A Life of Service:

A New Year, A New Adventure

2012-01-03T03:39:00.000-08:00

As 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.

Reflecting on the last 3 years of my life there are various things that stick out in mind:

* My first few nights in Kenya: traveling and seeing elephants on day2
* Getting arrested in Kenya
* My home in Garissa
* My companion, friend, and pet Baraka (English: Blessing)
* My Peace Corps family

...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.

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.

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.

There comes a time...

2011-09-26T01:37:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when a Peace Corps Volunteer begins to think maybe they've done as much as they can.

Sometimes this time comes during the first year of service.

Sometimes this time comes during the second year of service.

In some occasions, when a volunteer extends, this time even comes during the third year of service....

There comes a time when a PCV begins to think about plans after Peace Corps:
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?...

There comes a time when a PCV feels proud of all the small accomplishments he has had in his term of service.

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.

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.

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.

It's hard to put the idea I'm trying to express into words - but there comes a time...

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)...

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.

There comes a time when a PCV feels like he's wasting time not really accomplishing much in the community.

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.

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.

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..."

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.

Nostalgia

2011-09-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

"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.

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with the newest group of trainees, who've since sworn in as full volunteers in Kenya.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Being around the new trainees, I felt a sense of nostalgia - I began remembering what it was like when I first began learning Kiswahili.

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.

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.

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.

A Single Grain of Sand

2011-07-04T23:35:00.000-07:00

"All you have to do is contemplate a single grain of sand, and you will see
in it all the marvels of creation." Paulo Coehlo, The
Alchemist

Recently I finished reading the book The Alchemist, and I must say what a wonderful book it is. If you have not read it - I highly recommendi t.

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.

"All you have to do is conctemplate a single grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation."

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.

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.

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." (Quote from Kenya Wildlife Service Website)

So with over 150 species of trees, large cats cheetahs, lions, a leopard, a rhino, pygmy hippos, and hundreds of birds - I would say that it is one of my favorite places to visit in Kenya.

Upon arriving at the Safari Walk I had one mission in mind: Have a good time relaxing! Reconnecting with nature.

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.

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 Pygmy Kingfisher.

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!

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.

After concemplating the rather large grain of sand there, I proceeded to concemtplate the rare sight of an Albino Zebra (picture of albino zebra). 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.

In the same area as the Albino Zebra there was also a toirtoise. Yet another magnificent creature to concemplate.

Later up was a leopard 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.

Progressing from the leopard area, there was an bongo 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.

Skipping ahea a little bit, or rather going back, I found the simluated forrest area where I found 2 Dik-Diks which I must say are the cuttest little deer creatures I have ever seen!

Seriously take a moment right now and look at the picture before continuing!

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.

After some time, they went away from the path area and I decided it was time for me to continue.

After having seen and comtemplated two cute grains of sand I moved on to see what other unique grains I would find.

Near the end of the park I came to the area where there were 2 cheetahs relaxing in the grass not more than 10-15 feet from me. I remembered the legend about the tear marks (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.

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.

CKC Training

2011-06-07T22:14:00.001-07:00

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 (http://thebeehive.org), a locally produced website with resources related to the opportunities and needs of the community.

The following is a series of blog postst that I wrote during a training I attended last week.

Day 1 of CKC Manager's Training

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.

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.

We began the day with introductions - getting to know one another's names and where we all come from.

As the day progressed, we had group activities whereby we got to know each other quite well.

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.

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.

Lastly, we finished out the day by setting up our own accounts on the RunCKC website.

What a great day we all had!

Day 2 CKC Manger's Training

Day 2 started with a song sang by our very own participants.

Following the opening with the song, another one of our participants led us in a review activity of the previous day's events.

One of the participants wrote the following regarding the previous day's events:

" 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.

Yesterday was the first step and I'm excited to be part of the grand commencement"

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.

Next we had a session on sustainability and we discussed different income generating activities.

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.

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.

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.

And stay tuned for further updates from the CKC Manager's Training in Nairobi.

Day 4 of CKC Manager's Training

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).

So after a day of celebrating Kenya's self-rule, we're back to work!

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!

We had a great start to the day.

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.

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.

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.

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:

"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"

"what drives me is my desire to empower my community to have knowledge in technology, to be sustainable economically"

"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..."

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.

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.

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.

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!

Day 5 of CKC Manager's Training

We started off today working in groups by CKC coming up with subject areas and topics for the websites each CKC created on MyCKC.

We worked in groups coming up with ideas based on what is important in each community.

Later on, each of the CKCs further worked in groups to create SMART work plans.

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.

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.

After lunch, we had a practical session on updating the MyCKC websites: http://garissa.myckc.org http://kiberaeast.myckc.org/ http://kiberadecanting.myckc.org/ http://pala.myckc.org/ and http://koige.myckc.org/

Following the updating of the newly formed websites, we finished the day by making sure the Final Projects were ready for tomorrow mornings' presentations.

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.

Day 6 of CKC Manager's Training

Today was the last day of the training. It was a sad day and at the same time an exciting day.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!"

I think the above quote really states how everyone was feeling at the end of training today.

Let's finish today as we did (just before the presentation of the certificates) with a story:

The story of the businessman and the carpenter, which goes something like this:

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."

Think of yourself as the carpenter.

Think about your CKC as your house.

Reverse Culture Shock

2011-05-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.
~John F. Kennedy

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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).

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.

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.

The Fear of HIV

2011-02-28T02:07:00.000-08:00

"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." ~ Avert.org

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).

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.

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.
Image: an education poster in Kenya; image taken from avert.org media gallery.

Now, let's contrast this to the U.S.

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.
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.

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.
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.

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'.

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:

Estimated 1.1 Million people living with an HIV infection, out of an estimated population of 300+ million
by the end of 2007 there were 470,902 people living with an AIDS diagnoses in the United States

By comparison, in Kenya:

Estimated 1.5 Million people living with an HIV infection, out of an estimated population of 39 million

Statistically speaking, the chances of getting HIV are certainly less but that does not mean that HIV does not exist in the U.S.
Perhaps it is time for Americans to wake up to the reality that HIV affects Americans as well, not just members of developing countries.
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"

So what can we do? First we need to wake up the reality: HIV is not 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.

Giving and Taking

2011-02-04T00:45:00.000-08:00

It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. ~Mother Teresa

Peace Corps service has been described in many interesting ways: a roller coaster of emotions with its extreme highs and lows; a life-defining leadership experience; ‘the hardest job you’ll ever love'

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.

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.’

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.

Or today’s minor achievements may simply remain today’s minor achievements.

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.

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.

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.
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...
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...

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).

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.

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.

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.

Even to this point, the volunteer has been undergoing tremendous changes, but likely has not yet realized the changes.

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…

Before you know it, the two years are almost up. The volunteer reflects: what have I accomplished in the last two years?

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.

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).

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.

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 my community.

The Kite Runner

2011-01-17T00:31:00.000-08:00

“As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit.” Seneca (Roman philosopher)

Note: The beginning of this blog post was posted on Facebook in a note.

As I finished reading The Kite Runner (by Khaled Hosseini) 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.

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".
Yet hardly any positive news are worthy of being aired on CNN or other networks in the U.S.

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.

At first, it can be a strange setting to someone who is used to 'western culture' coming to this land where:

children play with boxes with plastic bottle-tops as the wheels pulling these 'cars' around with a piece of string.
children play football (read soccer) with plastic bags that have been wrapped up tightly into a spherical shape and tied with twine.
children are taught to memorize and regurgitate information through all of their schooling.
time does not equal money; and thus there is no hurry to get from point A to point B.
people equate foreigner (especially American or European) to money/funds/etc. [read American = $$].

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.

At any rate, getting back to the point of this blog post...
The Kite Runner (and A Thousand Splendid Suns, 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.
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.

Both of the books have specific endings to their stories.

My story is yet to end, but I do know this.

The ending to my story, I am rather certain, will not be a sad one.
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.

Oraganized chaos

2010-12-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

“Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.” ~Tom Barrett

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.

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).

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.
First stop was Makindu, where volunteers Paula and Erin lived (or lived near to). In Makindu I had the opportunity to visit the Makindu Children's Centre where Paula worked with the organization that "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).

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 ‘I kiss your feet’) 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.

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.
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.

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.
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.

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.

You Know You're a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa when...

2010-11-29T21:33:00.000-08:00

"Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy... ... it will be rich and satisfying..." ~John F. Kennedy
quote taken from longer quote found on this link

There is a YouTube video entitled You know you're a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa when...
The following is a transcript of the video (with some of my commentary in parenthesis following some of the statements).

..walking around holding a roll of toilet paper seems like a completely normal thing to do.
..Sitting under a tree watching goats graze is considered a "productive day" (or Camels, camels are people too.)
..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.)
..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
..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.)
..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 )
..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)
..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!)
..there is a rooster you would like to kill, if only he weren't dangerously close to your size (I wouldn't kill it but maybe duct tape its beak shut in the morning...if it wasn't "dangerously close to my size"...)
..you are considered the eminent expert on professional wrestling dispite being able to count you're WWE viewing sessions on one hand
..you are outraged whenever the fare for a 30 minute taxi ride goes up 30 cents US dollars
..you are not outraged whenever your 30 minute taxi ride takes 2 hours
..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
..you can identify an otherwise unmarked stretch of road by the pattern of the potholes
..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
..you find government employees sleeping on the floor of their offices in the middle of the work day
..when buying clothes you think "how hard would this be to wash in a bucket?"
..the fact that peptobismal turns vomit black is a standard and essential element of your knowledge base
..showering every day seems like a decorative vacation
..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
..you're cognizant of being the worst dressed person in your village and you don't care
..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
..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)
..30 kilometers is considered a pretty short distance
..you don't think twice about going potty in a plastic bag at night as a way to avoid leaving your hut
..you have so many random bags that when you travel you look like a gypsy
..you will drink and enjoy anything that is cold (including: camel milk, goat milk, cow milk, water, fruit juice, etc.)
..if you're taking public transport and your lap is empty, there is always room for more people
..you immediately loose your ability to estimate distances and waving your hand towards a certain place is considered giving directions
..if a problem arises, your first reaction is a single big long sigh
..you secretly enjoy African pop music including Klito (sp?) and KwasaKwasa (sp?)
..you enjoy eating maize meal and even order it at restaurants
..you're menstrual cycle coincides with the moon cycle
..basically, you have no shame
..you can never act more crazy than your African counterparts already think you are
..spiders are no longer the enemy, but your trusted ally in the constant battle against bugs
..you let complete strangers crash at your place just because they speak English (yes I am a member of CouchSurfing so that if sommeone who speaks English happens to stop through town they can crash with me for a day or two)
..you've lost track of how many marriage proposals you've received.
..you know how to make alcohol with local ingredients
..a long work day is six hours
..you distinguish between your Peace Corps family and your American family
..those eggs have been sitting out in the sun all day, sure i'll take two
..you realize that every village must have its token crazy person
..you stare at foriegn tourists as much as the locals
..when you actually realize you miss having a salad
..when you know if someone at your site says "yes" it means "definitely not", "maybe" means "probably not" and "no" means "no"
..when you have a story for every possible topic in life that starts with "when I lived in Africa..."

The Camel Bookmobile

2010-11-26T02:08:00.000-08:00

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ~Dr. Seuss

I finished reading a book called The Camel Bookmobile 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.

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.

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.
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.

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?

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.

(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.)

Though we are not likely to face such extreme opposition as was illustrated in the book, we are likely to experience some.

[PS the Camel Bookmobile is a real effort to bring literacy to Kenyans. For more info visit http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com/]

New Light on Death

2010-11-21T00:23:00.000-08:00

“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

Death is a completely different concept in Kenya. Recently, I was reading an article by Ajahn Sumedho (onthe website Inquiring Mind) where he explained that when he went to his mother’s funeral he remained after the ceremony to help with the burial. He writes:

“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.”

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).
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.
Even dead animals are quickly disposed, generally, stateside. Some animals, particularly pets are even treated like family members, and buried in animal cemeteries.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Times are a changin'

2010-11-17T23:15:00.000-08:00

Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep
it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back. ~Harvey MacKay

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 could 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.

Image: Mt. Kilimanjaro as seen from Oloitokitok.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 wazee (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.

Mashujaa (Heroes) Day

2010-10-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” ~Maya Angelou

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.

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.

Honorable Ranneberger came to Garissa for the 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.

Picture above shows Hon. Ranneberger listening as the set up of the CRC is explained by a member of USAID Kenya Mission.

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.

Picture above shows Hon. Ranneberger as he prepares to cut the ribbon officially opening the CRC.

Picture below Hon Ranneberger during his speech with a Somali interpreter to his right.

After his speeches and opening of the CRC, the Ambassador was bestowed traditional Mzee (elder) attire by one of our local elders. Picture of Hon. Ranneberger displaying his Somali Mzee outfit.

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.

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).

In between various interviews and his Town Hall meetings I had a chance to introduce myself to Honorable Ranneberger.

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.
Picture of me greeting and Hon. Ranneberger (left) as he makes his way to a Town Hall meeting.

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) :-)

Living Somali

2010-10-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

“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

Recently, a friend of mine, Ayan, wrote a note on Facebook entitled "Living Somali".
A short time after she read the note, which I'm sharing below, I read a very interesting article entitled Is media coverage of Somalis too negative? 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:

[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.

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

Where two Somalis fight it is best for the outsider to stay outside, to separate them would bring the wrath of both against you.

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.

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 :)]

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.).
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.

Thankfully a more complete picture of Somali news can be found on the following websites: http://www.hiiraan.com/ http://allafrica.com/somalia/ and
http://somalinews.com/

Community Integration

2010-09-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. ~Herman Melville

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].
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.
Apparently, per the Huffington Post the event was thankfully canceled.

For more information on this article - you can read the following articles online:
Al-Jazeera English: Quran burning threat fuels protests
Newsweek: FBI Keep Watch on Quran-Burning Threat
Voice of America News: Obama Defends Handling of Quran Burning Threat
Huffington Post: Quran Burning CANCELED: Dove World Outreach's Terry Jones Drops Offending 'Stunt'

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.
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).

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.
(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.)

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 "firi" 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.
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).

As for dress: collared shirts or button-up shirts and trousers when going to work; or non-collard nice shirts and trousers. But when it comes time to relax - it's all about the kikoi which is the man-skirt worn during the weekend, or after work (typically worn still with the button-up shirt).
Oh, and let's not forget: sandals 24/7 whether going to work or just relaxing - leather sandals (not the small plastic slippers).

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 Shamsudin.

Taita Hills Hiking

2010-08-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.”~Alice Walker

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.

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.
(Picture rock climbing the dry river)

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.

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....
(Picture of us at the view)

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)

There are many more pictures of the hikes on Facbook.

~Blessings

Fourteen Falls Sanctuary

2010-07-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

A strong man and a waterfall always channel their own path.

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.
This year, I went to Fourteen Falls Sanctuary - named for having 14 waterfalls in the same location.

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.

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.
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].
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.
Although I don't have pics of the Thika river, I have a picture of the type of plants that were clapping:

The following are some of the pictures of Fourteen Falls Sanctuary:

Fourteen Falls is named for the 14 waterfalls at the one location.

Now below the Falls, there is an island that is mostly rocks.

As the island is mostly rocks, jumping between rocks to get around is a small challenge :)

David and I posing for a photo near the waterfalls.

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.

I also hope that I will be able to hear the messages from nature's spirits more clearly.

It's Time

2010-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

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.
~Karl Marx

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.

Am I the only person who sees something wrong with this terminology?

To say that one country is 'developed' and another is 'underdeveloped' is to impose judgment as well as assert superiority over the 'underdeveloped' country.
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]

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.

It seems to me that all too often we fall into the trap of the materialism that is so preached by society itself.

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.
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?

Is it the promise of a ‘better life’? Probably.

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.

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.
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).
Certainly, the choice seems clear – materialistically speaking – that the ‘developed’ nations are a ‘better’ place to be/live.

But at what cost?
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.
At the loss of sight – the loss of sight that “we are one”; we lose sight of our similarities and focus on our differences.
At the loss of …
[For brevity sake, I shall stop with those examples]

Is the loss worth it to you?

Perhaps it is time to reawaken, or remember what we had once forgotten.
It is time to start living a better life (qualitatively).

*The World Is As You Dream It: Teachings from the Amazon and Andes by John Perkins

Peace In Laundry

2010-06-26T01:05:00.000-07:00

The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but the wise long for a state of tranquility. - Swami Rama

Every Saturday and usually every Sunday I wash my laundry at home.

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)

I have a simple routine for doing my laundry

Get the basins of water ready for the soapy water, rinse water, and rinse water with fabric softener
Gather dirty laundry and begin soaking
Wash and scrub with hands with the help of bar soap
Rinse clothes
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)

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.

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.

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.

Such as peaceful setting, from what might be considered an unpleasant task.

