"One Person" - Encounters in Kenya

Excited!

2009-04-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

I love the feeling of a natural 'high' - butterflies in the tummy, a bit of nervousness perhaps, a bit of an addictive side to the activity. I know people who get a natural 'high' and an adrenaline rush from wind surfing, or skiing, or crafting, or photography, or Nintendo Wee...

Call me crazy, but I get the best 'high' from teaching and group meetings. Am I alone in this? I hope not! I've returned today from an amazing weekend in Texas for the CTC Spring Meeting. At various points I was passionate, anxious, nervous, inspired, challenged, engaged - and, as the weekend wore on, exhausted, distracted, frustrated. Just like any good sportaholic, though, I'm investing a lot of my time & money - it's superfun - and I'm hooked!

I have for many years appreciated the famous Margaret Mead quote: "Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world - indeed, it is the only thing that ever has". It seems that I've found a group like that, again (like WUSC at UBC - good ole days!).

My next thought is - I'd like to create or join a similar group here in Vancouver. A group of people motivated by a common purpose, planning to 'save the world'. Perhaps we could plan a fundraiser? Or an awareness-raising event? Or maybe start with happy hour gatherings - ?

Woohoo...!

Mali

Bananas for All - fiction

2008-12-17T16:50:00.001-08:00

I decided that this holiday, I would begin to write about some of my experiences in Africa. This is fiction, pieced together from experiences in Nigeria.

I have since decided that publishing first-draft material - even if only online - is not really a good idea.

Check back later for what I'm better at - thoughts & non-fiction...

CTC Meeting in Texas

2008-11-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

I had an incredibly exhausting but also very inspiring weekend in Austin, Texas! The trip down was the red-eye of all red-eye flights... leaving 6:30pm from Vancouver, I arrived in Austin at 8:15 am after stops in LA and Houston. The whole weekend was spent battling exhaustion...

But the amazing group of people at CTC were enough to reinspire me. I was amazed and inspired by the passion of this small group of people who have worked hard to build an organisation out of their desire to work in solidarity with a community in Kenya - Maai Mahiu.

Immediately upon returning, I took my Leadership 12 students today to visit two amazing people. Rex Weyler was the founder of Greenpeace; a fascinating man, he welcomed myself, another teacher, and my 14 students into his home and entertained us with stories, advice, anecdotes... he focused on the challenge of "how does an organisation sustain creativity?" He also talked of the importance of having FUN - without fun, an activity is just not sustainable.

We then met Sam Sullivan, the outgoing mayor of Vancouver. In his last 2 weeks of office, he is frustrated at having been unable to run as mayor again this term. He passed on some interesting gems, though - and I quite appreciated his sense of humour. He spoke long and eloquently of the importance of a strong civil service.

The common thread here seemed to be the significance of non-governmental bodies in leading the change of the future. An apt conclusion, after a weekend spent with CTC!

Change Gears

2008-10-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

I feel my perspective has changed, recently.

I feel like a car with an automatic transmission. I recognise from the ticking & whirring in my life that something has shifted; I am moving at a different speed, my reactions have changed, and my rpm has slowed slightly. Whether that shift was up, or down, it's hard to tell - but it's definitely changing, and might just change again.

These days I have been thinking about several things:
- the fine balance between carefully prepared lessons & a 'present', other-aware, engaged teacher
- the difficulty of being as good a teacher as I want to be, while teaching full-time
- the need for my students to empathise with & understand the humanity in folks of different backgrounds than their own
- the terrible, omnipresent images of 'sad kids in Africa' - !!!
- my own perceptions of the world and how much they remain a product of my environment, despite my best intentions
- whether or not it is useful - in a social justice sense - to encourage in students a sense of giving for 'charity', 'philanthropy' I guess it is
- whether this whole attempt to build up a 'friendship link' is futile... if it is not acheiving the goal of changing students perspectives, why continue
- how I can measure and/or quantify (for my own sake & that of others) the impact of this kind of program.

Several streams of thought centre around the purpose and philosophical groundwork for the program I have been putting my heart & soul into for the past year - the Rafiki Link. I told someone about six months ago that I'd put 100% into it for at least a year, and then take stock again to see what I think. I suppose I'm half-way through that year, a good time to stop & think.

So far, my idea has been to separate between CHARITY and PARTNERSHIP

CHARITY would include:
- "spare change" given
- giving as a luxury expense
- no connection between giving & lifestyle
- recipients as 'other'
- easy switch from one 'good cause' to another
- no connection to lived experience, or daily life

PARTNERSHIP would include:
- a significant portion of time/resources/energy given
- giving as a part of living
- "live simply so that others may simply live" - connection to lifestyle
- recipients as brothers/sisters
- build a relationship with a place/org/idea, and build that relationship through good & bad
- the partnership makes a contribution to lived experience & daily life

I'll stop there, in the middle of the flow of thoughts, to enjoy Hallowe'en!

Yes, a post from Canada

2008-08-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

Call it strange, call it what you will; I thought it only appropriate to continue the adventures online. A few folks have been faithfully reading, which is fun; and there is definitely something to be said for the mental health benefits of a weekly or biweekly summary of my comings and goings. A bit of a weekly report to an invisible boss, a check-in with the internal higher-ups, a retelling of one version of the story of my life. And perhaps a few of my Kenyan friends might just be interested to learn a tad more about life in Canada...!

So here's a few photos of something very important to me - outdoor adventure. This is Garibaldi Lake... we hiked about 4 hours, mostly uphill, and then slept in a very soggy tent all night long. No, nobody paid us to do this. Yes, we actually do consider this fun. Yes, my legs are SORE!!

