Today is a big day in Kenya, for it is the day that the new constitution has been signed into law. The papers claimed it was an event to rival the independence ceremony of 1963, and while I do not know what those celebrations looked like, from watching the celebrations today on the Kenya news channel, I can imagine. Today was being herladed as the dawn of a new Kenya, a time of unity, and this constitution was some 20 years in waiting from when they first pledged to make a new one and today.
Perhaps some people will have seen headlines over the last few months about the constitution. It was voted on on August 4, and the people voted around 60%(I believe) for it to pass. Sadly, what sells back home is controversy, and while there was some controversy during the constituional campaign, the actual election was completely without incident. There was peace where during the presidential elections of 2007 there had been unrest, and especially in those communities, it seemed experience had committed them to never again. From what I can see and understand, the constitution will be good for Kenya. It offers an extended bill of rights, and from what they said to day, includes a pledge to take on corruption and negative tribalism.
In itself, it is a document, and a long awaited and much needed one. What remains to be seen is what the people who are sworn to uphold the document will make of it. Will it help address those things which seek to bind Kenya, or will it remain an empty promise. Hopefully the former, but every good and hopeful document needs committed people behind it. Still, a great day for Kenya.
The ceremony itself was held in the Central Park in downtown Nairobi, and getting around the city is not really possible, so our swahili lesson was canceled. Honestly, I did not mind because it allowed me to watch most of todays proceedings. There was incredible support from around the region. In attendance were such dignataries as the Ugandan president, the Rwandan president, the Sudanese president, the Zanzibar president, the Comoros president, former Ghanaian president John Kuofor, the former Tanzanian president, former Kenyan President Moi, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who played a very active role in the peace negotiations following the election violence of 2007. President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga both gave speeches, and while Kibaki cannot run again in 2012 because of term limitations, it does seem like many people say that Odinga could be the next president, for he has tremendous support and always brought the greatest cheers and seemed to really speak to the people. From the people I have talked with or overhead, he seems a great favorite.
The actually ceremony did not begin until around 10, but it looked like on tv that by 7 the crowd was already very great downtown, and it eventually became so crowded that they were forced to close off the park to anymore people. Our teacher had said people were talking about sleeping downtown in order to get a place for the ceremony. IF they did, they would have gotten rained on, because we have had pretty regular and unseasonable rain this past week, including parts of last night, and despite Kenya's proximity to the equatory, Nairobi has been in the mornings quite chilly. North Kinangop where I will be working is supposed to be quite chilly as well, so hopefully I brought enough warm clothes.
Truly, a momentous day to be in Kenya and to watch history be made. The dawn of a new era, a second republic, a day when Kenya pledged to truly be united... It is a hopeful time, and I truly hope it is hope that may be realized, despite the challenges that will inevitably arise.
Happy Constitution Day Kenya!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Nairobi traffic and a fieldtrip to Uhuru gardens...
Yesterday we got a good taste of Nairobi, or at least Nairobi traffic before a holiday. Even our teacher seemed surprised at how bad it was, but they already had closed several larger roads in anticipation of today. I was curious whether she would actually try to brave Nairobi this morning for our lessons, and wasn't surprised when she called to say there were no mtatus out. I will write more about constitution day later though. Right now I want to give account for yesterday...
The reason we got to experience our airless, exhaust heavy, ganster music laden bumper to bumper, at times standstill, at times slightly terrifying mtatu ride home was a trip and picnic at the Uhur Gardens. Uhuru means freedom and the gardens mark the place where the Kenya flag was first lifted for independence in 1963. The gardens are beautiful, mostly just grass and trees, but with a monument at one end commemorating the 20th anniversity. Our teacher said that in her experience most Kenyans don't like parks and probably even those nearby would likely have not visited the gardens... There were some people there, but mostly school groups on holiday playing soccer. Rather than having one long holiday like back home, schools take off every August, December and April. I rather like that model, and it means I will be getting to Hope right as school resumes.
