store.<br /><br />Having been accustomed to the simple life, in a manner of speaking, where advertisements are not as common or as overwhelming. Certainly there are advertisements for goods and services - though I've found that many many times the advertisement materials are used more for decoration than to actually indicate the goods the store has to offer.<br /><br />I was so taken aback by the number of electronics plus the advertisements for all the electronics that I actually felt I could not take it, per se. I ended up going off to find a quiet place away from the advertisements to find the smallest shop that sold food - so that I could avoid the overwhelming feelings of advertisements as well as the overwhelming number of choices.<br /><br />Even having found the smallest shop that sold food and snacks - which happened to be a bakery that had bagels - I still had some difficulties in figuring out what exactly I wanted to eat. Breakfast bagel with egg and who knows what or maybe just a plain bagel? Or a sandwhich bagel with veggies and such in between the bagel? Toasted or untoasted? And the biggest choice of all: which kind of the bagel I wanted to have... well there were approximately 20 or so different types of bagels to choose from.<br /><br />My search for simplicity ended with a tragic end as I was still confronted with a plethora of choices that was enough to lead to my shutting out the world as I found a quiet corner to sit in and read a book as I waited for the next flight... Trying to avoid the crazy outside world of so many choices and also trying to make sense of it all.<br /><br />While this one example was definitely drastic, it is actually what happened to me. On my trip to the US, the first time I had gone back in about two and a half years, I experienced the worst reverse culture shock at the airport en route to the states. Once I arrived in the States, I still experienced some culture shock though nothing as terribly pronounced as this particular episode.<br /><br />Something else that took me a bit of getting used to was driving. Not having driven a car in two and a half years certainly had an impact on my driving back home during my leave. The first time I tried to drive I was accelerating way too terribly slow.<br /><br />Certain things like driving, and using a microwave oven to prepare a snack or even a meal all seemed like such foreign concepts to me on my arrival in the US. Yet at the same time, in the back of my mind I remembered another life when using such things was the norm for me...a time when I didn't have to worry about having electricity or running water in my home. A time when I could choose, by the turn of a knob - to have either cold or hot water flowing out of the pipes. It all seemed like memories from a previous life and yet I was reliving such things.<br /><br />Now, it seems, I am back to my reality where water and electricity may not be there when I get home. Where I sleep under a mosquito net to be able to have a pleasant night's sleep.<br />A reality where instead of being able to drive around I use public transport for almost all my travels (though sometimes I walk when the distance is short).<br /><br />I live in a world where greeting my neighbors and other people in the streets is common, even if you don't know them. A world where life is relatively simple.<br /><br />Realistically, I like living in this world. Though I may not live in this world for the rest of my life, I honestly wouldn't change anything.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-8239633462377256882011-02-28T02:07:00.000-08:002011-02-28T04:17:17.459-08:00The Fear of HIV<blockquote>"An estimated 17,000 people died of AIDS in America in 2009 alone, yet increasingly AIDS is seen as an ‘overseas’ or an ‘African’ problem, rather than something that directly affects American citizens." ~ <a href="http://www.avert.org/america.htm">Avert.org</a></blockquote><br /><br />The Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization, is considered to be a death sentence for anyone who contracts it. HIV, we all know, leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).<br /><br />In the developing world, or more specific to my experiences, in Kenya - there has been and continues to be a mass educational campaign to reduce the rates of HIV infections throughout the country. Certainly, there are many myths and misconceptions regarding HIV (for example, that drinking camel urine every day for a year will cure HIV). As the educational campaign continues, certain communities are seeing a drop in the number of HIV infections.<br /><br />Part of the educational campaign includes encouraging people to make sure that they know their HIV status before engaging in copulation. Testing is free of charge and generally available in many parts of the country - almost all clinics offer testing and counseling services, as do hospitals. That's not to say that the education does not just stop there. The education approach to HIV also includes youth groups doing activities and just about any activity from sports to environmental clean ups to just about anything can have an HIV component - include a pre- or post- event discussion and wham! HIV education is part of the activity. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.avert.org/apps/media_gallery/files/images/1648/aids-awareness-poster-kenya-large.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 437px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.avert.org/apps/media_gallery/files/images/1648/aids-awareness-poster-kenya-large.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Image: an education poster in Kenya; image</span> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">taken from <a href="http://www.avert.org/media-gallery/image-1648-aids-awareness-poster-kenya">avert.org</a></span><a href="http://www.avert.org/media-gallery/image-1648-aids-awareness-poster-kenya"> media gallery</a></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">.</span><br /><br />Now, let's contrast this to the U.S.<br /><br />If my memory serves me right, the only time I remember having any kind of discussion or talk about HIV/AIDS in the U.S. was in my high school driver's ed and health class (interesting how those two subjects are combined into one semester, right?). The topic of HIV in that class was simply a subtopic when discussing sexually transmitted diseases/infections.<br />In fact, I wouldn't even really know where I'd go for an HIV test if I even had thought I'd possibly might have been exposed. I suppose I'd probably end up going to a hospital.<br /><br />In terms of the actual HIV test, here in Kenya - many people have a fear of being seeing going to a testing location for fear of finding out that they have been given a death sentence: a positive test result.<br />Or at least that has been the perception: HIV+ means death. But in more recent times, more and more Kenyans are realizing that even contracting the HIV virus does not mean one's life is over. There are antiretroviral drugs (commonly called ARVs) which, combined with a healthy diet, can lead to many wonderful years of life having contracted the infection.<br /><br />In the U.S., I've been told by a person who's gone through it, the HIV testing procedure is kept 100% secret. The only people in the room are the pathologist who is performing the test and the patient. Everyone else is asked to leave the room. Only the pathologist knows what's going to happen until the room is empty at which time the patient is told: 'you're going to be tested for HIV'.<br /><br />This brings the question to mind: is there more fear of HIV in the U.S. than in Kenya? I mean certainly the rates of HIV in the U.S. are the following:<br /><ul><li>Estimated 1.1 Million people living with an HIV infection, out of an estimated population of 300+ million<br /></li><li>by the end of 2007 there were <span class="redbold">470,902</span> people living with an AIDS diagnoses in the United States</li></ul>By comparison, in Kenya:<br /><ul><li>Estimated 1.5 Million people living with an HIV infection, out of an estimated population of 39 million</li></ul>Statistically speaking, the chances of getting HIV are certainly less but that does not mean that HIV does not exist in the U.S.<br />Perhaps it is time for Americans to wake up to the reality that HIV affects Americans as well, not just members of developing countries.<br />The website Avert.org, the source of the aforementioned statistics, states "Of all the industrialized countries in the world, America is home to the largest number of people living with HIV. Tens of thousands of people are newly infected with HIV in America every year"<br /><br />So what can we do? First we need to wake up the reality: HIV is <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>an African problem. Once we have debunked that myth we can begin to come up with educational systems in place to increase awareness and one day eliminate the fear and stigma of living with HIV.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-47181582665448900842011-02-04T00:45:00.000-08:002011-02-06T05:29:44.217-08:00Giving and Taking<blockquote> It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. ~<span class="Red">Mother Teresa</span></blockquote><br /><span>Peace Corps service has been described in many interesting ways: a roller coaster of emotions with its extreme highs and lows; </span>a life-defining leadership experience; <span style>‘the hardest job you’ll ever love'</span> <p>While it has been a challenging experience with some terrible lows and extremely wonderful highs, I can’t but reflect on what I’ve given and what I’ve taken. As you’ve probably realized by now, I don’t mean give and take in terms of material things.