Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tanzania Weekend
Last weekend a group of about a dozen of us went to Arusha, Tanzania for a few days away from Nairobi. We boarded a bus right after class got out on Friday. And thus began the bumpiest, dustiest, dirtiest bus ride of my life. A good portion of the drive was on a road that was not paved, full of potholes, and lacking any sort of road sign whatsoever. The view was really interesting though. We passed through a few small towns with large open air markets and herds of cattle on the streets. As we got closer to the Kenya- Tanzania border, the terrain got more mountainous and the roads even dustier and bumpier.
Then we got to the border and encountered some unexpected drama. We planned to purchase single- entry visas for $50, but when we got to the border we found out it isn’t possible to buy single entry visas for American citizens outside of the US. Instead we had to buy multiple entry visas for $100. For most of the group, this was disappointing but not a huge deal; we decided we’d just have to come back for another weekend soon. Two people, however, decided buying visas was below them, and snuck back on the bus and across the border.
The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. As we got closer to Arusha, dusk fell and all we could see were the stars and the Maasai campfires on the mountains in the distance. We got into Arusha around 9 pm, checked into our hostel, and changed to go out for the evening. We went to a local club and danced and hung out for a few hours before heading back to the hostel.
The next day was pretty laid- back. We mostly wandered around Arusha seeing how it was similar or different from Nairobi. Arusha is smaller, cleaner, and friendlier than Nairobi. One girl had lived in Arusha for three months a few summers ago, so she knew the area really well and was friends with a lot of the local people, so we were able to fit right in. We went to an open air market and another Maasai market. The vendors were much less willing to barter, so we didn’t end up buying much of anything. On the street, a woman was selling fried cassava topped with salt and chili powder, which I tried despite multiple warnings that it isn’t exactly wise to buy food from street vendors, who obviously follow no health or safety regulations. But, it was delicious and is officially my favorite Tanzanian food.
Saturday night we went out to a music festival, which was a great time. There were a few live bands, then a short intermission during which some acts from a huge African circus performed, then a DJ played for the rest of the night.
Sunday morning we pretty much just had breakfast and had to pack up and get ready to head out. I sat for a while on the rooftop patio at the hostel, looking out over Mount Meru. The bus ride back was tedious, everybody was tired and ready to be off that road. When we got to the border, the two people that didn’t buy entry visas were interrogated briefly by border security, but we managed to get them through eventually. It was still irritating though.
Overall, the weekend was a great one. We didn’t really do anything that we couldn’t have done in Nairobi, but it was really nice to get out of the big city for a while and see the difference in lifestyle between Kenya and Tanzania. And to breathe some fresh air; the smog and dust in Nairobi really take their toll on a person’s respiratory system. Technically, Kenya would be considered the more “developed” of the two countries, having better infrastructure and more public programs and bigger cities. However, it was obvious just over the course of one weekend that the government corruption and ethnic tensions that are so severe in Kenya were almost nonexistent in Tanzania. People on the streets were friendlier, and as an added bonus, spoke clearer, slower Swahili, so I was able to use less English than I do here in Nairobi.
Field Trip
Field Trip Day
First, a disclaimer. This post will be very long. Maybe unnecessarily long. Also, I describe things that caused me to react emotionally. I’ll do my best to leave that out, and focus on the events of the day.
This week on Tuesday our Development professor, Dr. Jama, took us on a field trip around various key areas of Nairobi to help illustrate the focus of his lectures. Since Monday was a holiday, a lot of people decided to travel and were just getting back into town on Tuesday morning. We got on the bus and set off for our first destination, a public overlook area where we could see several key government an private structures such as the Ministry of Health, the Parliament building, and the headquarters of a few multinational corporations. Also from the overlook we watched armed and uniformed military policemen marching around in formation. Jama explained they were practicing for when Kibaki (the president of Kenya) makes a speech. We were situated a good distance from them, but they were still pretty intimidation. Jama also told us all about how the green (it’s actually brown right now because of the drought) below us used to be so expansive, it stretched to the city limits. It’s now much smaller, just a few acres. It has been whittled away piece by piece for private buildings, 4 star hotels, and offices. This is important because the green is a key recreational zone for the poor of Nairobi, who obviously can’t afford admittance to the national parks and animal orphanages. These free public spaces are especially busy on days like last Monday, which was a public holiday. In fact, a U.S. corporation wanted to buy a section of this particular land with the goal of constructing the tallest building in Africa. The project was shot down after a number of protests by locals who wanted to preserve the space for the public. Jama also pointed out a corner of the park area that is a site famous for the demonstrations and rallies that take place there occasionally, often controlled by police officers like the ones we saw marching nearby.
Back aboard the bus, next stop: industrial zone. The bus parked along the street near the GM and Firesone plants. This stop was mainly so Jama could illustrate the presence of large multinational corporations that capitalize on the Export Processing Zone here. EPZ’s are free trade zones/ specialized manufacturing export estates with minimum customs controls, and are usually exempt from labor regulations and domestic taxes. Here, we weren’t able to get out or take pictures of the factories due to security concerns. Jama mentioned that one year, a student tried to take a picture of the GM plant and the entire group was detained for upwards of three hours. The plants here are mostly for assembly, not manufacturing. For example, the GM plant assembles Isuzu automobiles, giving new meaning to the “global car” concept. The workers in these plants are generally pretty well educated, but there aren’t enough jobs to go around. We saw quite a few men waiting around outside, hoping to find work, but they are almost all turned away. Where can such men go to find work?
