Friday, December 25, 2009

Shelling Maize - Pics
















Planting Trees with GEF Scholars






















Pics
















Merry Christmas from Kenya

This is the first of twenty seven Christmases I have spent away from my family. I had to think back to verify, but it is true. Thankfully, the Pastor and his family were kind enough to invite me to spend the holiday with them 'upcountry,' so I wouldn't be spending Christmas alone.

Christmas for Kenyans is very different from Christmas for Americans. To try and understand these differences, I think it is essential that I try to explain, as best as I can, a little of what I have learned about the culture. Since I have heard, but not verified, that around 88% of the population in Kenya is Christian, Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday. Kenyans typically try to celebrate life's major moments by travelling 'upcountry', where their family congregates and many likely still live, closer to their tribe and ancestors. These events include weddings, funerals and holidays – and retirement. 'Upcountry' is not just a location; it means 'home,' and represents their present, past and future. Just as central as individualism is to Americans, each of us pioneering our own lives searching for the capitalistic American Dream, Kenyans believe they are their ancestors' contemporaries, living partially for and with their intervening spirits, with an obligation to pay them homage and seek their guidance. For this reason, they feel they must set their roots where their ancestors did, and one day hope to be buried amongst them.

Most Kenyans speak three languages; English (as Kenya was once a colony of Great Britain), Kiswahili (as East Africa has historically been a key trading post for the Middle East - the language has Arabic roots), and their 'Mother Tongue', which is tribe specific. Tribal identity is very prominent in Kenyan culture today; I will try to stay away from the political implications behind this for this post, but I will go into it at some point I am sure because it is such a source of pride as well as an obstacle to progress and peaceful integration. But by analyzing the various historical migration patterns, diets, languages, cultural practices and values of the many tribes, you begin to understand that none of the country boundaries we study as westerners do any justice to the many peoples who inhabit the country, let alone the continent. 'Upcountry' is their kingdom, their 'Boma' (sp?) where they are kings and queens; the land is under their dominion and empowers them. Few cultures allocate such value to land; we Americans simply assign a dollar value, and sell it in order to appropriately distribute deceased parents' estates. Kenyans may toil in the cities to earn a living, but their ambitions and hearts remain 'upcountry'. They even poor the first sip of their drinks onto the ground for their ancestors, much like we poor some out for our homies in Cell Block D. I feel honored that I was invited to join the Pastor and his family in their journey home.

Christmas Day itself is less media-sized in Kenya. While it is still recognized as the birthday of their savior (88% of them), few have heard of Santa Claus, and presents are not routinely given. Remember when you were little, raised to believe that Santa visited every good girl and boy around the world delivering presents - but just old enough to begin questioning how reasonable it was for one old, fat man navigating a flying sleigh to visit everyone in the world during a few hours of reluctant sleep, while still hoping for and believing in magic? Well, it turns out that he never did make it all the way around the world… maybe that's why, like Jesus himself, Santa is almost always portrayed as white. Here, with a large percentage of the population poor, families cannot afford presents on an annual basis, especially toys. Christmas does happen to be harvest season (maize specifically), so, Christmas Day typically consists of hard work and feasting. The men work in the field, the women cook, and all reflect on the magic of familial love and self sacrifice… it seems Christmas Day here has a little more relevance given the biblical story of the birth of Jesus; there was no Christmas Tree, no Santa, no stockings, neither a crib nor other luxuries, but only a new family amongst mud, straw and livestock, making the best of meager circumstances and few options.

It has been fun trying to introduce Santa Claus to the Pastor's children, though. Santa gives the opportunity to teach selfless giving and the possibility of magic. His children are 14 months, 4.5 years and 9 years old, and their reaction to the story is very similar to Americans of similar ages: at 14 months, you have no idea what is going on, 4.5 years you are just happy to receive toys, but by 9 years the questioning begins… one specific line of questioning that made me laugh was –

Q: why did Santa come?

A: well, he only gives gifts to good boys and girls around Christmas

Q: so I have been good?

A: yes.

Q: good this year, or in good life?

A: life.

Q: did he give you anything?