World Cup Fever Unites

2010-06-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

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

It is interesting which kinds of things bring people together.

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.

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).

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.

Interestingly enough, though not surprising, is that there are a number of misconceptions about what saying Yes or No to the constitution would mean.
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".

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].

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.

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.

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.

My hope is that even after the World Cup, the situation of seeing each other as an equal will continue.

Marriage Contracts

2010-06-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

“Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” ~Guillaume Apollinaire

As I befriend more and more Kenyans, typically they will ask questions about what the U.S. is like:
[note 'your place' is the literal translation used to refer to the states]

"Are there dirt roads like this at your place?" "Well yes, but not in citys/towns"

"Are there poor people in your place?" "Yes"
"(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"
(Sometimes) "You must be playing" "No lie."

One of the more interesting conversations usually goes something like this:
...(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"
"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."
"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."
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.

On a side note, today I heard from a neighbor that she's won the Green Card Lottery.
So today's conversation was very different from the typical (above).

She now has to go through a medical check and an interview.

Today's conversation was more along the lines of:
"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"
"What else will they ask?" "I have no idea, but just be yourself and be honest. You'll be fine."

Treat our Earth Well

2010-06-03T01:32:00.000-07:00

"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children"
- Kenyan Proverb

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.

Part of treating our Earth well involves this buzz word in the world of community development: sustainability.

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).

I didn't realize how much actually goes into development -- and consequently the importance of environmental conservation.

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).

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?

I had no answers...

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.
Experience is the best teacher.

If only we can take this experience and learn to apply it in our everyday lives.
If only we can take this life lessons and apply them to the way we treat our Earth mother.

Life is growth

2010-05-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

Life is just a chance to grow a soul. ~A. Powell Davies

Life goes on. With it, new things continue to happen each and every day.

When I started this blog - my idea was to share my experiences, challenges, and successes as a volunteer. This has kind of fallen to the wayside was I have not really typed much in the recent past. So it's about time for a new blog post.

So let's play catchup, what's been going on with me: for those who may not be aware, I have a puppy named Baraka (eng: Blessing). Baraka was actually named not by me but by some friends who are on internship here from the states. (thanks!)
There are some pictures of Baraka on my Facebook page and I'll try to put some on my Picasaweb album if I remember :)

Let's see what else is going on..Well recently, I had a chance to visit the Kenyan Coast on a planning retreat for a youth leadership project I've been helping out with and I must say that in my travel I realized how much I've accustomed myself to living where and how I do.

While I was away (for just a few days) I really missed the simple things of life. Perhaps this is because as humans we tend to find patterns that work for us and that we like and stick to them. For example, I have a simple routine of leaving the house early to eat breakfast in town before going to school. Simple, right? Well, when we don't have school - April, August, and December when school is not in session - I miss that early morning walk and exchanging greetings with the people as I make my way into town. In fact, so much time had passed without my daily ritual that some people upon seeing me and greeting me made comments such as "kama sikuona, nilifikiri ulienda" (eng: since i had not seen you, I thought you had left [gone back to the states]).

Even still, the way the faces light up upon seeing me, even after a few days (or sometimes a week if I don't make it into the market) reminds me of why I'm here and who I'm here for.

As I write this, a new school term has begun and with it new challenges and new joys. Each new day I feel more and more like this community is where I belong - the place where I am meant to be doing what I am meant to be doing.

My hope and prayer is that no matter where life takes me I will continue to feel this way.

Happy Belated Mother's Day

2010-05-16T22:55:00.000-07:00

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

To all my mothers, grandmothers, and future mothers in the world:

The day called Mother's Day is the day for you: It's a day for us, your children, to remember and appreciate everything about you.
Everything you do, everything you have done, and everything you will do for us.

Sadly, we as humans do not say "Thank you" as much as we ought. Especially to the people who matter most in our lives: Our teachers, our spiritual leaders, our parents.

So even though Mother's Day is only once a year, don't think that we do not appreciate what you do for us every single day of our lives. Deep down inside, we would not be the people we are today without our mothers.

Having said that, I would like to have a special shout-out to some of my mothers and grandmothers that have been especially influential to me in my life:

My mom who has guided me and helped me every step of the way. Through the good times and the hard times. She has never given up hope on me and for that I am eternally grateful.

My Kenyan mama who taught me about Kenyan culture when I first arrived here. She has helped me to understand how to live a simpler life than I was used to in the States. With her help, I've been able to adjust to life in Kenya.

My local mamas and grandmas (that is the many ladies who look after me in this town): my local mamas and grandmamas are always helpful and grateful of the little time we chat. When I go to the market for example even if I don't buy something from a particular mama just the greeting and brief conversation makes the world of difference to them.
Additionally, a special shoutout to the non-Kenyan local mamas (one of whom has traveled out of Kenya for a bit): Thank you for all your help and support. Asante sana, nimeshukuru sana.

My Scouting mamas and grandmas: Throughout my life there have been a great number of ladies who have helped me as I've been involved with the Scouting movement (both in the US and in Kenya). My Scout mamas and grandmas have helped guide me in many different ways as I have continued to develop into the person I am today. A big thank you for all your support throughout the years.

Lastly, for all my other mamas and grandmas not mentioned in the above text: you are also loved. I am grateful for having met each and every one of you.

Blessings to all mas and grandmas in the world.

Shillingi Kumi (10 Shillings)

2010-03-30T23:04:00.000-07:00

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other. ~Chinese Proverb

What's the worth of 10 Kenya Shillings? In terms of U.S. dollars (for reference only) it's about 13 cents (give or take, depending on the exchange rate).

10 shillings is the price of a cup of chai in several smaller cafes.
10 shillings is the price of a very small bottle of water.
10 shillings is the price of one egg.
10 shillings is the amount of money I am asked for by children and adults who are looking for handouts (in my community and in Nairobi as well).

10 shillings doesn't seem like a lot of money right? Pragmatically, it is not a lot of money, its rather a small amount of money. So, why is it then, that I choose not to give 10 shillings to people looking for handouts? It's definitely not because I am greedy and mean person. On the contrary, I don't give these handouts because I care.

I've noticed, in different parts of Kenya, that there is a "Robin-hood" mentality where 'wealthier' people are required to give handouts to people who are less fortunate. The amount of the handouts seems less important then the handouts themselves. Typically foreigners and wealthy-looking nationals are asked for money.

The stories vary: "my wife/husband is sick"..."my (insert relative) is sick"..."my boy/girl does not have books/pens/food for school"..."my wheelbarrow is broken"...or sometimes the person wont even say anything and just have their hand cupped and, possibly, point to their stomach.

I've noticed that as time has progressed many of the people who, day after day, continue to ask for handouts have stopped asking me or ask on fewer occasions.

I firmly believe in the "teach a man to fish" instead of "give a man a fish".
So while giving a handout today, whether it be 1000 Kenya Shillings (~13$) or 10 Kenya Shillings, the person is not learning anything more than "this person gives money" - which over time can contribute to an over-all mentality of 'money will be provided for me so I need not worry about work'.

That's not to say that all people who are looking for handouts don't work, though. In fact, even people who work will ask for handouts. This just goes back to the idea that the people who are presumed 'wealthy' are required to provide handouts to the less fortunate.
Add in the perception that all foreigners are 'wealthy' and what do we get? We get the wrong perception that even volunteers have lots of money they can hand out to host country nationals who need only ask for the assistance.

In trying to derail this mentality, I will, when possible, explain why I will not give a person a handout.
When I say I wont give them money the typical response is "hata shillingi kumi?" (eng: not even 10 shillings?) "Hapana, pole" (eng: no, sorry).

Happy Peace Corps Week!

2010-03-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

The Peace Corps stands ready to support the next generation of dedicated volunteers who are committed to serving their country in the cause of peace and believe in the importance of grassroots community development. ~ Aaron S. Williams, Current Peace Corps Director

The Peace Corps community is celebrating Peace Corps Week this week March 1- 7. This year's celebration marks the 49th anniversary of the Peace Corps, founded on March 1, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the agency.

As Peace Corps approaches its 50th anniversary (next year!), its service legacy continues to promote peace and friendship around the world with 7,671 volunteers serving in 76 host countries. Historically, nearly 200,000 Americans have served with the Peace Corps to promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the host countries.
At present, Peace Corps Volunteers have served in 139 countries building strong bonds with their host nations, promoting development at the grass roots, and helping unlock the potential in every human being. Their efforts in agriculture, business development, education, health, the environment, and combating HIV/AIDS have improved the lives of countless individuals in communities around the world.
Returning with a wealth of experiences, Peace Corps Volunteers bring a deep knowledge of other cultures and traditions back home.

[Note: the information above has been copied and slightly paraphrased from 2 sources: Peace Corps' news release and from President Obama's letter of greetings to those celebrating Peace Corps week]

Reflecting on the continued existence of this wonderful program, I feel that I am still serving as a PCV in Kenya.

I used to wonder about what the "Peace Corps experience" would be like. I would ask myself, am I living the PCE? Having some of the luxuries that I have: electricity, running water, regular internet access - is this the PCE?

Certainly when the Peace Corps was started not all of the volunteers were able to enjoy some of the luxuries that some of us are able to enjoy today - but that does not mean that we're not really living the true PCE.

Taking into consideration that throughout the past 49 years of the Peace Corps existence, technology has changed a great deal. With the change in technology, the needs and challenges of PCVs has also changed over time. With these changes, the PCE has also changed to meet the new needs and challenges of communities where PCVs continue to inspire change, peace, and understanding.

Having this understanding in mind, I continue to do the best I can to inspire the members of my community to bring about positive change in the community (as well as future communities they may end up moving/traveling to).

Being an inspiration to others can be tricky at times - sometimes I may feel ill, or lazy, or 'homesick' thinking about some luxuries I had access to that I took for granted while I had access to it. And yet I persevere. I am still here and I will continue to do my best to inspire members of my community each and every day I am here.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak to approx 130 youth about the importance of volunteering within the community.
Today, I am teaching a class on HIV/AIDS.
Next week, I will again teach classes on computer literacy and HIV/AIDS.

Yet the information can be taught by anyone. In fact, many of my colleagues at the school could teach the classes I teach.
The difference with me teaching these classes is me; my presence.
I've come to see that my presence is a source of inspiration to my students and other members of my community.

Founder's Day Celebration (Photos!)

2010-02-24T07:58:00.001-08:00

So, please see previous blog post for actual text. This post contains only photos relating to the Founder's Day Celebration (and Scout Moot dry run).

The pictures here include pictures of me and other scouts at a child orphanage where we painted the walls, windows, gates, etc.

As well as pictures at Paxtu (Lord Baden-Powell's former home) and Lord BP's grave.

Founder's Day Celebration

2010-02-23T04:30:00.000-08:00

“Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.” ~Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Founder of the Scouting Movement Worldwide

Every year, Scouts from around the globe gather around in Kenya to pay tribute to the founders of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guide movements (collectively, the Scouting movement).

This year, 2010, was no exception to that. In fact, this year, the Kenya Scouts Association is celebrating 100 years of Scouting in Kenya. In addition to the celebration of 100 years, Kenya is also going to be hosting the 13th World Scout Moot (http://www.scoutmoot2010.org/) later this year.

With great anticipation of hosting scouts from around the world, this year's Founderee camp also included a dry-run of the Moot and the events for Rover Scouts (18-25). During the event, which I attended with 10 Rover Scouts from my school, I had the chance to experience several wonderful opportunities. Among the events that I took part in, a group of scouts and myself went to a child orphanage in Nyeri and repainted the walls, doors, and gates of the facility. On top of the service project, we also went to Paxtu - where Lord Baden Powell lived, and we also went to his final resting place.

After traveling to Lord Baden-Powell's grave, we travelled to a nearby coffee farm and learned about how Kenyan coffee is grown. From the farm, where the generous hosts provided us with water and sugar cane, we hiked up to the coffee factory where the coffee is sorted, processed, packaged, and shipped.

From here, we hiked up a small hill nearby up to 2200 meters above sea level where we could see the terrain for miles and miles around. We could see the Aberdare mountains in the distance, as well as Tumu-Tumu Hill and, had it not been for the clouds, we would have seen Mt. Kenya also.

At any rate, after the hiking and travelling, we ended up finishing the night with a camp fire (yes a giant camp fire) at which various scout units had songs, dramas, and we even had a pep talk from the former speaker of Kenya's parliament.

If that was not enough for one weekend, the following day, thousands of scouts (there was 4,000 camped plus 500 at our camp - and many others who travelled that day) showed up to celebrate the continuance of the Scouting Movement in Kenya and around the world. Among the guests were the Chief Scout Executives from Togo, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya, Kenya's current Vice President, one of Kenya's Ministers, as well as the thousands of Scouts themselves from various countries.

I continue to be grateful for the opportunities I've been able to have and I am very happy and proud to say that I am continuing my involvement in Scouting while I am a volunteer in Kenya.

[Related pictures coming soon]

Lucky the Giraffe

2010-02-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

“God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat. He has no real style. He just keeps on trying other things.” ~Pablo Picasso

So it's been a while since my last update with the Solar Eclipse pictures.
It seems to me that time continues to fly faster and faster as time passes.
This term (Jan-March) I am teaching several classes on top of what I've been teaching in the past:
I am teaching 5 computer applications classes (MS Office mostly), 2 Psychology classes (development and personality theories), and 1 HIV/AIDS class. The latter three classes are for Community Development courses (certificate and diploma; diploma here is the equivalent of an Associate's Degree in the US).

On top of the usual teaching, I continue to try to be an inspiration to the youth in my community to volunteer. As part of my assistance to the G-Youth Project, last month or so I had a chance to visit one of the villages on the outskirts of town and see what a 'bulla' is like (pronounced boura). On the visit, we met some of the local youth and explained about the aim of the project and the reason we were there (more info soon).

On the way back from the bulla I saw my first giraffe in Kenya. That's right, after about 13 or 14 months (not that it really matters how many...) I saw a giraffe for the first time. As we were driving back from the bulla towards town, we drove past the Giraffe Sanctuary (we drove past it on the way to the bulla also) and on the way back there was a giraffe just standing next to the road. It was a very neat sight. The following day, Rachel (the other PCV in town), and I were invited t0 join some of the G-Youth staff on a trip to see the giraffes the following morning (see picture on the left, more pics on Facebook).

Also during the last few months I've heard some statements I want to share with others:
When we went to the bulla, we asked the youth some questions and one of the questions asked was regarding illness. One youth told me he once had measles (I could be wrong on the illness itself, my memory is not the greatest) and that he was cured after a ceremony in which a sheep was slaughtered and he was wrapped in the sheep skin.

Another time, an mzee (elder) greeted me as I was walking and said "We used to pray together at this mosque. What happened? Why do you no longer pray with us?" My response "I have not prayed at this mosque before. Perhaps you are thinking of another person" Mzee: "Yes, you might be right". Then we proceeded to exchange work info and the mzee invited me to join them at this mosque (The main mosque in town) for prayers.

On several occasions, elders and locals have made comments about my skin color such as "You've been living here so long your skin color is becoming like ours!" or "How long have you been living here? Your skin color is becoming darker, one day you will look just like us."

Solar Eclipse Photos

2010-01-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

". . . and the Sun has perished
out of heaven,
and an evil mist hovers over all."

Said to refer to a total solar eclipse of 16 April 1178 BC.
From: Homer (Greek), The Odyssey (8th century BC).

So this morning (Kenya time) I witnessed a solar eclipse and took some photos I'd like to share. All of these photos were taken from outside my house in Garissa, Kenya. :)

Teaching to Inspire

2010-01-12T23:08:00.001-08:00

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.” ~Buddha

With the arrival of January 2010, the first term of the school year has begun. In case I forgot to mention this before in a previous blog, the school calendar in Kenya is different than that of the U.S. Here, the lessons go for three months on, one month off. Which means schools open in early January and break for the month of April for the first term. As we are now about half way through the month of January, the school is open and classes are on track.

This term I am teaching several classes. I am teaching Computer Applications (i.e. MS Office), Word Processing, Databases, and Human Growth & Development (HG&D). In terms of hours this term I am teaching more than I taught last term (Sept-Nov) but I am excited to be teaching the HG&D class.

The first week of classes goes by a little slow as not all the students have registered for the term and they continue trickling in. Last week when the school opened and registration began there were some transport issues with the matatu (public transport vehicle - a 14 passenger van) strike.
I feel different being on campus again this new year. It seems to me as though something has changed though I can't quite put my finger on it. It might be the 35 new computers we received in December. No, I was here when that happened. Maybe it's the new classroom block and offices? No, I knew the construction would be finished soon. Maybe it's the few new faces - the new teachers on attachment? Hmmm..could be, though there's definitely something else. Maybe it's the fact that instead of the small school van the bus is now being used to shuttle students and staff in the morning to school? I don't think that's it either. I remember hearing that was supposed to begin last term. It's probably because I too have changed since the closing of the school last term.