</p> <p>This past weekend a friend of mine, a former Peace Corps Volunteer made a comment like ‘you come to give help and you end up taking so much more.’</p> <p>Indeed this is very true. I’ve come to give assistance in the form of support, ideas, inspiration to the local community. It is likely very difficult to be able to truly realize the impact of a PCV, especially during their service. Today’s minor achievements may end up as a foundation for the next premier of a country or perhaps a very successful business that will revolutionize the industry.</p> <p >Or today’s minor achievements may simply remain today’s minor achievements.</p> <p>How can we know the impact we will have on tomorrow today? We can but guess what the real impact will be. One thing is for sure though, the more effort and unconditional love we bring to our communities, the more the impact will be. Even if the community does not end up becoming the next greatest and most luxurious tourist spot in the country the community will be all the better for having had a volunteer who cared enough to spend time away from home in a foreign land and willingly gave of themselves the best they had to give to the community.</p> <p>In return, the volunteer will take much more than they could have asked or hoped for. For in their two years of service the volunteer gains perspective and expands their knowledge of the world.</p> <p>A cousin and dear friend of mine, March, wrote a note on Facebook recently a story of something she experienced during the December/Christmas time.<br />In the note she wrote that she was on a bus ride and saw a lady who was crying. When asked why, the lady said "I am hungry and had no money for food". March went on to explain that two well-dressed, attractive women got on the bus and sat near her. These two ladies, my cousin wrote, had large parcels of Christmas presents and were talking about going to Apple and looking for some gifts there. “Excuse me,” March said, as politely as she could. “The woman there is hungry. She is staying in a shelter. I just gave her a dollar. Do you suppose you could give her a little something?” They scowled and shook their heads. After a few heavy minutes, March said, “It's Christmas, you know.” “We give to charities,” one of the women answered as if that excuses them from helping others in need...<br />March went on in her note to say that a prosperous man in a brief case got on the bus and sat close by. “Excuse me,” March said, “the woman there is hungry.” She told him the story. He did nothing, and did not answer her. Soon he was talking to the man beside him, smiling, and they were jabbing each other knowingly with elbows and head nods. March tried again. A woman said, “OK,” and March felt hopeful. But the woman who had responded then ignored March and the hungry woman, got a Vogue out of her purse, and started to read...</p> <p>The story in the note she wrote saddened me because it truly shows how many Americans feel towards those in need: with neglect (some with less than others; and of course not all Americans behave in such a manner).</p> <p>A volunteer, then, has an opportunity to learn first hand through observation and interaction with a community of their culture: the rich cultural history, as well as the opportunities for growth. Instead of simply continuing to neglect the issues of communities that are less fortunate, we are thrown into the mix armed with our ideas and beliefs that we are going to change the world.</p> <p>Arriving in country, and later into our sites, our awareness and development continue to grow. We begin to realize that changing the world might, just maybe, be too lofty of a goal.</p> <p>The months pass, and so the volunteer becomes more well-versed with the local language… the volunteer adapts to the culture, learning the norms, taboos, meeting the important community members…before you know it half a year has passed and the volunteer starts wondering what has been accomplished and what will be accomplished in the next year and a half.</p> <p>Even to this point, the volunteer has been undergoing tremendous changes, but likely has not yet realized the changes.</p> <p>More and more time passes, and the volunteer has small victories here and there… and this month there is a big activity…that month training and vacation…</p> <p>Before you know it, the two years are almost up. The volunteer reflects: what have I accomplished in the last two years?</p> <p>Memories of projects, big and small, come to mind. More memories come to mind, of good times with friends/family on vacation and that trip to the game park.</p> <p>Then the volunteer starts becoming reflective. It’s been two years and yet it seems like arriving in Kenya was “juzi juzi tu” (just the other day).</p> <p>The volunteer realizes that the person who stepped off the airplane two years ago is long gone. ‘What happened to that person?’ you ask, well that person grew, changed, adapted. That person has grown into a new person that remains in Kenya for an additional year to be able to serve the community he has come to love and cherish. </p> <p>The person that’s in the present has taken a lot more than anyone can realize. And now this third year is about giving back, as much as I am able as a ‘thank you’ to <span style="font-style: italic;">my </span>community.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-61943836723634195862011-01-17T00:31:00.000-08:002011-01-17T01:17:34.467-08:00The Kite Runner<span class="sqq"></span><blockquote>“As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit.” Seneca <span style="font-size:78%;">(Roman philosopher)</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:78%;">Note: The beginning of this blog post was posted on Facebook in a note.</span><br /><br />As I finished reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Kite Runner</span> (by <span jsid="text">Khaled Hosseini)</span> I found myself with tears in my eyes. At first I simply thought the tears were caused by the story line about Amir finding "a way to be good again." as touching as the story is, I realized that the tears transcended the story... I was also tears eyed for the lack of understanding and knowledge many Americans have in regards to Afghan culture. In all the years of war, violence and bloodshed, Afghanistan remained a country which many Americans wouldn't be able to locate on a map. Until 9/11... To this day Afghanistan continues to be plagued by further violence. Reports list statistics "...65 killed in bomb blast..." or "...us soldiers killed on patrol..." But what of the people? What of their culture? Nothing much is publicized about their culture. Having read both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns I feel that i understand a small amount of the culture that has been troubled by wars and violence for such a long time. And so it is to begin understanding this culture that caused the tears to come to my eyes.<br /><br />Having thought about this same issue in regards to the culture I interact with every day, I must say that it saddens me further that there is another beautiful, rich, wonderfully creative culture that many people do not know much about. In fact, Somali culture is rather similar to Afghan culture in that articles are written about the wars and violence in the countries - for example, "Roadside bomb kills 17 Afghan " or "Mogadishu bomb blast kills 6 soldiers".<br />Yet hardly any positive news are worthy of being aired on CNN or other networks in the U.S.<br /><br />Having lived with the Somali culture for the last year and a half (with another year of living with them forthcoming) I realize how blessed I have been to have had an opportunity to learn from these wonderful people - to see how they live, work, and entertain themselves.<br /><br />At first, it can be a strange setting to someone who is used to 'western culture' coming to this land where:<br /><ul><li>children play with boxes with plastic bottle-tops as the wheels pulling these 'cars' around with a piece of string. </li><li>children play football (read soccer) with plastic bags that have been wrapped up tightly into a spherical shape and tied with twine.<br /></li><li>children are taught to memorize and regurgitate information through all of their schooling.</li><li>time does not equal money; and thus there is no hurry to get from point A to point B.</li><li>people equate foreigner (especially American or European) to money/funds/etc. [read American = $$].</li></ul>After living in this culture for a while though, many of these things you realize are just part of life. I have grown in many ways since I left the US over 2 years ago. One of the things that I have realized is that children do not need to have fancy toys to have a good time. Yes, of course children do need stimulation to grow and develop and to that end fancy toys might help, but are not a necessity. Heck, just playing football with a 'resident' foreigner seems to cheer them up quite a bit.<br /><br />At any rate, getting back to the point of this blog post...<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Kite Runne</span>r (and <span style="font-style: italic;" jsid="text">A Thousand Splendid Suns, </span>also written by Khaled Hosseini) got me thinking about Afghan culture as they were thoroughly immersed with cultural details as part of the story lines.<br />In a similar fashion, I feel that I, myself, are in a current story line that has not yet reached the ending - only in this case, the culture is Somali instead of Afghan.<br /><br />Both of the books have specific endings to their stories.<br /><br />My story is yet to end, but I do know this.<br /><br />The ending to my story, I am rather certain, will not be a sad one.