A: no.

Q: so have I been better than you in life?

A: yes.

I could see his ambivalent position of yearning to believe he was good and deserving of a reward, and seeing through my lies… I almost had resorted to my mom's age old adage, "well, if Santa is not real, maybe he won't come again." – I know that would have shut him up. Sure shut me up, 'til I was about 11.

Otherwise, travelling 'upcountry' has given me the opportunity to see Kenya outside of Nairobi. And let me tell you it is beautiful. Driving to Kitale, in western Kenya about 800 km away from the capital, we got a perfect view of the Rift Valley, the rolling green hills, the large variety of life, and farmland as far as the eye can see. Moving away from Nairobi, you get farther from the concrete factories, so the architecture of the homes changes from stone to wood and mud, and the fences are no longer cement walls topped with broken glass but wood posts connected by barbed wire. The air is cleaner, the cars are fewer and livestock is everywhere. The tension leaves your shoulders and it is much easier to relax. The Pastor's family is definitely in their element out here, and I understand now why people who have seen rural Africa think it is the best place on earth.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Eye Opener

My intern, ("Intern") – as an introduction, he was one of the first two GEF Scholars to graduate secondary, with a resume that would have blown mine away after high school; head boy of 700 or so students, started several clubs, earned top status (like eagle scout) in something similar to the boy scouts, started a company, natural leader, intellectual, athletic, confident, articulate – you name it. Without him I would be helpless getting around Nairobi and hiring him was the single best decision I have made here so far. Enough about him, onto the story…

I have been looking for office space in the Donholm area of Nairobi – strategically located between town, the airport, and Kayole. Intern and I had been bouncing around from retail space to office space to find any vacancies for a couple days. Without Craigslist, finding real estate to lease is incredibly difficult, by the way. We were crossing the street from one building next to a clinic (not the type of clinic you might imagine; basically a loosely standing tent that serves those who cannot afford a hospital) when we were approached by two people asking if I was a doctor. I said no, but asked what the problem was. They escorted me to a woman sitting on a bench, bouncing a 12 or so month old girl on her leg, the mother's eyes closed and the baby too weak/malnourished to let out a cry much more than a squeak. Her lips were cracked, and her eyes were locked on us; she was fully alert. I was told the woman had not fed or given water to her in three days, and when people approached and inquired why she was doing this, she responded, "It is better if the baby just dies." At the time, I was told the woman was mentally handicapped. I would found out she was not so much physically handicapped as emotionally. So, Intern and I did the only thing we could think of at the time– we ran to the nearby store, bought whole cow milk, juice and fruit and returned to feed the mother and the baby. The rationale is that if the mother is not eating, then the baby cannot eat, regardless of the mother's mal-intent. We were told that the police were coming, and that the situation would be dealt with. We left stunned.

The next day, we went back to the office, and the woman was back on the same bench, bouncing the now crying baby girl on her knee. I was heartbroken – what would cause someone to be in the mindset that it is better for her baby daughter to die than to fight for her survival? I don't think I have ever know or seen such despair in a person's face; she had purely given up.

The day after, I met with a woman from Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health ("TICAH" – look them up, they are amazing). Our meeting was an introduction, as they are allowing us use of a medicinal garden consisting all of local herbs that can be found and grown cheaply that help everything from stomach aches, high blood pressure, night sweats to STD's and HIV. As western medicine fails this poor, inaccessible area of the world, the creativity of humanity still finds a way with often very positive results. In their work, TICAH does local market research to better understand local culture and problems people in these communities face. During a specific survey, they asked the question of a group of local, poor women – what was your first sexual experience? The results were shocking – of the many interviewed, 9 out of 10 answered their first sexual experience was rape. 90%!! But the question was also the FIRST experience… so this implies that rape is so prevalent in these communities in Kenya that it is not only uncommon but is almost an anomaly if a woman lives her entire life without being raped. I have heard of the politically supported systematic rape in Uganda to subjugate a population, and the numbers of rapes are even high in the U.S., but this blew me away – it also must be systematically supported either by the socioeconomic circumstances or the sub-culture of poverty in Africa. Also considering that abortion is illegal in Kenya, and the mother can be thrown in jail (assuming she survives the primitive methods of performing them) it dawned on me, OK, well, maybe there are circumstances, catalyzed by poverty and an inability to see any positive option that might cause a mother to wish for her baby to die…

