Hi to all!
The time has been flying by here so far. Over the past three days I’ve spent quite a few hours in a conference room at the hotel learning about Kenyan culture and the expectations of FSD. We’ve gone over safety, professional standards, asset mapping, and designing a work plan. It’s getting me excited and a little nervous to work in my host organization next week- I get to visit the center and meet my supervisor for the first time tomorrow!
Yesterday and today we had our first two lessons in Swahili (and even got homework). It seems a bit daunting to try to learn a whole new language in just a few days, but I’ve had a little bit of practice in the streets, and the locals seem to really appreciate the effort.
On Sunday the group went into town for lunch; the town is a surprising mix between both very basic and modernized accommodations. There are always a lot of cars parked on the sides of the major roads (most of them are dirt roads) as well as cell phone stores, banks, and three-story buildings with concrete walls. At the same time there are buildings across the street made from mud and sticks, and there are even some people walking around without shoes on their feet. We ate lunch in a building right next to the FSD Kakamega office. The restaurant didn’t have enough room to accommodate all 11 interns and 3 supervisors in the main dining area, but they just happened to have an extra room upstairs that they set up for us. There seems to be a lot of extra, unoccupied rooms or halfway-constructed buildings everywhere we go. For lunch we were served the typical Kenyan food, and I can say that for the most part it has been delicious! The most common staple food here is called ugali, which is made mostly from corn with a little flour. It doesn’t have a particularly strong taste- it basically serves the same purpose as rice. You can mold off pieces of the doughy ugali with your hands and use it to scoop up other food, like vegetables, meat (beef or chicken), or stew. Utensils are not widely used, except for with rice, which definitely is taking some adjusting to! I found it strangest when I had to use my hands to eat chicken stew, picking the chicken off the bones and soaking up the sauce with ugali (kind of gross). Good thing is that people always wash their hands before meals, and most places to eat have a sink and a bar of soap nearby. Another staple food here is called chipati, which is also made from corn and flour and is a lot like a tortilla, but tastier. Everyone- well, at least the westerners- is always happy to see chipati served with the main dish (rather than ugali). The main dish at the hotel and the restaurants has always been chicken or beef with some sort of sauce and another dish of cooked, leafy vegetables. However, eating meat at two of three meals a day is not at all the norm in Kenya and probably won’t be the case at my homestay. My personal favorite part of the food here is the very fresh fruit. Every night at dinner we have gotten a fruit salad with mangos, bananas, pineapple, and watermelon. YUM! However, fruit is also a luxury here, so I likely won’t be getting it every day at my homestay.
After lunch on Sunday I had my first experience with public transportation. We all rode bodabodas, which are bicycles with a cushion and handle attached to the back. It was actually so much fun! You have to negotiate the price with the driver before getting on (which our supervisor Caro did for us since it was our first time and such a large group). Then you just hop on and enjoy the ride! Since all of the women here wear skirts, they ride the bodabodas side straddle and hold their balance very well. Caro told the girls to ride the bicycles straddling the seats regularly, since we “weren’t ready” for the typical side straddle way. However, I missed this message, went for sitting to the side right away, and now understand why she had said not yet- I was gripping that tiny handlebar so tightly! I felt like I was going to fall off with every bump in the road (and there are quite a few of those…) but I managed to hold my balance and successfully stay on the bodaboda. Whew! Each time I think it will get a little easierJ.
Today, after Swahili lessons, we got to meet with the local doctor, Dr. Bakunda. His office is right in the middle of town, very easy to get to. And I felt very reassured after talking with him; I trust being under his care if need be. (But hopefully I won’t need to be!) He told us about some of the most common diseases here: malaria, food-borne illness, and typhoid fever. But like I said, I was walking out of the office feeling more reassured than scared! (Except for the fact that my malaria meds are the less effective kind in the region. If you’re coming to Kakamega, take doxycycline.)
Other than getting oriented with FSD and learning Kenyan culture, the group has had a good amount of time to relax and get to know one another. The past two days I have gone with a group of other students for a run early in the morning. It’s been really great to fit in some working-out, but we have gotten some funny looks from people walking on the street; it’s not at all typical to just go for a run. The first day running we passed by some kids, about 14 years old, walking to school. They yelled out “mizungu” (white person, which does not have any negative connotations) and started running with us! It ended up that they ran with us all the way to school and a few laps around the field. All the kids were laughing good-heartedly at us and some were joining in the run. After a few laps there was a group of about 20 kids all stretching with the 6 “mizungus” before it was time for us to go back and for them to start class. Between morning runs, walks into town, getting drinks at a nearby restaurant, and long after-dinner conversations, the group has had a lot of time to get to know each other and form great dynamics. It’s been great to have other students with similar backgrounds to go through this transition into life in Kakamega with me. J
Now I have to finish my Swahili homework before I head off to bed!
Lainey
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