Well whatever is causing this feeling of "change" or "difference" I will continue to do my best and inspire my students/peers to excel.

Seeking Peace Within

2010-01-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

“Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” ~T.S. Eliot

So as part of Peace Corps Kenya, we have a monthly newsletter through which we are able to send announcements and share information between volunteers in Kenya.
I recently submitted an article to provide a little more insight as to the meditation course that I attended recently. The article I submitted I've copied and pasted here:
"Everyone seeks peace and harmony in their lives. Sometimes we find temporary peace or harmony and yet it always seems to slip away when we do have it temporarily. Sometimes the journey for peace and harmony may lead people, such as myself, to leave everything that is known to them and take the time to experience life in a new and different way – for me this means joining the Peace Corps in search of a better understanding.
Through the journey of the roller coaster of our Peace Corps experiences, we have our ups and downs – joyous wondrous achievements and frustrations that all come with life. What if there was a way to change that? What if we could learn to maintain our calmness during the hard times?
There are many techniques that some people try and use to maintain calm. One of these techniques I recently learned is through meditation. So what is meditation? Meditation is simply awareness. The focus of awareness tends to differ by meditation techniques. One such example is simply observing one's own breath. Such a simple act of awareness is a simple meditation technique. Meditation is typically a tool to achieve greater focus, creativity, self-awareness, or simply a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind.
There are various kinds of meditation techniques - some that are traditionally used by specific religions or religious teachings. That is not to say, however, that all meditation is specific to one religion or another. One very good example of a non-sectarian meditation is that of Vipassana.
Vipassana is a meditation technique that is taught in 10 day (and in some cases longer) courses, often called sittings. Throughout the world, including, in Kenya. Having found out about it by word of mouth - first Sylvia mentioned that she was aware of a meditation retreat, later I found out the specific information - I decided to give it a shot
For ten days we, the participants of the retreat (including 3 Kenya PCVs, 1 Uganda PCV and one Kenya RPCV), lived the lives of monks/nuns. The retreat took place at the Kolping Conference Center where in April of last year my training group had our In-Service Training. For ten days we lived by practicing a life of moral conduct. Abstaining from harming any living beings, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from telling lies, and abstaining from all intoxicants. With the moral foundation, we proceeded to develop our concentration of the mind. By concentrating our minds we were able to gain wisdom through insight of this meditation technique.
Now 10 days may sound like a long time, but from my own experience those 10 days pass by very very quickly. (I mean consider this, for many of us we've already been PCVs in Kenya for a year and that time has flown by).
The ten days themselves were, for me, a beginning of a wonderful technique that I believe will help me greatly.
For anyone who might be interested in learning this particular non-secterian meditation technique there are typically three sittings a year - that is three 10 day courses per year in Nairobi. For anyone interested in finding out more information, you can go to the website http://www.dhamma.org/ From this website, you can read information about the teachings in general as well as look at the course schedules around the world.

Metta,
Shamsudin (aka Daniel)"

Two other things I would like to mention: Special shout out and thanks to Chad for the letter - I really do appreciate your mail. I also hope you get your invite soon and please let me know if you end up setting up a blog!

Lastly, I wanted to emphasize something that Chad wrote: "Kanye once said, 'If you admire somebody, you should go ahead and tell 'em, nobody gets the flowers while they can still sell 'em.'...people often forget to thank the people who are most important to them."
This message is very true and I would once again like to express my deepest gratitude to all who have helped me to get where I am today. Without your support I would not be where I am today.

May all beings be happy; May all beings find real peace, real harmony.

A New Year, A New Adventure

2010-01-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~Andre Gide

Greetings to every being near and far!
I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Holiday Season and enjoyed spending time with their families.
As a new year has arrived I thought I would write a blog post to detail how I spent my Holiday Season. During the Holidays I lived as a monk living a life of moral conduct, concentration/mastery of the mind, and wisdom.

Having gone through this experience by way of a meditation technique taught my S.N. Goenka with the help of an assistant teacher to help answer questions we had about the technique, I feel that I have taken an important step in my life's path (whether it was a big step or a small step I'm not sure, but an important step either way).
For anyone who might be interested in further information about the meditation technique or information regarding the teachings involved, the information can be found on the web at http://www.dhamma.org. [Note: the meditaiton technique is non-secterian and is universal]

So as we welcome in a 'new year' (given that our sense of time might be entirely incorrect) new adventures are on the horizon. Unfortunately the horizon is an imaginary line that recedes as we approach it. So the best thing to do is to live the adventure in the moment!

Keeping that in mind, I am looking forward to getting back to Garissa and the projects and the people to continue to serve mankind and the nature as I proceed on my life's path.

At this moment in time I realize that new adventures come and go and many times we fail to realize the wonderful opportunities we have to learn and grow and instead we get angry or in some other way fail to realize the wonderous opportunities that are present.

May all beings be happy and find real peace... real harmony..

Happly Holidays and Happy New Year's!

2009-12-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” ~Helen Keller

“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

“Let us resolve to be masters, not the victims, of our history, controlling our own destiny without giving way to blind suspicions and emotions.”~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

I thought I would just drop a note to say Happy Holidays and Happy New Year's to my friends and family around the world.
I am have been blessed with to have crossed paths with each and every single one of you and for that I am grateful.

I have also been blessed with the opportunity to continue my search for myself while at the same time providing much needed assistance to what has become my community.

With the new year coming in, people tend to make New Year's Resolutions: commitments to change something about themselves - perhaps changing a habit or a specific project.
With this in mind, I have not yet come up with any resolutions.
The new year is still a few days away so I still have time to come up with them.
What should my resolutions include? Being happier? Keeping in touch better with friends that have traveled far?
As important as these may seem, I still have not yet decided what my resolutions will be.

Holiday Season Away from Home?

2009-12-23T02:19:00.000-08:00

Now is the moment of magic, when the whole, round earth turns again toward the sun, and here's a blessing: the days will be longer and brighter now, even before the winter settles in to chill us. Now is the moment of magic, when people beaten down and broken, with nothing left but misery and candles and their own clear voices, kindle tiny lights and whisper secret music, and here's a blessing: the dark universe is suddenly illuminated by the lights of the menorah, suddenly ablaze with the lights of the kinara, and the whole world is glad and loud with winter singing. Now is the moment of magic, when an eastern star beckons the ignorant toward an unknown goal, and here's a blessing: they find nothing in the end but an ordinary baby, born at midnight, born in poverty, and the baby's cry, like bells ringing, makes people wonder as they wander through their lives, what human love might really look like, sound like, feel like. Now is the moment of magic, and here's a blessing: we already possess all the gifts we need; we've already received our presents: ears to hear music, eyes to behold lights, hands to build true peace on earth and to hold each other tight in love. ~Victoria Safford

In a previous blog, I wrote a little bit about spending the holiday season away from my friends and family that I am used to and yet I've realized that I do have a new family to spend the holidays with here.

Reflecting back on the month of Ramadan when I was still relatively new to this community and I was not sure of what I would be doing through the Holiday.

Season I briefly began to consider what this December would have in store for me. I was wondering if I would travel to celebrate Christmas with my home-stay family from training in Loitokitok. Or perhaps I would invite a small group of PCVs and other friends to visit me in Garissa to celebrate Christmas and maybe even ring in the New Year's in together celebrating with some camel milk chai.
However, as time has passed and as I've now come to realize, I do not need to have other Americans present for me to be able to celebrate a happy and festive holiday season as I have been used to in the past.

Since the time of Ramadan, I have spent a lot of time with the members of my community. After spending so much time with them, learning their customs [such as eating food without the use of utensils], learning the language [I'm alright in Kiswahili and I've began learning Somali), and dressing and acting the way they do (you've seen pictures of me in a Kikoi, right?)

So this year and next year I will celebrate the Holiday season with my new community without the familiarity of the Christmas music playing all around and the Holiday decorations around the shopping centers and houses with their unique decorations demonstrating the Spirit of the Holidays.

Last night I actually realized I don't really have any traditional Christmas music only a CD of parodies a good friend gave to me a few years back. So in case any of you feel generous a gift of some holiday music would be appreciated :)

Picture time!

River Tana as seen from the bridge leading to Coast Province:

Cowsay Linux application welcoming you all to North Eastern Province Technical Training Institute:

Storks enjoying the Holiday Season:

Small Changes

2009-12-15T01:36:00.000-08:00

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the recent past, I was taken to Nairobi for a medical exam/check up. While in Nairobi, I had a chance to visit with some of my fellow PC-Kenya volunteers, and meet with other aid workers and volunteers from other organizations (such as DirectAida).

During our brief stay in Nairobi, we had dental and physical exmaniations to ensure our well being.
Upon my return to my community in Garissa I noticed a lot of small changes in the short amount of time that have occurred.

Some time during my college years, I once heard a saying that goes something like "if you put a frog in boiling water, the frog will jump out. If you put a frog in water and gradually increase the heat, the frog will boil to death."
Interesting saying with a simple reference: small changes occur over time even if we don't realize it. This is especially true for Peace Corps Volunteers. Often we find ourselves unsure of what to write about in our blogs as to us the many small changes that happen become common for us.
For example, while it may not be common for us to walk amongst sheep, camels, cows, and other wildlife in the U.S., this has become commonplace for me in my community.

Having spent a few days away from my town I noticed several small changes that have occurred:
For one, the gate at my compound has been fixed. No small thing, though since the first rain that flooded the road in front of my house it was a small daily challenge to try and walk out the gate having almost no solid ground to step on on the way in or out.

Another small change I've noticed is that my neighbor's dogs have not been out and about as usual. Two compounds/gates from me, my landlord lives and has a garage. His garage is fairly large and he has many dogs that are typically found outside of his gate playing in the road or resting under the shade outside. As of late, I think the dogs have stayed within the gate as there is more shade there (and the temperature seems to have increased - although this could be just my perception since Nairobi seemed cold to me.

Additionally, the number and types of birds at my school has changed. Before I left, there used to be a great number of carnivorous birds that enjoy eating scraps of meet and bone marrow from left-overs and trash.
Today, however, I was almost knocked out by a sparrow as he was flying and nearly kamikazied into my head.
At present, there are tons of sparrows flying around my school eating up all the insects they can find. They even fly at the walls to provoke the moths to move and be eaten in flight.
What I find particularly interesting/amazing/cool is that there are at least 2 different species of butterflies with particularly cool defense mechanisms. One of the species will be lie with one wing on the ground and the other straight in the air - which makes them look as though they are stones from far away. The second species can't even be seen and cloaks itself rather well with the sand (as the color of their wings is very simimlar to sand).

Yet another small change I've noticed is the way in which greetings have changed at upon returning to site. Typical greetings include "habari ya leo? habari ya kazi? Umeamkaje? Umelalaje? Mambo?" (non-literal translation: how is today? how is work? did you wake up well? did you sleep well?) the list goes on. However, upon return to site (and also typical after not seeing someone for an atypical amount of time) the greetings change to "Umepotea sana! Nimefikiri umerudi kwako/US" or "Umepotealea wapi? Nimefikiri umerudi nyumbani" (eng: You've been so lost! I thought you had gone back to your place/US; Where have you been lost? I thought you had returned to your place/US). In response to these greetings my response is "sijapotea sana. Baado niko hapa. Kazi inanendelea" (I haven't been so lost so long. I'm still here, work continues). Sometimes I might even throw in a "nydio, nimerudi nyumabni hapa Garissa" (Yes, I've come to my home here in Garissa").

Given the small changes that continue, it is very possible that, had I stayed in Garissa instead of traveling to Nairobi, I would not have taken great notice of the small changes as they grew over time with me.
I now reflect on my previous blog about how I've changed and I wonder what other small changes have taken place over time that I have not yet noticed as surely as I would have not noticed the small changes that have taken place during my brief absence from Garissa.

My community

2009-12-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

“Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers.” ~Howard Thurman

“...A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must git it this soul.” ~Pope John Paul II

During the past few days I've read a book called Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card - written as a sequel to Ender's Game. A great read for anyone who enjoys a Sci Fi book.
At any rate, near the beginning of the story one of the main characters - a young girl is asked what community she belongs to since she appears to be an outcast of the fictional colonial society. Once I finished reading the book, I got to wondering: Which community(ies) do I belong to?

I'd like to believe that the primary community I belong to is the community of helpers. The community of people who enjoy helping other people potentially to the extent that their primary mission in life is to help.

The more immediate community I belong to is more easily described, through this blog, as well as through emails and phone calls: the community in which I reside. In this community, I am known by many names. Sometimes I am called Sheikh (meaning elder, leader, noble, [literal translation man of old age]), other times I am called Mwalimu (teacher) or Macalin (teacher), and even more recently I've been given the name Shamsudin interpreted as bright warrior (Sham = sun, din = warrior).

In my community, I am a teacher of computer studies (computer applications mostly) and this coming January I will also be teaching introductory psychology courses at my school - the North Eastern Province Technical Training Institute.

In my community, I am known not as a foreigner but as a mwenyeji (a local resident, a native). As such, I have been blessed to have a very unique insight into the lives of my community. The members of my community are for the most part Kenyans; Kenyans of Somali and non-Somali descent.
I am known as a mewnyeji as a result of many different things. For starters, I have a tremendous respect for the community at large. I dress as they do and walk as most people do. I am friendly and respectful to everyone.
By the way, anyone who lives in a warm/hot climate should try wearing a kikoi (a man skirt). In fact, when I return to the States, I will bring back plenty of my kikois :) [Side-note: any guy who visits me will try out a kikoi.]
Another thing that has helped me integrate into my community is the fact that my skin color is not that of a stereotypical American or European. In fact, many people have told me that upon first seeing me they thought I was Arabic - still to this day some times children will call me mwarabu (Arab).

I am happy to be a member of my community, here in Kenya, as I continue my quest to help my brothers and sisters in our journey together. Even after my tour of service with the Peace Corps, I know that my journey will continue and I know that the lessons I will have learned from my community will stay with me forever.
For that I am grateful to all the members of my community.

I'm not the help you want

2009-12-09T01:27:00.000-08:00

“Nothing that I can do will change the structure of the universe. But maybe, by raising my voice I can help the greatest of all causes - goodwill among men and peace on earth.” ~Albert Einstein

Living in a community that has several different aid agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has some unique challenges as well as benefits. For instance, one benefit is that there are a lot of projects going on that I can partake in or assist with. Unfortunately, there is always a potential risk that there are multiple NGOs or other organizations such as Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that are doing the exact same projects and that they may not be aware of that. In such cases, the wheel is reinvented in many ways: sometimes a wooden wheel; sometimes a metallic wheel, sometimes a small wheel; other times a large wheel.
At any rate, it's definitely nice to be able to provide some assistance, to the best of my ability, to the projects.

One of the downsides of living in an NGO community, as a volunteer, however is the preconceived notion that all foreigners work for NGOs and therefore have lots of money and are here (wherever here is) to provide funding for projects or other similar support. In my case, it did not take too long for the community to understand that I am not an NGO worker and that I am merely a volunteer teaching at the local technical school.

It seems to me, however, that although we (we being used as a general term for people all over and not just volunteers in this context) try to help in various ways (volunteering, providing funding for projects, etc.) the more we help, the more the people become dependent on the help causing a self-perpetuating problem. This problem is depending on the aid.

When the community becomes too dependent on aid the foreigners become being seen as the bringers of the solution. This in turn, leads to the community members not making the projects their own. So what happens when you show up with a project that is yours and not the community's? Well it's likely that once you leave your project ends up leaving with you.
The downside, or at least in my experience, is that the more people rely on foreign aid the less and less that a project becomes the communty's. The people begin to expect the NGOs to come in with their hand outs and continue to hand out food, jobs, etc.

What is not typically expected is a volunteer (or in some cases several volunteers) in a given community that don't come with money and funding and instead come with knowledge, ideas, and experiences to share.

Which one am I? I am the volunteer that comes with ideas and knowledge to share with the community. I plant seeds and water them in hopes that the community (or community members) will take the initiative and take the seedlings and help the tree grow by providing water as needed so that one day birds may make their nests there.
Of course, not all seedlings will bear fruit, but it is my hope, as a volunteer that if I plant enough seeds at least a few will bear fruit and bring a positive change to the community.

It is also important to note that no matter how much I am able to accomplish - however many seeds that will one day bear fruit, volunteering is not a one-way street. In fact, on this two-way street I have come to many a realization. But that will be a topic for another blog (continuation from a previous blog also on how I've changed).

Let's just suffice it to say, I'm not the help you want or are used to; I'm not here to give you hand outs.

I am here to help in a new way.

Getting tested again

2009-11-30T05:41:00.000-08:00

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ~Mahatma Ghandi

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” ~Buddha

In a previous blog, I recounted the tale of my very first HIV/AIDS test in a Voluntary Counseling and Testing center (VCT) in Kenya at the Mombasa trade fair.