Today, when Intern and I returned to the office building to pick up a lease, Grace (the mother mentioned above – today I learned her name) was there, not with her baby. She was actually smiling… her baby was currently with her father, but also she had just found someone who would take her and her children in Western Kenya. Yes, she asked for money for bus fair. I split it 4 ways, and it was less than $8 for me – the landlord pitched, so did the building owner's son, and Intern also did to my objections (I later reimbursed him – he needs to save for University in the fall). The landlord knew her and her situation better – apparently she had to get far away from the pastor of a nearby church. Turns out it was something I couldn't have imagined or guessed. She left with the money in her hand and a smile on her face… I guess I hope I never see her again and she gets safely out west to greener pastures.

The Pastor

Two Sundays ago, I attended church service for the first time, outside Christmas, weddings or funerals, in at least a couple years – probably since college. I graduated in 2005, for those wondering. It was amazing in so many ways, I have been trying to determine the best way to write about it… and I still haven't, but here goes anyway.

GEF's Kenya Director is a pastor – so in this entry I will refer to him as 'Pastor'. He founded Candlelight Ministries. This Sunday marked the first service of the newest Candlelight Ministries Church; there are now over 5, including two in Tanzania. We drove up to the new church in our Sunday best; everybody here dresses very formally, all the time (i.e. button up shirts, long sleeves, slacks and ties, almost every day of the week regardless of profession – no shorts, unless you are playing football ['soccer'] or getting ready for bed). The church facility was a vacated retail shop, with graffiti still on the inner walls, reading "Afrika's Most Wanted" and "Thug Life", among others. The graffiti would make much more sense to you if you had ridden matatus; I hope to explain that experience better because it is also amazing, but basically on the vans/busses that serve as the only means of public transportation, they blast rap and hip hop and "pimp them out" like West Coast Customs as best they can, obviously idolizing the violent sub-culture of many rap artists, and even the Somali pirates, through the graffiti that takes up every spare inch of space. The graffiti was the second thing I noticed; it was hard to miss the noise emanating from this ~7 meter x ~7 meter vacated retail space. The choir of 3-4 people was Praising the Lord with all their hearts and throats, singing different songs or chanting at the same time, all through their own microphones with the amplifier turned up to 11. And there was a keyboard. It was intense, but not atypical, as I have now heard the same static, unharmonious echoes billowing out of many other corrugated aluminum buildings serving as places of worship since I have been here. It is clear, in Kenya, God must have damaged eardrums, be inattentive or be very, very far away.

After about 20-30 minutes of song, both in English and Kiswahili (the way most Kenyans use both interchangeably is very neat), the music stopped as it was time to introduce the new pastor (not the Pastor, this is the head of this one church specifically, so we'll call him 'New Pastor'). In between the "Praise God's" and the "Hallelujah's" - and the necessary response of "Amen" – "can someone give Him G-L-O-R-Y!?!, I couldn't HEAR YOU!" – "AMEN!" – came New Pastor's first sermon to his flock of roughly 15. It could have been titled, "Why We Tithe," or even "Give Me Money." The only handout this week was in fact a full sheet of citations in the bible that outline why, how much, and under what circumstances (i.e. all circumstances) we should give to the church. If you give to the church, requiring no transparency or real public service, God will 'Bless' your health, business, finances, family, etc. That was his only message; believe me, I was hoping for so much more after such an epic introduction… the choir may very well have not been able to speak on Monday. Though I do not feel I have a commitment or obligation to any specific church, I do recognize the undeniably positive impact many churches have in their communities; their ability to motivate, mobilize, inspire, instill values, educate and console is really irreplaceable in many cultures. This, though, was turning out to be the embodiment of what I hate most about organized religion; the exploitation of people's greatest hopes and fears through the indoctrination of the masses, often for obvious personal benefit. It reeked of indulgences of the olden days, and modern day evangelicals who desire diamonds and who promise a powerful ministry that can cure cancer, cause the blind to see or the paralyzed to stand. The vultures were circling - I was dismayed.

