A Short Update

Working at Lolupe

Working at Lolupe Primary School near Turkana was a totally different experience than my time at Munanga in Western Kenya.  Due to budget constraints, I was only able to go to the school twice a week for three weeks.  The first week I was with D, so the visits were to introduce me and conduct the focus group with the teachers.

The staff is much smaller at Lolupe, with about 7 teachers and 2 volunteers teachers “in-training.”  Together they teach 8 grades plus the ECD classes, so they are stretched really thin.  The school day also ends after lunch because it gets too hot in the afternoon to carry out classes.  This means that at 2 the teachers rush out and I was usually unable to convince them to stay and work on the website in the afternoon because they have really busy home lives.

Although the coordinator at this site was upset that I wasn’t able to come every day or stay any longer, he didn’t do much on his end to make the best use of our time.  He was gone the first week that I was there, and on my second-to-last day he was not there either.  I understand that he is busy preparing for exams, but he didn’t let the teachers bring the HO computer to use on that day!  That meant that I didn’t have a computer to use to teach the staff HOW TO USE A COMPUTER…. The thing he was so concerned that I would not have enough time to do.  I had my personal computer there so we did our best, but it died soon after I arrived so we were out of luck.  I felt bad, but I left early that day because I was so frustrated.  I also hosted weekend meetings and afternoon sessions at my hostel that no one came to… I understand that this is their time off, but even the director who was begging people to go didn’t come!

Because of my shortened time at the school and how busy the teachers were, I was unable to form the kind of connections that I did at Munanga, though everyone was really nice.  It also meant that 5 days a week I was just at my hostel typing up reports and stories that the teachers had written.  This did not come close to occupying all my time.  I even finished the first section of my Master’s Paper early, if that gives an indication of how bored I was. 

There is very little to do in Lodwar town, and it is so hot most of the time that you have to stay in doors.  I went out to eat three (attempted) times.  The first was really fun and a nice diversion, the second the restaurant had run out of food, and the third we had to call our orders in a day ahead of time to ensure they would have food.  It was a different kind of life.  I cannot say that I disliked my time there, but it was a relief to return to Nairobi after 20 days.

Long Road to Kerio

Field Trip

A traditional manyatta and the girls' dorm

Last week I got a very cool opportunity—to go out on a mission with the UN World Food Programme and UNICEF.  My friend Sonia used to work with a man (W) in Mombasa, but he was transferred to a post with the WFP here in Lodwar about two years ago.  When she told him I was in town, he was willing to take me out to the field for the day!  It was a really fun day and I felt like an “insider” with a big, well-funded development project, something I had yet to experience during the time I have spent working at tiny NGOs.

I was picked up in a giant Land Cruiser—one of those really tall ones fitted with scuba equipment—and taken to the WFP Lodwar office to meet W.  The place obviously has tight security and a pretty cool office with AIR CONDITIONING!!!!  W gave me a briefing of their projects and then the head security officer briefed me.  He had a really thick accent and at one point I lost track of what he was saying while he was pointing to the region of Turkana that borders South Sudan.  All I caught was “Something something something THE CHICKEN GRABBERS something something something AK-47s.”  I can only imagine what he was talking about.   I did learn that the central part of the region stays pretty safe, but the parts that border the land of other tribes can be very dangerous due to cattle rustling, and, apparently, chicken-grabbing. 

We departed in another UN-emblazoned truck with the UNICEF crew following us.  We were also following a military vehicle full of heavily armed guards.  Apparently UN programs have to travel with security when they go more than 12 km from base.  It all felt very official.  It wasn’t long before we were outside of town and cruising through the desert over the bumpiest road I have ever encountered.   We drove and drove to Kerio, a town west of Lodwar near Lake Turkana.  When we reached the town we went truly off the road, driving for ages along a completely desolate landscape.  It was flatter than Minnesota and almost completely devoid of trees.  There were clumps of bushes and a few thorny trees, but the trees often get cut down because many people make charcoal here.  At intervals there were huge bags full of black charcoal waiting to be picked up by trucks to take into Kitale and Nairobi.  The people here must have very few options if they turn to making charcoal in the blistering heat out of the few trees they have.

After 3 hours of driving through clouds of dust and dry riverbeds (there were deep holes dug in the dry beds where people had attempted to extract water), a school appeared out of nowhere.  Did I mention I saw a mirage on the way?  It was completely befuddling.  I was convinced we had reached Lake Turkana.

The school was tiny but was apparently a boarding school for 400 students.  The WFP had constructed a borehole there that they wanted to check out, and they also needed to inform the teachers that some important Canadian donors from Child Fund would be touring sites the next week, so, basically, you guys need to put your game faces on.  There is no cell network there so the only way to communicate is to just show up. 

