I'm going to be perfectly blunt with ya'll right now. I have not been a good little volunteer during my first month at site. I have been lazy, ungrateful, annoyed, and insensitive to the hardships around me. What is even worse is that for a little bit I forgot why I am here. I was in one of those places where I convinced myself to be unhappy. I looked at this experience with the attitude of a hormonal teenager. Then, I realized how difficult I was being. If I wanted to get anything done I was going to have to quit being such a baby. It sucks, you know, making that decision to try and put forth some sincere effort even if it won't be reciprocated. I mean I think we all knew that coming into it, that this would be a lot of work with potentially minute results, but we all had this little reserve of hope that maybe life-changing projects would fall into our laps and the negative experiences we heard about were just exceptions. I do think that this decision requires a very open-minded, resiliently positive and flexible person, because it's easy to get sucked into a state of mind that is desensitized to living here.
What I mean by that is letting Kenya get to you. Another volunteer phrased life here as "Definitely simpler, but never easier". Knowing what life is like in America and expecting life in Kenya to be the same will make you lose your patience very fast. The past two weeks I've tried to appreciate the small differences and how they affect the people who live their entire lives dealing with them. I really feel so much better. I've set a goal for myself; to asses the rehabilitation programs for what the Kenyans so affectionately call "street children"here in Kitale. I'm going to focus on the Mental Health aspect and its importance. I already started observing one program and was able to participate in an HIV/AIDS lesson and free lunch for around 100 kids. It was really great getting to meet so many of them because now they know me around Kitale and I don't feel so nervous around them.
So I haven't done too much else. Just a lot of research and information gathering. I also made my mama a rocket stove yesterday! She is just such a sweet lady I wanted to surprise her with something because she is always making sure I am okay. I can't wait until she can actually use it; our kitchen is always filled with smoke because we just do the 3 stone method (a pot sitting on the edge of three stones and the fire in between the stones) which is also pretty inefficient for burning wood compared to the Rocket stove. Plus Peter helped me do a lot and we got to spend the better part of a day doing it so it was a lot of fun!
I am really starting to love my life here! My family is really great, I've started making friends and people know me around town and are really nice. And I've found some motivation to do work! Of course that doesn't mean that I don't miss home. Today is actually my boyfriend's birthday and one of our best friend's birthdays so I am pretty bummed that I can't be there to help them celebrate because we always have a good time. But I'm sure they will still have a great time- so I hope they both just have fun for me :) Also I only have 50 days until Jarred comes to visit me! Yay! My dad is really awesome and they worked together this week to make sure he got his flight booked and everything. I was really excited about that. Well I don't think I have much else going on... I didn't think it had been that long since my last blog post but it has actually been a few weeks! It is crazy how time flies here! It's not like I have even been that busy I don't think, the days themselves feel fairly slow but overall... kind of hard to imagine that I've already been in Kenya 110 days! Wowza.
Until next time :)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
I can't think of a clever title.
I have been given a Bukusu name, Nekesa. It means harvest, because it is harvest season right now. The chairman of Nacope, the organization I'm working for, gave it to me saying "Because we hope to reap so much from you". I'm not so sure about all that, but it's a pretty name isn't it? This week has been pretty uneventful over all. Monday I threw a little hissy fit about waiting for my coworkers again (patience is not my strongest virtue) and fled to Eldoret to try and figure out my banking issues, but had no luck so really I just ended up spending 400 shillings on the trip. So I'm just going to come to terms with the fact that somehow someone managed to steal 15,000 shillings from me... but I don't know where or how and the bank holds no responsibility. Kenya wins again! However, in Eldoret I got to visit Nakumatt- my very first time! It was heavenly. I found goat cheese and all of the Asian spices I could ever need- they even have lemongrass! The only thing I didn't see was water chesnuts. Would it be weird to ask for those in a package? Also I do not understand what it is with this country and biscuits. Shortbread biscuits everywhere. Real crackers do not exsist. I would cry if someone sent me 5 boxes of triscuits right now.
Speaking of, I think I forgot to post my new address on my blog so here it is; I got my own PO Box and so far it has been super fast! I've already received letters and it only took about a week!