They took the time after the New Pastor's 'lesson' to bring up all the new faces in front of the congregation to introduce themselves. This meant me. I was handed a microphone, and asked to say a few words. I said, "Habari [Hello], Mimi ni Robert [I am Robert], and I am from the state of Colorado in the United States. Where I am from, we worship god quietly. Here, you worship very loudly. Thanks." They looked at me; a couple clapped. The second person who introduced herself spoke much longer, in Kiswahili so I couldn't understand. The congregation seemed much more please with her words than mine.

After passing around a collection bucket, in which I threw $10 USD dollars and the congregation took turns looking in, seeing it, dropping his or her jaw, and pointing in the bucket while muttering something in Kiswahili to their neighbors about the mzungu, the New Pastor kindly introduced the Pastor, as Bishop Pastor. I was impressed… Bishop did seem his accurate title. The first thing Pastor did was deny the microphone. "This place is small enough where I believe I can use my natural amplifiers. Can you all hear me?" He yelled. Everyone replied, "Ndiyo [yes]" in unison. The Pastor then began to renew my faith in church by giving one of the best sermons I have ever heard.

He spoke powerfully and started in Genesis (new church starting with Genesis, OK I think this guy gets it), and ended with the New Testament. He spoke logically of empowerment, responsibility, of being the "Light" that all plants [people] bend towards, the "Salt" that makes the earth [life] sweeter, and tried to show others the divine path of purposeful community building with love and peace. He spoke of cherishing what you have, not of giving in order to get more. He did it with a foundation in scripture, and with analogies that everybody could understand. About half way through, I couldn't hold back the tears… the kind that kept coming back even after the Pastor stopped speaking. This message made me feel nostalgic; for I have known and seen it before, at 4th, in school, at St. John's in Boulder. The Pastor clearly represents and teaches everything that I admire and miss most about church. He lives this message, in the schools and churches he founds, the orphanage he runs, the family he raises with his wife (equally as amazing), and his selfless commitment to those around him. It feels amazing staying in his house, and helping him with his work, at whatever capacity I can.

After he spoke, everyone was immediately more aware of their surroundings – they spoke quietly, without microphones, and closed the service quickly while each member of the congregation, including the New Pastor, was clearly in the midst of as much deep contemplation as I was (most without the tears – I am a wimp). The Pastor just held his 14 month old baby girl, bouncing her gently while in his seat, as she was now soundly asleep on his shoulder…


 


 

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Elephant Walk

Safari!






So, I got to be a tourist last weekend, and went on Safari! We hired a driver, drove through Nairobi National Park, went to an elephant orphanage, and fed giraffes. I finally took some pictures (obviously)! So, here are a few to show you the scenery - Kenya is beautiful. The park borders the city - so it is a bit unique seeing such a variety of animal in a vast savannah covered in acacia trees on one side, and on the other the skyscrapers of Nairobi. Unfortunately, I did not see any big cats (i.e. cheetahs, leapords or lions); but it was still well worth it.
I may have to make many posts to ge tthe pictures up I want.
























Monday, December 7, 2009

Nairobi!

I thought I write a bit about my impressions of Nairobi...

Nairobi is the capital of Kenya, housing roughly 3 million of the country's 38 million people. It is the vibrant epicenter of East Africa trade, business and travel. You can find pretty much every amenity as in every large American city - but it has a drastically different soul.

The traffic and way people drive is the most shocking thing about the city's infrastructure to me so far - traffic accidents are the third leading cause of death in Nairobi, behind HIV/AIDS and TB, and violence. There are few rules on the road, if any at all. I have driven in Boston and I have driven in Chicago - but I would not have the courage or skill to dive in NAirobi. The roads are dominated by the 'matatus' - which are vans and buses that serve as the only other public mode of transportation other than taxis. They are privately run, and compete loudly and aggressively for business... maybe that's why they drive like they only have today to live.