<br />For if nothing else, I can say that I have been truly blessed for having had the opportunity to live with and learn from this wonderful culture.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-64745158908639085582010-12-12T21:13:00.000-08:002010-12-19T22:48:48.337-08:00Oraganized chaos<blockquote>“Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.” ~Tom Barrett</blockquote><br /><br />Recently I had a wonderful opportunity to visit some of my friends before they finish their Peace Corps service. It all started on a beautiful morning, that I thought would be just like any other morning. Unfortunately, the day's journey was anything but ordinary.<br /><br />On the way out of town there are of course several police check points where the police will check identifications of the travelers to make sure there are no illegal immigrants are coming into Kenya - specifically Somali and Ethiopian immigrants. At any rate, I'm used to having my ID checked on the road, it's a standard thing that always occurs. Though this particular time traveling out there were far more ID check points than before. The feeling of having my ID checked multiple times reminds me very much of the states. Why? Well let's think about the immigration debates going on. If a person looks Mexican (or Latin American in general) they are more likely to be asked for their 'green card' if they are pulled over by a police officer. Now, whether this is right or wrong is not my place to say. I am merely an active participant in the perceived, as some people would say. 'targeting of ethnic groups'. (Please note that I am not trying to pass judgment, either for or against, in writing this - just merely stating a perspective of the phenomenon which I have been witnessing).<br /><br />At any rate, finally making it past the road blocks I was well on my way to my trip to see some of my fellow volunteers before they finished their service.<br />First stop was Makindu, where volunteers Paula and Erin lived (or lived near to). In Makindu I had the opportunity to visit the <a href="http://makindu.org/">Makindu Children's Centre</a> where Paula worked with the organization that "<span class="arial10">provides nutritional, medical and emotional support, access to basic education, and opportunities for vocational training for over 400 destitute AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children" (quote taken from the website homepage).<br /><br />From Makindu, I headed down to the South Coast - South of Mombasa Town to visit Jeff "the Body" in a small town called Msambweni. The town really reminded me of our training site. The town itself was small and all the people there were friendly. The thing that surprised me most was how extremely polite people of the coast are. Every young person would greet any one who is older than you "Shikamoo" (literal translation </span>‘I kiss your feet’)<span class="arial10"> to which the reply is "Marahaba" (rough translation: good day). In most of Kenya, the Kiswahili is not spoken as true as in Tanzania, and the coast is certainly a lot closer to the proper Kiswahili.<br /><br />Anywho, on the way to the coast I had a very interesting experience crossing the Ferry. Now, Mombasa has no actual road connecting it to the South Coast and so there are 2 ferries that run simultaneously taking passengers and cargo (vehicles) from the South Coast to Mombasa and from Mombasa to the South Coast. Being this the first time to cross the ferry, I had no idea of how it all worked.<br />Basically it goes something like this: people crowd up in a small area behind a gate waiting for the go signal to make a mad dash to the ferry. Before people can board a ferry, however, first the cars have to get off the ferry. The ferry line getting off the ferry goes like this: Motorcycles; cars, trucks, etc.; hand carts; people. But even before the cars start getting off the ferry the passengers are lined up and start crowding the cars trying to get off the ferry.<br /><br />Once the people are finally clear from the ferry the reverse madness starts slowly: first the new series of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and handcarts make it on board. Then the mad rush begins: like the running of the bulls, people who weer kept inside the gated area start running like mad men to get on the ferry. As if their lives depend on getting on this particular ferry instead of waiting a short time for the next ferry (which at this point is having a similar experience on the other end of the port). The people run to get on the ferry and push one another to get a seat or to get closer tot he front of the ferry to be the first one off the ferry.<br />Upon my first sighting of this chaotic event the only term I could think of to describe it was "organized chaos". It seems chaotic - as the people are running, jogging, pushing making their way to get on the ferry. Yet, there are no serious injuries or other things to indicate the chaos has been damaging to the people involved.<br /><br />Organized chaos that goes on and on. The chaos ends when the ferry loads. The chaos begins when the ferry unloads only to start again when the ferry loads again to make its next journey. The never ending cycle of organized chaos.<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-30765373260855604202010-11-29T21:33:00.000-08:002010-11-29T21:33:00.806-08:00You Know You're a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa when...<div class="post-header"> </div> "Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy... ... it will be rich and satisfying..." ~John F. Kennedy<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">quote taken from longer quote found on this <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.mediares.quotes">link</a></span><br /><br />There is a <a href="http://youtube.com/">YouTube </a>video entitled <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4swOWhsaQg&feature=share">You know you're a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa when...</a><br />The following is a transcript of the video (with some of my commentary in parenthesis following some of the statements).<br /><br />..walking around holding a roll of toilet paper seems like a completely normal thing to do.<br />..Sitting under a tree watching goats graze is considered a "productive day" (or Camels, camels are people too.)<br />..you stare when you see a white person you don't know (My favorite game to play in town is Mzungu spotting - which is to say spotting the foreigner I don't know and speculating about who they are and what they're doing. I try to introduce myself when possible too to get the scoop.)<br />..the length of time it takes you to walk anywhere is wholy dependent on how many people happen to be in their yards along the way<br />..knee length skirts are shocking, but toplessness is not (toplessness is not a thing in Kenya but knee length skirts are rather shocking to see.)<br />..two weeks, three countries, and three changes of clothes in a backpack seems about right (100% true; in fact one week's travel is about 2 shirts and 1 trouser in the backpack )<br />..seeing a movie in a theatre is a good bargain, but buying a book is an unthinkable expense (well usually yes, but it's because books are ridiculously expensive, as compared to watching a movie. plus we've got a nice library in the PC office and books are traded regularly between PCVS)<br />..you have come to realize that the monkeys in the park's play pretty much the same role as squirrels in America but you persist in taking pictures of them anyway (they're just too quite!)<br />..there is a rooster you would like to kill, if only he weren't dangerously close to your size (I wouldn't <span style="font-style: italic;">kill </span>it but maybe duct tape its beak shut in the morning...if it wasn't "dangerously close to my size"...)<br />..you are considered the eminent expert on professional wrestling dispite being able to count you're WWE viewing sessions on one hand<br />..you are outraged whenever the fare for a 30 minute taxi ride goes up 30 cents US dollars<br />..you are not outraged whenever your 30 minute taxi ride takes 2 hours<br />..you are stuck in an overcrowded bus for 10 hours in 120 degree heat and no one is willing to open the windows for fear of catching the flu<br />..you can identify an otherwise unmarked stretch of road by the pattern of the potholes<br />..when walking down the street, small children shout "white person" and point at you but as you walk towards them they run away screaming in terror<br />..you find government employees sleeping on the floor of their offices in the middle of the work day<br />..when buying clothes you think "how hard would this be to wash in a bucket?"<br />..the fact that peptobismal turns vomit black is a standard and essential element of your knowledge base<br />..showering every day seems like a decorative vacation<br />..you live in an almost constant state of existential anxiety about whether or not you are driving on the wrong side of the road no matter which side you happen to be on<br />..you're cognizant of being the worst dressed person in your village and you don't care<br />..you double up on words beyond the standard shop shop and now now so that such phrases as soon soon, past past, long long, and hot hot are part in parcel with your everyday vocabulary<br />..if you have to choose between whether you would rather loose your passport or your adapter you would choose the passport (I can see why this may be the case in general, but in my circumstances it's just too much hassle if I loose my passport)<br />..30 kilometers is considered a pretty short distance<br />..you don't think twice about going potty in a plastic bag at night as a way to avoid leaving your hut<br />..you have so many random bags that when you travel you look like a gypsy<br />..you will drink and enjoy anything that is cold (including: camel milk, goat milk, cow milk, water, fruit juice, etc.)