The reason we got to experience our airless, exhaust heavy, ganster music laden bumper to bumper, at times standstill, at times slightly terrifying mtatu ride home was a trip and picnic at the Uhur Gardens. Uhuru means freedom and the gardens mark the place where the Kenya flag was first lifted for independence in 1963. The gardens are beautiful, mostly just grass and trees, but with a monument at one end commemorating the 20th anniversity. Our teacher said that in her experience most Kenyans don't like parks and probably even those nearby would likely have not visited the gardens... There were some people there, but mostly school groups on holiday playing soccer. Rather than having one long holiday like back home, schools take off every August, December and April. I rather like that model, and it means I will be getting to Hope right as school resumes.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Habari Yako! Greetings from kenya
Habari Yako? Greetings from Kenya! Internet here is patchy, so I am glad this is finally working. I arrived in Nairobi Friday evening after 24 hours of traveling. However, all our connections were smooth, and I still get excited to be flying over oceans and deserts and thousands and thousands of miles... Even so, it was really nice to finally get off the plane.
Getting our visas went smoothly and MCC's country reps picked us up and brought us to the Mennonite Guest House where we are staying until we head to our assignments. We being the other Kenya SALT participant and myself. We will be working in quite different parts of Kenya, but for now it is intensive Swahili in Nairobi... I am learning a lot, but don't feel like displaying my extensive knowledge right now, maybe my next posting. Blogging was going to be my excuse to not study... so yeah... I head to Hope September 4.
The guest house where we are staying is really very nice, and includes full board and has an amazing library that I am allowed to borrow books from throughout the year... Between those and the books at the MCC office, I will have plenty to ready in my down time. If I have very much down time. Once I get to Hope it sounds like I will be pretty busy, but I didn't come to Kenya to read too much, but rather to work with the children at Hope. The guest house also has a pretty steady stream of people passing by from mission and service workers who have made their lives in Kenya to a group last night who were from Eldoret, a town in Northwest Kenya, and were going to Holland to do some music ministry. Again, it is always nice to see the exchange go both ways. Talking with the other guests is also an excellent way to learn Kenyan geography as I like to find where they are coming from on a map afterwards...
Sunday after church the country reps oriented us. Truly I am so impressed by MCC's model of partnership, and they have a lot of partners throughout Kenya working in education(like Hope) or food security with sand dams, or health and there are other areas that I'm not remembering currently. Then Monday we started Swahili. It really is intensive, with us spending 3-4 hours in the morning on content and then in the afternoon doing different things around Nairobi with our teacher, who is a university student and fun to spend time and a great resource on Kenyan society, politics, life, etc..., The first afternoon we spent the afternoon in the office learning about Kenya, and then yesterday we took mtatus(the classic mini-bus transport) downtown, walked around, got sim cards for our cell phones and had Ethiopian food(which was quite good except it made our teacher feel quite poorly, so today she ended up going home early and loading us with homework...) I tried and learn swahili some before I came, which is helpful now, but it is so much easier to learn from a teacher and a native speaker.
The next week and a half with be more of the same. September 3 before I head to Hope MCC has an all country meeting, where the 15 or so different service workers will all come into Nairobi and check-in or something. I'm still learning the ropes. I'm not even so sure what all I will be doing at Hope, but I appreciate a more open ended job description so I really don't mind. I will take things as they come, and try and learn as much as I can while I am here in Nairobi.
For anybody who followed the August 4 Kenya referendum, or didn't, the new constitution was passed, peacefully no less, and so Friday is going to be a holiday to celebrate Constitution Day( a new holiday for a new constitution). I am not sure what all it will entail, but the paper says it will be a show to rival Independence back in 1963. They closed off most of downtown today and tomorrow so they can practice, and even last Sunday we went to the Anglican cathedral downtown and during the service they were cleaning out their guns and everybody looked a little alarmed. It is not everyday that guns are going off during church. The constitution, if it lives up to expectation, will be a big deal, and will hopefully bring some needed reforms. President Kibaki campaigned on a new constitution, and while it took more than the initial 100 days he promised, it really is a big deal.
Anyways, I think others want to use the guest house computer because they keep coming around the corner to see if it is busy, but I did want to write a quick update, and will definitely write more soon. So that's all for now, but everything is just beginning, and I feel like this is where I am supposed to be right now which is exciting.
Getting our visas went smoothly and MCC's country reps picked us up and brought us to the Mennonite Guest House where we are staying until we head to our assignments. We being the other Kenya SALT participant and myself. We will be working in quite different parts of Kenya, but for now it is intensive Swahili in Nairobi... I am learning a lot, but don't feel like displaying my extensive knowledge right now, maybe my next posting. Blogging was going to be my excuse to not study... so yeah... I head to Hope September 4.