So Wednesday was my brother Peter's birthday. He is my favorite person here that I've met, besides Humphrey in Loitokitok, but he's one of the nicest most badass people I've met ever. Anyway, Peter turned 28. He is awesome. He is a teacher at a private school, but unfortunately he just told me his school is being affected by the public teacher's strike and he doesn't have to work the rest of the week. He's not happy because he loves his kids. It was so adorable; in Kenya birthdays aren't really celebrated or even acknowledged, but Peter's kids marked his birthday in their calendar in school and every class he had sang to him! He was so excited. I told him he must be an awesome teacher. I was asking him the other day what the curse words were in Kiswahili and he explained that in school they are caned for using them so his initial reaction was that he couldn't say them because his brain has hid them because subconsciously he still thinks he will get in trouble! Haha he's so funny.
I have killed three spiders this week. I know it's inhumane, but I'm hoping to make an example of them so other spiders know not to mess with me. I also sprinkled this dust around my house to keep out buggies. Doesn't keep out the damn chickens though. My family owns like 400 and this one half-feathered little rascal keeps creeping into my living room when I'm not looking. I just keep chasing him out, dummy. Also it was my dad's birthday this week! He turned 50! I was bummed to miss such a big one, but I know that we will celebrate when I get back. Maybe this time with more than one keg of Chimay... keeping in mind how that worked out last time.. *cough cough* Pat...
I've been meaning to post about packing for any prospective volunteers reading, so here it is. Overall I am pretty happy with how I packed. But here are a few tips you can take with a grain of salt.
- One fairly heavy jacket/fleece (I brought a few sweatshirts, but sometimes one warmer jacket would be nice, it can get pretty chilly in most of the parts of Kenya volunteers are placed)
- A few plain t-shirts (I brought one and wish I had brought more just monochromatic t-shirts, they're business casual enough for Peace Corps most of the time)
- Close-toed sandals (i.e. Keens, tevas, etc. Maybe don't hvae to be close-toed, but I brought my keens and they're very practical I think. Just think outdoorsy)
- More pants (Girls are generally seen and encouraged to wear long skirts most places, but khakis, linen pants, or just semi-business trousers are totally acceptable in training, and most big-ish cities/while not at work. If they're a little baggier, the better off you'll be)
- Lots of socks and undies (Especially socks for guys because they wear shoes more than sandals, but socks get dirty so fast here and multiple use before washing is rarely an option. I think both are annoying to wash so I brought a lot and only have to wash like every two weeks) (P.S. I'm lazy)
- Envelopes (If you expect to write any letters bring some. They take up no space so why pay for them here?)
- Specialty Deodorant/Toothpaste (Some people have the brands they like, so bring 3 or 4 to last you awhile and then family can send more when needed. Deodorant especially because spray is the predominant form of deodorant in Kenya)
- Face Wash/Baby Wipes (Or both. My face always feels grimy here and a good wash is refreshing)
- Reusable Shopping Bags (I packed one and my mom sent me 2, they actually come in handy for grocery shopping and moving all of my crap that I accumulated during training to site)
- Sauces (You might not be too into sauces, but if you like cooking EVER with say; Sweet Baby Rays, Ranch, or Frank's Hot Sauce, bring one. Most of us have dreamt of having sauces and they aren't too bad to pack) *also applies to spices
- Entertainment (I brought my laptop, Canon 5D Mark II, iPhone, a few books, and a few sketching supplies and I'm happy. I can get the Kindle app on my laptop and exchange books at the Peace Corps office, but a lot of people have a Kindle and that's a good bet too. Just bring things to do during down time)
- Flashlight/headlamp (Unless you know you have electricity at both your homestay and at site. Which you don't, and won't know until like, the day you get there so just bring one)
- Pictures (Just print outs or a photo album. You'll want them to show people and put up in your house)
- Extra hair ties and bobby pins (You'll lose them, they'll break; either way you're SOL so bring like 50)
I think that covers most of the stuff I'm really picky about. Some people might say not to waste the space on some of this stuff if you can buy it here, because you can find pretty much anything you need in Kenya in big enough cities. However, if you're like me, I don't want to spend a bunch of money on stuff here if I can just bring it with me. While things aren't expensive here compared to the U.S., they are in relation to how much we get each month. And while you could just have your family send you everything you need packages from home and more fun when they're filled with goodies rather than a bunch of practical stuff ;) Anyway, that's all I've got for now. I'm going to put up some pictures from my trip to the deformed animal farm on Facebook (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like) so keep an eye out for those :)
Speaking of, I think I forgot to post my new address on my blog so here it is; I got my own PO Box and so far it has been super fast! I've already received letters and it only took about a week!
