It occurs to me that I have done a lot of writing about what I have done but not a lot about what I have seen or felt. So here we go:
Safety and Keeping Well
I read that Nairobi – ‘fondly’ know as Nairobbery – is a dangerous place and one should be careful with all possessions, not wear any sort of jewelry, only wear handbags if absolutely necessary and be very weary at all times. I’m sure this is true but I haven’t experienced it yet. I’ve been in Nairobi a couple of times now and I haven’t felt unsafe. I have gone with a group though so that no doubt made a difference. I went in with a backpack last weekend and just to be careful, I carried it on my front. No one else did and was perfectly fine. I have bought a little shoulder bag to carry my money and phone, chapstick and the like and never have I felt in danger of having it stolen. There are quite a few police around the place and some of them are armed. Wouldn’t want to get on their wrong side! I don’t want to jinx it all by saying it has all gone well so far but actually, it has all gone well so far.
In Mlolongo it is initially disconcerting with all the broken down buildings, rubbish everywhere, homeless people etc but I have never felt unsafe here either. I guess walking around at night would be a different story but I’m not about to do that any time soon. We receive a lot of attention though being white and many people (men or children mainly) say hello to us and sometimes try to engage us in conversation but it isn’t too intrusive and generally we are just looked at. I had my video camera in the backpack yesterday and Caitlyn had her camera slung around her neck all the way home and neither or us were uneasy about it.
Health wise the only problem I have had, and it is entirely my own fault, has been getting sunburnt and a bit of heat exhaustion. Both of which could have been avoided with sunscreen and lots of water. I haven’t eaten a lot of raw food but have had tomatoes and other bits and pieces like that with no adverse effects. I still brush my teeth with bottled water but did accidentally rinse my mouth out with tap water one day and there was no problem. Caitlyn doesn’t bother with bottled water for that anymore and she is totally fine. She has been in Africa for two months now so perhaps she is a little more used to it. She doesn’t drink tap water but everything else seems totally fine.
I haven’t had to use my mosquito net yet. We bought fly spray and douse our room every night before bed. Seems to do the trick. I’m not even using much insect repellent anymore. Caitlyn seems to be a very competent mozzie killer, it’s good to have her around.
I know that travellers need to be told about worst-case scenarios but luckily, two weeks in and I haven’t come across any causes for concern.
Mlolongo
Mlolongo is about 30km out of Nairobi, near the airport and is one of the brothel capitals of the country. We live in Valley View Estate, which, as I have mentioned before is a safe, tidy, clean community of closely, built houses with steel gates at the front. There are little footpaths, cobbled roads and security at the entrances. Outside of our community it is a little different. The Mombassa highway runs through Mlolongo so it is very busy traffic-wise, particularly with trucks, this being a truck-weigh town. The school is about 2.7km away from where we live so we usually take a matatu in the mornings and walk home. We pass all sorts on the way there and back. Just beside the school there are a lot of what seem to be homeless people lying in the grass sleeping or talking with others. Caitlyn has been asked for cigarettes on a number of occasions and we have been asked for money but not too often.
Mlolongo is quite derelict by western standards with many run-down buildings, dirt roads covered in potholes and rubbish everywhere. We frequently pass groups of cows wandering along, or a family of goats or Jerusalem donkeys munching at the side of the road. There are a number of carts being pulled by said donkeys or people; looks like hard work. Unemployment is very high here so those with jobs are very thankful.
Everyday on the way home, we stop at ‘our’ supermarket, Jaharis. There are two reasons this is good: 1 we usually get a drink, popcorn and other essentials so we get to shop each day. 2 it means we are nearly home! I’m sure the staff knows us now; there don’t seem to be many Mzungus (English-speakers, commonly thought to mean white people) wandering around Mlolongo so we’re pretty distinct.
One of the saddest things I’ve seen is an older woman picking through garbage on the side of the street looking for food. I feel really guilty at these times. Despite the fact that I’m not rich I can afford to look after myself, nourish, clothe and house myself. I am very lucky.