At the end of that blog post I mentioned "In three months, I will go take the test again. I can only imagine what I will be thinking/feeling at that time."

So it is that exactly 3 months after my first test, on Friday November the 13th, I went to a clinic where Rachel works. Though she was not here at the time, I enjoyed a conversation with the staff at the clinic answering the typical question "umepotea wapi?" (Eng: Where have you been lost?). I replied "kazi tu, baado niko shule" (Eng: just working, I'm still at the school).
After about half an hour or so of just chatting, I mentioned to that I was stopping by that day to get tested.

Having been tested before, I thought I would be less fearful of testing positive. Now at this point, the testing procedure was the same as before (brief recap):
First of all, the counselor asked me some things to gage how much information about HIV transmission I know.
Then, the counselor then continued to ask for some information to fill out a form (not including my name).
Next, the counselor and I discussed the testing procedure. Then with little warning, the counselor pricked my finger and gathered enough blood for the test.
During the waiting for the test to be complete, we briefly discussed my role in the community (US PCV; teaching at North Eastern Province Technical Training Institute; working with NGOs) etc.
Then the test results: Negative. I breathed a sigh of relief.
We briefly discussed ways to prevent infection once again and then after that I returned to talking with the clinic staff I was hanging out with.

Realizing I have taken every precaution to prevent myself from getting HIV/AIDS (while still treating people living with HIV/AIDS as human beings) I was still somewhat concerned that there might have been something I missed.

Something was different this time, though, compared to the first test. This time I knew how the test would proceed and yet even knowing this I was still concerned that I might be infected. Yet even though I was fearful of the results, I knew that it did not matter. I knew that whatever the results were, this is what the results are meant to be. No matter whether I were to have tested positive or negative, I knew that the results would have been the way things are meant to be and that I would continue to live my life's purpose either way: A life of service.

Small victories

2009-11-30T00:50:00.000-08:00

"To lose your way is to find it." Swahili proverb

So I've come to a realization that I thought I had come to and immersed myself with this understanding however recently I was shaken out of it and have found my way back to this understanding.

One year and a few weeks have passed since I made my journey into the unknown life of a Peace Corps Volunteer. One year has passed as I continue to see the world in a different light.

At one point I thought I had realized that in a short time such as two years, I was more likely to change than the community I was living and working with.
Now, certainly, there are plenty of NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) and other organizations that stay here for a longer period of time and even then they are not always able to make a lasting difference.

I thought I had realized a few months ago that the best thing to do is to make a small difference in the lives of some people in small ways.
I thought I had realized that me making a large measurable impact on my community was something that is realistically not achievable.
I thought I had realized that I would change more than my community when I came.

Somewhere along the lines, probably recently, I lost this understanding and began to think/feel that I have accomplished nothing in my first year. Given that I have not been in one place for the entire time, things have turned out to be slightly different.

At any rate, thanks to a brainstorming session with another volunteer in Garissa, I got my head screwed back on right.

I've realized again that the largest impact I will make will actually be a combination of small victories with smaller projects or planting of ideas or small things to do.
For example, inspiring Kenyans to volunteer: small victory(?), measurable? no.
Another example: passing on computer skills to Kenyans: small victory (individually perhaps?), measurable? no (at least not the full impact of them having gained the skills).

That is how I've lost my way to find it again.

I wonder in what other ways I might have lost my way to and have not yet realized it to find it again.. hmmm.. a topic for another blog another day. :)

Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T02:18:00.000-08:00

“Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!” ~Amanda Bradley

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” Frederick Keonig

It's that time of year again.. I'm sure back in the States Christmas music is in the air on every single radio station. Counting down the number of shopping days to the fateful morning when all good little children will received wonderful presents and the naughty children will receive a lump of coal.

At any rate, in November is when the American Thanksgiving holiday falls. Family and friends gather together on the fourth Thursday of the month to rejoice, celebrate, and give thanks for whatever they have.
Since I will not be with my family physically this Thanksgiving, I thought I would write a thanksgiving note.

Now today, as I write this note, I want to briefly reflect on my life: past and present.
Of course, as time is relative, let my focus be in general terms of the many 'years' that have passed.

Through my journeys in this life, I have grown to be who I am today because of the experiences and people I've met and had contacts with throughout my life. I have no regrets of my past as everything that has happened happened for a reason, even if the reason remains unknown to me. As such, I would like to present a brief synopsis of major events in my life.

Birth and childhood:
It is quite evident that I am who I am today, in the form I am today, as my physical body was born on this earth. Throughout my childhood, I had many different role models and friends. Guides and teachers. Each and every person (and animal) I came in contact with left an Impact on my life and for that I am grateful.

Preadolescence/early schooling:
Changes happen in the world. As people grow older they begin to learn new and exciting things... Eventually the children of today begin learning in a formal setting which we refer to as School. School brings new opportunities to learn about things we never knew about before; New friends, new subjects, new knowledge. New ways to have fun and learn at the same time.

Adolescence/ more schooling:
Then as we progress through life more changes come. Old friendships are tested, new friendships are made. Some bonds become stronger as time passes.

Young adulthood (and present):
As the young grow older and have adventures that may take them far from their friends and family, friendships are tested once more. Old friends and new friends alike provide guidance and advice as we continue on our journeys. But even if the journeys take us far from each other physically, the impact of our friends stays with us throughout.
Something as simple as remembering a story (Turn left, turn left! NO, your other left!) can bring a smile to your face even in the worst circumstances.

No man is an island, as the saying goes, and since we are not islands we are social beings. We need each other to support us.

And so I would like to say Thank You to every person who has been a part of my life, past and present. For without each of you I would not be the person I am today.

In particular I want to specifically thank my family for their support and guidance throughout the challenges I've faced and continue to face living in Kenya, Africa - physically far from all of my family members.
Additionally, I want to extend a thanks to my extended family (close friends): you know who you are. Again, thank you for your guidance and support throughout all the challenges I've faced. Thanks also for the great effort to keep in touch with me while I am half-the world away (literally).

Lastly, I want to extend a giant thank you to all of my teachers throughout my life. Not just the teachers in formal settings like schools though they were certainly very important in my development.
Equally important were all the other teachers in life: my friends, family, peers, even people whom I did not formally meet but had some kind of contact with.

A giant thanks to my Scouting family also. We are one light, brothers and sisters world wide. Even in Kenya, I've seen the true nature of the brotherhood of Scouting. So to all my Scouting Brothers and Sisters, thank you.
Similarly, a giant thank you to my fellow Volunteers - whether they be in the US Peace Corps or other service organisations a big thank you goes out to you for your support.

I truly am grateful to everyone who has touched my life and since I choose not to name ever single person let me just end with Thank you to one and all.

May you all be blessed and "may the force be with you".

Write me

2009-11-20T08:35:00.001-08:00

Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow... ~Lawrence Clark Powell

OK, I'm coping this from another volunteer but still:

Grab a piece of a paper and something to write with. Now, write down my address:

Daniel Delgadillo
NEP Technical Training Institute
P.O. Box 239 - 70100
Garissa, KENYA

Write me and tell me anything... Tell me what you had for breakfast, what you had for lunch, the last movie you saw and how it was... Tell me anything. Tell me what you'd like to see me write about (or what kind of pictures to upload).
Whatever you write does not matter as much as the fact that you write me!

Thanks in advance for all your mail! :D

Footing

2009-11-19T09:55:00.001-08:00

"Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow." ~Henry David Thoreau

For anyone who follows this blog, you can typically guess that I enjoy a good walk around town, even if it's rather hot.
So I got to thinking about my perception of things from my pedestrian point of view.

When you walk you get a different perspective on things than when, say, you drive (or fly in the case of superman).
When you drive somewhere, or in my case take a matatu or taxi or occasionally a bus, you drive quickly and may not really have a chance to stop and enjoy the smell of the flowers. Or stop for a few minutes and look at the beauty of the animals which, even if you see them everyday you never step in the same river twice. When you drive (etc) you don't have a chance to stop for a chat and drink chai with a member of your community that you haven't met yet.

When walking you get a different perspective. For example, when walking I have a specific idea of how to get from point A to point B. If I try to give directions to someone who is driving I might not be able to provide accurate information. On foot, one can easily find a way between buildings and down small side paths etc. On the other hand, typically cars or matatus will not be able to travel through.
I was just thinking about a time when a friend of mine back in the US who is also used to walking everywhere was trying to explain to me how to get somewhere and she didn't realize at first that since I was traveling by car I would not be able to follow the path as she was describing.

Of course, by walking everywhere I also run into people begging and wanting to get something from the "rich foreigner" but in general I tend to make new friends and make new acquaintances and meet new people, share ideas, talk about the differences between the US and Kenya (and the lack of difference in the weather - "no Garissa is not hot, i'm used to the heat" please stop asking :D).

At any rate, walking every where leads to a change of perception. You slow down to appreciate life. You slow down to see and hear and feel a new aspect of life. Walking can also lead to a healthy exercise filled life which can in turn lead to loosing some 80+ lbs of weight :)

Language

2009-11-18T22:06:00.001-08:00

“It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes quotes

You are speaking English, yet I don't understand what you are saying. Does this situation sound familiar?

Each and every language is likely to have multiple dialects. For instance, the English spoken in New York is different than that of the Mid-west US, different than that spoken in Britain, different than that spoken in Kenya. Taking this one step further, the Kiswahili spoken in Nairobi is different from that spoken in Garissa than that spoken in Mombasa (not to mention the slang language sheng which is a combination of English and Kiswahili).

After spending some time in Kenya, you may find yourself adapting your English and your Kiswahili to the local dialect.

To shed light on some of the language differences, let's consider English in Kenya:

Trousers are worn outside, pants are worn inside. [In American English trousers are called pants and pants are called underwear]
A vest is also worn inside. [A vest refers to what I would call an undershirt in the US.]
People don't ask questions, they pose queries.
Instead of walking, I trek or I travel by footing (typically just referred to as footing).
Peanuts cannot be found in Kenya, only 'groundnuts'.
When someone is looking good, they are "smart".
You will fail to find corn, but you will find 'maize'.

Now that you know, you will be better prepared when you come to Kenya.

It's official

2009-11-15T21:09:00.000-08:00

“We don't have an eternity to realize our dreams, only the time we are here.” ~Susan Taylor

One year ago I departed from the known world, from my comfort zone, from all the wonderful things like constant electricity, driving a car, having fast reliable internet, and of course the cold water/drinks readily available - day or night..

I departed to explore the unknown, a life I had only read about and thought I was beginning to understand: the simple life. Yet it is one thing to read about simplicity and another thing to live it.

One year later... I miss certain things about the comfortable world known as the US such as cheese, cold water readily available, and most of all Mexican food. (For you all UTO reading this: Chino Bandidos needs to open up shop in Kenya!)
I also miss my friends and family: especially our road trips (Turn left, turn left! Your other left! Among other stories..); I miss going to see a movie and having lunch/diner with my family.

But all these things that are missed have been replaced..
In my new world of simplicity cheese is a rare commodity to find, and when found its all the better. Cold water is not readily available in my house but it is still nice to find once in a while. In fact, up to around 9:30ish in the evening a kiosk that my next door neighbors run has cold drinks available including water (and sometimes even ICE!) Though you really one does not truly appreciate cold water until you live in a place where the weather is terribly hot (similar to Phoenix) while also not having the luxury of having air conditioning in the car you are in (if you happen to be lucky enough to be in a car) and/or not having a fan inside the room you are in (or if you do have a fan - perhaps its not running because there is no electricity). Best part is, the weather is only going to get hotter during the next few months :)

I've also developed new habits and made new friends. Instead of going to the movies with my family, I will typically hang out with some friends around here. Occasionally we will watch a film or a TV show, but most of the time we just chill and talk. There are also other foreigners to hang out with which can be nice - at least we can relate a bit.

I've also gotten into the habit of walking a lot - almost everywhere in fact (as I've mentioned in previous posts). I also enjoy doing Yoga in the early morning or evening time (typically by candle light if there is no electricity). I've also gotten into the habit of cooking diner and eating by candle light.

All these things I didn't really expect as I wasn't really sure what to expect when I packed up my life for two years.
"How does one pack up their life for two years?" I find myself thinking as I write this blog. Well it's definitely not easy not really knowing what you'll need or wont need. The good thing is, you will always find a way to survive (like the locals) even if you don't have the luxuries of the lifestyle you are used to.

These days when someone asks me where my home is, I tell them "hapa Garissa kwa province" (Eng: Here in Garissa in province). (Province is a regional label for the area of town where I live). Occasionally people will clarify, 'I meant where do you come from' alas, that's a different question altogether since my home is, and will be, in Garissa for the next year.

The Grass is Greener

2009-10-26T04:23:00.000-07:00

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. ~Henry David Thoreau

There is a common saying that goes "the grass is greener on the other side." But what exactly does it mean? The grass is greener on the other side of the fence? OK, what if I live in a semi-arid or arid environment and we don't really have grass on the other side of the fence? Oh, yes, now I get it! The grass is greener on the other side of the country(?) or at least on the other side of the river, right?
If nothing else, the grass is most definitely greener on the other continent - i.e. America or Europe.
This is the perception from many many Kenyans I have spoken to. Often times the Kenyans whom I consider friends, as well as many people whom I've made acquaintances with, will make a joking statement about me taking them back to the U.S. or elsewhere outside of the country.
Perhaps they think the grass is greener in the U.S. or wherever it is that I may end up traveling.

The Greener Pastures
The greener pastures of the U.S. and Europe contain no poverty, plenty of electricity and clean water, and best of all job opportunities for everyone!

Such at least, is the perception of the greener pastures. The real pastures may not have as much grass these days. After the fire/drought of the global economic crunch the pastures have changed..

And yet the perception of the green pastures continues with pictures of Obama in the newspapers and the films and tv shows depicting the U.S. as a wonderful place to be.

The Greener Pastures
On the other side of the fence, we have the greener pastures in Kenya. Even as a peace corps volunteer, I find many enticing things on this greener pastures...
Laid back lifestyle - Time is not the same in Kenya as it is in the U.S. It's not that time is not important here, but people are more important than time itself. People are people and not just numbers and figures of time.
[Note: The concept of time as we know it may also be entirely wrong.]
Fresh food - A lot of the food I eat is fresh from the farm, the milk is fresh from the cow or camel, the meat is also fresh having been a living creature within hours before consumption (note: I don't cook meat myself and I've almost become a vegetarian). And how could I forget, every time is "Chai time". Chai is served at 10am and at 4pm (+/- some minutes) at the school.
Peacefulness - when is the last time you sat on your porch (with a mosquito coil burning to prevent getting mosquito bites) just enjoying the peacefulness and beauty of the stars, the moon, and the night life (bats flying around)?

Of course the greener grass in Kenya also has some weeds - let's face it from afar we may think we see grass and in reality we are seeing weeds that are growing that look like grass.

Yet every place will have its ups and downs.

So we should just go with the flow. Live with what we have and learn from every experience. If, at one point in our lives we get the opportunity to get out there and experience the 'greener' side then we might as well give it a shot see what it's like and learn from our experiences. You never know when experiences from the past might come in handy in the future.

Make the most of the grass you have on your side of the (metaphorical) fence. Instead of looking at what you don't have and the grass on the other side of the fence, appreciate what you do have and make the most of it.

Perception

2009-10-26T01:23:00.000-07:00

What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are. ~C. S. Lewis.

What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.~ Lao-Tzu

Isn't it interesting how people vary in the way they perceive things? Two people can look at the exact same photograph, movie, person, object, scenery, and have two completely opposite perceptions of what is being seen.
The typical example is the optimist and the pessimist: Is the glass of water half empty or half full?
Well what if its both half empty and half full but neither person is willing to even try to understand the other person's point of view or perception?

Perhaps because of my recent experiences I've come to see the importance of, at the very least, trying to understand the culture with which I live with. Such, however, is not typically the case of other Kenyans who live in this community of Somalis. Instead, I've heard many comments from both sides that North Eastern Province is "not a part of Kenya" or that the Somalis "are not welcome."

Then there is also the stereotypical perception of all Somalis being Muslim, which is not true. Along the same lines, there is then a perception that Muslims and Christians can't live together in peace. So I began to wonder why that might be. Why is it that there are many people who believe Muslims and Christians cannot live together in the same geographical area and live in peace? I believe all people, regardless of any and all characteristics of their being, can live together in peace.
Perhaps my perception is wrong.

The perception of various people I've met is that Garissa is where Kenyans are sent when they are 'exiled.' Strange to think of coming to Garissa as being exiled while when I heard I was coming to Garissa I was more than excited for the wonderful opportunity to live with and learn about Somali culture.
Perception matters.