Smoke & Smiles

2008-08-05T11:53:00.002-07:00

'Nimepotea' as they say here - it means I've been 'lost' as in I haven't ben seen, not as in I don't know which direction I'm going ;-). Suffice it to say that the Teachers Without Borders workshops have gone very well!! I've kept them (and myself!) very busy, holding workshops with secondary teachers & then visiting various schools in the district to followup. They're now on safari for a bit - giving me a chance to breathe a bit, remember that I do live here, and catch up on other projects.

And so on to today! I went to Maai Mahiu Secondary for the closing ceremony, and managed to arranged some of the students into the shape of 150 = as in C150K, our Canada/Kenya celebration this year.

We're testing a fuel-efficient stove, manufactured in Nairobi, to calculate exactly how much less fuel is used by the stove. From that we can figure out how much carbon is offset, and then feel justified to continue pursuing a formal carbon offsets arrangement in collaboration with a local carbon offset expert.

Photos - of the fuel efficient stove; of Rocky (environmental coordinator) chopping wood to uniform sizes; of Baba Shiro and Rocky weighing the still-burning wood to determine how much was consumed;

The young girl in one of these photos - Shiro - was great fun, and ended up playing a good oldfashioned game of 'pass' in the moments when we got bored of (literally) watching the pot boiling!

A Few Thoughts

2008-07-21T02:18:00.002-07:00

Every week I write, I begin with something like “so much has happened this week”. Somewhere in the process, I end up deleting the first few lines and come up with something a tad more insightful.

This week, I’ll leave it at that – so much has happened. My desire to write about ‘work’ volunteer activities – the Rafiki Link, Teachers Without Borders trip, CTC Education programs, etc – decreases the more work I do during the day. And the last few weeks have been filled with meetings, deliberations, and long long hours spent sitting in front of a computer screen, compiling proposals etc. Last weekend I took time away and worked a record 30 hours from Friday night to Sunday morning – a significant achievement even for a veteran workaholic!

So rather than tell tales of what I’ve done – I’ll describe two recent conversations recently – to give a bit of a flavour of the ideas which have been coming up in recent discussions.

COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP

This evening, I came back late from meeting the new Teachers Without Borders arrivals (who thus far seem Terrific, yes that’s right with a capital T). I arrived to the first rainstorm I’ve seen in months – yes, real rain! And mud! Not having a jacket, I ducked into the closest restaurant (Cheers, appropriately enough) and take a tasty meal of peas in soup and chapo – chapati, cut up in uneven squares.

After I eat, a familiar man calls me over – I think oh shoot, what’s his name again? I have forgotten twice already, let me write it down now so as not to forget again – Jau (which means a large calf, not quite a heifer). The Chief of Maai Mahiu is taking a Tusker with some friends… and they want to discuss CTC with me, though I insist that I can speak best only to the education programs. A man in the group, Kifarafara (it means ‘big highway’ in Kikuyu), brings up the topic of Sustainability. The beer he’s taken increases his passion for this important topic.

His comment is that he doesn’t want CTC’s programs – especially the centre for disabled children, which has benefited a previously unrecognized group in the community – to fade away after a few years, as projects started by other organisations have. The eternal development challenge: how to have outsiders assist and participate in a process of positive change, rather than merely foisting a ‘project’ on passive ‘recipients’.

He proposes that CTC host a ‘baraza’ – an information / training event, to talk about the long-term sustainability of programs such as the disabled childrens’ centre. He throws his arms wide to indicate the numbers of people who would be involved in the event…

Synergy, I think! Alison – director of CTC here – has been talking about ‘barazas’ from a model from Uganda. And Paul Leringato, recent visitor from Laikipia in central Kenya, is a perfect model of building community ownership into such programs.

I’m going to end there for today. Short, especially after such a long time; I’ll promise an update & photos soon.

Mali

The Story of M - Monkeys and Other Mammals

2008-07-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

In the past week I’ve thought of two amazing women who are currently on Vancouver Island for a school band trip – Carol and Tanja. Carol, because of the number of animals I’ve seen that would have made her week/month/year; Tanja, wishing I were better able to capture those oh-so-photogenic moments with a tad more photographic style!

No, I do not live in daily fear of lions or buffalos or elephants or dodo birds charging me. Yes, lions and giraffes and buffalos live in Kenya. No, I do not live in the “Lion King”. yes, “hakuna matata” is Swahili and does mean ‘no worries’.

Those issues cleared up, let me share with you some beautiful moments of the past few weeks! First, I went to Laikipia district – Ol Pajeta Conservancy – 2 weekends ago, to learn more about their community programs, specifically their partnership with “Project Kenya Sister Schools” – which is doing something similar in some ways to the Rafiki Link.

Here’s a few of the amazing animals I saw! Aren’t those cows just endearingly ugly? The black rhino is tame and harmless, despite Mwaniki scared-looking expression! I must say though, the name Morani means ‘warrior’ in Kimasaai… and there’s no way it is a coincidence that the animal casually ambled after us, tusks pointed at our rear ends!

The photo that looks like just bushes is a classic Bain-tradition “eagle photo” – up high in one of those trees is a light brown monkey, see it? The monkey is a “Patak monkey” [something like that – starts with P, two syllables long]. The crazy zoologists who were driving our car thought it appropriate to careen willy-nilly over the stony ground in pursuit of these obviously shy monkeys – thus this award-winning photo.