Food
Although Kenyan cooking is generally all about survival, it is pretty good. We are taken care of very well by the housekeeper, Ann who does all the cooking (and cleaning for that matter). Generally we have cooked cabbage, with carrots, salad consisting of grated beetroot, carrot and avocado or just avocado on its own, rice, beans, potatoes and a spinach type thing that is boiled too. The avocado is to die for, so so good, creamy and delish! We often have chapati too – unleavened flatbread – which is really good, love it. It’s just like roti. Yummiest thing though has to be fresh mandazi. They are little sweet donuts-type things and I love them. I could eat them for days! They sell them at the supermarket but they’re not fresh so are a bit hard, still I have been known to purchase a packet or two to snack on anyway *ahem*. Ann has bought those 2-minute noodles and made those just for us a few times, such a honey. We eat very little meat although we did have chicken one night and some beef pieces in a pilau.
In Nairobi they have all manner of fast food; pizza, KFC, a place called Galitos which has chicken meals, bakeries and loads of little restaurants. No lack of fatty foods there that’s for sure. Strangely enough there is no McDonalds. I think I can do without quite happily with everything else on offer.
I have to admit that I do miss V a bit. Yes, I know it’s bad for me, yes, it’s good that I’m not drinking it but there have been a couple of times where a can would have gone down very nicely. For any of you non-Australian/NZers, V is an energy drink of the Red Bull ilk. Full of sugar, just the way I like it.
Then there is ugali. How can I describe ugali to you? It is basically maize flour and water mixed to a porridge-type consistency then left to go hard like bread. It is, ah, an acquired taste I’m sure. It is ok with stews where you can soak up juices with it but on it’s own it’s not exactly Michelin Star cuisine. It is a staple in Kenya so we’ve had it a few times.
Ann makes the best pancakes, real pancakes, not these green pepper-filled things they make at Connections. We had them for breakfast on Tuesday morning; best start to the day ever! Smothered with honey, they were just perfect. She made them for us again this morning. She really is a total sweetheart.
Mlolongo Primary School
It is lucky we are at the school actually. The only reason it is open is because there was a 3-week strike at the beginning of term and they have to make up for it now. The first week we were there they had students on teaching practice who were being visited by their supervisors so we didn’t have a lot to do. We did take a couple of English classes which I really enjoyed and we took a PE class. We were only there for three days as we had outreach.
The school is a mixture of brick buildings with dirt/concrete floors and tin/iron buildings with stony floors. A lot of the classrooms have windows but they mostly broken or completely devoid of glass. Each classroom has a blackboard, some in better states than others. Most have holes in them which makes it a bit tough to use but we’ve gotten good at working around the holes. Class sizes range from 36 (babies) to about 70 so it can be a bit tricky coming up with exercises for the whole class. Almost all of the children have exercise books and pencils although there are usually a few in each class that don’t have anything to write with. The kids sit on a bench attached to a table, probably meant for two but up to four sit there all squished up. One class we taught didn’t have enough tables so a group of girls sat on the floor at the back of the classroom on cardboard. There are usually posters on the wall, all handrawn on A2 paper. They are maps of the world and Kenya, math equations, body parts, English conventions and the like. As the doors don’t lock (or don’t exist), anything can be taken so nothing of value is kept there.
The school is moving down the road, closer to the secondary school where they will have electricity and running water. This is likely to happen in January, ready for a new year. The toilets will hopefully be more sanitary too. Josephine, the deputy-head teacher we have been dealing with, told us that she and many of the other teachers go home to use the bathroom, as the toilets there were quite gross and have caused infections and illnesses. Not good. Caitlyn and I wander down to Connections. We know a lot of the staff there by name now!
The Head Teacher is a man by the name of Patrick Muthee. He seems to be a force to be reckoned with and rules with an iron fist. We were in a staff meeting the other day where he was telling the staff off and singling teachers out to tell them he wasn’t happy with them.
He told the teachers to use us as we were teachers (Caitlyn isn’t officially a teacher but close enough) and mentioned we could take some year 8 classes. They are the final year before high school and have exams coming up. He said to us we could take them and he could come and supervise us. I immediately did the sign of the cross, which was clearly very amusing to the staff and at least made him smile. Heh.
