Hello hello hello!
We are currently in Kisumu, Kenya. We moved here several days ago, north from Homa Bay maybe 3 hours or so. We have successfully completed our first official week of interviews, and have completed our first video for the project. Problem is now finding internet good enough that will upload a 10 minute video. Hopefully we should have it up by tomorrow.
Last we wrote, on June 2 (Saturday) we had posted our intro video. We have been THRILLED by how many views we have been getting! We just wanted to thank everyone for their support. Because really, this project would have little use beyond our own personal journey if noone watched the videos. So thank you all for helping us complete our project! After we posted the video/blog we headed back to our hotel for the night. While on the way back we realized we hadn't eaten dinner yet. This keeps happening to us. But it's important we eat because we have to take our Malaria medication with a full stomach or else we can get sick... And if we just don't take the Malaria medication we also could just get sick... Thusly, dinner is important. So we picked up some mangoes and samosas and chowed down on the go.
June 3 (Sunday) we decided to sleep in. Basically everyone goes to church on Sunday in Homa Bay, so we had intended to take the day off. However when walking into town to get a bite to eat we met a ton of people. We have been finding that we often get the best interviews when we have no intention of getting any interviews. We also walked past a building that had "Magnate Theater Youth Center" painted on the side. We walked in and learned that it's a grassroots theater group that use skits and songs to encourage behavior change in their community. They invited us to come back later that day for rehearsal. Then we got food, and Cal had to use the ladies room. To spare you the details, it was not the best trip to the ladies room for Cal, but after we headed back to the theater. Upon arrival, the group of 20 or so members introduced themselves and basically did all sorts of group faciliation games, like we would do in Outdoor Ed, to make us comfortable and get to know each other. Yet one of the games involved long extended squatting positions, which, in light of Cal's recent bathroom experience, was not the best combination. It was do or die, and by the grace of God nothing bad happened. We told the group about our project, and they had a lot to say because they are more or less volunteers who do not receive much funding from any organizations. They do alot of great work- educating the community on HIV/AIDS, circumcision, tuberculosis, and conflict resolution. Ironically, they were one of the only programs in Homa Bay that seemed to be doing anything that related to peace-enhancement within the community, however foreign donors did not seem to be interested in funding their mission. The group took us into town and they put on one of their performances to give us an idea of what kind of work they do/how many people gather to watch. In Kenya there seems to be a trend where very very large crowds gather when something bad happens, and the large crowd attracts even more viewers-- Whether it's a bombing in Nairobi, or a car accident on the side of the road, we (and articles in the local newspaper) have noticed that people run to join. The Magnate Theater Group uses this trend to their advantage, and attracts people by singing loud songs. We noticed that people come running from far away, just because they see a group of people forming. Once the actors have a crowd, they begin their educational skit. Cal participated in the opening act. We are pretty sure the song she sang was about male circumcision, but it was difficult to tell because it was in the Luo language.
June 4 (Monday) we woke up very early (7 AM?) because we had people to see! We wanted to get down to the fish market early in the morning for when the fish selling began. The fishermen fish throughout the night, so as the sun comes up, the action picks up fast by the shores of Lake Victoria. This we did not want to miss. Upon arriving at the shore we immediately noticed large fish heads hanging from wooden fences in rows... This went on for maybe a mile. It was unlike anything we had every seen. A fishermen named Davis noticed that we were kind of confused, and gave us a run-down of everything. He informed us that there was an Israeli fishing company called "Capital Fish" that bought the big fish he (and other fishermen) caught (above 1 kg). The massive drying fish heads were then sold back to the local people, to grind up for chicken feed. Shocked, we decided to walk through the pathway of rotting fish carcases. I have never seen so many maggots in my life. After walking for at least 10 minutes through row after row of fish carcases, we arrived at an entire pathway covered by fish skins. Mind you, these fish carcases and skins are in the yards of Homa Bay residents. After walking for at least 10 minutes through the fish skins, we arrive at a massive, barbed wire-covered, concrete wall, with a factory pumping smoke behind it. Capital Fish. It did not seem to fit into Homa Bay. But Davis, and other fishermen spoke of it so positively- That the company gives them more money than they would have otherwise, that the company provides employment, etc. We just couldn't help think that it would be 1000% better if this were a Kenyan factory instead. Isn't it just a little messed up that the people living in Homa Bay can't eat the big fish they catch in their own Lake? That they have to buy it (and the carcases) back from the company? To say the least, what's going on at the shores of Homa Bay is not simple. Unfortunately the guard at the Israeli company would not let us in, so we couldn't get the other side's opinion.