They had a short meeting and then we drove to the next school, about an hour away.  This school was totally unprepared for a visit and the solar pump for the borehole was not working.  I could tell everyone was stressed about getting it working before the donors came to check it out.  After all the driving, there was only time to spend about 45 minutes at each school.   It was cool to see how the boreholes brought the whole community to the school to get drinking water and water their herds.  I saw a lot of really old-school Turkana men and women from really traditional communities.  W pointed out some really young girls (8 or 9 yo) who were wearing the traditional beads around their necks and said that those girls do not attend school because they are “reserved for marriage.”  Literate girls fetch a much lower bride price, so the opportunity cost of sending girls to school is really high. 

After the trip I was glad to be in the backseat of a loud car so I could just do some thinking on the ride back.  It all made my project seem really futile.  Digital stories in the face of really young girls getting married and dropping out of school?  Kids who don’t even go to school because they are nomadic-pastoralist (nothing wrong with that, I support mobile schools are other culturally appropriate programs)?  It is pretty frustrating, but one person cannot do everything, so I just have to take this all to heart and keep working!

Life in Lodwar

Lodwar: A Whole New World

 

Last week I left Nairobi to spend 3 weeks in Lodwar.  Lodwar is the biggest city in the Northeastern region of Kenya, which is mostly inhabited by the Turkana people. 

When I say biggest city, you might be imagining something very different from reality.  The Turkana region is very remote, and severely underfunded.  The entire region is off the power grid, and this is the only place with any kind of electricity.  The entire city is powered by a single diesel generator that fails frequently.  Most people do not have electricity or running water and stay in straw or mud one-room homes in the desert.  Because of the heat, many sleep outside.  The population is mostly semi- or fully nomadic pastoralists and it is very common to see huge herds of camels, goats, cows, or donkeys.  The camels are always orderly, goats are squirrely creatures, but the donkeys seem nearly impossible to herd.  I would choose camels if I was a pastoralist.  It is dangerous to travel far outside of town because different groups are constantly at war.  The people of Lodwar are currently engaged with the Pokot over cattle rustling and the stealing of various other animals.  Herds are not passed down from parent to child, so when a son is married, he has to start his herd by a) rustling or b) buying.  One camel costs 60,000 shillings (almost 700 dollars), so a) is the preferred option.  Men who steal from the Pokot and win in battle are also highly regarded by their peers, and the act is memorialized by scarification on the face of the victor.

 

Many, though not all, of the Turkana are very traditional.  Men carry herding sticks and wear THE SHARPEST curved blades around their wrists.  Meet a Pokot and all you need is a quick upward motion of the arm to finish him.  A Turkana neighbor of mine said men here “kill on the spot.”  Violence is heightened by the influx of cheap arms from neighboring S Sudan.

wrist blade with guard
 

 

(GRANDMA AND GRANDPA READ THIS: NOTE:  I am staying in a really safe guesthouse outside of town with 24-hour security and a menacing dog.  Also I do not possess herds of camel nor am I a Pokot.  I’m not here with the Catholic Church but I am staying in their house and by nature of being mzungu I am associated with them.  The church is very respected her and people DO NOT MESS with the missionaries.  Yes, I am very careful and travel with our contracted driver, etc.)

I am conflicted about the women here.  The most striking thing about the traditional ladies is that there wear a high, heavy collar of beads around their necks.  Their hair is often shaved into a Mohawk that is tightly wrapped in tiny dreadlocks.  They wear two lesos (printed cotton fabric), one around the waist and one tied at the shoulder, so usually one breast is exposed.  They are generally tall, long-limbed and slender.  Absolutely beautiful.  I love to watch them, but I also know the amount of beads on their neck signifies their bride price, i.e. how many goats or camels a man must give their father to purchase them.  And it is a purchase.  Once a man owns a woman he can do as he pleases with her, including beat her.  If she runs away, she is violating her father’s contract in selling her and she can be punished by her family, then returned.  Now this is currently practiced by some, but not all of these people.  I do NOT want to paint a picture of a culture that is “backwards” or “primitive.”  Nor am I a cultural relativist.  I am stuck in the middle and, like I said, conflicted.  I have only been here a week and it is something I need to give some thought too.  Everyone I have met is beyond nice and welcoming and I haven’t had a reason to judge any man or woman personally.

not my image. h/t http://pl.skibinska.com/fotografie/plemienna-afryka/kenia-kobiety-turkana/

 

With all the activity and animals, and even with the newly paved roads and immigrants that came with the discovery of oil nearby, town is pretty quiet.  Temperatures exceed 100 or 110 every day and air conditioning is not common, so people stay in the shade and don’t move around a lot at midday.  The guesthouse I am staying at is really nice and has great food so I spend a lot of time inside here during the day.  Other people come and go, and there is always someone really interesting or frustrating to talk to (What is it about travel that creates such extreme know-it-alls?  I’m not exempt but some people are just… crazy).  Day to day life is pretty slow and quiet and I am working on finishing the first section of my masters paper before I leave here—wish me luck!