The guest house where we are staying is really very nice, and includes full board and has an amazing library that I am allowed to borrow books from throughout the year... Between those and the books at the MCC office, I will have plenty to ready in my down time. If I have very much down time. Once I get to Hope it sounds like I will be pretty busy, but I didn't come to Kenya to read too much, but rather to work with the children at Hope. The guest house also has a pretty steady stream of people passing by from mission and service workers who have made their lives in Kenya to a group last night who were from Eldoret, a town in Northwest Kenya, and were going to Holland to do some music ministry. Again, it is always nice to see the exchange go both ways. Talking with the other guests is also an excellent way to learn Kenyan geography as I like to find where they are coming from on a map afterwards...
Sunday after church the country reps oriented us. Truly I am so impressed by MCC's model of partnership, and they have a lot of partners throughout Kenya working in education(like Hope) or food security with sand dams, or health and there are other areas that I'm not remembering currently. Then Monday we started Swahili. It really is intensive, with us spending 3-4 hours in the morning on content and then in the afternoon doing different things around Nairobi with our teacher, who is a university student and fun to spend time and a great resource on Kenyan society, politics, life, etc..., The first afternoon we spent the afternoon in the office learning about Kenya, and then yesterday we took mtatus(the classic mini-bus transport) downtown, walked around, got sim cards for our cell phones and had Ethiopian food(which was quite good except it made our teacher feel quite poorly, so today she ended up going home early and loading us with homework...) I tried and learn swahili some before I came, which is helpful now, but it is so much easier to learn from a teacher and a native speaker.
The next week and a half with be more of the same. September 3 before I head to Hope MCC has an all country meeting, where the 15 or so different service workers will all come into Nairobi and check-in or something. I'm still learning the ropes. I'm not even so sure what all I will be doing at Hope, but I appreciate a more open ended job description so I really don't mind. I will take things as they come, and try and learn as much as I can while I am here in Nairobi.
For anybody who followed the August 4 Kenya referendum, or didn't, the new constitution was passed, peacefully no less, and so Friday is going to be a holiday to celebrate Constitution Day( a new holiday for a new constitution). I am not sure what all it will entail, but the paper says it will be a show to rival Independence back in 1963. They closed off most of downtown today and tomorrow so they can practice, and even last Sunday we went to the Anglican cathedral downtown and during the service they were cleaning out their guns and everybody looked a little alarmed. It is not everyday that guns are going off during church. The constitution, if it lives up to expectation, will be a big deal, and will hopefully bring some needed reforms. President Kibaki campaigned on a new constitution, and while it took more than the initial 100 days he promised, it really is a big deal.
Anyways, I think others want to use the guest house computer because they keep coming around the corner to see if it is busy, but I did want to write a quick update, and will definitely write more soon. So that's all for now, but everything is just beginning, and I feel like this is where I am supposed to be right now which is exciting.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Greetings from Akron PA
Hello friends,
It seems hard to believe, but a week ago I was boarding a plane, and now after a week of orientation, I am preparing to board the final leg of my journey to Kenya tomorrow. Orientation has been truly wonderful though. A good time of preparing, learning, fellowship and cultural exchange. I feel much better equipped to work with and represent MCC now, and am honored to be working with such a grounded organization, and with such an amazing group of people.
Orientation has conisted of a series of sessions teaching us what MCC is about, from history, to mission and values, to the scope of their work. If you want to learn more about MCC, I would really encourage visiting their website. For me, not coming from a Mennonite or MCC background, I found everything quite compelling. It is a very grounded peace, development and relief organization though, respected in the countries it works in, with a philosophy of partnership and exchange. The rest of the sessions talked more about cross-cultural exchange.
That exchange has been my favorite part of orientation, for in addition to the 50 some people doing my program and going to many countries around the world, the orientation is also for the 50 or so some IVEP and YEMAN participants. IVEP, or International Volunteer Exchange Program, is an older program than SALT and it takes young people from countries around the world, and places them with organizations and in host families here in the US and Canada for a year. YEMAN, or Young Anabaptist, Mennonite Exchange Network, meanwhile takes young adults from countries other than the US and Canada and places them with partners in other countries than the US and Canada. For example, Zimbabwe to Mexcio. For this week though, we are all one, placed into community together, sharing life and fellowship and all preparing for our years ahead. Getting to know the other SALT participants from around the US and Canada has been a lot of fun, but getting to make friends from Zimbabwe or Zambia, Indonesia or Nepal, has been equally and especially fun. At the same time, it makes leaving tomorrow, while exciting, also a little bittersweet as we must all say goodbye to our new friends. Living in a cross cultural community for a week has been a great way to learn and share about the regions we are going to and coming from. It is one thing to learn about Kenya or Africa from a book or presenter, and quite another to learn from a peer and friend who is from there. At the same time, it is good to be able to share about the culture you come from. Living in a cross cultural community also makes any conversation about oppression and hope, or peace, better. It keeps us from speaking only from one cultural lense.