That would be our next stop, the informal sector. This was by far the most eye- opening part of the trip. My goal here is not necessarily to make some sort of appeal for sympathy or sensationalize the populations or activities I saw, so I’ll stick to straight descriptions and try to keep any personal feelings or judgments to a minimum. As we approached this area, one of the first things we noticed was the issue of solid waste management, or lack thereof. Garbage was heaped everywhere, piling up in fields and overflowing the ditches. In some places the grass wasn’t even visible. The stench was overpowering, like weeks of old trash and burning rubber. Shanty houses made of scraps of corrugated tin roofs and thick wooden poles were everywhere. Some were completely open to the outside, some were shielded by old plastic bags or scraps of cloth. The poverty is unthinkable and indescribable. Here, we were able to get out and walk around. Within moments of disembarking, it becomes obvious that Jama is something of a celebrity here. Men come up and hug him, point around, and speak in rapid Kiswahili. Then Jama leads us through a vast maze of wooden stands similar to the houses we passed on our way in. At the outer edge of the maze, men sit in the stands and sell finished goods, all made of recycled materials. Old tin is hammered into new bowls and cooking utensils. Metal frameworks from fencing and sidewalks become barbeque grills. Basically, any material that can be pounded, bent, flattened, or twisted into something new is collected and put to good use. As we work our way into the middle of the maze, the stands change from vendors to producers. This is quite a sight to behold. Shirtless, sweaty men perch on stools every two feet or two, some with hammers pounding sheet metal into massive bowls, some welding pieces together, some sawing or drilling. The noise is incredible. I can’t hear the person standing right in front of me. It’s extremely hot. It’s also extremely obvious that Kenya has no equivalent to OSHA to oversee workplace conditions. Surprisingly enough, the workers all seem content. Happy, even. They greet Jama like an old friend and even invite a few students to sit and try pounding on the bowls they’re working on. We walk around more and get an idea of the scope of the products made here: dozens of cooking tools in varying sizes, durable metal suitcases, dressers and desks, things I couldn’t even begin to identify. Jama explained that this area is actually relatively safe for a pack of wazungu like us, despite the obvious poverty all around us. Areas like this are ruled by mob law, so basically, if a person were to steal from a potential customer, other craftsmen would see it as bad for business. A thief would literally be beaten to death. “He stands no chance of walking out of here alive if he steals” Jama explained. These products, aside from being sold to casual shoppers, are also picked up in large trucks every few weeks and distributed throughout the country. The men that work in the informal sector have ownership in their business, since each enterprise is co- owned by two or at most three men. They divide any profits equally, so the men here actually earn relatively high salaries. Unfortunately, all the activity we saw here is considered null and void by the current system of evaluating development. Just like a subsistence farmer who produces just enough to feed his family, products from this sort of industry don’t “count” toward GNP. It seems almost dehumanizing, seeing all the labor and resources turning out useful products, but the workers are considered unemployed and their output not factored into the national economy.
Next, we move quickly through Majengo, another extremely poor slum area of Nairobi. This area has gained fame for the commercial sex work that is virtually the only form of employment here. It’s also an area of extensive scientific investigation because, for some reason yet unknown, a number of the women are resistant to HIV infection, despite obvious occupational hazards. Needless to say, we didn’t get out of the bus here, just passed by.
Our next stop showed us an alternate and preferable career path for women. We entered a jungle of wooden huts, basically the female version of the informal sector we had just visited. Here instead of metal work, the women bead, sew, and weave crafts for sale. Their crafts were similar to those at the Maasai market I described earlier, but it was interesting to see the labor input and product output all concentrated in one place. Again, like the men working not too far away, these women are technically unemployed, though they earn good wages to help support their families.
The last leg of our field trip was meant to be juxtaposed against the economic and resource poverty we had been exposed to all morning. We passed through the neighborhoods inhabited by government officials and foreign diplomats. Here, lush green lawns flourish under the careful watch of an army of yard boys that water the grass in the scorching heat of midday. There are manicured golf courses, pools and water slides, and massive shopping malls. We passed the US Embassy, which happens to be the largest in Africa and one of the biggest in the world, according to Jama. It serves as a watch point for both East and Central Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East. Here, once again, no photos unless you wish to be detained.
So, over the course of the morning Jama accomplished two major objectives: juxtaposition and argumentation. He compared the lives of the rich and poor, the jobs of those that work in industry for multinationals and those that work industriously for themselves, the jobs men hold and the contributions women make. He also argued that “structures don’t mean development”. We saw plenty of examples of large buildings, like those from the scenic outlook in Nairobi, where constructing modern towers stole away public land from the masses to benefit few. We saw the Canadian Embassy, which cut down many acres of precious forest to add a swimming pool to their complex.
The field trip was informational, and Jama presented everything as factually as possible, without introducing his own biases as a Kenyan. It’s given me a lot to think about, and I’m not really sure I’m done processing it all yet, so that’s really all I have on the field trip for now.
So THEN, after all that was over, Jane, one of my advisors, wanted me to go into the city center with her to meet the director of the foundation I’ll be volunteering with for my internship. I’ll be working with the Matibabu Foundation, which provides health and educational outreach services to the poor region of Ugenya in western Kenya. I met with Dan, the country director of the foundation (they also have a sister branch in California). He described the various projects going on right now and the options I have. Essentially, I can do whatever I want. They have projects dealing with HIV/ AIDS outreach as well as treatment, nutrition campaigns to delay the start of ARV therapy for HIV patients, malaria research and treatment, maternal- child health programs, pediatric deforming initiatives, and a lot more. I was told that based on the background information I submitted, the director of the malaria research is lobbying pretty heavily to get me involved there, but I think for this I’d prefer something with more patient contact.