Then, last weekend, I went on day-hike just a few hours from where I live, a place called Crater Lake. It felt like a cross between Joffre Lakes and the Serengeti, if you can imagine that – a secluded oasis. We were very fortunate to find flamingos present on the lake. What fascinating birds they are – so much more graceful than the plastic cousins which sit on well-trimmed lawns in North America. If you could imagine the way they take off. Imagine running after a moving pick-up truck & then jumping into the back – that’s the way these flamingos look as they do a good 50-metre dash before leaping into the air!

The journey there was epic - a 40-min ride with 20 people squished in a minivan (matatu); then a 30-minute ride out to Hell's Gate (yup that's right) and another 10-minute ride to the dusty collection of shacks that marks "Kigoma". Opting out of an expensive motorcycle ride, we walked along a dusty road. After about 5km in the mid-morning sun, we got a ride with none other than Stanley Ambrose - WOW!! One of the biggest names in archaeology. I wish Chance Dixon were with me - !

On the way back, we took a short cut ('panya route') and scared a group of zebras... here's a "zebra crossing" [ha, ha, ha - c'mon, ask a Brit and you'll get it...]

HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS

Have you read either "Ishmael" or "The Story of B"? I hardly slept the weekend before last, and managed (just barely) to finish both - on loan from Lauren, a Canadian student at Laikipia. Followed that with a Wendell Berry class ("Memory of Old Jack") and I'm about to move into a Maasai boran and truly try out the 'Keeper' lifestyle...

That said, I appreciate humankind and want to support those of our species who happen to be born into different circumstances. The past week and a bit has included meetings with a variety of impressive individuals who each make a difference in their communities. I feel inspired & privileged to collaborate with such amazing people:
- Paul Leringato – amazing community development professional, community facilitator of integrity & real talent. I wrote 10 pages of notes in our 6 hours of meetings – and could have written reams more!
- Mr. Ngang’a – hard-working ‘district education officer’, a man who arrives every morning 7:30 and doesn’t leave till 6pm. A government official of integrity and vision is a positive sign that some day, some day soon, this country may move beyond the rampant corruption!
- Ms. Mary Kinayanjui – manufacturer of fuel-efficient stoves, she began her work 30 years ago with the support of Aga Khan Foundation, a very impressive development NGO. Since then she’s continued her work as an independent entrepreneur, reducing wood consumption while also making a profit. Perfect!

- The three head teachers – Mr. Mwangi, Mr. Kirigi, and Mr. Maina – who have received me into their schools with grace, and who have each been able to purchase some textbooks with the support of the government. 40 English textbooks for the 139 Grade 9 students – a big benefit!
- Minalin Nicklin - a Filipino woman resident in Naivasha town who has started a bead-work NGO which supports women who have HIV/AIDS. A commendable self-help initiative and some very nice jewellery - !

- Mark Ellis-Jones – a British consultant who has expertise in the area of carbon offsets, and is serious about setting up a pilot program in collaboration with Bodwell staff/students which would see fuel-efficient stoves installed in schools
- Zane Wilemon – who looks like a movie star but fits right into Maai Mahiu, somehow. He is the head of CTC, which I am now more firmly a part of than ever before
- Moses Cho – a Korean who has lived in Kenya for the past 12 years, starting up a children’s home and primary school. His niece, Hyu Jeong, is living in dormitory at the local high school as she learns English. I hope perhaps some Bodwell students would be able to spend a semester in Kenya doing something similar…?
- Paul Mwaniki – the Education Coordinator at CTC and my colleague here. He’s picked up so many computer skills in the past 6 months… he’s now fairly conversant with turnitin.com, an online homework submission/sharing site. I’ve just introduced him to facebook – will he too become an internet junkie??

I’ll leave you (whoever you are, actually reading to here in this epic?) today with a bit of Socials-Studies-teacher-type puzzle… looking at the two photos here, who built this little church and under what circumstances? (I fixed the ‘comment’ feature so I think you could actually respond if you wanted to!)

Tutaonana marafiki yangu…

Mali

Fire, Grandmothers, and C150K

2008-06-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

HOT FIRE, HOT SUN

I didn't actually learn to start a fire in girl guides - my Dad taught me, years ago. Everyone believes they know how to start a fire - but few can keep it going... perhaps a lesson for life?

I have learned more about wood-fire stoves this week than I thought I'd ever know! With the help of a mzungu from Britain who deals with 'carbon offsets', I've been setting up a unique program to allow those in Vancouver (specifically those at Bodwell, but open to others too) to 'offset' their terrible pollution by supporting fuel-efficient stove devices here.

The idea is that by reducing the fuel consumption here, you are having a positive impact on the environment which balances out the negative impact you have in your daily life. I have donated to assauge my guilt for the CO2-emitting flight which I took to get here, this summer. And I really do feel that being a non-meat-eating environmentalist, I want to do something to 'offset' the burden my flights put on the world - !

I'm working with Rocky Muuri, the environmental coordinator for CTC, on two aspects of carbon offset: one in schools, helping school kitchens to move from wood-sticks-with-big-pots to fewer-wood-sticks-and-insulated-cookers, and one in individual homesteads. I spent most of Wednesday at various renditions of 'jua kali' shops. Jua Kali means "hot sun" - and they aren't joking! It may be winter here & cold in the evenings, but with the equatorial sun directly overhead, jumping to avoid various vehicles which plummet down narrow streets, but I soon shed my layers.