<br />..if you're taking public transport and your lap is empty, there is always room for more people<br />..you immediately loose your ability to estimate distances and waving your hand towards a certain place is considered giving directions<br />..if a problem arises, your first reaction is a single big long sigh<br />..you secretly enjoy African pop music including Klito (sp?) and KwasaKwasa (sp?)<br />..you enjoy eating maize meal and even order it at restaurants<br />..you're menstrual cycle coincides with the moon cycle<br />..basically, you have no shame<br />..you can never act more crazy than your African counterparts already think you are<br />..spiders are no longer the enemy, but your trusted ally in the constant battle against bugs<br />..you let complete strangers crash at your place just because they speak English (yes I am a member of <a href="http://couchsurfing.org/">CouchSurfing</a> so that if sommeone who speaks English happens to stop through town they can crash with me for a day or two)<br />..you've lost track of how many marriage proposals you've received.<br />..you know how to make alcohol with local ingredients<br />..a long work day is six hours<br />..you distinguish between your Peace Corps family and your American family<br />..those eggs have been sitting out in the sun all day, sure i'll take two<br />..you realize that every village must have its token crazy person<br />..you stare at foriegn tourists as much as the locals<br />..when you actually realize you miss having a salad<br />..when you know if someone at your site says "yes" it means "definitely not", "maybe" means "probably not" and "no" means "no"<br />..when you have a story for every possible topic in life that starts with "when I lived in Africa..."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-60051677728793158312010-11-26T02:08:00.000-08:002010-11-26T02:08:00.406-08:00The Camel Bookmobile<blockquote>“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ~Dr. Seuss</blockquote><br /><br />I finished reading a book called <a href="www.mashahamilton.com/the_camel_bookmobile/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Camel Bookmobile</span></a> which is, as the title suggests, about a mobile library on a camel. The novel takes place 3 hours north of my site (the community where I live) by camel. Yes that’s right, the book’s main story takes place 3 hours north traveling by camel.<br /><br />The story is a very interesting one, and I wont ruin it for you by telling you how it ends or even telling you most of the story line. Instead I will just highlight some of the more important themes of the book.<br /><br />The book is about a project in which a librarian from the U.S. comes to Kenya’s North Eastern Province with a project: to bring literacy to the children of the hardest to reach areas in Kenya.<br />The idea of the project is simple: get a native animal (a camel) as a means of transport and set up a system whereby the Camel Bookmobile travels to various small villages in the province every so often with books that the residents would check out for a period of time and return them the next time the Camel Bookmobile comes.<br /><br />Now the main theme of the book is something most Peace Corps Volunteers are very likely to face: the western world’s perspective as it differs from tradition. Upon arriving to our countries of service each one of us future volunteers is overly ambitious about ‘changing the world’. Yet real, lasting, change takes a very long time and in all likelihood we are not going to change the world. Instead, we can change a small part of the world. We can bring small changes to the communities we live in setting the stage or foundation for future more lasting changes to come in the future. I remember one day last year I had dinner with a Somali and a member of the US military; a Somali, a Mexican-American, and an American soldier having dinner. How often d you think that happens?<br /><br />During that dinner we discussed the differences between the youth voice and the elders’ voice and how they often conflict. The youth will come with ideas about a better way of life – for example in the book, a member of the tribe was sent to the Distant City (Nairobi) for schooling. Upon return to his nomadic village, the young man brought with him the idea of using buckets and hoses to take more care of the limited water available to their small community. In response, the elders of the tribe thought that ‘tricking’ the water was beyond madness. This is, of course, an extreme example but the principle holds as it is something that volunteers may face.<br /><br />(Please note that we do receive training on how to approach issues with the community to help community members to become aware of the challenges and come up with a way to address them. The training includes working with the community leaders, etc.)<br /><br />Though we are not likely to face such extreme opposition as was illustrated in the book, we are likely to experience some.<br /><br />[PS the <a href="http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com/">Camel Bookmobile</a> is a real effort to bring literacy to Kenyans. For more info visit <a href="http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com/">http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com/</a>]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-69020687070662767192010-11-21T00:23:00.000-08:002010-11-21T00:23:00.341-08:00New Light on Death<blockquote>“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.” ~Eskimo Proverb </blockquote><br /><br />Death is a completely different concept in Kenya. Recently, I was reading an <a href="http://www.inquiringmind.com/Articles/ItsLikeThis.html">article by Ajahn Sumedho</a> (onthe website <a href="http://www.inquiringmind.com">Inquiring Mind</a>) where he explained that when he went to his mother’s funeral he remained after the ceremony to help with the burial. He writes:<br /><blockquote>“I decided I wanted to help bury my mother, so I stayed. The men in charge, the gravediggers, came over to me and said, “You have to go.” I replied, “I’d like to help bury her.” But they insisted, “No, we can’t lower the coffin into the hole until everybody’s gone. That’s the rule.” This is how Americans are treated—like it’s beyond our ability to endure such traumas. If we were to see the coffin going into the grave, we’d faint or have to spend the next twenty years in therapy.”<br /></blockquote>It is interesting how in the U.S. death is not something that is encountered, by most people, on an even somewhat potentially regular basis, the only exceptions might be those in medical health professions (eg medical doctors, coroners, nurses, EMTs, etc).<br />Think about it: when is the last time you (assuming you are in the U.S.) saw a dead body – even at a car accident site. Usually the paramedics and police show up and haul away the bodies before too long, probably within minutes of the accident. The bodies are taken with great care, in case of fatalities, from the site of the accident and people are kept at bay.<br />Even dead animals are quickly disposed, generally, stateside. Some animals, particularly pets are even treated like family members, and buried in animal cemeteries.<br /><br />In my community, animals are not generally treated with such equality or respect. In fact, I’ve been yelled at for having dogs inside the house. I’ve seen people throw rocks at my dog Baraka. Daily, I see how donkeys are badly mistreated.<br /><br />Now, going back to the main theme of this blog post, it is not uncommon to see a dead animal (in some cases a dead human being) on the side of a road. There is no animal control vehicle or ambulance rushing to come and take the body away… In fact, most people just simply pass by as if this particular sight is of no importance. What else would we expect in a society where death is not hidden away? A society where the concept of old is not hidden away by creams, lotions, superficial surgeries to try and preserve the “ideal” youthful look. Instead, we find that in this society people who are old, wazee (elders) as they are known, are respected members of the community.<br /><br />In this society, death is a very real thing – in many places it is a real threat every day. I, thankfully, am not threatened by not having water or food on a day to day basis. Yet at the same time I have experienced more death here than I did in the U.S. In one single day walking from my school to my home I saw and walked by a dead cow, a dead camel, a dead goat, a dead cat, and a dead stork. All of these animals were just dead on the side of various frequently used roads.<br /><br />Death is a natural part of life, is it not? Everyone who is born will one day die. In the U.S. there are many phrases used to lighten the grimness of death – passed on, kicking the bucket, moved on (to a better place), etc. The question in my mind these days is why is death feared in the U.S.? I, too, feared death – the prospect of dying. These days I’ve come to realize that all is impermanent – we live, we die. It’s a part of the natural cycle of life. To deny that death exists is to deny that life is meant to be lived to the fullest – for how would we truly live if death was not a real thing?