That all went fine. Then Jane, Sam (another student) and I had to go to a bank because Sam’s ATM card had been “captured” by an ATM at an animal orphanage. The card went in and never came back out. Apparently that happens a lot here, because they have an entire teller window at the bank dedicated to “captured card complaints”. So we stood in line for 30 to 45 minutes. This country is not especially good at efficiency. We got to the teller, who browsed through a massive stack of captured cards, and informed us that Sam’s card was being held at another branch across town. So we went there. And waited in line some more. When we approached this teller, she got very shifty and refused to confirm whether the card was there or not. She referred us to Customer Service (ironically named), where we waited in line, for a change. We were then told that Sam would need his original passport to reclaim his card- he only had a notarized photocopy and his drivers license. This seemed suspicious, so Jane inquired further why the original passport was needed. The Customer Service representative responded that Sam had another 24 hours to officially reclaim his card or it would be destroyed. I think he went back the next day to try and get it back, I’m not sure. At this point in the day, Sam has very little cash and no ATM card. What he does have is a good deal of money in Traveler’s Checks. Unfortunately, no bank in Kenya will cash Traveler’s Checks. Well, there was one that would, but only after a one to two month waiting period. Lesson of the day: don’t bring Traveler’s Checks to Kenya.
Sam, Jane, and I laughed about the difficulties of the banking system as we walked to the bus station. I assured Sam we’d make sure he was fed until he managed to get his ATM card back, and we were overall pretty tired and ready to get home. Jane and Sam got on one bus, but I was going a different way so I got on a different one. I boarded my Citi Hoppa (read: city hopper. It’s a major Kenyan bus company, and it’s really hard not to laugh when talking about a Citi Hoppa. Similarly, there’s a popular television series called Inspekta Malawi that’s also fun to talk about) and started a slow ride home. It was rush hour in Nairobi, and my bus was packed. I was the only mzungu. At the stop before mine, the man behind me got up to leave, and as he did, he pulled out a scissors and snipped off a lock of my hair. Right from my head. And then he disembarked, scissors and hair in one hand, briefcase in the other. I am perplexed by this. I think maybe, somewhere, somebody is making an Emily Barker Voodoo doll.
First, a disclaimer. This post will be very long. Maybe unnecessarily long. Also, I describe things that caused me to react emotionally. I’ll do my best to leave that out, and focus on the events of the day.
This week on Tuesday our Development professor, Dr. Jama, took us on a field trip around various key areas of Nairobi to help illustrate the focus of his lectures. Since Monday was a holiday, a lot of people decided to travel and were just getting back into town on Tuesday morning. We got on the bus and set off for our first destination, a public overlook area where we could see several key government an private structures such as the Ministry of Health, the Parliament building, and the headquarters of a few multinational corporations. Also from the overlook we watched armed and uniformed military policemen marching around in formation. Jama explained they were practicing for when Kibaki (the president of Kenya) makes a speech. We were situated a good distance from them, but they were still pretty intimidation. Jama also told us all about how the green (it’s actually brown right now because of the drought) below us used to be so expansive, it stretched to the city limits. It’s now much smaller, just a few acres. It has been whittled away piece by piece for private buildings, 4 star hotels, and offices. This is important because the green is a key recreational zone for the poor of Nairobi, who obviously can’t afford admittance to the national parks and animal orphanages. These free public spaces are especially busy on days like last Monday, which was a public holiday. In fact, a U.S. corporation wanted to buy a section of this particular land with the goal of constructing the tallest building in Africa. The project was shot down after a number of protests by locals who wanted to preserve the space for the public. Jama also pointed out a corner of the park area that is a site famous for the demonstrations and rallies that take place there occasionally, often controlled by police officers like the ones we saw marching nearby.
Back aboard the bus, next stop: industrial zone. The bus parked along the street near the GM and Firesone plants. This stop was mainly so Jama could illustrate the presence of large multinational corporations that capitalize on the Export Processing Zone here. EPZ’s are free trade zones/ specialized manufacturing export estates with minimum customs controls, and are usually exempt from labor regulations and domestic taxes. Here, we weren’t able to get out or take pictures of the factories due to security concerns. Jama mentioned that one year, a student tried to take a picture of the GM plant and the entire group was detained for upwards of three hours. The plants here are mostly for assembly, not manufacturing. For example, the GM plant assembles Isuzu automobiles, giving new meaning to the “global car” concept. The workers in these plants are generally pretty well educated, but there aren’t enough jobs to go around. We saw quite a few men waiting around outside, hoping to find work, but they are almost all turned away. Where can such men go to find work?