MTU MMOJA - A GRANDMOTHER WITH A 4-YEAR-OLD

The more I learn about motherhood, the more I respect parents. A baby, for the first 2 years (or 20?), is a peeing, screaming, whining mess - yes, a loveable mess, but a mess nonetheless. I am in my late 20s and I get tired thinking of the work involved in ONE child. Let alone 2, or 3.

I went to visit a friend's mother, recently. She is about 60 years old but looks the age of my grandmother - 80 or so. As is the custom here, her home was bedecked with lace, chai is constantly on-tap, and friends are always a welcome interruption.

This amazing woman is taking care of 3 children - !

She is one of the many grandmothers that Stephen Lewis has recently been talking more and more about. The generation of women who have, because of the early death of their children, have taken on their own grandchildren.

A very generous friend in Canada had left me with a sum of money to use as I saw fit - for pleasure of some kind. I bought an excellent book (VS Naipaul, Magic Seeds) and donated the rest to support this woman. With the $180 or so the friend had provided, she was able to set herself up with a grain selling business in the local market. She will now be able to provide for her children - without constantly relying on her grown-up sons for child support. I visited her today in the market - what greater pleasure could there be than seeing her smiling face!

C150K

A large portion of the past month has been spent building up the Rafiki Committees (which represent the entire school) to support the idea of "C150K" - Celebrating 150 Kindnesses, or Canada 150 Kenya. Basically we've asked students in Kenya and in

Canada

to record on paper 'something kind' that either they have done for someone, someone has done for them, or they have seen someone do for another person.

It's been great fun to put together; this week was the 'final crunch' for getting photos/videos off to Canada. Luckily internet has been on our side, and it seems that there will be videos for the Canada Day assembly in Canada!

This weekend I'll be travelling to Mt. Kenya area with Mwaniki, the education coordinator (who does an amazing job of keeping the Rafiki Link going here). We're going to visit the Kenyan side of Project Kenya Sister Schools, which is based in Langley. Next week Zane - director of CTC - arrives; and in only 3 weeks the Teachers Without Borders team arrives. It's coming close to (self-imposed) 'deadline time' for setting up the sponsorship/carbon offsets programs... !

Best wishes to all,

Mali

More photos - Thompson Falls and C150K

2008-06-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Left - Here I am in front of Thompson Falls - the highest waterfall in Africa, they say. So why did I climb to the bottom of it? It was great to be out hiking!
Right - 'You are crossing the equator'. I didn't find a flush toilet, so can't report on the direction of water swirls (though my favourite physics teacher assures me the opposite swirl theory is a myth).

Left - Students at Karima with their C150K collage - over 150 acts of kindness reported by all students at Karima!
Right - Thompson Falls itself.

The 'Rafiki Link' committee at Karima proudly displaying their nearly-finished C150K collage ('Celebrating 150 Kindness' or 'Canada 150 Kenya' - each small piece of paper has written on it something kind someone has done for another person. Students in Kenya have done this, students in Canada are doing this... an act of solidarity & unity & cross-cultural friendship)

Some photos - Maai Mahiu; grade 9 field day

2008-06-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Right is the 'barabara' - the main road through Maai Mahiu, lined with lorrys which run from Mombasa (the coast) up into Uganda & Rwanda. Click on the photo for more detail - the man crossing the road is carrying many suit jackets; yes, he is a suit jacket 'hawker'. He walks around to restaurants in town looking for folks wanting a suit jacket.
Below is Guthera Hotel - nicest lace to eat in town; source of my 'funny tummy' which laid me low Thurs & some of Friday last week.

Left - Kariandusi Pre-historic site. The Rift Valley was home to some of the earliest known hominids. The stones above are all in-situ discoveries of tools made by homo erectus about 700,000 years ago.
Right - 38 student squeezed into the 17-passenger mini-bus... for our 3-hour journey!

Bottom - me & fellow teacher Ms. Zipora below a signpost at Meningai Crater. Click to read the distance to New York or Japan...

Government Efficiency? And Faith

2008-06-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

It’s been a good while since I did a real blog post. A lot has happened this week. I spent 3 days in government offices, 1 day on ‘tour’ with grade 9 students, 2 days in schools following up on Rafiki Link connections, and many hours quietly mourning the loss of Faith.

GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY - An Oxymoron?

What I’ve been thinking about recently is this concept – which often comes up in my travels – of ‘efficiency’.

The District Education Office is an oddly placed office with advertising calendars posted on walls, type-written circulars curling at the edges, curtains brown-ridged with dust, and desks re-strengthened with shiny metal braces. During previous visits I’ve wondered what activity exactly takes place there. Resigned-looking visitors wandered from room to room, looking for an active staff member.

Since the elections, things have changed. The typewriter, in daily use at most schools, has now been replaced by a modern desktop computer [the secretary, relaxed and a bit dusty, is still exploring the exact use of this typing machine]. Walls have been removed, new partitions erected, hand-painted signed erected above once-blank doorways.

This is what happens post-election. Things are re-arranged, re-organised, as new officials take over new budgets. And the improved productivity is appreciated by all! Except, of course, those who had conducted any business prior to the new regime.

My government approval for ‘Teachers Without Borders’ is probably in the filing system somewhere, I have been assured – but there was not yet a filing system in place at that time, apparently. And the government official I had spoken to in the Ministry of Education – was not the correct official. I should go back to the Department of Quality Assurance, they said – a necessary protocol before issuing the teacher invitation, apparently.