One of my favorite sessions was on stereotypes, on the danger of telling a single story. In one of our sessions yesterday we watched a video of a speach by Chimanda Adichie called 'The danger of a single story'. Here is the link, and if you have time, watch it.
http://www.ted.com/talk/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html.
She is an amazing Nigerian novelist(I would also recommend her books), but in her speech she is talking about the dangers of single stories, having only one story for a place. For instance, here in the west, we often have only a single story of Africa and that is one of disaster and catastrophe, but to tell a single story is a lie. It is to take away others ability to contribute, to be fully human. Truly, I can only sum it up, but do watch the link, and maybe I will blog more about that alone someday. However, it is my warning, when I get to Kenya, I am not an authority on Kenya. I can only speak from my experience, tell my story, and it is a single story, and I hope it will stand in contrast to the single story told by the media. In truth, I hope it will help dismantle that story, but do know, that is only what I see or know, and will all come from my cultural lens.
Let me end with something lighter, what I like to call, our comedy of errors. For while this week has been incredible, it had also had some unusual moments. On Friday, our second day here, we were instructed not to drink the water, because ecoli bacteria had been found in a local well! While at least the SALT participants came equipped with a healthy share of anti-diarrheals, we did not anticipate having to use them before we even arrived in our host countries. Thankfully, preventions were in time, and nobody became ill, but still... not what anybody had expected. Then, Monday evening during dinner all 100+ of us were stuffed into a basement they did not know existed, because there had been a tornado warning(meaning a tornado had been spotted nearby). It was my first tornado warning, but all the IVEP participants who will be living in Pennsylvania were assured that neither the water situation nor tornados are common. THe last comedy of errors was completely my own, in that in the busyness of getting ready to week, I had managed to swap one of my sandles with a friends(they were the same make, different sizes) and, my head being full, not noticed, at least until somebody pointed out that one of my shoes was bigger than the other. Thankfully, thanks to the US postal service and my brother, everything was able to be sorted out, and I will be going to Kenya with a good pair of walking sandles that actually match and fit!
And with that image, I am signing out. I will write another update once I am settled into language courses in Nairobi, but this afternoon we have a commissioning service, and I have some things I need to do before.
It seems hard to believe, but a week ago I was boarding a plane, and now after a week of orientation, I am preparing to board the final leg of my journey to Kenya tomorrow. Orientation has been truly wonderful though. A good time of preparing, learning, fellowship and cultural exchange. I feel much better equipped to work with and represent MCC now, and am honored to be working with such a grounded organization, and with such an amazing group of people.
Orientation has conisted of a series of sessions teaching us what MCC is about, from history, to mission and values, to the scope of their work. If you want to learn more about MCC, I would really encourage visiting their website. For me, not coming from a Mennonite or MCC background, I found everything quite compelling. It is a very grounded peace, development and relief organization though, respected in the countries it works in, with a philosophy of partnership and exchange. The rest of the sessions talked more about cross-cultural exchange.
That exchange has been my favorite part of orientation, for in addition to the 50 some people doing my program and going to many countries around the world, the orientation is also for the 50 or so some IVEP and YEMAN participants. IVEP, or International Volunteer Exchange Program, is an older program than SALT and it takes young people from countries around the world, and places them with organizations and in host families here in the US and Canada for a year. YEMAN, or Young Anabaptist, Mennonite Exchange Network, meanwhile takes young adults from countries other than the US and Canada and places them with partners in other countries than the US and Canada. For example, Zimbabwe to Mexcio. For this week though, we are all one, placed into community together, sharing life and fellowship and all preparing for our years ahead. Getting to know the other SALT participants from around the US and Canada has been a lot of fun, but getting to make friends from Zimbabwe or Zambia, Indonesia or Nepal, has been equally and especially fun. At the same time, it makes leaving tomorrow, while exciting, also a little bittersweet as we must all say goodbye to our new friends. Living in a cross cultural community for a week has been a great way to learn and share about the regions we are going to and coming from. It is one thing to learn about Kenya or Africa from a book or presenter, and quite another to learn from a peer and friend who is from there. At the same time, it is good to be able to share about the culture you come from. Living in a cross cultural community also makes any conversation about oppression and hope, or peace, better. It keeps us from speaking only from one cultural lense.