After talking to several women who sell the fish, we headed up to the theater to get some one-on-one interviews with the group members. Long story short, most of the men only addressed Evan, most of the men only called Evan to be an "agent of change," and Cal was specifically told by the men to go talk amongst the women, that the discussions they were having on foreign aid was "men's talk." It was the first time that I (Cal) had experienced direct, outright, blatant, sexism, and I didn't know what to do. Despite my attempts throughout the two hours to stick up for myself, or be more opinionated, or to include the women in the group in the discussion, nothing was working. So I just left. I knew that the emotional explosion that was about to occur would not be constructive, so I walked away. I know there is sexism everywhere. I know that in the US women do not coincidentally earn less than men for every dollar. But at least by now in the US you can't say things like that without getting in trouble. Here, in Kenya, it's okay. Gender roles are more accepted and celebrated. One of the women in the group walked outside with me and I asked her if it frustrates her that she is never asked to speak. She said she that women like to let the men speak first and that it's okay. And these are young women! I was angry, and I still am. I have always known that sexism is bad- But I have never felt this sense of urgency like I did the other day. I don't think that's something I want to go away.
We bought a collection of ripped Owen Wilson DVD's on the street and watched a lot of Owen Wilson movies that night.
June 5 (Tuesday) we traveled from Homa Bay to Kisumu. Kisumu is one of the four largest cities in Kenya. It is about three hours north of Homa Bay. Before leaving, though, we got lunch. Evan ordered chicken. It was the toughest piece of chicken he had ever had in his life. No, but really. It made a noise against his fork. We jumped on a bus for 500 KSH (about $6) together, and sat there in the sun for 1 1/2 hours. But once we got going the ride was really enjoyable! We bought a pineapple for 50 KSH (80 cents?), saw Obama Rd., and saw a lot of rice fields. However we ended up getting into Kisumu at 6:00 PM, with only 1 hour until sundown to eat dinner and find a place to stay. The bus dropped us off in the middle of the city. We have all of our belongings with us. We ask for directions from three different people, who point us in three different directions. We eat dinner at a little restaurant, and are in such a rush that we leave our pineapple behind. It's now 6:45 PM, with only 15 minutes to sundown. We have made it to a hotel, but realize that we forgot our pineapple at the restaurant. Yes, we do go back. And the people in the restaurant laughed at us. We made it safely back to the hotel and did not get mugged. Cal made pineapple boats that night. Cheers!
June 6 (Wednesday) we stayed in the hotel to made the video from our Homa Bay footage. We didn't want to move onto Kisumu before we finished our last week's project. We made guacamole for lunch and it was divine. No, really, you do not understand.
June 7 (Thursday) we moved to a cheaper hotel because we thought we were paying way too much for the first place. The new hotel was called the "Sooper Guest House." This hotel had an open rooftop with some tables- Really nice. So we went up there to for, but of course, some cribbage. A guy named Chris approached us and taught us how to play a card game called AK47. Cal was the best at the game. Evan put in alot of great effort. (Which really means that we each got taken by Chris!) Like before in Homa Bay, we ended up getting one of the best interviews from Chris, while we had not intended to interview anyone that day. We then went out to get food, where we received (surprising and surprisingly good) Indian food. We went to an internet cafe, where Evan read three reviews on the Sooper Guest House stating it was dangerous and that all of their stuff was stolen from their locked rooms. Needless to say, we quickly hurried back to the Sooper Guest House.
That night Evan made Cal a home gym in the hotel room so that she could work out.
June 8 (Friday) we went back to the first hotel because our stuff felt safer there, and we have been finishing the video ever since... Cribbage, movies, mangoes, etc.Now we just have to figure out how to compress the video or find faster internet so that we can finish in a humanly time frame (as opposed to geological time?)!
I am nervous this is going to be erased if I do not post it, so until next time!
E&C