So on Tuesday I spent my day from 9am till 3pm in ‘Jogoo House’, the Ministry of Education building. I visited every single floor between floor 5 and 9. Most of my time was spent waiting (for a meeting to end; for a man to return; for lunch to end; for internet to work; for the letter to be signed). I was complimented on my patience. And in the end, I emerged triumphant with - a beautiful letter 'authorizing' our workshops (god, how many times have the durn things been authorized now?) and with 2000 Ksh less in my pocket. No, it wasn't a bribe; yes, I have the receipt. In order to get an approval I had to fill a 4-page application form, submit info about facilitators' credentials (I used application form info), and include TWB letterhead info & my introduction letter from last fall.

I took that letter back to the district officer who is now very happy that all due protocol has been followed. In his defence, the procedure I followed this time was much more official than the previous!

All I could think to myself was – in Canada, this would have been conducted by email. The waiting, typing, editing, printing, copying – all would have been done with a touch of the mouse. No dusty filing systems. No 'come back on Thursday with an other draft'. Just an email, an attachment, a response.

These small inefficiencies cost so many hours, so many days of travel, so many hours of the lives of compotent professionals.

MOURNING FAITH

While the Ministry of Education does not usually a matter of life or death, the Ministry of Health does. And this week I have reason to feel anger and frustration with this country’s ‘health care’.

Faith Wanjiru was an incredible woman. A community leader, fiery woman with a passion for justice & a desire to help others. She led a disabled persons’ group in Maai Mahiu; a group which brought disability out of the closet – literally – and into the forefront of community dialogue.

She had a generous heart and cheerful spirit. Though she couldn’t have been over 5 feet, she gave a big warm hug and handshake with every greeting.

Her generosity extended even to mzungus – in my first few months in Kenya, she was my most adamant Kiswahili teacher, even donating a Swahili-English book to my cause.

She was an amazing individual, someone I was proud to know and always meant to know better.

I can’t believe she is gone – I keep expecting to see her passing through the town, on her way somewhere, hunched over but ever-smiling.

What gets me most is that her death this was, in my view, completely unnecessary. There is no national health care in Kenya. The local hospitals are underfunded – to say the least – and next to impossible to get treated at. She died of pneumonia, they say. I can’t help but think that if health care were free & reliable, she would have been diagnosed and treated so much earlier. She would have visited a doctor before Monday; she might not have passed so quickly Tuesday morning.

She has left behind a young son – grade 7 – who was the apple of her eye. A complete genius, to hear her tell it – though his grades as of yet don’t quite show that potential. Who will pay for his high school, now? Who will counsel him, love him, guide him? Where will he go at school holidays? He is one of so many orphans in this country. Children raised by uncles, aunts, grandmothers.

She was 51, they say. I think the average life expectancy in Kenya is 53 years. Can you imagine – 51 years as an expected life span? Most baby-boomers are beyond that age, by now, expecting at least another 20 years of life. At the age of 51, children born at 35 are only 16 years old. Is that what high school should be about – experiencing the death of both parents, and then being unable to pay school fees? A double abuse of human rights – the right of an adult to a full life; the right of a child to a basic education.

Faith will be mourned by many, and I am among them.

Mali

Cute Moments!

2008-06-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hi folks –

I’ve begun to recognise in myself a familiar pattern – it won’t surprise those of you who are or have been international students. After about 1 month, when the ‘honeymoon phase’ of newness and novelty has worn off… there’s a downward turn in emotions, missing home, etc.

I’m moving slowly into the longer-term, settled-in stage now (while at the same time sadly aware of my impending departure date – mid-August!).

I’ve just downloaded some photos from a camera (donated by Robyn & family – thank you!) and found several pictures of ‘cute things’ here, just part of the reason that I do, most of the time, really love being here. [I couldn't get the chameleon & puppy to upload - later, now's bedtime!]

Kids like this greet me every morning with 'how are you! how are you! shouted repeatedly across vast distances... the joy that my presence is positively contagious, I catch myself grinning broadly as I walk to the main road in the morning.

Mali

Faster than a Donkey!

2008-06-12T22:43:00.001-07:00

I’ll make it quick today, as I’m trying to conserve battery – the power has been out for the past 2 days in my home. A ‘lorry’ (big truck-trailer) came down the edge of the Rift Valley (about a 1km vertical descent, stretched over 7km of road) and lost control. It plowed off the edge of the road, knocked over a power pole, and crashed into a shop/home made of wood and tin. Walking past, the only visible part of the lorry is the back end. The casualties: a chicken and a dog.

I was supposed to go on a field trip with Form 1 students today, from Karima - but late last night the trip was cancelled for reasons of 'transport' (not enough money?). I wasn't informed, though - so I got up this morning at 5am, and was bucket-showered and ready to go at the road by 6am. I missed Ms. Krajicek's impeccable organisation (& communication!) skills...

Faster than a Donkey Pulling Water

That’s how quickly I got to school on my bike this week! It’s a rare day when I am able to ride to a school, here in Kenya. I can only ride to 2 of the schools, which are within 10 km of my home. If I am in the city (fixing a computer, meeting with officials, printing documents) and I come back to the schools for the afternoon, I’d rather not ride in the heat of the day.

But this week I was able to ride to Karima Secondary, located on the road to Narok (the road to Maasai Mara – home to the lions/tigers/elephants/savannas of touristy Kenya!).

I managed to speed past – get this – not one but TWO donkey carts! Yup, that’s the Mali you know – the speedy cyclist :-)

Homesickness

My goal with this blog is to help share the amazing experience I’ve been given with others who are unable to be here this year. And, part of that experience is a bit of homesickness.