One of my favorite sessions was on stereotypes, on the danger of telling a single story. In one of our sessions yesterday we watched a video of a speach by Chimanda Adichie called 'The danger of a single story'. Here is the link, and if you have time, watch it.
http://www.ted.com/talk/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html.
She is an amazing Nigerian novelist(I would also recommend her books), but in her speech she is talking about the dangers of single stories, having only one story for a place. For instance, here in the west, we often have only a single story of Africa and that is one of disaster and catastrophe, but to tell a single story is a lie. It is to take away others ability to contribute, to be fully human. Truly, I can only sum it up, but do watch the link, and maybe I will blog more about that alone someday. However, it is my warning, when I get to Kenya, I am not an authority on Kenya. I can only speak from my experience, tell my story, and it is a single story, and I hope it will stand in contrast to the single story told by the media. In truth, I hope it will help dismantle that story, but do know, that is only what I see or know, and will all come from my cultural lens.
Let me end with something lighter, what I like to call, our comedy of errors. For while this week has been incredible, it had also had some unusual moments. On Friday, our second day here, we were instructed not to drink the water, because ecoli bacteria had been found in a local well! While at least the SALT participants came equipped with a healthy share of anti-diarrheals, we did not anticipate having to use them before we even arrived in our host countries. Thankfully, preventions were in time, and nobody became ill, but still... not what anybody had expected. Then, Monday evening during dinner all 100+ of us were stuffed into a basement they did not know existed, because there had been a tornado warning(meaning a tornado had been spotted nearby). It was my first tornado warning, but all the IVEP participants who will be living in Pennsylvania were assured that neither the water situation nor tornados are common. THe last comedy of errors was completely my own, in that in the busyness of getting ready to week, I had managed to swap one of my sandles with a friends(they were the same make, different sizes) and, my head being full, not noticed, at least until somebody pointed out that one of my shoes was bigger than the other. Thankfully, thanks to the US postal service and my brother, everything was able to be sorted out, and I will be going to Kenya with a good pair of walking sandles that actually match and fit!
And with that image, I am signing out. I will write another update once I am settled into language courses in Nairobi, but this afternoon we have a commissioning service, and I have some things I need to do before.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tomorrow!
This is it I guess. I leave tomorrow so I finally needed to set up a blog, so here goes. I leave tomorrow for Pennsylvania where I will spend a week at the headquarters of the Mennonite Central Committee at the orientation for all SALT(Serving and Learning Together) volunteers. SALT is the one-year young adult program that I am going to Kenya through, and you may already know this if you are reading this, but I am going to be living and working at Hope in Central Kenya as an English teacher and youth worker. You can check out their website on my link list, as well as that of MCC and SALT.
Then, on August 19 I will be flying to Nairobi where I will have two weeks of intensive Swahili instruction before heading to Hope. That's the plan, and in the meantime I get to check and recheck my packing while hoping I didn't forget anything irreplaceable, but I have my passport for sure, so I should be ok. It is very exciting to finally be going, but also a little unreal. Please do not have this only be a one-way means of communication where you find out what is happening in my life and in Kenya. I would love email, or letters, while I am there.
Anyways, I will write more later when I am actually in Pennsylvania or Kenya and am a little less distracted. Let me say though that I truly appreciate all the support and prayers over the last few months of preparing.
Then, on August 19 I will be flying to Nairobi where I will have two weeks of intensive Swahili instruction before heading to Hope. That's the plan, and in the meantime I get to check and recheck my packing while hoping I didn't forget anything irreplaceable, but I have my passport for sure, so I should be ok. It is very exciting to finally be going, but also a little unreal. Please do not have this only be a one-way means of communication where you find out what is happening in my life and in Kenya. I would love email, or letters, while I am there.
Anyways, I will write more later when I am actually in Pennsylvania or Kenya and am a little less distracted. Let me say though that I truly appreciate all the support and prayers over the last few months of preparing.
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