That would be our next stop, the informal sector. This was by far the most eye- opening part of the trip. My goal here is not necessarily to make some sort of appeal for sympathy or sensationalize the populations or activities I saw, so I’ll stick to straight descriptions and try to keep any personal feelings or judgments to a minimum. As we approached this area, one of the first things we noticed was the issue of solid waste management, or lack thereof. Garbage was heaped everywhere, piling up in fields and overflowing the ditches. In some places the grass wasn’t even visible. The stench was overpowering, like weeks of old trash and burning rubber. Shanty houses made of scraps of corrugated tin roofs and thick wooden poles were everywhere. Some were completely open to the outside, some were shielded by old plastic bags or scraps of cloth. The poverty is unthinkable and indescribable. Here, we were able to get out and walk around. Within moments of disembarking, it becomes obvious that Jama is something of a celebrity here. Men come up and hug him, point around, and speak in rapid Kiswahili. Then Jama leads us through a vast maze of wooden stands similar to the houses we passed on our way in. At the outer edge of the maze, men sit in the stands and sell finished goods, all made of recycled materials. Old tin is hammered into new bowls and cooking utensils. Metal frameworks from fencing and sidewalks become barbeque grills. Basically, any material that can be pounded, bent, flattened, or twisted into something new is collected and put to good use. As we work our way into the middle of the maze, the stands change from vendors to producers. This is quite a sight to behold. Shirtless, sweaty men perch on stools every two feet or two, some with hammers pounding sheet metal into massive bowls, some welding pieces together, some sawing or drilling. The noise is incredible. I can’t hear the person standing right in front of me. It’s extremely hot. It’s also extremely obvious that Kenya has no equivalent to OSHA to oversee workplace conditions. Surprisingly enough, the workers all seem content. Happy, even. They greet Jama like an old friend and even invite a few students to sit and try pounding on the bowls they’re working on. We walk around more and get an idea of the scope of the products made here: dozens of cooking tools in varying sizes, durable metal suitcases, dressers and desks, things I couldn’t even begin to identify. Jama explained that this area is actually relatively safe for a pack of wazungu like us, despite the obvious poverty all around us. Areas like this are ruled by mob law, so basically, if a person were to steal from a potential customer, other craftsmen would see it as bad for business. A thief would literally be beaten to death. “He stands no chance of walking out of here alive if he steals” Jama explained. These products, aside from being sold to casual shoppers, are also picked up in large trucks every few weeks and distributed throughout the country. The men that work in the informal sector have ownership in their business, since each enterprise is co- owned by two or at most three men. They divide any profits equally, so the men here actually earn relatively high salaries. Unfortunately, all the activity we saw here is considered null and void by the current system of evaluating development. Just like a subsistence farmer who produces just enough to feed his family, products from this sort of industry don’t “count” toward GNP. It seems almost dehumanizing, seeing all the labor and resources turning out useful products, but the workers are considered unemployed and their output not factored into the national economy.
Next, we move quickly through Majengo, another extremely poor slum area of Nairobi. This area has gained fame for the commercial sex work that is virtually the only form of employment here. It’s also an area of extensive scientific investigation because, for some reason yet unknown, a number of the women are resistant to HIV infection, despite obvious occupational hazards. Needless to say, we didn’t get out of the bus here, just passed by.
Our next stop showed us an alternate and preferable career path for women. We entered a jungle of wooden huts, basically the female version of the informal sector we had just visited. Here instead of metal work, the women bead, sew, and weave crafts for sale. Their crafts were similar to those at the Maasai market I described earlier, but it was interesting to see the labor input and product output all concentrated in one place. Again, like the men working not too far away, these women are technically unemployed, though they earn good wages to help support their families.
The last leg of our field trip was meant to be juxtaposed against the economic and resource poverty we had been exposed to all morning. We passed through the neighborhoods inhabited by government officials and foreign diplomats. Here, lush green lawns flourish under the careful watch of an army of yard boys that water the grass in the scorching heat of midday. There are manicured golf courses, pools and water slides, and massive shopping malls. We passed the US Embassy, which happens to be the largest in Africa and one of the biggest in the world, according to Jama. It serves as a watch point for both East and Central Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East. Here, once again, no photos unless you wish to be detained.
So, over the course of the morning Jama accomplished two major objectives: juxtaposition and argumentation. He compared the lives of the rich and poor, the jobs of those that work in industry for multinationals and those that work industriously for themselves, the jobs men hold and the contributions women make. He also argued that “structures don’t mean development”. We saw plenty of examples of large buildings, like those from the scenic outlook in Nairobi, where constructing modern towers stole away public land from the masses to benefit few. We saw the Canadian Embassy, which cut down many acres of precious forest to add a swimming pool to their complex.
The field trip was informational, and Jama presented everything as factually as possible, without introducing his own biases as a Kenyan. It’s given me a lot to think about, and I’m not really sure I’m done processing it all yet, so that’s really all I have on the field trip for now.
So THEN, after all that was over, Jane, one of my advisors, wanted me to go into the city center with her to meet the director of the foundation I’ll be volunteering with for my internship. I’ll be working with the Matibabu Foundation, which provides health and educational outreach services to the poor region of Ugenya in western Kenya. I met with Dan, the country director of the foundation (they also have a sister branch in California). He described the various projects going on right now and the options I have. Essentially, I can do whatever I want. They have projects dealing with HIV/ AIDS outreach as well as treatment, nutrition campaigns to delay the start of ARV therapy for HIV patients, malaria research and treatment, maternal- child health programs, pediatric deforming initiatives, and a lot more. I was told that based on the background information I submitted, the director of the malaria research is lobbying pretty heavily to get me involved there, but I think for this I’d prefer something with more patient contact.
That all went fine. Then Jane, Sam (another student) and I had to go to a bank because Sam’s ATM card had been “captured” by an ATM at an animal orphanage. The card went in and never came back out. Apparently that happens a lot here, because they have an entire teller window at the bank dedicated to “captured card complaints”. So we stood in line for 30 to 45 minutes. This country is not especially good at efficiency. We got to the teller, who browsed through a massive stack of captured cards, and informed us that Sam’s card was being held at another branch across town. So we went there. And waited in line some more. When we approached this teller, she got very shifty and refused to confirm whether the card was there or not. She referred us to Customer Service (ironically named), where we waited in line, for a change. We were then told that Sam would need his original passport to reclaim his card- he only had a notarized photocopy and his drivers license. This seemed suspicious, so Jane inquired further why the original passport was needed. The Customer Service representative responded that Sam had another 24 hours to officially reclaim his card or it would be destroyed. I think he went back the next day to try and get it back, I’m not sure. At this point in the day, Sam has very little cash and no ATM card. What he does have is a good deal of money in Traveler’s Checks. Unfortunately, no bank in Kenya will cash Traveler’s Checks. Well, there was one that would, but only after a one to two month waiting period. Lesson of the day: don’t bring Traveler’s Checks to Kenya.