Being asked why I would want to learn af Soomaali (Somali language) a coworker of mine made a comment which I found a tad disturbing. She said, "First you start greeting with 'Salam Alaykum' and next thing you know you are praying 'Allahu Akbar five times a day." From my coworker's perception, this is the reality. At least for her.
From my perspective, I think that many people hide behind stereotypes and fears of the unknown and choose not to learn about the unknown and instead continue living in fear.
Is it a possibility that if I were to start greeting my Somali (or Muslim) colleagues 'Salam Alaykum' I will end up becoming a Muslim? It is a possibility, perhaps, if I were drawn to the religion through further studies. But is language and religion one and the same? Does one lead to the other? Does speaking English lead to Kenyans being Christians?

My willingness to learn has been perceived as a wonderful thing by Kenyans and Somalis. Interestingly enough, my willingness to learn has not yet inspired other Kenyans (of non Somali descent) to learn about the Somali culture/language as I have chosen to do.

Material things

2009-10-19T00:52:00.000-07:00

Man should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need. ~St. Thomas Aquinas

One rainy night, with the rain so loud, I found my self thinking, hoping, and wondering.
I was thinking about the amount of rain that was coming down. So much rain that I thought for sure there would be flooding. In the morning as I left my house I saw that there were still three large puddles of water I had to walk through to get to the main road.

I found myself hoping that the rain would not last too long so that the animals that have become weak from the lack of water and food would be able to withstand the heavy rains. I found myself hoping that the animals would be able to stay on or get to high enough grounds so that they would not be terribly affected by the streets flooding.

I found myself wondering what would happen if the rains would not cease. How much damage would there be? Will the roads become impassable? Would all the roads flood to the point where I would not be able to leave my house to go to work? Would I be able even to get to a local store for basic supplies - i.e. food, candles, matches.

As I found myself wondering, I began to wonder what I would do if my house was flooded. I really don't have too many material items - which means if my house did get flooded a lot of the things I have would be safe.
This thought process lead to another thought: 'I am doing quite well right now and I don't really have a lot of material things. I can actually see myself living the rest of my days in this manner - just the basics and very few luxuries.'

Maybe I'm just being too idealistic, but I really don't feel like I need a lot of material things to live a comfortable life.
I look forward to the days when I was my laundry by hand; I look forward to eating my super on the floor watching a movie or reading the news; I really enjoy the peacefulness that comes with having such few material things.

When I return to the states hopefully I will be able to continue this lifestyle of simplicity.

Home Science

2009-10-19T00:29:00.000-07:00

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself. ~Maya Angelou

In the recent past, I've become very familiar with a term called Home Science. My friend and counterpart Timothy introduced me to this term and idea. So what is home science you may ask yourself. Well what does it sound like? Let's break it down:
Science
The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge.

How do we define science? According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of science is "knowledge attained through study or practice," or "knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world."

Home
For simplicity's sake, lets say Home refers to the place where you live at a given time. For me, let's say this refers to the house I reside in.

So home science refers to a science of the things relating to the home. But that doesn't just mean home science is specifically and only for things in a home. home science can apply to the workplace also. In fact, while we were networking the school, we had to implement some home science techniques to get the set up just right.

Home science is the concept of doing things yourself in your own home (within reason). Say for instance, a power strip is not working and you notice there are some wires no longer attached to the end that connects to the wall socket. So you take a screwdriver and open it up to see what's going on. You fix the problem - home science.

Another example, let's say you want to hang up a mosquito net over your bed but you don't have nails yet to tie the rope to. What do you do? If you are at my house you'd tie the rope to the bars on the windows on two sides and tie the third to the door of a closet. Home science at work.

Sure home science is called something different in the U.S. and heck many people do their own home science projects frequently. But the best thing about home science is that you feel good for having accomplished something when you are done - after all the home science techniques you apply only make the dwelling you reside in feel more and more like your real home.

The Walking Bank

2009-10-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

I think I have mentioned before that many Kenyans have a stereotype of all foreigners. The stereotype is that all foreigners are rich. Since we are all rich, many Kenyans will be surprised to see me walking all the time. I might even be asked a question as to why I don't hire a taxi to go from the market to my house or why I don't take a matatu. [Matatu = 14 passenger van; most common mean of public transportation]. Of course taking a matatu is far from being as expensive as a taxi and yet I still choose to walk. Why does the presumably 'rich' foreigner walk everywhere? Why indeed.

Since I am thought to be rich, I am often asked for money. Occasionally it is a small amount - a person begging will often say they are hungry or would like me to buy them a cup of chai. Occasionally, however, I have heard more complex stories to try and get money from me. One case I've heard a few times is "my mother/sister/wife is sick... I need money for transport/medicine/nutrition". Then the person will try to make the amount sound meager by saying something like "it's only small change, I just need 500/2,000/5,000 (Ksh)".
In reality, it is possible and even likely that people will make up stories to get money from the 'rich' foreigner.
So which stories can I believe and which can't I? There in lies the problem. Of course I can't afford to, and even if I could I don't know that I would, give out money to everyone who asks for it.

Following the same lines of the 'richness' I am thought of as having a fancy home. In fact, several of my coworkers make comments of my purchasing a car. On a smaller scale, I've also been asked about purchasing a refrigerator for my house. When i respond " *laugh* I can't afford that even if i wanted to" I've received some awkward looks. Now, first let me back up real quick, to mention that as a volunteer I am not allowed to drive a car. With that in mind, even if I was allowed to drive the answer is still the same "I can't afford that even if I wanted to". This typically starts a conversation with my coworkers into their inquiring what I mean I can't afford the car/fridge/etc. Then I will typically explain that my coworkers make more money per month than I receive from the Peace Corps. Often times they don't know what to make of this. I will be asked several questions about the stereotypes that people are rich in the U.S. and that there is no poverty in the U.S.

One rainy day I got to thinking as to the stereotypes that exist. So if in the U.S. there is no poverty and everyone is rich (or makes good money), what's not to like? Should I mention that the U.S. is not the perfect world thought to be? Should I mention that discrimination still exists? Should I mention that although people make more money than in Kenya, the cost of living is higher? Should I mention the crime rates in the big cities? Should I mention the cost of transport to even travel to the U.S.? By mentioning my experiences of the U.S., will I end up unintentionally shattering someone's dream of going to the land of opportunity? I think the best course of action for me is to explain what I know in a manner that does not make the stereotype sound stereotypical.
After all, it is one of the goals of Peace Corps to share American culture with the culture we live with. More importantly, I would not want to have my dreams shattered if I were in their situation.

Finding my identity

2009-09-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye. ~Buddha

A short time ago, Kenya conducted a census. The census is performed in Kenya every 10 years. Some of the questions asked include: Name, age, education, nationality, tribe, do you have a cell phone/tv/yacht/car/computer, how many bedrooms are in the house, do you use a gas charcoal stove, etc. (Please note that some of these questions were not asked of every person- i.e. yacht, car, computer, etc.)
When I was asked my nationality and tribe I was unsure of how to answer the question properly. I mean in the U.S. it's somewhat easy for me to fill in a bubble saying I'm a Mexican-American. Here it was a tad more weird for me to say that I am an American and that my tribal origin is Mexico. It seemed like the best way to answer the question though with so many generations of forefathers it seems so limited to mention only recent forefathers. Additionally, I am not entirely sure that I find value in the importance of ethnic origin. Does the classification of my ancestry define me solely as being one of "them"? Does it matter where geographically I come from? Does the color of my skin, hair, eyes matter also? Does it matter, or rather, should it matter which 'tribe' or ethnic background I say I am from? After all it is always possible for me to say that I am part Portuguese or Argentinian or Guatemalan and people would most likely accept that as true based on my name.

In Kenya things are a bit different when it comes to ethnic classification. Most frequently, when I meet someone one of the first questions they ask me is which country I come from. I respond "ninatoka nchi ya amerika" which means "i come from the country of america". Sometimes this will lead to another question: where in America? To which I will reply U.S. Once in a while the person will suddenly become ecstatic and make a comment like "Obama!"
At any rate, I am seen as an American and just that. I'm not asked what tribe I come from or anything regarding my ethnic background. If anything, I might be asked where I lived in the US before I came to Kenya.

I was recently emailed from the Washington office to answer a few questions as the office is gathering information and stories from PCVs of Hispanic descent for promotional materials during Hispanic History Month. One of the questions I was asked was "How, if at all, has your background as a Mexican American affected/enhanced/influenced your Peace Corps service?

I wonder the same thing.

I tend to think that having grown up exposed to multiple cultures/sub-cultures and having learned Spanish has definitely made enhanced my abilities to assimilate better with the community. For instance, I am able speak Kiswahili without an accent (I am still learning the pronunciations of af soomaali - commonly known as Somali). Also, possibly influenced by my childhood experiences, I have been able to effectively assimilate into the culture in many ways. The most notable is my understanding of time and how Kenyan time differs from American time (and no I don't mean the time difference ;) ).

Speaking of assimilating, my appearance definitely also assists me in terms of community integration. As my skin complexion is not 'white' many people in the community I reside see me as more of their brother than as an outsider. Add in the fact that I wear a kikoi and you end up with me looking like a person of Arabic descent which works wonders for my community assimilation. Let's also add in that I've been fasting as Ramadan continues (I had to cheat a few times and drink water since I had walked too much but I've been doing well otherwise).
Even with this community integration, I feel its important that I also mention the downside of fitting in all too well. Before I do so, however, I want to add that my difference is vastly different from what African-American PCVs experience in Kenya. They have far more challenges than I've had and I commend them for their ability to withstand the challenges they face and continue with their community development activities.

As for me, I face a very unique challenge. as I look Arabic, I have been mistaken for an Arab on a few occasions which has led police to question me in regards to what I'm doing in Kenya and more specifically in Garissa.
As the conflict in Somalia continues there have been reports in the Daily Nation newspaper that the militant al-Shabab (Al Jazeera has an article explaining who al-Shabab is)has resorted to recruiting youth in Kenya to further their cause. The article I read indicated that the youth may be promised a job with an NGO in or near Somalia. It is no surprise, given this information, that some police officers whom I have not yet made acquaintances with have questioned me. On one particular instance, the questioning occurred at a police station.

At any rate, let's get back to this blog post's topic: identity.

In the recent past I've been considering my identity as a result of the discussions I've had with other teachers as well as articles I've read in the Daily Nation regarding why "tribe" is so important in the census.

Was it appropriate for me to say that my nationality is American and that my 'tribe' is Mexican?
I am still not certain if that was the best way to answer the question. As to the other questions posed earlier: I don't think my skin color/complexion, hair color, and eye color should matter. Nor do I think that the tribe or ethnic background should matter. Perhaps what should matter is the cultural values and beliefs so that we can learn from one another peacefully.

I think that perhaps the most important thing to consider is that we were all born in the same geographic location commonly referred to as Earth. Different groups of people have developed different on Earth and as a result we have different values and different understanding. In the end, we are all human and should treat our fellow human beings with respect and dignity regardless of ethnic background.

A Typical Day?

2009-08-27T02:57:00.000-07:00

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savour you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it will not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky, and want, more than all the world, your return. ~Mary Jean Irion

In one of my first blog posts, if I recall correctly, I included a short bit about what a typical day was for me. A lot of things have changed since that post so I think it's about time for an update on what a typical day for me looks like.

Now lets begin by saying that there is no such thing as a typical day. If there is no such thing as a typical day, then how does one describe a typical day? Well right now the school is still on holiday which means that a typical day during the school holiday is different from a typical day during the school term.
Note: In Kenya the schools are closed during the months of April, August, and December. The school term lasts 3 months and one month for holiday.

Well during the days of school holiday, a typical day looks like this:

Wake up casually at any given time and spend the day walking around town. Usually I will have discussions with people I've met - such as students from any of the given post-secondary institutions in town, shop owners, community development workers (i.e. NGO workers), etc. I also tend to end up meeting new people and having talks with them also.

Typically, the conversations include information about what I'm doing in Kenya, where I come from, how I learned Kiswahili, etc. The subjects of the conversations tend to vary from person to person. Sometimes we will discuss HIV/AIDS and prevention methods, other times we will discuss perceived problems in the community and what can be done to solve the perceived problems.

No matter who I talk to or where I go, I almost always walk (sometimes I will take a matatu if I'm traveling far). My walks around town are by far the most typical thing.
In my walking, I typically see many things which may be considered abnormal back home.
A lot of roads in town are not paved so I tend to walk on sand and dirt while walking from one place to the next. (I wear sandals every day :D )
Typically, I will see herds of sheep resting around town. Sometimes there will be may be 6 or 7 sheep resting in the shade underneath a broken down truck. At other times, there will 2 or 3 sheep on the road (occasionally in the center) not going anywhere.
Also, typically they there are storks to be seen. The storks around here are quite large birds - in fact I've seen some that are as tall as me. On occasion the storks can be seen flocking together near an intersection on my way to work. At other times, the storks can be seen flying around a bit or they will be in the trees enjoying the cool breeze.

Typically there will also be herds of goats (and/or sheep) that will walk around town. Sometimes the herd will be lead by a kijana (young person), sometimes the heard will apear to be walking as if they are not being lead by anyone. Sometimes the herd of goats will cause a brief traffic slowdown which will result in loud horns being honked, and on occasion a goat will be (gently) tapped by a vehicle as a signal to get "off the road".
Typically there will also see a few donkeys near the end of town.

I will also typically see some dead animals or at least parts of dead animals as I walk. For instance, I tend to walk by at least one piece of a goat's leg almost daily (though the location where it may be can vary). On a few other occasions I've also seen the skeletons of goats and small birds in the particularly sandy parts of town as I walk.

However, considering that there is no such thing as a typical day, what I see and who I talk to on each day varies with each new day. Each time the planet spins and brings about sunlight once more, a new day begins and each new day brings new adventures, new friends, and new insights.

Ramadan

2009-08-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

The best of all medicinces is resting and fasting. ~Benjamin Franklin

"Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar...It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until dusk. Fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, modesty and spirituality. Ramaḍān is a time to fast for the sake of Allah, and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramaḍān, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving forward about ten days each year. Ramadhan was the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed[Qur'an 2:185] to the Prophet Muhammad." (Wikipedia - yes I know its not a real reference, so you can look up the real references on the Wikipedia article)

A few days before Ramadan began, I was invited to attend the kickoff of a new project called Twaweza tukiwa pa moja (literal translation: We are able/We can if we are together). At this event, community elders and religious leaders were invited. There were some religious leaders who even came all the way from Mombasa (10.5 hours away by public transport).
At any rate, at this event, I got a chance to meet people who work with organizations like Aphia II, the World Food Programme, local clinics, the Kenya Red Cross, etc.

As there were religious leaders and community elders, a lot of the gathering took place in Kiswahili and in another language - I think it was Somali. Unfortunatley, I didn't understand a lot of what was said in Somali. I did understand what they were talking about though and I do have faith in this new project.

Anyways, this blog post is not about the project, its about Ramadan so lets get back to Ramadan. At this community gathering, the religious leaders mentioned the upcoming Ramadan. Since I didn't know much about Ramadan, I did what I thought would get me the most information without appearing to be ignorant: I googled it. After I had some basic information about Ramadan I asked some people in my town for further information in regards to how it would affect the town.

In a nutshell this is what happens: everything shuts down. OK not everything, but my favorite hotelis (small restaurants/cafes) are closed. It would be ignorant on my part to say that everything shuts down as the population here is not entirely Islamic.

As part of Ramadan, fasting takes place from dawn til dusk which means that there are no hotelis that will have food or drinks available until dusk. It is safe enough for me to walk from a few hotelis that are not too far if I want to eat out, but my favorite hotelis are much farther away and I would probably spend more money on a taxi back than on the food itself. Its only for a month so I suppose I will survive.

Also related to Ramadan, though not related to the aforementioned event, last week at the Cross Sector workshop (see previous blog posts) I met a gentleman named Said who said he's going to get me some reading materials. Included in those materials will be an English translation of the Qur'an and the Hadith.
Said also recommended that I try fasting during Ramadan to further integrate and better understand the community.

I have been following his advice (though not only because it was his advice). In part, I was following his advice, but at the same time I was more interested in what it would be like to fast. On top of it all since this is my first time living in a predominantly Islamic community I thought it would be a good idea to fast with them.
I realize of course that not the entire town is Islamic yet I want to learn as much as I can about their culture and make the most of my time in this community.

I also want to mention that since Ramadan has started I've had more invitations to join Islam than I've had in the rest of the time I've been in this community. In fact, today as I was making my way to the Kenya Red Cross to offer myself as a volunteer I had three invitations to join Islam.

Getting tested

2009-08-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. ~Anais Nin

Triple post day! Please don't forget to read 'em all ;)

So a big part of what we do in the community as volunteers is encourage people to get an HIV/AIDS test to find out what their status is.

During the past week while we were in Mombasa town for a cross-sector training, I got tested.

The act of getting tested itself can be particularly scary. I will try to the best of my recollection describe the testing procedure in this blog post.