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-22023253207665066912010-11-17T23:15:00.000-08:002010-11-18T00:20:49.770-08:00Times are a changin'<span class="sqq"></span><blockquote>Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep<br />it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back. ~Harvey MacKay</blockquote><a class="sqa" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotes/harvey_mackay/"></a><br /><span class="sqq"><br /></span>Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to return to Oloitokitok (or the 'Tok for short) where just over 2 years ago to date I began my training to one day become a Peace Corps Volunteer. In the last 2 years, I had not had an opportunity arise when I co<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TOTcoeZAqAI/AAAAAAAAAf0/atJnEOf-KsA/s1600/DSC02428.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TOTcoeZAqAI/AAAAAAAAAf0/atJnEOf-KsA/s320/DSC02428.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540796029483395074" border="0" /></a>uld make the long journey as the road used to be difficult and travel to the 'Tok would have required at least 2 days in each direction. Times are changin', however, and now there is a tarmac road that goes from Emali (on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway) straight to the 'Tok. Total travel time from Nairobi is about 3.5-4 hours these days. As a result of this new road, I was able to travel to my training site from my home in one day - a feat I would not have thought possible when I first arrived at my site. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Image: Mt. Kilimanjaro as seen from Oloitokitok.</span><br /></div><br />In Oloitokitok, I had an opportunity to meet the new Math/Science Education Trainees (soon to be Volunteers) as I was part of a group of current volunteers - we had a small presentation on what the Diversity and Peer Support committee does, of which I am a member.<br /><br />The trainees' enthusiasm for their upcoming swearing in, as well as sitting through and reminiscing during the sessions about the "roller coaster" that is Peace Corps I could not help but reflect on what I've seen during my 2 years of service in Kenya.<br /><br />In my 2 years as a volunteer I have seen many wonderful and amazing things: I have seen countless wild animals in their natural habitats (rhinos, lions, warthogs, giraffes, water buffalos, zebras, etc.); I've seen how the eyes of young children brighten up just from a simple greeting; I've seen a Solar Eclipse without obstructions blocking my view.<br /><br />I have also seen some very important changes in my community: I have seen youth start their own (successful) businesses; I have seen my students learn and understand how to use computers; I have seen other students understand concepts of psychology - in fact today one of my former students told me "we all did very well Mwalim (teacher). All of us passed the Human Growth paper." [Note: Human Growth is the overall topic of which I teach introductory psychology and developmental theories]. I have seen my town start using old oil drums cut in half as public trash bins; I have seen my school more than doubles the number of computers available to our students' usage.<br /><br />All the wonderful things I've seen, the places I've been, the things I've done. Does it all matter in the end? Well, yes it certainly does. Experience is one thing that cannot be taken away from me - even if one day I will be bankrupt and loose all my material possessions, or (more likely) if I joined a monastery and gave up all my material possessions - my experiences will always remain with me. And what's more, my students will have with them the experience of having been taught by a person from a foreign land - a foreigner, become local, who has taken time to live in what was once a different culture to show he cares about their well being and advancement.<br /><br />Alas, the times continue to change... soon I will see most of my fellow volunteers, whom I trained with, heading back to the States, whether directly or after other travels, and I will remain as one of the few <span style="font-style: italic;">wazee</span> (lit: elders; in this case referring to 3rd year volunteers) as I will continue to serve my students, my community, my school, myself for an additional year as a Peace Corps Volunteer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-91228380428747039322010-10-21T21:48:00.000-07:002010-10-21T23:29:46.967-07:00Mashujaa (Heroes) Day<blockquote>“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” ~Maya Angelou</blockquote><br />October 20th is a Kenyan holiday called Mashujaa (Heroes') Day. Before this year, this holiday was known as Kenyatta Day - named for Kenya's first President Jomo Kenyatta until the Constitutional referendum was approved thereby changing Kenyatta Day to Mashujaa Day.<br /><br />Now typically on a holiday one would expect to be festive – and possibly relax, right? Well I was not very festive (more tired than festive), but I did enjoy a full day of relaxation. For you see, the day before Mashujaa Day, His Excellency Michael E. Ranneberger, the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, visited my site.<br /><br />Honorable Ranneberger came to Garissa for the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEo-1O0wPI/AAAAAAAAAfE/gZDgEnNH0BM/s1600/DSC02296.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEo-1O0wPI/AAAAAAAAAfE/gZDgEnNH0BM/s320/DSC02296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530746877293936882" border="0" /></a>official opening of the Career Resource Center (CRC) at the Kenya National Library Service, Garissa branch. The CRC consists of a Youth Library (including board games and a TV to watch inspirational/educational films), two counseling rooms – one for gents and one for ladies – and a state-of-the-art ICT center for boys and girls.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Picture above shows Hon. Ranneberger listening as the set up of the CRC is explained by a member of USAID Kenya Mission.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpAdnLOQI/AAAAAAAAAfM/P-wpewvf5Qo/s1600/DSC02303.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpAdnLOQI/AAAAAAAAAfM/P-wpewvf5Qo/s320/DSC02303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530746905313360130" border="0" /></a>Hon. Ranneberger arrived on October 19th, 2010 by plane into Garissa town and he and his convoy made their way to the Kenya National Library Service where we had speeches from several guests including the Deputy Director of USAID Kenya, the Member of Parliament for Dujis Constituency (which Garissa falls into), and of course the Ambassador himself.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpAcscobI/AAAAAAAAAfU/FbreFvguRb0/s1600/DSC02340.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpAcscobI/AAAAAAAAAfU/FbreFvguRb0/s320/DSC02340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530746905067037106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Picture above shows Hon. Ranneberger as he prepares to cut the ribbon officially opening the CRC.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Picture below Hon Ranneberger during his speech with a Somali interpreter to his right.</span><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpAkbwwgI/AAAAAAAAAfc/wPY1T_Kv3Kg/s1600/DSC02361.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 294px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpAkbwwgI/AAAAAAAAAfc/wPY1T_Kv3Kg/s320/DSC02361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530746907144536578" border="0" /></a><br />After his speeches and opening of the CRC, the Ambassador was bestowed traditional Mzee (elder) attire by one of our local elders. <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Picture of Hon. Ranneberger displaying his Somali Mzee outfit.</span></span><br /></div><br />Following this event, the Ambassador and other VIPs headed to visit Sisters Maternity Home (SIMAHO) a local NGO clinic where Rachel (PCV) works. Note: SIMAHO is receives funding from APHIA II North Eastern – which is run by Pathfinder International with funding from USAID.<br /><br />After the visit to SIMAHO, the Ambassador headed to a local hotel with conference facilities to have 2 town hall meetings: one with youth representatives of Garissa and a one with the Wazee (elders).<br /><br />In between various interviews and his Town Hall meetings I had a chance to introduce myself to Honorable Ranneberger.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpA1cMzNI/AAAAAAAAAfk/oJcBTMW0bb0/s1600/DSC02365.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TMEpA1cMzNI/AAAAAAAAAfk/oJcBTMW0bb0/s320/DSC02365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530746911709777106" border="0" /></a><br />In the afternoon, after the Ambassador had finished the Town Hall meetings he had a few minutes of time for the press. After which the convoy headed out again, this time back to the airport for departure.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Picture of me greeting and Hon. Ranneberger (left) as he makes his way to a Town Hall meeting.</span></span><br /><br />Back to Mashujaa Day: the day after the ‘big day’ I enjoyed a day of resting and relaxation before going back to my ‘regular’ schedule on Thursday (not that there is much regularity in my schedule though) :-)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-77493973870502508162010-10-02T09:05:00.000-07:002010-10-04T00:15:11.273-07:00Living Somali<p><strong><em></em></strong></p><blockquote>“Somalis are born talkers. Every elder is expected to be able to hold an audience for hours on end with a speech richly laced by judicious proverbs and quotations from famous poems and sayings.” Professor I. M. Lewis</blockquote><strong></strong><br /><p></p>Recently, a friend of mine, Ayan, wrote a note on Facebook entitled "Living Somali".<br />A short time after she read the note, which I'm sharing below, I read a very interesting article entitled <a href="http://www.hiiraan.com/op2/2010/sept/is_media_coverage_of_somalis_too_negative.aspx"><span style="font-style: italic;">Is media coverage of Somalis too negative?