Here, there are many people 'hustling' and 'hawking', particularly in the markets and the city. In an environment with 70% unemployment for people under 30 (including university graduates), people 'hustle', which means they work odd jobs and do anything they can to to do anything they can to make a living. 'Hawking' is a technically a form of hustling, and refers to the sales method employed by the street vendors - the only other thing I have seen that comes close is a crack head in Chicago hounding you for money... they will follow you, confront you and are more persistent than sea gulls fighting for food - especially with the 'Mzungu's' (the local term for a white person - believe me if you are white and you come here, you will be very familiar with this term). So, I would say the 'buzz' of the city is created by the masses fighting through traffic, hustling and hawking.

To the south of the city is a national park that is good for safaring - so the city is really only confined on one side. The other thing limiting growth is infrastructure - the population is growing much faster than the streets, sewars, electric lines, trash dumps etc. can accomodate. On Sundays, many of the police are on leave so people are almost allowed to break rules they cannot during the week without a fine - like burning trash and tires. Even though you can feel it in your lungs as you drive around, I think it's almost better because there doesn't seem to be anyother solutions for the waste produced in the city. a quote from a book I am reading at the moment, "It's Our Turn To Eat" (if you want to understand current politics in Kenya, this book is amazing, recommended to me by my Executive Director and worth the read!)-

"The shocking rot of Nairobi's main market was exposed yesterday when it was revealed that 6,000 rats were killed in last week's cleanup exercise - and an equal number made good their escape. Wakiluma Market, through which a majority of Nairobi's 3 million residents get their food, had not been cleaned for 30 years. So filthy was it that traders who have been at the market daily for decades were shocked to see that below the muck they were wading through there was tarmac. More than 750 tonnes of garbage was removed and more than 70 tonnes of fecal waste sucked out of the horror toilets."

The Central Business District is bordered by incredibly ritzy suburbs and shockingly large and poor slums (see Kibera, the second largest urban slum in Africa) in between the national park and the central business district) - the diversity and disparity is larger than I've seen... Hopefully I will see a little more outside of Nairobi as I am going on Safari on Sat! I'll have another post sometime after that, hopefully with pictures...

U.S. State Dept Warning to travellers

I just registered with the U.S. Embassy, and thought I'd share the warnings with you all... just to get it up here. I hav eheard people's accounts of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing that killed over 200 people as "Hell"... thankfully, the events listed below are few and far between, except for the increased threat of violent crime - though I knew about that coming in... They usually don't ant to hurt you necessarily; they just really want your money.



'The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Kenya. American citizens in Kenya and those considering travel to Kenya should evaluate their personal security situation in light of continuing threats from terrorism and the high rate of violent crime. This replaces the Travel Warning of November 14th, 2008, to note increased security concerns in northeast Kenya near the Somali and Ethiopian borders.

The U.S. Government continues to receive indications of potential terrorist threats aimed at American, Western, and Kenyan interests in Kenya. Terrorist acts could include suicide operations, bombings, kidnappings, attacks on civil aviation as evidenced by the 2002 attacks on an Israeli airliner, and attacks on maritime vessels in or near Kenyan ports. Travelers should consult the Worldwide Caution for further information and details. Many of those responsible for the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in 1998 and on a hotel in Mombasa in 2002 remain at large and continue to operate in the region.

In July 2009, three NGO workers were kidnapped and taken into Somalia by suspected members of a terrorist group that operates out of Somalia. In November 2008, armed groups based in Somalia crossed into Kenya near the town of El Wak and kidnapped two Westerners. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi has designated a small portion of Kenya bordering Somalia and Ethiopia as “restricted without prior authorization” for purposes of travel by U.S. Government employees, contractors, grantees and their dependents. This designation is based on reports of Somali-based armed groups that have on occasion crossed into Kenya to stage attacks or to commit crimes. This restriction does not apply to travelers not associated with the U.S. Government, but should be taken into account when planning travel. The restriction is in effect for the following areas:

  • All of Mandera District.
  • The entire area north and east of the town of Wajir, including travel on Highway C80 and areas east of C80 and an 80-kilometer wide band contiguous with the Somalia border. Travel to and within the towns of Wajir and Moyale remains unrestricted.
  • Within Garissa District, an 80-kilometer wide band contiguous with the Somalia border. Travel to and within the town of Dadaab remains unrestricted.
  • Within Ijara District, an 80-kilometer wide band contiguous with the Somalia border; Boni National Reserve.
  • Within Lamu District, a 60-kilometer wide band contiguous with the Somalia border. Travel to and within the limits of towns within/contiguous to the Kiunga Marine Reserve remains unrestricted.