Let's start at the beginning... (The cross sector workshop itself will be described in a different blog post)
During our cross-sector workshop we had the opportunity to attend the Mombasa Trade Show.
At the Trade Show, we had an opportunity to speak to representatives from the (Kenya) National Aids Control Council (NACC). NACC had a large booth at the fair. On one side, NACC had information about HIV/AIDS in Kenya providing detailed information about what NACC does in the country and their measures to help fight HIV/AIDS.

On the other side of the building where NACC had their booth, there was a station for blood donation as well as several small rooms set up for HIV/AIDS testing and counseling.
In case you don't recall, in Kenya there are many many VCT centers (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) where people are able to find out their HIV status and also provide counseling services for people who are HIV positive and even advice as to how to convince your partner to get tested also.

Now, I had donated blood the week prior at the Agricultural Show of Kenya in Garissa before going to Mombasa for the cross-sector workshop so I was unable to donate blood on this particular occasion.

Instead, I chose to get tested. I figured it would be somewhat hypocritical of me to encourage other people to test without even knowing the testing process. So here goes:

I entered the VCT and upon entering I was asked what the purpose of my visit was. I said I would like to get tested. After a few minutes, a counselor was ready and took me to a private room which contained a small table and two chairs.
On the table there were several items including: alcohol wipes to clean the finger in preparation of withdrawing a few drops of blood for the test, small plastic lancettes used for pricking the finger, small plastic tubes used to collect the blood from the finger and then to place the drops of blood on the test, a box of rubber gloves that the counselor would use prior to drawing blood for the test, a bag of condoms on the table that are given away as a method of HIV/AIDS prevention, two different HIV tests and a paper form and a pen.
Underneath the table there was two cannisters: one for biohazard materials and another for garbage.

So it begins...

First of all, the counselor asked me some things to gage how much information about HIV transmission I know. The counselor asked me "how many ways can HIV/AIDS be transmitted?" To which I replied something along the lines of sharing needles, blood transfussion, unprotected sex, mother-to-child transmission. The counselor then continued to ask for some information to fill out the form. I think this is a good time to note that the testing process is anonymous - I think a large part of the information gathered is for the purpose of statistics.
So to fill out the form, the counselor asked me my age, my profession, education, the reason for testing, the number of sex partners in the past year (specifically the number of heterosexual sex partners and homosexual sex partners), the number of "one-night-stands", if I had been tested before - if so the results (positive/negative).

Following the information gathering phase, the counselor proceeded to explain how the test would proceed - first comes the blood withdrawl, then the blood is placed on a test, if the test is positive, a different test will be performed to confirm the first test. (It is my understanding that there are three different HIV tests which vary in cost and therefore the least expensive is used primarily and a second is used to confirm the first test).

The counselor begins by putting on gloves and geting the lancette ready for blood withdrawal. The lancette creates a miniscule puncture in the finger and therefore the counselor had to squeeze my finger to encourage the blood flow so that enough blood is drawn to perform the test.
The blood is collected into a small plastic tube that is then used to place the drops of blood on the test kit.

The waiting game begins...

The most challenging part of the test was waiting. The blood is placed on a test kit and a drop of a liquid solution was added (I didn't ask what was added to the blood). The liquid seeps into the test kit and by careful examination you can see how far the liquid has traveled on the test kit.

Waiting and waiting continues. During the wait, I recall the counselor asking what I would feel if the test was positive.

Now I think its important to clarify something with the perception of having HIV/AIDS. I think up until recently, I had this perception that once a person has HIV/AIDS they are living with a death sentence. As if merely having HIV means the person's life is over. In reality, it is possible for people to live full lives with medication.

Back to my test:
At first I thought "It would really suck if I tested positive. How would I have even gotten infected?" As the waiting game progressed, irrationall, I grew more and more concerned about the posibility of being possitive. I was especially concerned about what would happen in regards to my volunteering in Kenya.

After a little bit more waiting, the test results were finally ready.
The test showed one single line. The line looked like a minus sign and so I immediately thought I was negative on the basis that the line was a minus sign.

The counselor said I could look at my test. The counselor asked if I knew how to read the test and I said no. The counselor proceeded to explain that one line means negative and two lines means positive.
So it was that with a giant sigh of relief that I found out the results of my HIV test.
Having tested negative, the counselor and I discussed some things I can do to make sure that I remain negative.
Shortly thereafter, I was given a small yellow piece of paper that had some numbers (to provide anonimity) and a date three months in the future - which represents when I should be retested as I could be positive and be within the window in which it would not show on the test.
In three months, I will go take the test again. I can only imagine what I will be thinking/feeling at that time.

At least now I know what the process entails and I can gander how much more terrifying it can be for someone who has more of a reason to think they have contracted HIV.

Cross-Sector Training

2009-08-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Triple post day! Please don't forget to read 'em all ;)

The purpose of having more training is so that it can be applied right? I mean we are all life-long learners. Who ever said that life-long learning only applies to school-related topics? No one, I hope.

This past week we had a cross-sector training in the gorgeous town of Mombasa. The focus of the workshop was HIV/AIDS.

The workshop was held at a Sea Lodge, which, as the name implies, gave us the opportunity to enjoy the beach and the beautiful Indian Ocean during the evenings following the workshop sessions.

We began on Sunday morning with Kiswahili language (I am still looking forward to learning Somali next month). We got to chose the language groups we were in so I chose to learn further from Sam. Now Sam had worked with me, Gavin, Leah, and Pat earlier this year when Leah hosted a Kiswahili language workshop at her site so I was thrilled to continue my learning from Sam. The language continued through Monday.

For those of you who follow me on Facbeook, you may have seen a status update during this week that said something along the lines of "Daniel has been officially renamed Abdul by the Peace Corps staff." The reason for that status update is because during the week long workshop, after the sessions, I would proudly wear my Kikoi and I was also wearing a small kofia (hat) to fully represent my community. I'm hoping to be able to upload pictures of me wearing both the Kikoi and the kofia to my Picasa Web album in the near future. [For the mean time, you can look at other photos of my life in Kenya on my Picasa Web album found at http://picasaweb.google.com/ddelgadi.kenya/ ]

Aside from just Peace Corps Volunteers, we were also joined by several counterparts and supervisors from our respective communities. Not all PCVs were able to bring a counterpart or supervisor, but I feel the group was a good mixture nonetheless. I was able to attend the workshop with my counterpart Timothy.

During the week's activities we had different sessions and discussions to learn about HIV/AIDS in Kenya. We talked about statistics, we learned about prevention, and we had some great discussions on various topics.

Particular emphasis was given to Mother-to-Child transmission (MTCT) during the first session. Once we learned about MTCT, the real fun began. The session we had on MTCT was in the form of a traditional presentation - one presenter leading the discussion on MTCT.
Aside that presentation, it seemed to me that the rest of it all was much more focused on group discussions without a rigid structure as the aforementioned presentation.

On one of the training days, we learned to play different games which aim at HIV/AIDS education. Such games will certainly come in handy during large events such as the Agricultural Show of Kenya that recently passed and the World AIDS Day celebration in December.

On another day, we had the opportunity to come up with discussion topics and our group broke up into smaller groups to discuss such topics as the impact of religion on the perception of HIV/AIDS, information and communition technology in relation to HIV/AIDS education and prevention, and discussions on effective counseling techniques.

On another day, we had the chance to travel from the sea lodge to Mombasa town to visit one of two locations: a Mombasa youth VCT center and Kamara. At MYCC, where I went, we recieved a tour of the facility and also discussed ways to involve the youth to not only know their status, but also to make the correct decisions to prevent the spread of HIV. The rest of the group got a chance to visit the office of Kamara - an NGO that helps educational institutions with computers.

On top of the training, we had a chance to visit with other PCVs we had not seen in some time. We also had the opportunity to have som fun (on top of the games we played learnin about HIV/AIDS). Every day the sea lodge had beach volley ball at 5pm as well as having free time to swim in the Indian ocean or one of the two pools at the lodge.

Best of all I think was the people that were there. It was certianly nice to have the Indian ocean just there to enjoy it after the workshop sessions. Even still, I think it was the group that made the workshop worthwhile and not the location per se.

Now I'm back at site and I'm going to have several meetings during this week to see what ideas can be implemented at my site and how.

The purpose of training is not to store knowledge, but to share/apply it in the most effective way.

The many masks of a PCV

2009-08-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role. ~Confucius

Triple post day! Please don't forget to read 'em all ;)

Every Peace Corps Volunteer ends up wearing many different masks to fit the occasion.
Each case of course is unique and every PCV wears a different mask depending on the circumstances they are living with. In my case, I wear several masks each day.
I wear the mask of a professor at a tertiary institution, I wear the mask of a student, I wear the mask of a volunteer, I wear the mask of an American, but most importantly I wear the mask of Daniel.

My primary assignment is teaching in the IT department at a tertiary institution in the town where I live. As such, I wear the mask that identifies me in the community as a mwalimu (teacher). Being a teacher in a community, especially as a mzungu (foreigner), means that I am seen as a community member.

I wear the mask of a student every day as I continue to learn something new every day. With each passing day, I continue to remember what Mrs. Rosenberg in chemistry used to say all the time. She would continue to say "Learn something new every day." In fact, whether we realize it or not, we do continue to learn something new each and every day.
In most cases, what I learn each day is a new piece of vital information that helps me better understand the community I live and work with each day. For instance, I continue to learn about things that are appropriate and things that are not appropriate given the cultural context.

The mask of the volunteer is one of the more important masks to wear. As a volunteer working in a community that has not had a volunteer before, it is especially important that I do my best to make a good impression about volunteers, and more importantly about Americans.
Being a volunteer means that I need to take extra attention to my actions to make sure that I do not do something that may give the wrong impression of what a volunteer is.

The mask of an American is also an important mask to wear. This mask is particularly unique. Each individual volunteer has a different mask of their America. My America is comprised of not only my experiences in the U.S.A. prior to coming to Kenya, but my America mask is also heavily influenced by the regions of the U.S. where I lived, studied, and worked.
After all, each part of America is different from another. Each city or town one lives in provides different experiences, which also differ person to person. So my America mask differs from that of any other American. As such, it is important for me to share American culture and my experiences with Kenyans (and other foreigners) while keeping in mind that making any generalizations I make can create incorrect stereotypes and misrepresent America.

The last of the masks is that of Daniel - me, myself, and I. This mask is probably not a mask but the face that lies beneath all other masks. The mask/face of Daniel (yes i know its a tad weird for me to write about myself in the 3rd person but its for perspective sake) is comprised of my personality and my experiences as a whole. Up to now, I have yet to mention growing up in Mexico. That is a large part of my personality, in conjunction with all other experiences I have had. But very important to point out is that because I did live in Mexico, an important part of my personality was shaped by a different culture than that of many if not all the other volunteers that are serving with me. [Granted because of sub-cultures and the uniqueness of each individual person each personality is also going to be unique. However, it is also important to note the difference between sub-cultures (within the U.S.) and cultures (outside of the U.S.)]

Even with each of the masks and potentially the face beneath all the masks, it is important for me to keep in mind that it is very possible and even likely that several masks are worn at a time.

So it is that I try not to worry or focus on the mask(s) that I wear at any given time. Instead, I try to focus on the proper role for me to play at any given time.

One Year Ago

2009-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.
~Albert Einstein

As I was celebrating my birthday recently I had a reflective evening as to the differences in my life as from now and approximately one year ago.

Where to begin?
One year ago...

I was living in an environment with similar climate; hot and dry (at least during the summer). Currently its hot and a bit humid (as it is sometimes in Arizona).
I was driving a car to work, to school, to visit friends, to go to a movie theater, etc.
I was not sure where I would be the following year...
I did not know I would have the opportunity to learn Kiswahili and Somali languages
I did not know that I would have the chance to travel to the resting place of the founder of the world-wide Scouting movement.

One year ago, I was still living in my own little bubble not knowing much about the Kenyan culture and sub-cultures.
Well, I think you get the idea of how life was one year ago.

I have not yet been living in Kenya for one year. I came to Kenya last November and up until January I was in training. Following training, all of us volunteers were sent off to our respective communities with pockets full of patience and flexibility (and a sprinkle of humility).

Just before we left for Kenya, we had a brief staging event in the U.S. where we, the future volunteers, were advised to be ready and willing to adapt to the culture.

At the time, I had no idea what I was getting into.

Even still. I knew I was ready for whatever changes I would need to make - whatever I needed to do to adapt and to learn as much as I could about the culture.
After all, how many times in a life will I have the opportunity to travel to a different country and live as the local people do for such a long period of time? What's more, even if I will have further opportunities, I thought to myself, it is important to make the best of the circumstances you are in and learn as much as you can.

So with this in mind, I traveled for approximately 16 hours on two airplanes to arrive in Nairobi, Kenya late last year.

Fresh off the plane, I still had no idea what changes I would go through as I changed to face the challenges as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya.

During training is when the changes began... First, I learned to cook local food as well as food I like to eat with locally available cooking utensils. Next, I started learning Kiswahili as well as learning about the wonderful cultures of the Kenyan people and the different Kenyan tribes.
As time passed, I learned many vital skills: washing my clothes by hand, I learned the importance of learning the local customs to fit in better.

Through our training, and since then, I have had an opportunity to realize how I've changed in many ways for the better.
The most noticeable change I can say is my perception and reaction to time.
I realized how my perception of time has been clearly altered.
One year ago, in the U.S. I would typically get annoyed and impatient while waiting in lines of all kinds: waiting for a light to turn red, waiting for a coffee at Starbucks, waiting for someone to show up to a meeting that will be late, waiting for people at a summon stone (yes, I'm a geek. -- reference to World of Warcraft video game), the list can continue for ages so I'll cut it short.
At any rate, a few days ago, my supervisor had asked the deputy principal to take me somewhere the following day as the principal was traveling. I waited at the school having very little work to do (I finished my Introductory Training Course to become a Scout Leader with the Kenya Scouts Association). As I continued to wait, I found myself not caring so much about the time that had passed. The only thing that seemed to matter was the trip itself. Time passed... we had morning chai, lunch (and a soda), afternoon chai... and still we had not traveled. At one point I finally asked the deputy principal at what time he'd be available to go with me. His response was "tomorrow please".
Now, back in the U.S. such a response may have annoyed me as it would have seemed that I "wasted" the day doing very little work when I could have been more productive doing other things - i.e. meeting more people in the community; buying new clothes (that fit -- approx 60lbs lost); or had a meeting with other community groups I'm working with; etc.

All in all, however, issues of time no longer affect me as much. I enjoy taking my time walking around without having to worry about being on time or late for an event. Its amazing to be able to meet a complete stranger or even an acquaintance on the road and just spend time chatting with them over a cup of chai or even just taking a seat outside a nearby kinyozi (barber) or other duka (shop).

Going back to the list of differences, let's recap where I'm at now

Today...

I am living in an environment with similar climate; hot and dry (at least during the summer).
I walk to work, which is a school, to visit friends, I also walk to visit other community development organizations, to visit the local and provincial adminsitration and goverment development organiztations, etc. There is no movie theatre to walk to in my town, otherwise I might walk there on occasion.
I know where I would be the following year...but I don't know where I'll be in 2 years
I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn Kiswahili and Somali languages as well as to learn about the cultures
I hope to visit the final resting place of Lord Baden Powell, the founder of the world-wide Scouting movement at least once more. Also, in regards to Scouting, I have concluded my training to become an Assistance Scout Leader with the Kenya Scouts Association. Additionally, in regards to Scouting, I also look forward to take part in the Wood Badge training course and to part take in the Scout Moot here in Kenya next August.

I would like to finish this blog entry by saying this: most of the changes come without conscious awareness of it. I suppose the only obvious change is appearance (i.e. weight loss). Other than that, almost every other change that has occurred I've only noticed as a direct result of reflection on the differences in my life one year ago and today.
I'm almost certain if I was living in the U.S. today I would not have taken the time to reflect on how I've changed over the past year...

Hell's Gate National Park

2009-07-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
~Dante Alighieri

The following pictures were taken during a trip to Hell's Gate National Park near Lake Naivasha. Please refer to my Picasa web album for more pictures from the trip:

David, Pat, and I posing at one of the landmarks where rock climbing is possible.

George, our guide, during a one hour hike through the gorge in the park.

David, Pat, and I posing at a junction in the gorge during our one hour trip

Pat and George posing opposite at the junction of the gorge - the previous picture is 180 degrees from this angle.

Near the end of the hike there was this water fall on the side of the gorge.

Please note that since my current internet is prepaid, per MB, I am limited to reposting many photos on my blog, my picasa web album as well as facebook. As such, most of my photos will be on my picasa web album for all to see and make comments on. However, you can still see the pictures from my blog on picasa.
Please feel free to look about at my pictures, post comments, etc. :D

What's in a name?

2009-07-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

What's in a name? A name is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as " a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing". A name gives meaning to what a thing is. A name gives a person a sense of identity.
Henry David Thoreau once said
"A name pronounced is the recognition of the individual to whom it belongs. He who can pronounce my name aright, he can call me, and is entitled to my love and service."