This week I’ve missed a lot of things about home – mostly, friendships. Most of all, though, I’ve missed the sense of permance, the sense of community, that I don’t have here – on my temporary visit. If I were staying here for the next two years – then, I’d buy CDs, decorate my home, and have the assurance that the friendships I begin will truly last. As it is, to be here and to know I am leaving in 2 months… means that I can’t truly create the kind of long-term sense of community that I want most right now.

Exciting Developments

There have been many, this past week! The Bodwell grade 8 class has begun a real communication with 4 grade 8 students here; PowerPoints from Canada & Kenya have been exchanged; and on Sunday, I hope to meet with a ‘carbon offsets’ expert to put in place a structure for students & staff of Bodwell.

Hope you're all doing well. Pictures & more to come as power & time allow.

Mali

THEFT AND EDUCATION

2008-06-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

(photos - me at Maai Mahiu market, a bustling bi-weekly market.

I have had money stolen before.

Travellers often face issues with stolen money, ‘missing’ gadgets, ‘repaired’ items of various sorts.

Last week, someone stole a total of about $50 from my home. Two people had a key to my house – one neighbour because if I am locked out of my home (ie if I lock my keys inside), I want a friend to be able to let me in; one for the sake of convenience, as my home operates as ‘office’ as well. My neighbour grew up in an orphanage, and living with him now is another guy from the orphanage, who also could have accessed the keys to my place.

What do I do? I’ve confronted the three of them, separately together, seeking to find the truth – and then to accept an apology and forgive the person involved.

None of that has happened. Instead, I have been left with a terrible situation – one of three people whom I previously trusted is at fault, and will not admit it.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY…

I have access to more money – even if it is borrowed from credit cards, etc – than most people here could imagine. By virtue of being Canadian, I have access to opportunities which make me wealthier than every single one of my friends here. I have always had behind me an impressive social security net – I have used free medical services, gotten jobs funded by the federal government, benefited from free secondary school & subsidised university education… I’ve always had the assumption that ‘money should not be a barrier’ – that if I really believe something needs to be done, I can find a way to make it work.

Here, money doesn’t work like that. First, people deal entirely in cash. There is not a single bank in Maai Mahiu - ! People get paid in cash, and then live off of that cash for as long as they can. When that runs out, they literally have nowhere to go, financially speaking. There is no ‘overdraft’, no Visa/Mastercard, no line of credit… no way at all to get extra cash flow, except to eat meals at friends’ houses, ask for money from friends & family, etc.

What a different world here. This picture shows the lucky grade 12 students are able to watch 'Merchant of Venice' on a laptop - however, they must pay 40 Ksh (80 cents) for the privilege. Only about 20 out of 45 got to watch the film. I watched one student trying to 'sneak in' - he got roundly scolded & embarrassed for wanting to watch Shakespeare without paying. Light years away from Bodwell - !

Does inequality, lack of opportunity, and personal ambition excuse theft, and dishonesty about that theft? No, of course not. But, in some senses, I do understand. Where-ever inequality exists, property crime & petty theft become a problem. Vancouver is a prime example – in the past 10 years living in Vancouver, I’ve seen the rise of ‘security’ at banks, in pharmacies, even at grocery stores!

OUR GLOBAL VILLAGE!

I will never forget one thing I learned in university.

I discovered it while researching the rise & fall of resource-based communities on the Pacific Coast. I was trying to compare baseline data with data from resource-based communities. I had to ask my prof for confirmation of what I found. I found that the baseline data for North America from the 1960s – 1980s shows an overall DECREASE in real income for the bottom 10% of the population. That means that the poor really are getting poorer. Even in North America!

As the gap widens between rich and poor, property crimes are inevitable. Having moved from one incredibly wealthy part of the world to a community which lives well below the poverty line, I’ve incited a few property crimes just by my presence.

ONE PERSON

This week would definitely be George, the aspiring journalist and a deputy school prefect (middle in the photo here). George has, according to his teachers, always wanted to be a journalist. He’s pushed his teachers into pursuing an active journalism club at the school, which presents current events & news items at the Monday/Wednesday/Friday 8 am assemblies.

When I came back to Maai Mahiu Secondary one month ago, George was proudly wearing his ‘journalism club’ badge. He read with interest the ‘Canada Eh’ and ‘Kenya Imagine’ first editions… and promptly got to work on making his own edition. He had individual club members write short ‘stories’ and plan out the photographs needed to be taken. After two paper drafts, he passed over the copy to me. For the first time round, I typed & laid out the newsletter… but as he proudly told me, by the end of the summer he plans to be completely conversant in MS Word newsletter production.

HOPE

There is hope for the future of Kenya, I truly believe that. I taught my 139 Business students today about the ‘factors of production’ – land, labour, capital, entrepreneurship. Like it or not, the students in my class will enter a society with a huge surplus of labour & lack of capital. I can only hope that they will choose a path of integrity and hard work, rather than the promise of quick cash through theft, the sex trade, or corruption.

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”

I’m thinking about that quote this week.

Enjoy your weekend!

Mali

PS – check out new school blogs at maaimahiusecondary.blogspot.com and longonotsecondary.blogspot.com… they'll be updated more in the weeks to come!

Blogs, Bones, and Kimchi...

2008-05-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

The modems have arrived! The modems have arrived!

Sleek, beautiful, white things – about the size and shape of a thin Mac mouse, with a little green light which, when blinking, indicates that through this small portal we can now access the world.