Sam, Jane, and I laughed about the difficulties of the banking system as we walked to the bus station. I assured Sam we’d make sure he was fed until he managed to get his ATM card back, and we were overall pretty tired and ready to get home. Jane and Sam got on one bus, but I was going a different way so I got on a different one. I boarded my Citi Hoppa (read: city hopper. It’s a major Kenyan bus company, and it’s really hard not to laugh when talking about a Citi Hoppa. Similarly, there’s a popular television series called Inspekta Malawi that’s also fun to talk about) and started a slow ride home. It was rush hour in Nairobi, and my bus was packed. I was the only mzungu. At the stop before mine, the man behind me got up to leave, and as he did, he pulled out a scissors and snipped off a lock of my hair. Right from my head. And then he disembarked, scissors and hair in one hand, briefcase in the other. I am perplexed by this. I think maybe, somewhere, somebody is making an Emily Barker Voodoo doll.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Maasai market
Every Saturday and Sunday in Nairobi there is a Maasai market, and going shopping there has been one of the more interesting cultural experiences I’ve had so far. The market on Saturday is in the city center of Nairobi and is known to be the less expensive version; the Sunday market is near a shopping center that’s actually much closer to my house, but is supposed to be more expensive and have less selection.
First, a little background on the Maasai and their culture:
The Maasai are an African ethnic of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well known of African ethnic groups. They speak Maa and are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania: Swahilii and English. Although the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, the people have continued their age-old customs. Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. The Maasai are monotheistic, and they call God Engai. A high infant mortality rate among the Maasai has led to babies not truly being recognized until they reach an age of 3 moons. Traditional Maasai lifestyle centers around their cattle which constitutes the primary source of food. The measure of a man's wealth is in terms of cattle and children. Personally, we see Maasai herders with their cattle on the way to school every day. The drought has made it difficult to find grazing land, so they've moved in closer and closer to the cities. Now, even in downtown Nairobi, it is not uncommon to have to cross the street to avoid getting trampled by a few dozen cows.
The market itself takes place in a park in downtown Nairobi. Imagine hundreds of vendors, each with their crafts and goods laid out on blankets that they watch over while sitting under umbrellas and weave or bead or sew more of whatever they’re selling that day. Huge packs of shoppers crowd the narrow aisles between balnkets. Add in the blazingly hot sun, a lot of yelling and heckling over prices, a lot of loud music playing, and of course the diesel fumes that are impossible to get away from in Nairobi. And dust, there’s a lot of dust everywhere. So that’s basically a picture of the market for you.
Last Saturday was my first experience with the Maasai market. It was overwhelming at first, but we ended up having a great time. The second my friends and I walked in, we were swarmed by vendors. As a “mzungu”, the Swahili word for “white person”, you really stick out in public places. Everybody ran up to my friends and I shouting “mzungu, mzungu, look at the nice bracelet I have” and things like that. They were all eager to trade for things we were wearing; they were especially crazy about those rubbery bracelets like the original Livestrong ones. Some of them also offered to trade for the clothing right off our backs, which was obviously not feasible. Another popular marketing strategy was for a seller to walk with you for several blocks, calling you “sister” and explaining how he loves your home country more than any of the other vendors there. “I sell a lot of sandals to the US, I am friends with the US”. Things like that.
Being a mzungu, all the vendors automatically quoted outrageously high prices for everything, but by the end of the morning I was pretty confident with my bartering abilities. I now have several loyal sellers that remember my name and face, and I’ve promised them more business in return for less work getting to a fair price next time. In class, they told us we’ll be even more successful at the markets if we’re able to barter in Swahili, so I may need to wait to go back until my speaking is a little more proficient.
First, a little background on the Maasai and their culture:
The Maasai are an African ethnic of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well known of African ethnic groups. They speak Maa and are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania: Swahilii and English. Although the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, the people have continued their age-old customs. Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. The Maasai are monotheistic, and they call God Engai. A high infant mortality rate among the Maasai has led to babies not truly being recognized until they reach an age of 3 moons. Traditional Maasai lifestyle centers around their cattle which constitutes the primary source of food. The measure of a man's wealth is in terms of cattle and children. Personally, we see Maasai herders with their cattle on the way to school every day. The drought has made it difficult to find grazing land, so they've moved in closer and closer to the cities. Now, even in downtown Nairobi, it is not uncommon to have to cross the street to avoid getting trampled by a few dozen cows.
The market itself takes place in a park in downtown Nairobi. Imagine hundreds of vendors, each with their crafts and goods laid out on blankets that they watch over while sitting under umbrellas and weave or bead or sew more of whatever they’re selling that day. Huge packs of shoppers crowd the narrow aisles between balnkets. Add in the blazingly hot sun, a lot of yelling and heckling over prices, a lot of loud music playing, and of course the diesel fumes that are impossible to get away from in Nairobi. And dust, there’s a lot of dust everywhere. So that’s basically a picture of the market for you.
