12/15

Because of a rooster in the chicken coup, I was up at 4 AM. I had stayed up for most of the 30 hours beforehand (to avoid as much jetlag as possible), but the rooster unfortunately greatly offset my intended sleeping schedule and I was initiated into "farmer schedule."

The start of orientation marked my first experience with aforementioned  Kenyan time. We were supposed to be picked up by a program representative at 7h30. I had toast and marmalade for breakfast at 7h00, and was ready by 7h15 (not wanting to be tardy on the first day). All the volunteers did exactly the same, but the program representative did not show up until 10h00! After he picked us up, we were taken via private matatu to a hotel conference room. Here, we discussed the program, Kenyan culture, Swahili, and other general information for several hours.

I learned that Kenyans simply don't like change. While this was evident through my experience in talking with people who live in poverty and the stories I'd heard about residents of Kibera, the program coordinators further explained that we should not be adamant about pushing our own agendas at our volunteering locations.

As I talked to parents of schoolchildren, I was flabbergasted by the price of (government, public) schooling. Although a recently passed law decreed that education must be free, parents are required to "buy a desk." This often costs 10k+ shillings. Other incidental costs include books and uniforms. Everything totals to approximately 20k/year. Furthermore, child abuse is common in schools and we were instructed to not say anything or deportation would become a reality.

We had lunch at the hotel, and at this point I realized how much starch there is in the Kenyan diet. Copious amounts of salt are also used. I believe that both of these forms of nutrition should be eliminated as much as possible from any diet, but obesity remains low in Kenya. This is likely due to the heavy reliance on walking (cars are for the rich), as well as the hot climate.

One person who worked at an orphanage shared her story of giving the kids many presents, toys, and other items (pens, paper, etc.). There was a flood one evening, and all of the bags containing kids' belongings were destroyed. As the volunteer opened them to dispose of things and salvage as much as possible, she uncovered a hoard of objects. Hundreds of pencils and crayons were littered across the floor. She described that kids would often say they did not have something or that they lost something that was merely given the day before. As people who have always had little, they like to save things and not use them. She had trouble adjusting emotionally to denying their requests for more supplies.

I went to downtown Nairobi for the first time. While this has the population of a big city, it does not have much of  a Chicago or NYC feel: the buildings are not very tall. Internet cafes (such as the one I'm typing from right now) dotted the landscape. Nakumat is a national grocery chain much like Target, and I spent 830 KSH (shillings) on water and hand sanitizer (the latter of which is much cheaper in the States). I was also shocked at the number of people carrying machine guns. I was able to furtively snap a picture of one such group. I later learned that guns are illegal, but often overlooked by law enforcement.

As Kenya is on the equator, the intensity of the sun was something I am not used to. It is very different from even the sun in India--it is significantly more intense. I also experienced the stark contrast between day Nairobi and night Nairobi.  I had arrived well into the night, and greatly feared my safety. But the day calmed my worries and I started looking forward to truly enjoying my stay. The other volunteers bought souvenirs at the local shops, and it was enjoyable seeing shopowners inflate the price of something by 1000% upon seeing foreigners, but bargaining was extremely easy with experienced veterans of the art on the team.

This was also the day that people who had incited violence during the Kenyan elections in 2007 were disclosed to the public. It turned out to be government minsters! I was shocked to see that people such as the minister of education would engage in such unethical behavior, but I came to terms with it when I saw a "bureau of corruption" and a very long line outside. Photography was not allowed, as it is a government building, but it would have been a picture worth framing.

I wanted to register with the embassy, but learned that after bombings they had moved into several hours north to a an area that is not easily accessible. I am hoping to not run into serious trouble while I am here.

Tomorrow, I will be taken to my permanent accommodation near Kibera and will also start work in the clinic.