They arrived on Friday, after the usual barrage of paperwork. An official letter on CTC letterhead, stating our desire for 3 modems sponsored by Bodwell. A copy of my passport, photocopies of my credit card front & back. A signature authorizing payment till the end of time. I half-expected a thumbprint and criminal record check!

Three modems! Modem + digital camera + laptop = connectivity for these three schools…! I’ll be delivering the modems this coming week, and beginning tutorials on blogs, Facebook, and more.

RAFIKI LINK
So much has happened this week…

Maai Mahiu Secondary (Muniu)
- I met Mary and Caroline, the two girls we’ve sponsored to enter grade 9 (Form 1). They are smiling, happy, grateful individuals – I can’t wait to get to know them better. They loved the cards which were made by last semester’s Volunteer Club and signed by the Rafiki Club!
- Several teachers are taking on Rafiki collaborative projects, including: poetry reading, math contests, school newsletter creation, and much more…- Students are preparing to enter the World Environment Day annual competitions! Poetry, skits, drama, and recycled art – all are part of the festivities.- 4 students were very excited to try out a live video-conference conversation with Sharon Peters, a member of Teachers Without Borders. Though connection didn’t work with Ms. Carson, it is thanks her to positively angelic patience & persistence that we are continuing to work on this ‘live’ connection.

Longonot Secondary
- Teachers & students are working on research essays, math contests, poetry, blogs, blogs, and more blogs! This is the school with 10 laptops for 600 students (primary & secondary) – a lucky school.

Karima Secondary
- Six very dedicated and creative student leaders are Very excited about C150K…! They’ve brainstormed ideas for a ‘mural’ and are looking at either the shape of a dove, or a multicoloured wheel…- Teachers are excited & prepped for the Grade 8 English blog, poetry-reading, math contests, and more…

ONE PERSON

Must be Ken Mungai, this week. Mungai, pikipiki (motorcycle) driver without fear. Mungai, “I am working for CTC International”. Ken Mungai, my neighbour, who in a fit of generosity (encouraged by our complete lack of cash flow this weekend), made a set of delicious chapatis from flour, water, salt, and cooking fat.

Mungai is good at crises, in fact he thrives on them. Some have, non-so-kindly, suggested he creates crises. While in Canada, Mungai at first took particular joy in calling at 3am Canada time to say, ‘we need the money for school fees’. Important, yes. Urgent – at 3am? – no!!
His friends and acquaintainces know that if they so much as send a text – ‘my baby is sick’, ‘my mother needs food’, ‘I’m stuck at Kijabe’ – he will respond promptly & with full energy. Mungai has responded to countless mzungu ‘emergencies’…once, memorably, speeding up the edge of the Rift Valley near dark to pick up this mzungu and whisk her home.

All of which brings us to this Tuesday, 5pm, when Mungai was driving his piki-piki at an undetermined speed along the road to Longonot. A cyclist, loaded with mabati (metal sheeting used for roofs/walls), came onto the road without looking – and wham. The pikipiki turned in time to save Mungai and his passenger, Oh Yes Oh No (a nickname – his other names are Francis Ngugi)…

The mabati cut into his foot on the side of the ankle, right to the bone. Always ready to create a non-personal crisis, Mungai was in fact the most jovial of us in the taxi-ride to the hospital. We spent the day on Wednesday in lineups for doctors, X-rays and medications. His bones are intact & the crisis is over - and Mungai is back to his usual work.

KIMCHI IN KENYA

Believe it or not, that's what I ate for lunch on Sunday! On the outskirts of Maai Mahiu, a well-established orphanage run by a Korean couple who have been resident in Kenya for the past 11 years. They serve Kenyan food to the children, but somehow manage to prepare complete Korean feast for themselves & their 4 Korean volunteer staff. I joined them for lunch with Shikoi and Rocky, two of the environmental club volunteers.

And, in a moment of positively disconcerting déjà vu, a concerned Korean uncle asked if I would consider tutoring his niece, Hyo Jeong, just arrived from Korea, whose English is about as good as my Kiswahili (that’s not very good!). My first impulse was to recommend a semester or two in the Bodwell AP program… however it looks like she’ll be in full English immersion at Maai Mahiu Secondary, starting soon.

Modems and kimchi – globalisation at work!

Mali

Do they have cellphones in Kenya?

2008-05-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

(photo- me catching a ride on the way back from Karima Secondary)

My first week back in Kenya has been, in more ways than I expected, a return ‘home’. For all its problems, Maai Mahiu has become a community and a place of belonging for me. I enjoy shaking hands not just the first time, but each time I meet my friends. I left Canada feeling very much alone; I’ve arrived feeling part of something larger.

I’ve called this blog “mtu mmoja” – which, in Swahili, means ‘one person’. I’ve been thinking recently about the impact that one person can have on my life, on the life of my family, of my community. I’ve also been reflecting on the myth thaat we North Americans hold so firmly to – that we are an individual, a ‘one person’, whose prime purpose is to consume. Here consumption is not a choice, and community is an assumption. More on that later!

RAFIKI LINK

New Ideas

This community is full of emerging leaders! Rocky Muuri, a member of PCYI and head of environmental clubs at the three schools, has been working with community members in Longonot township, a small community at the base of the (now-extinct) Longonot mountain. They’re discussing a new model of stoves, made of mud, which reduce the amount of fuel required.

Schools

I’ve visited all three schools, and enjoyed re-uniting with teachers at each school, and sharing some of the ideas proposed by amazing Bodwell teachers in Canada. The schools are much as I left them – but are growing rapidly, as the government has subsidised part of school fees for grade 9. The demand for education here is remarkable - !