Last Saturday was my first experience with the Maasai market. It was overwhelming at first, but we ended up having a great time. The second my friends and I walked in, we were swarmed by vendors. As a “mzungu”, the Swahili word for “white person”, you really stick out in public places. Everybody ran up to my friends and I shouting “mzungu, mzungu, look at the nice bracelet I have” and things like that. They were all eager to trade for things we were wearing; they were especially crazy about those rubbery bracelets like the original Livestrong ones. Some of them also offered to trade for the clothing right off our backs, which was obviously not feasible. Another popular marketing strategy was for a seller to walk with you for several blocks, calling you “sister” and explaining how he loves your home country more than any of the other vendors there. “I sell a lot of sandals to the US, I am friends with the US”. Things like that.
Being a mzungu, all the vendors automatically quoted outrageously high prices for everything, but by the end of the morning I was pretty confident with my bartering abilities. I now have several loyal sellers that remember my name and face, and I’ve promised them more business in return for less work getting to a fair price next time. In class, they told us we’ll be even more successful at the markets if we’re able to barter in Swahili, so I may need to wait to go back until my speaking is a little more proficient.
"You people elected a homeboy..."
… Is an expression I constantly. Basically, the Kenyans are thrilled that the U.S. has elected a president of Kenyan heritage. I have not been in a single home that doesn’t have at least one picture of Obama hanging in a place of honor, and one picture is by far on the low end. Most homes have small shrines to Obama in the living room. His face is badly Photoshop-ed into their family portraits. At every zoo and animal sanctuary, there is a baboon named Barack. Traditional African music groups are still popular here (despite the influx of Western media), and they all have songs called “Obama”. I have sat through dozens of music videos of people dancing in traditional animal pelts and such, overlaying a photo of Obama. On the street, people will walk up to me and my friends, shake our hands, and just say “Obama!”
One night recently, my host mom sat me down and told be very gravely that both her family and Obama are of the Luo tribe (tribal identity is key here, and a big reason for the violence after the last election). The gist of the 20 minute conversation was that my mom and Obama are practically cousins, and now that I’m her daughter, I’m a pretty direct relative as well.
Some Kenyans are greatly irritated that Barack Obama hasn’t affected huge change to the Kenyan political and economic instability yet, while others concede that he has enough to worry about on the domestic front. But invariably, they all detest Hillary.
One night recently, my host mom sat me down and told be very gravely that both her family and Obama are of the Luo tribe (tribal identity is key here, and a big reason for the violence after the last election). The gist of the 20 minute conversation was that my mom and Obama are practically cousins, and now that I’m her daughter, I’m a pretty direct relative as well.
Some Kenyans are greatly irritated that Barack Obama hasn’t affected huge change to the Kenyan political and economic instability yet, while others concede that he has enough to worry about on the domestic front. But invariably, they all detest Hillary.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Soccer game
Soccer is wildly popular in Kenya, though the Kenyan teams themselves don’t have that strong of a fan base. Already several people have explained to me that Kenyan soccer teams aren’t that good compared to other African teams or teams from around the world. I’ve noticed that a lot of young people play soccer, either as recreationally to pass the time or with a formal club or team. This may be because at the most basic level, soccer is a sport that requires very little equipment. There are dozens of number of neighborhood pitches where local people meet up to play every afternoon.
A few of us from the MSID program decided playing soccer would be a fun way for us to spend our free time as well as giving us a chance to meet some local people our age. We started meeting at a small pitch near our houses and were soon joined by some boys from Kibera, a slum in Nairobi that's one of the largest and poorest in the world. We always break into two teams and play against each other for a few hours until the sun starts to set and it’s time to head home.
This week, thanks to Simon (one of our program directors), our small neighborhood league reached a new level of intensity. Simon arranged a match, our team against a team of high school aged girls form Kibera. We were pretty intimidated going into the game, having been told that these girls were pretty good. In Kibera, oportunities are limited, so soccer is life.
We arrived at the pitch, a mismatched group in t- shirts, jeans, and sandals or tennis shoes. Our opponents showed up in matching jerseys and real cleats. While they ran warm-up drills, we talked to the growing crowd that showed up to watch us and speculated about how much we’d lose by. The referee arrived shortly before the start of the game, something we weren’t expecting. We always moderate our own games. It was clear this match was to be taken seriously.
In the end, we won the game by a score of 8-3. The director of the Kibera girls’ school came over and congratulated us on our win. He said we were the first MSID group to beat their team, but assured us this was only because several of their best players had been absent.
The rematch is scheduled for next Wednesday.
A few of us from the MSID program decided playing soccer would be a fun way for us to spend our free time as well as giving us a chance to meet some local people our age. We started meeting at a small pitch near our houses and were soon joined by some boys from Kibera, a slum in Nairobi that's one of the largest and poorest in the world. We always break into two teams and play against each other for a few hours until the sun starts to set and it’s time to head home.
This week, thanks to Simon (one of our program directors), our small neighborhood league reached a new level of intensity. Simon arranged a match, our team against a team of high school aged girls form Kibera. We were pretty intimidated going into the game, having been told that these girls were pretty good. In Kibera, oportunities are limited, so soccer is life.
We arrived at the pitch, a mismatched group in t- shirts, jeans, and sandals or tennis shoes. Our opponents showed up in matching jerseys and real cleats. While they ran warm-up drills, we talked to the growing crowd that showed up to watch us and speculated about how much we’d lose by. The referee arrived shortly before the start of the game, something we weren’t expecting. We always moderate our own games. It was clear this match was to be taken seriously.
In the end, we won the game by a score of 8-3. The director of the Kibera girls’ school came over and congratulated us on our win. He said we were the first MSID group to beat their team, but assured us this was only because several of their best players had been absent.