Because the curriculum has been finished for the year there really isn’t a lot to teach the children except revision. I would be more than happy to do this in English or Math or Social Studies but we have only been given Creative Art, Life Skills and PE classes to take. Creative Art and Life Skills, as I have said before, are on the curriculum but the teachers haven’t been trained in it so they teach what they like in these classes. Although it has been fantastic working with the kids, it is tricky trying to come up with classes each day to keep them entertained. We have been trying to get them to do comic strips telling stories or drawing pictures of what their lives will be like in 10 years. They don’t all understand so there have been a few that haven’t done a lot. I have tried to teach one class how to write an application letter in life skills and would have done interview skills but I’ve run out of time. Tomorrow (Friday 16 November) is the last actual teaching day and next week is all exams then it is the end of school. Shame really. If I come again, I will try to make it at a time where I can actually teach a unit or something.
We aren’t supervised at all when teaching so can do anything we like. I’m trying to devise actual lessons but am not really doing the best there. With no resources, textbooks etc, we are reliant on writing everything on the board. Sometimes it works. We also have different classes almost everyday so there isn’t really any chance to continue with previous work. In all honesty, we are just being given dregs to do. I don’t think we are needed at all but the kids have enjoyed having us there and we have enjoyed getting to know them.
The staff seems fairly dedicated. One thing about the women is that they are all very well dressed. For some it is like they are going out to dinner or a party. Pretty gorgeous really. They are all really friendly and always make a point to come and say hello every morning.
There are two staff rooms, both of them as sparse as the classrooms. They have long tables and chairs to sit at and plan and mark. No shelves or anything else. Of course there are no computers but they hoping they will be able to get some when they move. Fingers crossed.
General stuff
I am extremely fortunate with my homestay and with my fellow volunteer Caitlyn who is great. She is 22 and although she lives in Melbourne she is also a Kiwi. She has been travelling through Africa on an organized tour and will be going to South East Asia after leaving Kenya. Quite an adventurous young lady actually. We often, at the same time, get to the point we are both so tired that everything is hilarious. We think we’re incredibly funny; I’m not so sure others would think the same. We figure we should record some of ramblings and listen back to them to see if in fact we are as entertaining as we think we are. We already have some routines, Connections for lunch, Catan and popcorn after school, lard fives (like a normal high five only slippery) and often seem to read each other’s minds. It’s going to suck when she leaves. She is here until December 1.
Joseph and Geraldine are the cutest couple. Surprisingly they are both 47, which came as a shock as they look so much younger. They clearly love each other so much and seem to be the best of friends. Joseph has done everything you can think of; he has been a music teacher, taxi driver, interpreter, an athlete and is now a pastor. They are both so kind and easy-going and have made it clear that we should think of their house as ours and that we always have a home here. They are usually out so late as they go into Nairobi to work everyday so we don’t get to spend as much time with them as we would like. Joseph has the best stories and tells them so well!
Their friends Susan (Kenyan) and Chris (American) have been staying for a while. Chris is to be ordained as a pastor here in Kenya this Sunday. Apparently it is becoming a bit of a trend for American ministers to do that. Susan told us the other day that as her mother is illiterate, she and all but one of her brothers and sisters don’t know when their birthdays are so they all just chose a day to celebrate. They don’t know their precise ages either. She chose March 5 although she knows it wasn’t then because of the season she was born but she liked the idea of March so the 5th her day!
So far it has been a great trip. I think when school is finished I will look into another placement, perhaps an orphanage or something. I know it is difficult to actually make a real difference while here for such a short time but it would be good to go somewhere where help is clearly needed. I plan on going back to visit the Vumilia IDP camp and donating some things to the school and families there. That place and the people really touched my soul. Of course we are all aware of the poverty that exists in our world and the pain it can cause but to be shown it so plainly and unaltered is quite an experience. If everyone just gave a little bit the affect would be phenomenal. Can you forgo one daily coffee to support some great causes?