Nairobi Book Fair

Last week I worked in at the Nairobi Book Fair, where HO had a booth.  The book fair was held at an expo center in the Sarit Center mall in Westlands.  At first I was excited to go to Nairobi every day, but I quickly learned what people mean when they say that Nairobi has awful traffic.  Every morning at 6, D and her husband picked me up and we drove through constant stop and go traffic about 14 km to the mall, which took about 2.5 hours.  I doubt we really went over 20 mph for most of the trip.  It was truly awful.

The book fair itself was really fun, however.  Most of the fair was populated by for-profit companies like Oxford and Cambridge, which had really elaborate setups, couches, and giveaways.  Our small booth was in a corner literally behind a large post, so we felt a little jilted from the get-go.  Lots of people stopped by, and while many were just perplexed at the concept of a non-profit (So… you give away stories… for free?), many were really excited by the concept and offered to stay in touch or offer us support.  I even made some personal contacts with people in Nairobi working in my field, so that was great. 

One of my personal favorite parts was my very first experience with per diems.  I lived it up, eating my favorite Chinese food for lunch every day and getting real coffee for breakfast.  On my breaks I wandered the large mall (everything was SO EXPENSIVE) opened new phone lines willy-nilly (costs about 2 dollars and phones usually hole 2-3 sim cards so you know you can be connected to some type of service at all times), and ran errands.  I love malls, so it was fun to be working in one.

At the end of each day I would get home around 7, eat dinner, and collapse into bed.  I have not known the meaning of tired like this in a long time.  It was rewarding, though.

On the last day, we did a presentation at a school in Westlands where I mostly served as Sherpa and photographer.  I hope the kids we showed the site to check it out and use it in their classroom.  At the end of the presentation the principal “challenged” us to donate computers to their students so they could use the site at home.  I get it, but I wish the principal of this upper-class private school could see the conditions we work in at our other sites!  Those kids barely have access to print books at all and can really use the help.  It would be great to open new pilot sites in Kenya, but we really need more computers and projectors to do that.  We only have about 6 computers right now, and some are in tough shape.  So if you are reading this and know a company about to upgrade their laptops, drop me a line! (yatesek@gmail.com)

Nairobi Book Fair

Last week I worked in at the Nairobi Book Fair, where HO had a booth.  The book fair was held at an expo center in the Sarit Center mall in Westlands.  At first I was excited to go to Nairobi every day, but I quickly learned what people mean when they say that Nairobi has awful traffic.  Every morning at 6, D and her husband picked me up and we drove through constant stop and go traffic about 14 km to the mall, which took about 2.5 hours.  I doubt we really went over 20 mph for most of the trip.  It was truly awful.

The book fair itself was really fun, however.  Most of the fair was populated by for-profit companies like Oxford and Cambridge, which had really elaborate setups, couches, and giveaways.  Our small booth was in a corner literally behind a large post, so we felt a little jilted from the get-go.  Lots of people stopped by, and while many were just perplexed at the concept of a non-profit (So… you give away stories… for free?), many were really excited by the concept and offered to stay in touch or offer us support.  I even made some personal contacts with people in Nairobi working in my field, so that was great. 

One of my personal favorite parts was my very first experience with per diems.  I lived it up, eating my favorite Chinese food for lunch every day and getting real coffee for breakfast.  On my breaks I wandered the large mall (everything was SO EXPENSIVE) opened new phone lines willy-nilly (costs about 2 dollars and phones usually hole 2-3 sim cards so you know you can be connected to some type of service at all times), and ran errands.  I love malls, so it was fun to be working in one.

At the end of each day I would get home around 7, eat dinner, and collapse into bed.  I have not known the meaning of tired like this in a long time.  It was rewarding, though.

On the last day, we did a presentation at a school in Westlands where I mostly served as Sherpa and photographer.  I hope the kids we showed the site to check it out and use it in their classroom.  At the end of the presentation the principal “challenged” us to donate computers to their students so they could use the site at home.  I get it, but I wish the principal of this upper-class private school could see the conditions we work in at our other sites!  Those kids barely have access to print books at all and can really use the help.  It would be great to open new pilot sites in Kenya, but we really need more computers and projectors to do that.  We only have about 6 computers right now, and some are in tough shape.  So if you are reading this and know a company about to upgrade their laptops, drop me a line! (yatesek@gmail.com)