The rematch is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Food, by popular demand
So far, the food in Kenya has been great. I haven't eaten anything I didn't like. In fact, the worst meal I've had here was our first day in Nairobi, when the program directors took us to a hamburger restaurant so we would feel like we were eating like we do at home. I'll give you an overveiw of traditional dishes that I'm eating every day.
Breakfast: is not a very key meal here. Usually a piece of bread with margarine or jam, a hard boiled egg or two, plaintains, or fried dough that resembles a doughnut.
Lunch and dinner are similar in terms of what sort of food we eat.
Meat: Most meals consist fo a stew of beef or goat and potatoes served over rice. Beef and goat ar by far the most common meats here in Nairobi, but on the coast and near Lake Victoria, a lot of fish is eaten. Sometimes we eat chicken fried in palm oil. Frying in palm oil is a very common way of preparing food here.
Ugali: is a staple, especially for people of the Luo tribe. It's hard to describe what ugali is, so instead I'll describe how it's made. Imagine a large pot of boiling water. Then dump in half a kilo of corn starch, stir, and let it cook a little bit. Add a little palm oil, and another half a kilo of corn starch. Boil and let it sit until the consistency is somewhere between cream of wheat that's been left out and corn bread. Ugali is eaten at most meals and is usually served with steamed spinach or other vegetables, beef, goat, or fish.
Chapati: is my new favorite thing in the world. It's similar to a tortilla, but thicker and tastier. The dough is pretty basic, and it's fried in... palm oil. Chapati could be served with any of the meat stews or eaten along for a snack.
Stewed cabbage is also extremely common, similar to cole slaw in the U.S. Even at restaurants, cabbage is almost always served as a side dish.
We eat rice with almost every meal, as well as some sort of root like potatoes or duma, which is another root vegetable that's very starchy. Basically we eat a lot of starch, probably because it's the best way to get a lot of calories to people when food is scarce, which it is now. Kenya actually has poor food security relative to much of East Africa due to the current drought situation and the fact that during colonization, Kenya produced only cash crops: tea and coffee. Most agricultural land is still used for tea and coffee plantations, making food crops hard to come by.
Breakfast: is not a very key meal here. Usually a piece of bread with margarine or jam, a hard boiled egg or two, plaintains, or fried dough that resembles a doughnut.
Lunch and dinner are similar in terms of what sort of food we eat.
Meat: Most meals consist fo a stew of beef or goat and potatoes served over rice. Beef and goat ar by far the most common meats here in Nairobi, but on the coast and near Lake Victoria, a lot of fish is eaten. Sometimes we eat chicken fried in palm oil. Frying in palm oil is a very common way of preparing food here.
Ugali: is a staple, especially for people of the Luo tribe. It's hard to describe what ugali is, so instead I'll describe how it's made. Imagine a large pot of boiling water. Then dump in half a kilo of corn starch, stir, and let it cook a little bit. Add a little palm oil, and another half a kilo of corn starch. Boil and let it sit until the consistency is somewhere between cream of wheat that's been left out and corn bread. Ugali is eaten at most meals and is usually served with steamed spinach or other vegetables, beef, goat, or fish.
Chapati: is my new favorite thing in the world. It's similar to a tortilla, but thicker and tastier. The dough is pretty basic, and it's fried in... palm oil. Chapati could be served with any of the meat stews or eaten along for a snack.
Stewed cabbage is also extremely common, similar to cole slaw in the U.S. Even at restaurants, cabbage is almost always served as a side dish.
We eat rice with almost every meal, as well as some sort of root like potatoes or duma, which is another root vegetable that's very starchy. Basically we eat a lot of starch, probably because it's the best way to get a lot of calories to people when food is scarce, which it is now. Kenya actually has poor food security relative to much of East Africa due to the current drought situation and the fact that during colonization, Kenya produced only cash crops: tea and coffee. Most agricultural land is still used for tea and coffee plantations, making food crops hard to come by.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Water and electricity rationing
So today I'm going to briefly discuss the rationing of water and electricity throughout Kenya, mainly Nairobi where I'm currently living. Throughout the area, water and electicity are scarce and the rationing is part of a plan to manage these resources. In the neighborhood where I live, electricity is shut of every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6 am to 6pm. In the neighborhood where our campus is located, electricity is turned off for Tuesdays and Thursdays during the day. This time frame, however, is on "African time", meaning it's more often 4 or 5 am until as late as 7 pm. On these days work must be done completely without power, which is difficult to say the least. My host mom doesn't hold a full time job outside the home, and mentioned to me that she spends a lot of time literally "waiting around for the power to come back. I sleep to pass the time. It is so boring". Interestingly, or perhaps ironically, when there is power, the television is constantly on. They watch a lot of American shows that are several seasons outdated, but my family gets really upset if I mention that I already know who wins the cycle of America's Next Top Model that aired four years ago in the US; they believe it's brand new. It seems to us, from an outsider's perspective, that it would make more sense to conserve power all day and not have need for rationing, but like the people of many "developing" countries, Kenyans want to be free to use electronics just as much as is standard practice in the US.
Even on days that aren't technically considered "rationing days", sporadic blackouts are extremely common. That was difficult to get used to at first, but now seems just like any other aspect of daily life.
A big cause of the electricity shortage stems from the shortage of water due to the current drought in Kenya. The long rains that were expected several months ago have yet to come, and Kenya relies heavily on hydroelectic power. No rain means no water, which means limited electricity production. The drought also lead to rationing of water, though the schedule isn't as clearly defined as the electricity rationing. A person pretty much has to try to turn on a tap to figure out if water is available or not. This also can be frustrating at first. For example, I got home Friday afternoon after playing soccer and ultimate frisbee for three hours in the hot sun. I was sweaty and very dirty, since all the roads and fields are made of dust. The plan was to take a quick shower and clean up before heading out with the group for our first weekend in Nairobi. I got home a little before 6 and by 6:30 there was still no electricity, meaning no hot water. I soon found out there was actually no running water at all, hot or cold. I've gotten very used to heating a bucket of water over the gas burner until it's slightly warmer than ice- cold, then bathing with that.