</span></a> This article, and Ayan's note bring up an interesting truth: that Somalis and Somalia are equated with negativity (violence, terrorism, etc.). Think about it, when you read/hear/see the word Somalia (or Somali) what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it al-shabaab? Is it Somali 'pirates'? Well maybe the note Ayan wrote will bring further understanding of Somali culture. She wrote the following:<br /><br />[Begining of Ayan's note] Living Somali isn’t simply about being alive and Somali, it’s about dealing with “pirates” and “al-shabaab” on a personal level. It’s about a language and a culture so encompassing we live in communities of ourselves because no one else can fathom what it is. It’s about a history of poets and warlords, a society of pastoralists so in tune with their animals that if they were four or four thousand they would know them each by face.<br /><br />We read the news and we know what is. The ‘current events’, but then what we read and know is a land wasted and destroyed by a violent, capricious and utterly unconscionable people. Somalia, the picture that comes to mind is one of myriad gun-toting pre-teens, hard faced men proclaiming their divine sentences and beauty. If nothing else Somalis are a beautiful people. But there is so much more than that. Yes we are divided and sub-divided and divided again by our tree of clans; the main clans of Dir and Darood from which every Somali stems, right down to Abdul-waq and ‘Auliyen who were brothers. And yes these clans and sub-clans are constantly at each other for this or that, water for their animals or paying blood money for the death of a distant relative – the third wife of a second cousin twice removed-. But we must understand, the terms I’ve just used to describe a relation would not be used by a Somali. To him or her, the dead person is simply ‘our daughter’ or ‘our sister’ because despite the divisions we are united the way no other nation is. There is a saying<br /><br /><blockquote>Where two Somalis fight it is best for the outsider to stay outside, to separate them would bring the wrath of both against you.</blockquote>This more than anything says what it is to be Somali like I never could. We would support each other against Them, so to speak.<br /><br />And as for economics, well suffice to say that what’s mine is yours. And let me clarify by saying that individuals do exist who aren’t so communist is their view but then again they’re the exception and not the rule. Somalis are friendly, I love being home with my grandmothers because we sit down and eat together, we talk, they teach us the history’s and sing the great poem of old from memory! I can’t pretend that we’re all so woefully misunderstood and we’re really calm, underneath it all. But the fact is we are passionate, proud and often unforgiving. We are strong and loving with a strong sense of responsibility. We are extravagant, extraordinary, and exquisite. We are Somali, unrepentant. [end of Ayan's note; thanks to Ayan for permission to share this :)]<br /><br />Having lived with the Somali culture I have a new appreciation of their livelihood and customs. It is rather unfortunate that the news we read about regarding Somali culture is news predominantly about some kind of violence (bomb explosion, gun battle, etc.) or some kind of security situation (pirates seizing a ship, foreign aid workers kidnapped, etc.).<br />Sadly there is hardly any positive news about the wonderful things that are going on -- at least not on the international news sections of newspapers or television broadcasts.<br /><br />Thankfully a more complete picture of Somali news can be found on the following websites: <a href="http://www.hiiraan.com/">http://www.hiiraan.com/</a> <a href="http://allafrica.com/somalia/">http://allafrica.com/somalia/</a> and<br /><a href="http://somalinews.com/">http://somalinews.com/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-6398504952968766042010-09-11T05:44:00.000-07:002010-09-11T07:00:51.014-07:00Community Integration<span><blockquote>We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. ~Herman Melville</blockquote></span><br /><br />Recently (I just read about it yesterday) there was a threat by a pastor in Florida, USA, to burn copies of the Islamic Holy book the Qur'an on September 11th, 2010 - the day which in the year 2001 the World Trade Center was attacked by (allegedly) terrorists [please note I use allegedly because some people believe in a 9/11 government conspiracy].<br />In any case, the threat to burn copies of the Qur'an has lead to hightened tensions for American citizens abroad - more specifically those living in primarily Islamic communities. For example, some American aid workers I know have been placed under temporary lockdown or given more security (guards at the gates) in case of a retaliation from Muslims.<br />Apparently, per the Huffington Post the event was thankfully canceled.<br /><br />For more information on this article - you can read the following articles online:<br />Al-Jazeera English: <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/09/2010910144912849393.html">Quran burning threat fuels protests</a></span><br />Newsweek: <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/declassified/2010/09/08/fbi-keeping-watch-on-quran-burning-threat.html">FBI Keep Watch on Quran-Burning Threat</a></span><br />Voice of America News: <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Florida-Minister-Says-Not-Planning-to-Burn-Quran-on-Sept-11-102616029.html">Obama Defends Handling of Quran Burning Threat</a></span><br />Huffington Post: <span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/09/quran-burning-church-dove_n_711159.html">Quran Burning CANCELED: Dove World Outreach's Terry Jones Drops Offending 'Stunt'</a></span><br /><br />At any rate, the real reason I'm writing this blog post is because of the opportunity during Peace Corps service to integrate into the community.<br />During our pre-service training my training group learned Kiswahili - one of Kenya's national languages (English being the other). Having studied Kiswahili during training, and further studied during service I have become proficient enough to be able to spend an entire day without using a word of English outside the classroom (since classes are taught in English).<br /><br />Knowing the language, however, was just the first step towards becoming a member of the community - the next step was the customs and the dress.<br />(Please note I'm skipping the housing because my housing accomodation is comparable to the way most of the locals - and all of my fellow teachers - live in the community.)<br /><br />So the customs: politeness is not a very popular thing around here - very often when going to a small shop to buy something Somalis begin their statement with the world "<span style="font-style: italic;">firi</span>" which means "look". This is probably the most important custom I try to avoid. Though the other customs - such as eating with the right hand, having chai at 10:30am and 4pm at the school.<br />Cell phone: in Kenya a cell phone is a must. In fact, even people who hardly have money to eat with end up spening their hard earned money on cell phone credit. It is not uncommon for many people to have more than one line either - since the Kenya system runs with SIM cards one person is likely to have at least 2 SIM cards from 2 different carriers. So in my case, I have one SIM from all four carriers though only 2 are regularly used to talk (the other 2 are occasionally used for internet connectivity).<br /><br />As for dress: collared shirts or button-up shirts and trousers when going to work; or non-collard <span style="font-style: italic;">nice</span> shirts and trousers. But when it comes time to relax - it's all about the <span style="font-style: italic;">kikoi </span>which is the man-skirt worn during the weekend, or after work (typically worn still with the button-up shirt).<br />Oh, and let's not forget: sandals 24/7 whether going to work or just relaxing - leather sandals (not the small plastic slippers).<br /><br />Combine the language, the attire and accessories with friends and you've got yourself a member of the community. In my case the aforementioned combination leads to a person now commonly referred to as <span style="font-style: italic;">Shamsudin</span>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-86222245116939867662010-08-13T01:52:00.000-07:002010-08-13T03:34:19.553-07:00Taita Hills Hiking<blockquote>“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.”~Alice Walker</blockquote><br />So recently, I had a chance to visit one of my friends John (aka Bear) in the Taita Hills near Voi. While I was visiting Bear, we did a lot of hiking.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TGUeh1HYv5I/AAAAAAAAAew/4sykv4NH2Cc/s1600/Taita+Hills+Aug+2010+%2843%29.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TGUeh1HYv5I/AAAAAAAAAew/4sykv4NH2Cc/s320/Taita+Hills+Aug+2010+%2843%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504839686072876946" border="0" /></a><br />One of the days of hiking we went to this sacred boulder on the top of a hill. Well we tried to go there anyway... The actual path to the top is hidden since the top of it is sacred so we didn't actually mke it to the top. Either way, it was a really neat climb because on the way back we went through a dried up river so we had to climb down rocks.<br />(Picture rock climbing the dry river)<br /><br />Later we found out the reason we didn't make it to the boulder is because it is a very sacred protected place. Bear told me he was told only elder males go there and before they go up they must take place in many rituals.