Violent and sometimes fatal criminal attacks, including armed carjackings and home invasions/burglaries, can occur at any time and in any location, particularly in Nairobi. As recently as June 2008, U.S. Embassy personnel were victims of carjackings. In the short-term, the continued displacement of thousands of people by the recent civil unrest combined with endemic poverty and the availability of weapons could result in an increase in crime, both petty and violent. Kenyan authorities have limited capacity to deter or investigate such acts or prosecute perpetrators.

American citizens in Kenya should be extremely vigilant with regard to their personal security, particularly in public places frequented by foreigners such as clubs, hotels, resorts, upscale shopping centers, restaurants, and places of worship. Americans should also remain alert in residential areas, at schools, and at outdoor recreational events, and should avoid demonstrations and large crowds.

Americans who travel to or reside in Kenya are encouraged to register through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. The U.S. Embassy is located on United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya; telephone (254) (20) 363-6000; fax (254) (20) 363-6410. In the event of an after-hours emergency, the Embassy duty officer may be contacted at (254) (20) 363-6170. The Embassy home page is http://kenya.usembassy.gov .

Updated information on travel and security in Kenya may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. In conjunction with this Travel Warning, American citizens traveling to Kenya should also consult the Country Specific Information for Kenya and the Worldwide Caution, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov.'

Friday, December 4, 2009

Background

Here's a little bit about why I'm here, who I am working with, and what I'll be doing…

I am working with and representing the Global Education Fund ("GEF"), based in Boulder, CO (www.globaleducationfund.org). I was introduced to GEF at a fundraising dinner my mom invited me to in September. She had been a long time donor, and was familiar with the good work the officers were doing. While at the dinner, I made it known that I was pursuing a trip like this at the outset – I had been aching for an international service experience after three and a half years in corporate America, and GEF was willing to offer me that opportunity. In retrospect, I believe my desire to do something like this started long ago... I would pinpoint it's origin as a member of the Senior High Youth Group at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, further evolving in my Jesuit academic experiences, and culminating with my experience within corporate America. Without naming my mentors, teachers, coaches, friends, loved ones and colleagues specifically (I won't mention any for fear of forgetting a few, and I think you know who you are), I'd at least like to express an ambiguous, heart-felt thank you, and recognize the contributions others have made to my perspective, values, and life… it sure took an army (especially with the Plimpton Boys). Also, I do not mean to exaggerate my efforts now, as many have made greater for longer; but this is certainly the largest I have made to date and in my heart I feel this represents a shift of priorities. Now, a little background on GEF.

GEF was established with a mission of improving literacy and education among orphaned and vulnerable children around the world. Right now, GEF has two programs to accomplish this. The first and longer-standing program is to stock libraries and schools in underdeveloped/impoverished/conflict areas around the world with inventories of books (children's books, textbooks, etc.), which are mostly shipped from Colorado, though some are purchased locally. To date, GEF has shipped pallets of books to over 20 countries. However, GEF recognized through work in the field that there are other obstacles to education than simple access to books, and out of this revelation the second pilot 'Leadership Program' ("the Program") was born in Kenya.

Why Kenya? Well, the Kenyan government promised universal access to education and funds tuition for students in many primary and secondary schools; however, there are still many fees that are passed on to the students for books, overhead, etc in secondary school. These fees run roughly $500/year per student, making education cost prohibitive to the poorest families, many living on less than $2/day. This need is staggering as it comprises roughly a million adolescents, and GEF saw great opportunity to efficiently pursue its mission by covering these fees for some within this disaffected group of students.