A name of a person, or a thing, also tends to vary with the language a person speaks, their dialect of the language, as well as any exposure to other languages (i.e. proper pronounciation in different languages). I have been blessed with an ability to learn languages fairly easily. As my friends and family (though maybe not all my readers are aware) Spanish is the first language I learned. Following Spanish, I learned English. Then, I took French lessons for roughly six academic years (two prior to secondary school and all four years of secondary).

To add further to my language, and also cultural, exposure I have been learning the Swahili language (referred to as Kiswahili in the Swahili language) since my arrival in Kenya in November of 2008.
At present I am even further blessed as now I have the opportunity to learn the Somali language also.

I'm pretty sure many of my readers are now wondering what I mean by this. Well the fact is, I've been relocated from where I was in Central Province to North Eastern Province.
Where I am living now, I am once again teaching Computers, though I might also be asked to teach for the Diploma program in Social Work and Community Development in the coming semesters.

So back to language now:
During my brief time in Kenya, I've been called many many names including [these are not in any particular order]:
Mzungu (foreigner); Mwalimu (teacher); Mzee (old person) -- being called an Mzee shows great respect; Danieli (sounds more Kenyan with the extra i at the end :D); Mr. Daniel (my student's sometimes call me this or just Mwalimu); Dan and Mr. Dan; On a few occasions some Kenyans have tried to call me by my last name which they are not very well able to pronounce (it is common in Kenya for people to call each other by their surnames instead of their first names); Baba (father) -- similar to Mzee, to be called a Baba is a sign of respect; Mkubwa (big man, big woman or boss) -- sometimes Kenyans who don't realize I understand Kiwashili will greet me "yes, boss" and on other occasions I've been greated "habari ya mkubwa?" - which is translated as news of the big man?; Bwana (mister/sir) -similar to Mr. Daniel i've been called Bwana Daniel or just Bwana sometimes; Kamau - Kamau is a Kikuyu name - it was explained to me that the name Kamau is to show respect to the Mau-Mau revolutionary fighters; Muthungo (Kikuyu word for foreigner, very similar to Mzungu in Kiswahili); Duncan and David were the latest names I've been called [OK briefly, Duncan came about because when the cake was made the icing at first said Duncan instead of Daniel].
OK so that's about all the names I can think of at the moment. Even if there are more that come to mind, you get the idea of how the different names I've been called during my brief time in Kenya.

So, let's revisit the question: What's in a name? A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. Perhaps a rose is called a rose in English and its called a different name in a different language. I have recently found myself wondering: what is the real importance of learning the local language? In pre-service training, our language and cross cultural facilitators stressed the importance of learning the language and culture for better community integration.

At the time, I wasn't entirely sure what they meant by that. After our pre-service training, I knew enough Kiswahili to be able to have a tutor and expand on my understanding and knowledge of the Kiswahili language.
Of course as I was expanding on some knowledge I already had was much easier than coming to a community where Somali is spoken gas much as Kiswahili having hardly any knowledge of the Somali language.

Though I do not yet know a lot of Somali, I will be getting a Somali tutor in the very very near future to learn Somali not only for the sake of communication with the community members, but more importantly for community integration.
If I am seen as a member of the community, I am more likely to be able to be seen as trustworthy. Additionally, being a member of the community will provide experiences that will give me a greater insight as to projects that I can assist with to better the community during my remaining year and a half.

It is my goal to be seen as a member of this community just as I was in my previous community.

Celebrating a birthday in a foreign land

2009-07-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.
~Abraham Sutzkever

As many of my friends and family are aware, the date of my birth remains in July (at least I'm pretty sure it does).
It just so happened that this year, my birthday happened to come while I am living in Kenya. Time flies and I can still remember my training in Loitokitok last Nov/Dec like it was just yesterday. I suppose in my mind's eye, it was yesterday.
At any rate, this blog is meant to depict my birthday experience in Kenya for my friends and family abroad. So let me begin by saying that in Kenya, age is treated very differently than in the U.S.
In the U.S., old age tends to be seen as a negative thing -- the older one is the closer to death they are... In Kenya, however, old age is seen as a respectable thing. To be called an Mzee (an old person) is a sign of great respect.

Another thing about age is that specific age is not typically stated. For example, once I was asked by a colleague if I had reached 25 years. My colleague did not ask my specific age, but she was looking for a range (20-25; 25-30) and so on. In another instance, I had asked a friend how old he was, circumstantially he thought I was much older than he. His response was also a range of several years.

Now then, at the school where I am teaching, a few teachers had asked me when my birthday was as they understand that Wazungu (foreigners) tend to celebrate such an occasion. About 2 weeks before my birthday I told them when it was. By the time my actual birthday arrived, they had forgotten the specific day it was but still said happy birthday nontheless.
To celebrate my birthday, Wazungu wawili (two foreigners) who were in this town arranged to have a cake made to celebrate my birthday.
So we had cake to celebrate my birthday. The following pictures depict the staff at the hotel where we had the cake, and the tea mug birthday present from the hotel staff.

On a slightly different note, it was an amazing feeling to wake up on two different days and receive happy birthday emails, phone calls, text messages, facebook wall posts, etc. Thank you everyone for all of your warm wishes. Though you may not be aware, its easy to sometimes feel like we've been forgotten while we serve man kind in a different part of the world. As such it is truly a remarkable feeling to receive so much attention from all over the world durin a few days :)
A very warm thank you to everyone.

It's been a while

2009-06-04T02:13:00.000-07:00

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that the stuff
life is made of. ~Benjamin Franklin

So time has passed since my last blog update. The reason for this is, I have not had much to update on. Hence, I figured it would be at least nice to let you all know that I'm still alive and that I'll begin posting up my pictures to a Picasa web album which can be found Here or direct access at the following web address: [http://picasaweb.google.com/ddelgadi.kenya].
That's about all I have to report on for the time being on the blog. Another update will come soon as I will be meeting the new volunteers tomorrow for a bit and I hope to do some fun things in the near future.

Adapting to a different culture

2009-05-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

“Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.” ~ Jawaharlal Nehru quotes

So as I was reflecting on emails I've received from friends and family back home I came to the realization that I have not had a blog post about the differences between the US and Kenya.

Differences:
The culture:
In Kenya, people typically greet me based on my profession "teacher" hence they will great me either "habari mwalimu" which litterally translated means "news teacher?" ["Habari" is a typical greeting in Kiswahili (the Ki- before Swahili is cultural indicating a language; in comparison, the prefix Wa- would mean Swahili people). The typical responses include nzuri (good/well), salama (peaceful), or si mbaya (not bad).]
Another thing of interest regarding greetings is the hand shakes involved in greetings. In a given day, I see the askari (guard) of the compound about four times a day. Each time we meet we exchange greetings including a hand shake. In the mornings, also, as I walk to school I shake hands with the primary school students as part of the greetings. Even my students and I we exchange greetings and hand shakes as they arrive.
Some of the stereotypes that I've heard from Kenyans about Americans include: Americans eat snakes and snails; Americans are rich; there is no poverty in America; going to America means one will never be poor again.

The house:
In Kenya, a single room can be considered a house. In fact, my current housing is just that. One single room. In fact, there are several housing facilities where there are a set of six or eight single rooms within a gate. Each one being an appartment - a housing unit. In such housing set ups, there is usually a shared latrine and a shared shower room. Cooking is usually done by using a charcoal jiko (stove), a gas stove, and/or fire wood.Cutting the grass is done by hand using a long blade which has an angled top so that when the blade is swung just above the ground the blades will cut the grass and weeds.

Time:
The concept of time in Kenya is very different than time in the US. In the US, I would be too concerned about time and getting to work on time and thus would not take the time to slow my pace and walk with the primary school children as their school is on my way. In fact, the mamas in the area have gotten used to my walking with their children. This morning as I was walking to work, and though technically I was late (by US time standards), I slowed down my pace so that the young ones would not have to walk quickly/run to walk beside me. As I slowed down, there was a mama not too far back walking with her daughter and she said to her daughter "uende haraka kutembea na mzungu" English translation: "go quickly to walk with the foreigner."
That reminds me, the children think its hilarious that I have so much hair. Most men will have very little, if any hair, on their heads as the most men will have very little, if any, hair on their heads.
On a different occasion, I had time to watch a family of small birds building their nest. It was a slow afternoon while my students and I were waiting for the electricity to return. I stepped outside with a few of them to practice my Swahili. In the midst of our conversation, I saw a family of birds gathering twigs from the ground as they were building their nest in a nearby tree. It was truly amazing to see these little friends at work.On yet a different occasion, I had the pleasure of observing a few very young frogs as they were hoping around the area near the rice fields. I followed them a little bit to see what they were up to. In doing so, I found some birds nests in the shrubs along the edge of a shamba (farm). I also found some butterflies flying around in the area and had a chance to examine them closely. One of them struck me as particularly interesting. This butterfly's wings were almost entirely black save for two blue circles. As the butterfly was flapping its wings, I could see the purpose of the eyes. The butterfly was closing and opening its wings and as it did so, the blue spots on its back seemed almost like they were eyes opening from the black of the surrounding wings. The white and yellow colored butterflies flew away before I had a chance to look at them more closely.There are pretty neat things to be found if you only take the time to look around.

Adapting to a new culture

2009-05-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

"All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and
hope." ~
Alexandre Dumas Père

Imagine if you can the following scenario:

You are moving. You are going to a country in sub-saharan Africa - as time draws nearer you find out its Kenya. What do you to prepare yourself for the changes you'll encounter? Would you research information about the country's history? The policital situation? Economic situation? Langauge(s) spoken? Food? (Etc.?)It seems to me that no amount of information you can find online, in books, or even by talking to people currently in country can trully prepare you for what is to come. Certainly, the more information you gather about the place you are going, the better informed you will be about the situation. But information alone is cannot prepare you for the challenges you'd face.

At the staging event before flying to Kenya, we were advised to get on the plane with pockets full of patience and a sprinkle of humility. Patience, flexibility, and an open mind have proven to be by far the most helpful tools I brought to Kenya with me.

Patience:
Back in the states I was used to having a very fast paced lifestyle. After all, "time is money," right? However, stepping off the plane in a forgein country, the first thing to do, if you haven't done so already, is to adjust the time on your watch/cell phone/other electrnoic devices. But aside from just moving the hands on the dial to change the hour, you also need to change your perception of time. In my community, even though I may arrange to have a meeting with some one or a group of people at a certain hour - lets say 10 am - it's unlikely that either myself or the other parties involved will be on time. Usually I will be about 10-15minutes late from talking with people on my way to the meeting location. Even then, I'm early.

Flexibility:
Being flexible makes you a more valuable asset no matter which job you hold. This holds true even for volunteers. flexibility gives me the opportunity to help the community in more than one way. Instead of just teaching computers and providing technical assistance, being flexible means looking for other opportunities to get involved with the community: providing advice on income-generating activities, helping organize a community clean up, teaching English, providing business & record keeping advice/training, the possibilities are endless. However, the possibilities are only there as long as my flexibility is maintained.

Open mind:
Having an open mind to new things and new possibilities is likely the best thing to do when a change is coming. Whether that change be moving to a new country for a few years, or a new job, keeping an open mind has helped me to be perceptive of the challenges and also the opportunities for personal growth.Keeping an open mind can be a challenging task on some days when I wake up and just think to myself "I want to go back to sleep." Even still, I try to keep an open mind and see what happens during the day. Each new day brings new people to meet, new animals to look at in wonder, new insects to inspect, and unknown new challenges.
As long as I keep these tools ready, I know I will be able to overcome any challenge that comes my way.

P.S. Friends and family are welcome to visit and see for yourselves how things are like. If you'd like to visit just let me know in advance :-)
Also, comments on blog posts are greatly apprecaited and encouraged ;-)

A Young Elder.

2009-05-09T01:17:00.001-07:00

I know The Elders will support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict and inspire hope where there is despair. ~Nelson Mandela

Quick note: Since I have not been online in many days, today is a two-fer. Don't forget to read both!

A few days ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine. He was kind enough to walk with me through town to show me a hoteli (restaurant) that I had heard about but could not seem to locate based on a verbal description of how to get there. So after walking for a bit, we found the hoteli and had lunch. Following lunch, I walked around the soko (market) to find the shop that sells CDs and VCDs to see if I could find some new music CDs. From there, I began my trek back home to read and relax a bit. Then I ran into a friend of mine who wanted to introduce me to two strangers who turned out to be reverends.

It seems to me as though in just about every introduction I get asked the question “Are you saved?” Usually I think to myself, “I did not realize I needed saving. What does ‘being saved’ really mean?” Basically the question is “are you a born-again Christian?”
My typical response used to be “No, I’m not” but this time I responded “I no longer classify my religion.” When I replied I had no idea what kind of response I would get as this was the first time I was going to use this response – after long consideration of a new response to the question. One of the reverends looked at me with surprise – not the kind of surprise that I’m used to when I would say “No, I’m not ‘saved’” but a rather different surprise as though my response was one which was never expected. The reverend’s reply was a simply, yet inquisitive, “Why?”
And so our conversation continued and after some time had passed I was invited to attend their church service and I was also asked to take a look at the church computer equipment. Simple requests I agreed to.

After the two reverends left, my friend said to me “I believe if we were to have a gathering of our community heroes, you would be among them. You might even be made an elder; you have shosho qualities.” Shosho (sp?), it was explained to me, means elder and is often used to refer to a grandparent.

The words spoken during this encounter have penetrated deep into my mind and I am truly humbled by them.

To Serve the Community

2009-05-09T00:13:00.000-07:00

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. ~ Albert Einstein

Quick note: Since I have not been online in many days, today is a two-fer. Don't forget to read both!

During most of the month of April, I was in training. The first training was In-Service Training (IST) in Nairobi, followed by a Permaculture training near Mt. Kenya. IST was the first time our entire training group was together again since we went to our respective sites. It was truly awesome to see everyone back together and to hear about what everyone is doing with their communities.
On top of getting to see everyone once again, we attended some training sessions as a large group and other sessions that were divided by sector: Small Enterprise Development, Math & Science Education, Deaf Education, and Information Communication Technology (ICT). As for our ICT training, our APCD was able to get a professor at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to work with us. He was very helpful with all of our training needs. We visited many places of particular importance – such as Universities and places in Nairobi where we could find great bargains on all kinds of tech things.
Since training was over a week long, on the weekend I got a chance to travel to the “Bomas of Kenya”. It was a very neat facility: there are replicas of the traditional houses from various tribes native to Kenya. Also at Bomas, there was a dance exhibition in which 10 different dances were performed. The dances were almost all traditional dances of the tribes of Kenya – there was even an acrobatic display. The most amazing thing during the acrobatic display was a fellow doing the limbo as low as two 300mL bottles of coke while the limbo bar was on fire. I did not get a great picture of this feat, though I have a picture of the set up of the bar.

Training was indeed a wonder time and I learned a lot that I hope to bring to the community so that we can continue in the never ending quest of improvement.

Picture time:
At the equator in Nanyuki;

Limbo being set up on two 300mL bottles of coke

Me at the "Unmarried Son's Hut" (at Bomas of Kenya)

Me wearing an African-style shirt and kikoi ("man skirt")

The end of a beginning

2009-03-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

"Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation." John F. Kennedy

It's a bittersweet ending of my first computer class. I always knew that the class would eventually come to an end but I kept the thought of its end at the back of my mind. I was always more concerned with things like making sure my students ("wanafunzi wangu" in Kiswahili) understood me, being there to answer their questions ("majibu" in Kiswahili), making available my textbooks ("vitabu"), and other notes outside of class time so that everyone was able to understand the topics I was teaching.

Alas all good things must come to an end...

I saw a leaf falling from a tree that is drying up and a single tear came to my eye. As the leaf fell, I thought of my class: I hope that I did not fail them as the lack of rain has failed this tree.

The first class I've ever taught is in its closing stages. Sure I've taught merit badge classes at Boy Scout summer camp, and I've taught plenty of people in a less formal setting. Nevertheless, this is the first time that I have taught a class and been a 'teacher' ("mwalimu" in Kiswahili). As my students are taking their last exams, I cant help but wonder: Did I fail my students? Perhaps a few of my students didn't try their hardest or didn't pay attention during class. Even so, did I fail to teach them properly?As part of the exam my students were asked to write a letter providing feedback regarding the course in general - feedback, I hoped, that would help me improve my teaching style for future classes. Many students wrote very positive things such as "Mr. Daniel was very nice and helpful" and "I hereby wish to congraturate you for the good work that you voluntered to do" which made me feel better about my self-doubts. Yet part of me wonders, how would I feel about the course if I were in their situation: a high school graduate that possibly has never seen a computer before; in a class being taught by a foreigner who speaks the third language I've learned and with an accent at that.