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TGUVUVaBRJI/AAAAAAAAAeY/-wYtvbLMi4U/s1600/Kwa+bear+%2821%29.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TGUVUVaBRJI/AAAAAAAAAeY/-wYtvbLMi4U/s320/Kwa+bear+%2821%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504829558618145938" border="0" /></a>Then another day we hiked to the forest, went to and through the Chumbololo forrest to a set of rocks atop the cliffside where we could see a great view of the landscape below - we could see Tsavo West National Park, Tsavo East National Park, the town of Voi, and more....<br />(Picture of us at the view)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TGUdUshOl-I/AAAAAAAAAek/J8bxSPPCVo8/s1600/Taita+Hills+Aug+2010+%2823%29.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TGUdUshOl-I/AAAAAAAAAek/J8bxSPPCVo8/s320/Taita+Hills+Aug+2010+%2823%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504838360915417058" border="0" /></a><br />Another day we went out to a cliff side where there are skulls of elders long past. Nearby the cliff side there was a very pretty waterfall site. (Picture - waterfall)<br /><br />There are many more pictures of the hikes on Facbook.<br /><br />~BlessingsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-13930950025025338842010-07-25T09:09:00.000-07:002010-07-25T10:05:50.463-07:00Fourteen Falls Sanctuary<blockquote>A strong man and a waterfall always channel their own path.</blockquote><br /><br />I seem to have started a trend of going to a nature-esque location as a birthday treat to myself. In 2009, I went to Hell's Gate National Park, staying at a lodge near Lake Naivasha.<br />This year, I went to Fourteen Falls Sanctuary - named for having 14 waterfalls in the same location.<br /><br />On my actual birth day (July 16th) I had a small dinner with some friends over at my house and enjoyed their company. About a week later, I had was able to go to Fourteen Falls and enjoy the beauty and peace of nature.<br /><br />However, before the trip to Fourteen Falls, David (a fellow IT volunteer and myself) had a small trek to the Thika River, which was not far from his place.<br />Upon our arrival at the Thika river, we relaxed chatting and watching as the rapids went on. After having spent a short amount of time there, David went on a small hike near where we were while I remained at the river.. In his absence, I meditated a bit and sang a couple of mantras that make me feel peaceful - as this river also did. [The first mantra is the beginning of a song entitled "I Wanna Fly" by the artist Los Monjes Buddhistas; and the second mantra is the "Gayatri Mantra" by Deva Premal].<br />Now when I had finished singing these songs, I turned to look at some of the trees accross the river and I saw brances of the trees waving in the wind as if the trees and spirits were applauding my singing.<br />Although I don't have pics of the Thika river, I have a picture of the type of plants that were clapping:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExnw0YygKI/AAAAAAAAAdg/1U0OZr32p-0/s1600/Thika+river+appluading+flowers.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 275px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExnw0YygKI/AAAAAAAAAdg/1U0OZr32p-0/s320/Thika+river+appluading+flowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497883333506531490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The following are some of the pictures of Fourteen Falls Sanctuary:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExsrw2_LfI/AAAAAAAAAd0/iZ7LJPLNkGA/s1600/DSC01748.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExsrw2_LfI/AAAAAAAAAd0/iZ7LJPLNkGA/s320/DSC01748.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497888744218242546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Fourteen Falls is named for the 14 waterfalls at the one location.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExtJYGQfhI/AAAAAAAAAd8/9JbdOAE0ymQ/s1600/DSC01754.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExtJYGQfhI/AAAAAAAAAd8/9JbdOAE0ymQ/s320/DSC01754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497889252967480850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now below the Falls, there is an island that is mostly rocks.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExuhBxcs-I/AAAAAAAAAeM/ElsFenGoH14/s1600/DSC01762.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExuhBxcs-I/AAAAAAAAAeM/ElsFenGoH14/s320/DSC01762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497890758803108834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As the island is mostly rocks, jumping between rocks to get around is a small challenge :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExt4x6SXAI/AAAAAAAAAeE/uTKmGrrXO5s/s1600/DSC01758.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mrnBvlhFTxg/TExt4x6SXAI/AAAAAAAAAeE/uTKmGrrXO5s/s320/DSC01758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497890067350445058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />David and I posing for a photo near the waterfalls.<br /><br /><br />As a result of this experience, I hope to continue this new habbit of going into nature to celebrate my birthday - and my oneness with all other beigns.<br /><br />I also hope that I will be able to hear the messages from nature's spirits more clearly.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-27698934157189848892010-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:002010-07-21T22:38:12.217-07:00It's Time<blockquote>The development of civilization and industry in general has always shown itself so active in the destruction of forests that everything that has been done for their conservation and production is completely insignificant in comparison.<br />~Karl Marx</blockquote><br /><br />The terms 'developed' and 'first world' are used to refer to societies which have advanced technologically and industrially. The terms 'underdeveloped' and 'third world' are used to refer to societies which are not advanced industrially and technologically.<br /><br />Am I the only person who sees something wrong with this terminology?<br /><br />To say that one country is 'developed' and another is 'underdeveloped' is to impose judgment as well as assert superiority over the 'underdeveloped' country.<br />But have we ever stopped to think “is 'development' what life is all about?” To quote a book I'm reading which quotes another book: we “...stumble along blindly on the road to nowhere – a paved highway which [we ourselves] bulldoze and make smooth...” (note instead of we ourselves the author was speaking of 'they themselves'). * [*see bottom for book reference]<br /><br />On the bright side, we see some benefits of 'development' such as better health care, better infrastructure, etc. but rarely do we question the difference between quantity of life, which is higher in 'developed' countries, and quality of life.<br /><br />It seems to me that all too often <span style="font-style: italic;">we </span>fall into the trap of the materialism that is so preached by society itself.<br /><br />Having had some time away from the materialistic society and living in an ‘underdeveloped’ society provides a unique perspective to those who are willing to hear, see, and feel the differences.<br />On the other hand, why are people from the ‘underdeveloped’ country are so eager to leave their countries and go to the ‘developed’ countries? Since there are so many people as eager to get go there, there must be something about it that is appealing. The question now becomes what is appealing?<br /><br />Is it the promise of a ‘better life’? Probably.<br /><br />So what gives people this perception of a ‘better life’? Well the media certainly does. Here in Kenya, such TV programs as WWE wrestling and Mexican soap operas are among the regularly watched programs. Additionally, there are other a variety of Kenyan TV shows, such as Inspecta Mwala, Papa Shirandula, Tahidi High, and of course news programs (in Swahili and English) just to name a few.<br /><br />Aside from just the televised media, there are of course hundreds of films that are produced in western ‘developed’ countries which tend to portray the life of citizens as a, comparatively speaking, good life – that is a life where the protagonist has a car, a job, and typically a love life. Granted depending on the genre of film the car may or may not be present, the job may or may not be a high paying job, and the love life may be troubled.<br />All in all, however, this is a better life where only the rich have cars and the more common means of transportation are walking, using a bicycle, or public transport vehicles (many of which do not have seatbelts and some of which would be considered unsafe in ‘developed’ countries).<br />Certainly, the choice seems clear – materialistically speaking – that the ‘developed’ nations are a ‘better’ place to be/live.<br /><br />But at what cost?<br />At the loss of simple decency – to say please, thank you; to spend time with friends and family instead of rushing out the door to a second, third, even fourth job.<br />At the loss of sight – the loss of sight that “we are one”; we lose sight of our similarities and focus on our differences.<br />At the loss of …<br />[For brevity sake, I shall stop with those examples]<br /><br />Is the loss worth it to <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span>?<br /><br />Perhaps it is time to reawaken, or remember what we had once forgotten.<br />It is time to start living a better life (qualitatively).