To begin, GEF found a local activist in Kayole (an 'estate' about 10-14 km east of Nairobi's Central Business District "CBD") already working with this demographic towards similar ends who was willing to take the reins, with GEF's support. He reached out to local schools and identified many students who were at risk of expulsion for failure to pay their fees, and, after an interview process to identify students with the greatest need and ability, a few were admitted into the Program. The revised goal of the Program was not just to throw money at the problem by covering the fees, but to develop a network of leaders ("Scholars") who support each other and learn practical skills, in addition to their academic skills, to succeed in life. Since only a few of the many are admitted into the Program, these Scholars tend to be incredibly naturally gifted and otherwise very capable, but for their dire circumstances (other than just the extremely low incomes, many are refugees, and/or single or double orphans from HIV/Aids, for example). Investing in each of the Scholars plants a seed for future development within communities with the greatest need.

There are implementation risks that must be addressed to ensure the sustainability and scalability of the Program. As all NGOs whose work is not local understand, local problems ultimately require local solutions; often times if you impose an outsider's solutions without local input or involvement, the program suffers because the need is not fully understood, the solutions do not address the need sufficiently, and/or the solutions are not embraced by those responsible for implementing them. When the funding dries up, the program dies. GEF recognizes that to effectively avert this outcome, it needs to establish an independent GEF – Kenya, managed and operated by Kenyans, for Kenyans, with local funding.

That is why, under a group of specialists and with a larger team of local advisers, one of my tasks will be to help build the infrastructure of GEF – Kenya that has sufficient bookkeeping/accounting/financial controls to report accurately (for donor transparency) and begin pursuing local donations and advisory support. That sounds fancy, but think how much can be done with Quickbooks Accounting software, a local bank account (in Kenyan Shillings, able to receive donations in Shillings), internet banking so it syncs with the books in the U.S. , and a local office HQ where we can crunch numbers, create (and print) marketing materials, and hold meetings. These steps seem small, but together they will make a world of difference.

In addition to this, I hope to help network for GEF - Kenya and help broaden the support and opportunities available to the Scholars after they complete secondary school. After the Scholars graduate, they have two options – either continue to University if they score high enough on their Form 4 exam ('Form' in Kenyan secondary school is synonymous with 'Year' in U.S. high school, so Form 4 is like Senior year or 4th year, and the exam is similar to the SAT), or join the work force. Therefore, GEF will need to develop partnerships to help fill in the gap after secondary school, by way of scholarships/loans and internships/jobs. I am not sure how exactly I will accomplish this, but with all the resources and people working together, including the Scholars themselves (impressive as they are) – I am confident I can make inroads in the 3 months I will be here. At the end of the day, I'm sure I will learn more than I teach, and benefit more than I contribute; but I won't be happy unless I get some of this done… I'll keep you updated.


 

Other quick notes for your understanding:

  • About 70% of the Scholars are girls, and this is GEF's policy – This is because studies have shown that investments in woman will matriculate into the community much more effectively; if you support a woman, you support children and a family. If you support a man, it is less likely that others will see any benefits. Kenya, and much of Africa, has a very patronizing culture.
  • GEF's founder's husband started Izze Beverage Company, and they continue to be our largest single contributor – so, sales plug – buy Izze! It's delicious, and it supports a good cause.


 


 

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Jambo!

Welcome to Dumb American Diaries! The name is not intended to be self-depricating, though I believe it acutely summarizes what I feel like after arriving in Nairobi, Kenya recently - being American educated but having only one language, originally knowing very little about East African culture, politics, and history... among other things. So, I thought I would create a place to try to articulate this experience to those interested, and, yes, to allow my loved ones to check up on me. Maybe you'll learn something, maybe you'll laugh, maybe you will 'de-friend' me on Facebook... who knows? All I can promise is that I will try my best to get over my natural apprehension to share my thoughts and will share what I am going through and thinking... limited by sporadic internet access and a hopefully busy schedule. Please feel free to write all over this page, as your contributions may enhance my thought processes and my trip! Enjoy!