I've also learned quickly that the process of development has the potential to widen the disparity between the rich and the poor. During rationing, while many families have to learn to go without power all day or waste much of their time and energy finding water, wealthy families and businesses are often able to afford a generator, granting them access to electrical power.
Even on days that aren't technically considered "rationing days", sporadic blackouts are extremely common. That was difficult to get used to at first, but now seems just like any other aspect of daily life.
A big cause of the electricity shortage stems from the shortage of water due to the current drought in Kenya. The long rains that were expected several months ago have yet to come, and Kenya relies heavily on hydroelectic power. No rain means no water, which means limited electricity production. The drought also lead to rationing of water, though the schedule isn't as clearly defined as the electricity rationing. A person pretty much has to try to turn on a tap to figure out if water is available or not. This also can be frustrating at first. For example, I got home Friday afternoon after playing soccer and ultimate frisbee for three hours in the hot sun. I was sweaty and very dirty, since all the roads and fields are made of dust. The plan was to take a quick shower and clean up before heading out with the group for our first weekend in Nairobi. I got home a little before 6 and by 6:30 there was still no electricity, meaning no hot water. I soon found out there was actually no running water at all, hot or cold. I've gotten very used to heating a bucket of water over the gas burner until it's slightly warmer than ice- cold, then bathing with that.
I've also learned quickly that the process of development has the potential to widen the disparity between the rich and the poor. During rationing, while many families have to learn to go without power all day or waste much of their time and energy finding water, wealthy families and businesses are often able to afford a generator, granting them access to electrical power.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
First two weeks in Kenya
Sorry it took me so long to get around to posting. I sort of forgot I set up a blog, actually. Anyway, Kenya has been fantastic so far. It would take a really, really long time to mention everything we've done so far. I think instead I'll just make a couple of general comments, then try to update this thing more often from now on.
We got into Nairobi late Monday night, and had to wait about an hour for the other group flight to arrive from London. Then all 32 of us in the MSID Kenya program were bussed to a Kenya Wildlife Club hostel for the first night. We got up early the next morning to go to the immigration office to get our pupil passes and visas. The pupil pass basically means I pay the same rates as Kenyan citizens for admission to parks, theaters, etc. That took several hours. While in Nairobi, we also changed currency and stopped at an internet cafe, then we were off to Lake Nakuru national park for a week of orientation. At Lake Nakuru, we got an opportunity to see a lot of interesting African wildlife on daily game drives. We also had traditional Kenyan food prepared for us so we would know what to expect to eat with our host families. We spent most of our days at Lake Nakuru doing basic orientation activies to help us adjust to East African culture.
On Saturday, we drove back to Nairobi to meet up with our host families. My family has been fantastic so far! I live with my mom, 24 year old sister, and our live-in house help. I have my own bedroom, which is a pretty substantial luxury.
Our school day is from 8:30 to 3:30 daily, where we have three main classes: Swahili, Development, and Country Analysis. The material is already very interesting and the lecturers are great too. I walk 45 minutes each way to school, which gives me a good chance to get to know the neighborhoods around my house and school. After October 23, I'll be in a rural town working at a clinic, helping with a project to deworm women and children.
Security around Nairobi is a really big issue, so we always have to be in the house by sunset, around 7 each evening. A lot of days we spend the time after school playing soccer with some locals at a field near school, doing homework and emialing from internet cafes, and spending time with our host families.
Overall, I love Kenya so far and I'm really excited for the rest of the semester. And I promise I'll make an effort to update these posts a little more often from now on.
We got into Nairobi late Monday night, and had to wait about an hour for the other group flight to arrive from London. Then all 32 of us in the MSID Kenya program were bussed to a Kenya Wildlife Club hostel for the first night. We got up early the next morning to go to the immigration office to get our pupil passes and visas. The pupil pass basically means I pay the same rates as Kenyan citizens for admission to parks, theaters, etc. That took several hours. While in Nairobi, we also changed currency and stopped at an internet cafe, then we were off to Lake Nakuru national park for a week of orientation. At Lake Nakuru, we got an opportunity to see a lot of interesting African wildlife on daily game drives. We also had traditional Kenyan food prepared for us so we would know what to expect to eat with our host families. We spent most of our days at Lake Nakuru doing basic orientation activies to help us adjust to East African culture.
On Saturday, we drove back to Nairobi to meet up with our host families. My family has been fantastic so far! I live with my mom, 24 year old sister, and our live-in house help. I have my own bedroom, which is a pretty substantial luxury.
Our school day is from 8:30 to 3:30 daily, where we have three main classes: Swahili, Development, and Country Analysis. The material is already very interesting and the lecturers are great too. I walk 45 minutes each way to school, which gives me a good chance to get to know the neighborhoods around my house and school. After October 23, I'll be in a rural town working at a clinic, helping with a project to deworm women and children.
Security around Nairobi is a really big issue, so we always have to be in the house by sunset, around 7 each evening. A lot of days we spend the time after school playing soccer with some locals at a field near school, doing homework and emialing from internet cafes, and spending time with our host families.
Overall, I love Kenya so far and I'm really excited for the rest of the semester. And I promise I'll make an effort to update these posts a little more often from now on.
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