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*<span style="font-style: italic;">The World Is As You Dream It: Teachings from the Amazon and Andes</span> by <span style="font-style: italic;">John Perkins</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-75453182072003831342010-06-26T01:05:00.000-07:002010-06-26T01:05:00.880-07:00Peace In Laundry<blockquote>The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but the wise long for a state of tranquility. - Swami Rama</blockquote><br /><br /> Every Saturday and usually every Sunday I wash my laundry at home.<br /><br />Why does it take two days? Well it doesn’t have to– I could do wash Saturday morning and again in the afternoon. But that is not important, I choose to do it over the span of two days for a reason (keep on reading to find out the reason)<br /><br />I have a simple routine for doing my laundry<br /><ol><li>Get the basins of water ready for the soapy water, rinse water, and rinse water with fabric softener</li><li>Gather dirty laundry and begin soaking</li><li>Wash and scrub with hands with the help of bar soap</li><li>Rinse clothes</li><li>Hang clothes outside to dry (making sure that I ask the tree from which the clothes line hangs for permission before doing so. Typically I also send love/light to the tree when I gather my clothes)<br /></li></ol>Such as simple process and yet in the western world it has been simplified even more through the use of a washing machine. A process that might take a person say 5 minutes to do, that is loading a washing machine with laundry and soap and turning the machine on, usually takes me the better part of an hour – sometimes a full hour or more. <br /><br />So why do I do it when I could easily pay someone to do my laundry for me? Well it’s simple – personal time. The concept of personal time is not the same in Kenya as it is in the U.S. In fact very frequently, in Kenya, unexpected guests will appear and (in my case) typically ask for some kind of assistance – whether it be technical support, financial support (school fees, medical costs), or sometimes it’s just a neighbor or friend stopping by to say Hello. <br /><br />While it’s definitely nice to have neighbors and friends who care enough to visit and say Hello, it’s also definitely nice to have some time to myself – time to not think about anything else and just enjoy my life in that moment. Not having a care in the world, I am able to take the time out of my busy weekly schedule and just be fully aware of the sensations of the soapy water on my hands, the sweat on my brow, and the lizards/ants walking around on the wall/floor in search of food.<br /><br />Such as peaceful setting, from what might be considered an unpleasant task.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-29582110773915392072010-06-22T23:28:00.000-07:002010-06-23T01:16:18.116-07:00World Cup Fever Unites<span class="sqq"><a class="sqq" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotation/it_is_a_magnificent_feeling_to_recognize_the/15513.html"></a></span><blockquote>It is a magnificent feeling to recognize the unity of complex phenomena which appear to be things quite apart from the direct visible truth. ~Albert Einstein</blockquote><br />It is interesting which kinds of things bring people together.<br /><br />Around here there are a few key things: religion, tribe, whether they are for or against the proposed Kenyan constitution (Yes campaign and No campaign), and the World Cup.<br /><br />In English, we have this saying that goes "birds of a feather flock together." And indeed this may be the case in some situations (particularly those listed above).<br /><br />Especially with the hot issue of the Constitutional Referendum is coming up in early August there has been a huge divide in the population: the Yes campaign and the No campaign.<br /><br />Interestingly enough, though not surprising, is that there are a number of misconceptions about what saying Yes or No to the constitution would mean.<br />When people ask me my opinion my response is: "what will happen is what is meant to happen, I am only a witness." Typically I will also add a commentary about being informed, such as "the most important thing is that you [the Kenyan voter(s)] make an informed choice".<br /><br />Aside from the upcoming referendum, I also find it interesting that some people who have not seen me in a relatively short amount of time (say 1 week or less) make comments such as "umepotea sana, nimefikiri ulienda South Africa" (eng: you've been so lost, I thought you went to South Africa). My typical response is "sijasafiri, niko tu. Kazi inanendela vizuri na mimi naangalia kombe la dumia kwa hoteli" (eng: I haven't traveled, I’m just around. work is going on well and me I watch the world cup at hotelis [local cafés].<br /><br />Once I was even told "Michezo ziko kwenu, sio" (eng: the games are being played at your place, isn't it). I thought it was kind of interesting that instead of being confused for an Arab, on this singular occasion I was confused for a South African.<br /><br />At any rate, I enjoy watching the games and seeing how people come together in support of 'their team' or even just to watch a good match up. People will come together and forget about tribal issues, religious issues, or even the divide over the constitutional referendum to enjoy a football match. <br /><br />On a side note, about the World Cup: a friend of mine recently mentioned how the sound of the horns used sounds like a bumblebee crescendo of Om – filling the world (through the sound from the TVs) with love and light.<br /><br />My hope is that even after the World Cup, the situation of seeing each other as an equal will continue.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-53573238568350325852010-06-16T10:14:00.000-07:002010-06-16T11:28:14.188-07:00Marriage Contracts<span class="sqq"></span><blockquote>“Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” ~Guillaume Apollinaire<br /></blockquote><br />As I befriend more and more Kenyans, typically they will ask questions about what the U.S. is like:<br />[note 'your place' is the literal translation used to refer to the states]<br /><br />"Are there dirt roads like this at your place?" "Well yes, but not in citys/towns"<br /><br />"Are there poor people in your place?" "Yes"<br />"(Surprised look on the face) Really? But there surely are no slums like Kibera." "Well yes there are poor people. Yes there are some slums in the states"<br />(Sometimes) "You must be playing" "No lie."<br /><br /><br />One of the more interesting conversations usually goes something like this:<br />...(conversation about money or business or some random office-type conversation)"...everything in the US is contracts eh?" "Pretty much, keeps the working people keep on working hard"<br />"I hear there are even contracts for marriages even. People can just decide to be together for 2, 3, 5 years and then its over." "No, that's not true at all."<br />"What do you mean its not true" "It's not true. There is no such thing as a marriage contract. In the US, just like in Kenya, once you're married, you're married."<br />Typically responses vary once I say this. The various responses include: blank stares, complete denial - to the point of 'jokingly' telling me I must be joking, and sometimes the people will actually believe that I'm speaking the truth.<br /><br />On a side note, today I heard from a neighbor that she's won the <a href="http://www.usgreencardlottery.org/">Green Card Lottery</a>.<br />So today's conversation was very different from the typical (above).<br /><br />She now has to go through a medical check and an interview.<br /><br />Today's conversation was more along the lines of:<br />"I'm screwed on the interview, what do they mostly ask?" "I'm not sure, they might ask you why you want to go to the US"<br />"What else will they ask?" "I have no idea, but just be yourself and be honest. You'll be fine."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684376651861282034.post-58452393884809740182010-06-03T01:32:00.000-07:002010-06-03T22:59:21.671-07:00Treat our Earth Well<blockquote>"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children"<br />- Kenyan Proverb</blockquote><br /><br />Treat our Earth well. It is an important lesson that takes a very long time to learn. Some of us even never learn the lesson in our lives.<br /><br />Part of treating our Earth well involves this buzz word in the world of community development: sustainability.<br /><br />Before joining the Peace Corps, I had thought that in order to help out all one would have to do is something simple like donating money to a cause (i.e. Red Cross) or providing some service to those in need (i.e. serving food at a soup kitchen).<br /><br />I didn't realize how much actually goes into development -- and consequently the importance of environmental conservation.<br /><br />One of the things that we heard about and learned about as part of Peace Corps trainings has been making projects sustainable: that is making sure the project will continue long after the PC Volunteer is gone. So this notion of sustainability came up recently in conservation with an mzee (elder/old man).<br /><br />We were talking about why foreigners come to Kenya: why do people come thinking they can change the world with money? Why do foreigners think that they can come in and fix all the problems for the locals?<br /><br />I had no answers...<br /><br />All that was in my mind is how true these statements ring in many people's minds -- including, to some extent, how I also used to think similarly.<br />Experience is the best teacher.<br /><br />If only we can take this experience and learn to apply it in our everyday lives.<br />If only we can take this life lessons and apply them to the way we treat our Earth mother.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370007185923547276noreply@blogger.com0