I am deeply grateful for the assistance that the students have provided to each other and to me as we've grown. My students have have provided me great assistance as I learn Kiswahili. In addition to the help with Kiswahili, they have also taught me a great deal about Kenyan culture and the community in which we reside.I can honestly say that I will miss my students and I do wish them the best as they depart from my 'classroom', with theoretical & practical knowledge of computers. The next class or lot, as referred to by Kenyans, will begin next week as the exams come to a conclusion and certificates are awarded for their completion of the course. As a new class begins, so will a new adventure. I certainly hope not to fail my students. After all, I was brought to this locale to facilitate community development.

The above post is as it was originally written. Since its original inception, my perspective has changed. Having had a chance to speak to most of my students one-on-one I have come to realize that I have not failed them, as I had feared. Each and every one of my students is leaving my class with a knowledge of computers. The degree of the information learned varies from student to student, but alas everyone of them has learned something which they did not know before.

Wanyama (animals)

2009-03-23T04:58:00.000-07:00

Seeing wildlife is like seeing celebrities, only better. ~ Tanja Andrews

I find it very interesting that many people are curious to know what animals I have seen since I came to Kenya so I thought I would write a post about the different animals I've seen...
In a previous post I described an interesting encounter with a chicken and her young chicks. Even though the prior story was only one example, it is not uncommon to see many chickens throughout the day. In the morning I usually see a few chickens and a rooster as they roam around the compound. Some neighbors also have geese which have been known to roam around our compound from time to time. Speaking of geese, there is a group of geese that tend to hang around puddles on my way into town. These geese tend to stare me down as I walk by and they have been known to greet me as I walk by.
Cows are also seen on a daily basis. In the compound where I live we have three cows plus one calf. Cows can also be seen walking down the road on their way to being grazed. Sheep are also seen regularly as they are being walked to their grazing locations.
There are of course many different types of birds that can be seen and heard all around the community. If you walk down by the rice paddies when there are tractors in the area you are guaranteed to see flocks of birds looking for a meal (worms) as the ground is being turned.
In fact, there is one bird that when sing or call out predators in the area make a sound that I recognized upon first hearing it as a sound commonly used for error messages on a computer system (Mac I think but I can’t recall for sure under which circumstances this particular error can be heard). Which reminds me that the other day I heard a “tie-fighter” squeal coming from a chicken roost (I know, I’m a sci-fi geek). I swear I’m not going crazy! I heard some chickens or maybe roosters making some noises from a roost and I swear for a moment I thought I had gone back to watching a Star Wars film in which some Tie Fighters were chasing other space ships.
Aside from the animals already listed, I also have bats flying around at night in the compound I live and some that even like to hang on the roof of the pit latrine.
I have also seen camels walking near the road on one occasion. I’m not sure where they were going or what they were doing, but it was cool to see them from roughly 20 meters away.
I have also seen lions, elephants, monkeys, wildebeests, water buffalo, and a giraffe from afar during our initial trip to our training location. One day I’d like to visit some other volunteers and possibly travel into a national park to see more of Kenya’s beautiful wildlife.
I have been truly blessed/lucky to have seen all these different types of animals in the short time I’ve been in Kenya.

It's the simple things that matter...

2009-03-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.
~Walt Whitman

Every morning as I walk to work, (or trek as most Kenyans would say), I walk by a primary school. Almost every day, I end up walking with several children who attend this school. Most of the children that walk with me are very young and thus do not all know Kiswahili yet - rather they know their tribal language Kikuyu. As most of these children do not know Kiswahili, we were for the longest time unable to exchange verbal greetings, instead we would smile and wave.
Recently, I have started learning some of the Kikuyu greetings which has changed this entire scenario. The children will say something that sounds like Natea (I don't know the spelling of any Kikuyu words yet) and I will respond Nicuega.
Within 24hours of the children realizing that I had learned Kikuyu greetings, children from every school in the community have started greeting me in Kikuyu.
The next morning, as I was approaching the school I heard a group of children chanting Muthungo (which sounds very similar to the Kiswahili word Mzungu; both words mean foreigner). As I walk closer and closer to the school, more and more children began to chant. The chant continued until I was right outside the school gate in front of them. Just then, there was a brief moment of silence.
And then, in unison, the children said Muthungo Natea to which i replied Nicuega. Then I greeted them all saying Muriega - a greeting for groups of people as if saying "how are you all doing today?" The children, again in unison, replied Turiega meaning "we're fine".
Such a simple thing as a greeting can really make a large difference. Before I came to this community, the children whom I greet every morning had probably not seen a Mzungu (or Muthungoi) that would be able to greet them in their own language.
Every morning I look forward to greeting these children as they all become very very excited that they are being greeted by me.
I walk away from the school on my way to work extremely happy every morning.
And all of this is the result of a simple greeting.

Frightened by chickens?

2009-03-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

“Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms” ~George Elliot

On one fine afternoon, I was walking home from class and I stopped for a moment to enjoy the peacefulness of the nature around me.
I stopped by the side of the road underneath the shade of a nearby tree. As I stood there, I could hear nothing but the wind and about three different types of birds singing away this peaceful afternoon. I'm not certain how much time had passed and it was quite unusual for the road to be this quiet so I was expecting at any moment to hear the roar of a pikipiki (motorcycle) motor as it was passing by. Without realizing it, I had stopped paying attention to the birds and other animals - just listening to the wind expecting my peaceful experience to be disturbed by a pikipiki.
Just then, as I thought I heard a pikipiki engine roaring down the road, I heard a noise in the bushes that frightened me half-to-death. In the brief moment before I saw what presumed animal made the noise, I was half-ready to run for my life.
Then just before I started running, I saw a chicken with her family of chicks following her as they were searching for food.
Shortly after realizing there was nothing to fear, I felt very happy. I don't think I can recall many occasions where I was able to just be in peace with nature & my environment back in the States.
Of course, I was slightly disappointed that soon after the chickens frightened me traffic resumed and I was unable to find my peace again. But alas, tomorrow is another day...

Converstations with Kenyan students

2009-03-09T02:53:00.000-07:00

“There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for. And questions are the breath of life for a conversation.” ~James Nathan Miller

Notes prior to reading this post: please note that I posted two posts in the same day last time I posted. So if you did not read both, I would encourage you to do so. Also, my mailing address has changed so if you want to send letters/packages please use the new address listed near the bottom of the page!

During the days in which we have not had electricity at our facility, my students have asked me questions about myself and also about life in America. This blog post is intended to provide with some of the curiosity of my Kenyan students (who are high school graduates). Aside from the basic questions such as "where did you live? where did you go to college?" etc. I find the following questions to be more thought provoking.

Why did you come to Kenya?
I don't think I can fully answer that question as other people might be able. I suppose the cop-out answer would be that I applied to the Peace Corps and they decided to send me here. But that brings up the underlying question, "why did you join the peace corps?" That question is one that I find I ask myself frequently. On the most basic level, I joined to provide assistance to other people as best as I am able. Going further, joining gives me an experience that I will never forget. It is in fact, as the saying goes, "the toughest job you will ever love". I sometimes wonder if I am 100% ready for this challenge and on occasion it feels that though I am providing help, I cannot but be haunted by the feeling that I am alone. I am the only Mzungu (foreigner) in this town. Trusting others can also be a challenge sometimes as I will often wonder if the person will want something from me. In fact, there are many people who continually ask me if I will take them to the U.S. for a visit; others ask me to marry them; others simply call me "Johnny" or "Boss" and want me to give them a handout. As much as I would like to help everyone, I am unable to help everyone in the way that they would like.
Sometimes I wonder if I came to Kenya to escape what I saw was an unmeaningful life I was living in the States. Although I do think that I have come to Kenya for a reason. Perhaps it is so that I can learn not only about the culture here, but to learn about myself also and figure out who I am.

English is the only language in America, isn't it?
"Not exactly. English is the only national language of the U.S. but there are many languages spoken. For instance, my mother tongue is Spanish." It is sometimes challenging to explain that there are tribes of natives that still reside in America, each with their own language, and to add to that trying to explain that immigrants from other countries also speak different languages.
Although, I must mention that my students enjoyed my singing in Spanish. (I sang some Enrique Iglesias songs as my Spanish collection is somewhat limited here in Kenya).

Are there are any roads like this one in America (referring to an "all-weather" road that is composed of dirt/stones)?
"Not in the town where I lived, but there may be in other places." Most of the Kenyans I have met believe that every road is paved in the U.S.
An immediate follow up question is:
How do people travel in America?
"Well many families have cars that they use to get around town but not all families have cars. Other people may use a piki-piki [motorcycle]. In large cities there are sometimes even trains or subways - a subway is an underground train."

Are there any poor people in America?
"Well... that's not a simple question to answer, but yes there are poor people in America. You see, poverty in America is judged differently than that of Kenya..." I try to explain about the poverty level and the higher costs of basic things in America. At one point, I tried to explain someone making less than 32,000$ per year would not be considered "rich" in America. This attempt at an explanation lead to the math which came out to be roughly 210,000 Kenyan Shillings per month. In Kenya, this would be a fairly well-off person. After this attempt failed, I turned to an alternate explanation of poverty between Kenya and the U.S. "In the U.S., everything is more expensive. For example a small soda would cost roughly 150 shillings. The difference is that in the U.S. money is easier to get and everything costs more. Whereas in Kenya, money is not as easy to get and things cost less, comparatively." This explanation, however, typically requires a further explanation of the current financial situation in the U.S.

When students asked me this question, I began wondering about what poverty really is. Poverty is usually expressed in monetary terms, one's monthly income, annual income or daily living allowance. While the amount of money someone has is an indicator of the quality of life they are able to lead, something about defining poverty as a financial matter doesn't sit well in my mind. Because of all the factors that go into the value of one currency in relation to another, I don't think that trying to capture life in a country like Kenya in dollars and cents paints a clear picture. As I watched a TV show called "Trippin" (an MTV show from the States), I was very intrigued by the way in which the country's wealth is determined in the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan. It is not by the amount of money, or the value of the currency. Instead, their wealth is determined in natural riches.
So depending on the means by which you define poverty, Kenya may or may not be as 'poor' as it is thought of by both locals and by foreigners.

Based on my definition, I feel that Kenya is not poor.

New found respect for Teachers around the world

2009-03-05T00:22:00.000-08:00

During High School, and to some extent during my University studies, I wondered what it would be like to be a teacher. To be a person who is trusted with providing tomorrow's leaders with the tools they need to succeed.
Upon graduating, I briefly considered if I would want to be a teacher, I even applied to Teach For America. And now I find myself a teacher in a foreign country teaching basic computer skills.
I never realized the amount of hard work that teachers go through to make their class a success until very recently. Even though I taught some merit badge classes during Boy Scout Summer Camp, I have found it is very very different when teaching in a classroom setting.
My first challenge was of course the creation of lesson plans. In my mind I knew what I wanted to teach to my students, but I did not truly realize how much information to provide each day giving enough time for all students to have time to practice on our limited computers (there are 20+ students and only 6 computers - one of which is used by the organization's secretary).
My next challenge was the language. I believe that all of my students speak Kiswahili and Kikuyu, the local language, (if I have a student who does not speak Kikuyu, it is likely to be another tribal language such as Kiluo, Kikamba, or Kiembu). As English is my student's third language, and my second, the way in which I explain certain actions or certain concepts sometimes needs to be very specific in order for my students to understand clearly. Thankfully, however, the few students who understand me 'accent' very well are able to assist other students who may not understand me.
My last major challenge so far has been testing my students' understanding of what we've covered in class. The past few days I've administered an exam to my students of their understanding of the things we've covered in class. However, I had to reconsider my testing criteria and split the exam up into different parts so that the students' performance can be graded not based on how quickly they can perform a task, but on whether or not he/she is able to perform the task. I also faced the challenge that my directions were not 100% clear for most of the students. In the future, I will need to be more specific in what it is I am asking them to do. I may even reformat the exam instructions so that they will be easier to read.
As a result of my new experiences as a teacher, I have a new found respect for teachers around the world. I have come closer to realizing what it takes to be a positive role-model and provide the future with the most powerful tool they will need to succeed: knowledge.

Best feeling in the world

2009-03-04T23:54:00.000-08:00

It's truly amazing that my students care enough about my staying here
that they said "from now on, we'll only speak to you in Kiswahili" so
that i will pass the language proficiency exam. Plus, one of the
mamas in the compound where i live mentioned seeing several of my
students in town and she was telling me "I'm very happy today. I'm
very happy because your students love you so much."
The greatest feeling in the world is knowing you're making a difference in
the lives of others.

Scouting's Spirit lives worldwide

2009-02-26T05:33:00.000-08:00

I traveled to the town called Nyeri, here in central province, not knowing what to expect when I arrived. I had a map in mind as I had memorized it from the Lonely Planet guide. Naturally, upon getting off the matatu (van-like-taxi) in Nyeri, I was lost err I mean exploring (since Scouts are never lost). After some walking around to find some landmarks I knew on the map, I was able to find my way towards the resting place of Lord Powell.
Upon my arrival I met other Scouts who were also visiting Lord Powell's grave site. The Scouts I met were very friendly and invited me to accompany them for further Scouting-related activities.
During the weekend, I had a chance to meet with Scouts and Scouters from all over the world including: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, all over Kenya, the U.K., Senegal and another Scout from the U.S.A. Of all the Scouts I met during my visit to Nyeri, I was most touched by the friendliness of the Scouts I met while visiting Lord Powell's grave site. Departing from the grave site, we visited Paxtu which is where Lord Powell lived. His former home has since become a museum of the Scouting Movement.
Additioanlly, I was very touched by the Tanzanian Scouter who is also the headmaster of Lord Baden Powell Memorial High School based in Dar-Es-Salaam,Tanzania. All students, staff, and supporters of the school are all Scouts and Scouters from what the Headmaster was explaining. Could you imagine going to a high school like that? I think the idea is very worth while. Perhaps one day I will be able to visit their school in Tanzania.
Lastly, I have some announcements for Scouters around the world: Every Februrary 22nd (the birthdate of Lord and Lady Powell) there is a Scout camp and celebration in Nyeri - if any Scouts are interested in coming, please contact me as I would like to visit the site again, and I can provide assistance. Second announcement: Next year from July-August Kenya is going to be hosting an International Scout Moot. Again, if any Scouts are visiting, I would love to host a visitor and I too hope to join the program next year.

Helping the community

2009-02-20T04:54:00.000-08:00

So today, Friday the 20th of February, 2009 I decided to walk around town and visit other organizations to see how I can further assist the community.
I found my way to the edge of town to find that a VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing center - for HIV/AIDS) had been previously established by another Peace Corps Volunteer. I was very excited to see that the works of previous volunteers still impact the community in a positive way.
I met with the Doctor and the staff at this facility and introduced myself and explained that I too am here as a Peace Corps Volunteer and that I would like to provide assistance to the VCT as I am able.
They have asked me to teach the staff at the VCT computer skills, which I am looking forward to doing. As my first computer course I am teaching is drawing to an end, I will try to re-arrange my schedule so that I am not teaching (or helping in some other way) in the same place Mon-Fri. Instead, I would like to work with different groups in different places throughout the week so that my impact can go further.
With this information in mind, I will be training others so that they may be able to teach during my absences. For example, if I am teaching the computer course say Mon-Weds, I can have lessons and/or teach someone else to teach/assist the students on Thurs & Fris so that I can be elsewhere providing other assistance. Of course the scheduling may become very tricky and may involve teaching/helping on the weekends also.
Either way, I look forward to providing further assistance to the community.

At site for a month now

2009-02-12T02:39:00.000-08:00

So I've been at site for a month now and I bet that since I have not posted a blog post in say 3 months, people back home are wondering what its like for me so here goes.

Currently, I am serving in Central Province in small town. I am teaching basic computer skills to community members. I am teaching M.S. Office - Word, Excel, PPT, Access -typing skills, how to use a computer, the basics of a computer, the Internet, and e-mail.

This is a sample day in my current life as a Peace Corps Volunteer:
I woke up at 6 am to have breakfast and leave my house by 7am. I walk to work and arrive at the National Irrigation Board compound before 8. I then prepare my lesson for the day. I teach from about 9am until I am finished lecturing on the topic for the day. After that, I let the students practice on the computers we have available.
Somewhere in between 11am and 12 noon I walk to eat lunch. Lunch is about a 15-20 minute walk and is usually comprised of beans, cabbage, some potato and meat pieces, and a side of chapati (it's like a tortilla, but better - look it up on Wikipedia), and a soda.
After lunch, I return to the office and teach once again at 2pm. The same lesson is given to a different group of students. Then I study Kiswahili and at 5pm my tutor comes to work with me until 6pm. Around 6pm, after the language lesson, I walk home and rest for the next day.

As it stands now, I have bought a bike but have been unsuccessful in my learning to ride as the road to/from work and town (in opposite directions) is composed of rocks and dirt which is not conducive to my learning to ride a bike. Plus the road is very very busy most of the time.