This is the math club, meeting outside. They've been given a sample 'math contest' and will be doing the Rafiki Summer Math League this year.

Maai Mahiu Secondary has a grade 9 (form 1) class with 135 students. Can you imagine the marking??!

Longonot teachers send their greetings & regards to all of the Bodwell teachers. They look forward to setting up a Longonot blog, and they’ve tried out “Facebook” for the first time - !

Karima school is very dedicated to and excited about the Rafiki Link, and despite having only 7 teachers for their 200+ students, the Chemistry, History, English, and Math teachers are all excited about involvement.

Internet

On Friday, I visited Nairobi to purchase modems for the three schools. I’ve filled out an ‘application’ for the modems – involving copies of my passport, credit card, and an official letter from CTC. By next week, I should be able to pick up the modems.

PEOPLE

“One person” – there is one person this week whom I”ve thought of quite often. His name is Lawrence, and he graduated from Maai Mahiu Secondary last November. If you’ve looked at the Facebook group videos, he is the student giving the ‘introduction to Maai Mahiu secondary’. Like most students at Maai Mahiu schools, he is unable to afford post-secondary education of any kind. Being an enterprising student, he has taken a job with Celtel – a local cellphone company. His job is ‘sales agent’ to local shops.

Maai Mahiu has as many cellphones as goats, perhaps - if you don't count the goats out in the fields. If you have any money at all, the first thing you'll purchase is a cellphone. How to run a cellphone on less than $1 per day? Cellphone companies here have the answer - tiny 'recharge cards' of as little as 20-cents of prepaid credit. "Flashing" is in vogue, here - dialing a number and disconnecting quickly, in hopes that the recipient will see your number and return the call quickly.

Lawrence benefits from this culture. He walks along the street, stopping in at tiny little stores, asking if stores want to purchase pre-paid cellphone cards for resale. He sells a 100 Ksh card for 95 Ksh - the store makes 5 Ksh profit, about 8 cents. Lawrence gets a small commission on top of his salary - $50/month. He reminds me of many of our Bodwell graduates – young, bright-eyed, and keen to impress in his new job as sales agent. Youth like Lawrence are the future of this country...

THOUGHTS

Cellphones

Today I saw something new. Shocking, I know – who would think that travelling 10,000 km across the world would show me something new.

It was a 5” long device, twisted on its side, which with a small antenna could offer its viewer a selection of channels. MTV was playing, when I first noticed it – the friendly salesman offered BBC, or the comedy network – any channel I want, he said. And it’s only 34,000 Ksh – a mere $800.

Only $800 in Kenya – a phone on sale for the same amount of money that could pay for 2 years of school at a local high school. $800 – 6 months salary for underpaid workers of local non-profit organisations. $800 – well above the Kenyan national average of $500 per year.

That’s the thing about Kenya. Last I hear the stats, 60% of Kenyans live on less than $1 per day – less than $365 per year. However, there is an elite – the top 5% - who live a life in some ways very similar to Canadian life.

Nothing in life is simple – and if it were, it would not be worth exploring...

More photos to come next time – when (knock on wood) internet is steady & the camera battery is recharged!

Enjoy the Long Weekend!

PS - here's me at my new place...!

Mali

Ms. Bain is in Kenya!!

2008-05-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Nimefika Maai Mahiu – I have arrived in Maai Mahiu!

It smells like Kenya here. I don’t know exactly what that smell is – a mixture of charcoal smoke, cooking fat, boiled tea, and roasted meat – but I catch a whiff of it from time to time, in the corner of a duka (store) or beside the street.

Last time I stayed in Maai Mahiu I was in a single room – a ‘concrete cube’, really – with a pit toilet shared by 15 rooms. Water came either from the rain-fed water tank in the courtyard, or from the friendly donkey-driven water carts which pass through town at odd hours.

I’m living in a new place, this time. I’ll send photos, once I get the cameras working. I’ve got a sitting room, bedroom, kitchen, even my own bathroom with slowly running cold water. This standard is available only to the middle-class of Kenya – higher-up government workers, managers, professionals – probably no more than 5% of the population of Maai Mahiu. The cost of my little place? $80 per month – a fortune here!

The highlight of returning is seeing old friends. Here’s a few of the people I’ve reconnected with so far:
- Mungai – CTC employee and new neighbour!
- Mwaniki – Rafiki Link coordinator, ‘the tallest man in Maai Mahiu’ (right hand person int he photo)
- Oh Yes Oh No – so named for his enthusiasm! (left hand person in the photo)
- Rocky Muuri – environmental clubs coordinator extraordinaire.
- Fred Muuri - farmer (second from the left)
- Shiko – environmental clubs volunteer & my new Kikuyu teacher J
- Mama Njgona – good friend & mother of two
- Wairimu – friend & recently graduated seamstress

It feels good to be back, to be part of this world!

The weather is better than I had anticipated. The equatorial sun threatens to burn my skin in the daytime, but by nightfall I pull out my Vancouver fleece and bundle up against the strong wind which blows up the Rift Valley.

Tomorrow is my first day of work – I’ll be visiting the first of our three school partners, Maai Mahiu Secondary. For now, I’m buying buckets, plates, eggs, sheets, and other essentials – setting up my life here. The photo shows me with my bucket of supplies & Mbugwa -the friendly shop owner.

I am so thankful for Mwaniki, who has set up this internet connection on one of the donated Bodwell computers. Internet is the key to happiness, for this mzungu…

Tutaonana!

Mzungu Mali