Rachel Wilson
PO Box 474-30200
Kitale, Kenya
Pretty easy right! I'm excited to go check it tomorrow because I think I might have mail. Yay mail! So anyway, Tuesday, hakuna kazi (no work). Wednesday I went with the Chief of Namanjalala, my Public Health Officer, and the Chairman of Nacope to meet a bunch of people. Basically I just signed a bunch of visitor's books and formally introduced myself. W ended up stuck in the mud in Endebess for about an hour then made it home. Thursday, again hakuna kazi. I kind of foresaw that though and filled it with mostly nothing. Wait, no, I did make some fries and put some vinegar on them in honor of all of the fair food that I missed out on.So Wednesday was my brother Peter's birthday. He is my favorite person here that I've met, besides Humphrey in Loitokitok, but he's one of the nicest most badass people I've met ever. Anyway, Peter turned 28. He is awesome. He is a teacher at a private school, but unfortunately he just told me his school is being affected by the public teacher's strike and he doesn't have to work the rest of the week. He's not happy because he loves his kids. It was so adorable; in Kenya birthdays aren't really celebrated or even acknowledged, but Peter's kids marked his birthday in their calendar in school and every class he had sang to him! He was so excited. I told him he must be an awesome teacher. I was asking him the other day what the curse words were in Kiswahili and he explained that in school they are caned for using them so his initial reaction was that he couldn't say them because his brain has hid them because subconsciously he still thinks he will get in trouble! Haha he's so funny.
I have killed three spiders this week. I know it's inhumane, but I'm hoping to make an example of them so other spiders know not to mess with me. I also sprinkled this dust around my house to keep out buggies. Doesn't keep out the damn chickens though. My family owns like 400 and this one half-feathered little rascal keeps creeping into my living room when I'm not looking. I just keep chasing him out, dummy. Also it was my dad's birthday this week! He turned 50! I was bummed to miss such a big one, but I know that we will celebrate when I get back. Maybe this time with more than one keg of Chimay... keeping in mind how that worked out last time.. *cough cough* Pat...
I've been meaning to post about packing for any prospective volunteers reading, so here it is. Overall I am pretty happy with how I packed. But here are a few tips you can take with a grain of salt.
- One fairly heavy jacket/fleece (I brought a few sweatshirts, but sometimes one warmer jacket would be nice, it can get pretty chilly in most of the parts of Kenya volunteers are placed)
- A few plain t-shirts (I brought one and wish I had brought more just monochromatic t-shirts, they're business casual enough for Peace Corps most of the time)
- Close-toed sandals (i.e. Keens, tevas, etc. Maybe don't hvae to be close-toed, but I brought my keens and they're very practical I think. Just think outdoorsy)
- More pants (Girls are generally seen and encouraged to wear long skirts most places, but khakis, linen pants, or just semi-business trousers are totally acceptable in training, and most big-ish cities/while not at work. If they're a little baggier, the better off you'll be)
- Lots of socks and undies (Especially socks for guys because they wear shoes more than sandals, but socks get dirty so fast here and multiple use before washing is rarely an option. I think both are annoying to wash so I brought a lot and only have to wash like every two weeks) (P.S. I'm lazy)
- Envelopes (If you expect to write any letters bring some. They take up no space so why pay for them here?)
- Specialty Deodorant/Toothpaste (Some people have the brands they like, so bring 3 or 4 to last you awhile and then family can send more when needed. Deodorant especially because spray is the predominant form of deodorant in Kenya)
- Face Wash/Baby Wipes (Or both. My face always feels grimy here and a good wash is refreshing)
- Reusable Shopping Bags (I packed one and my mom sent me 2, they actually come in handy for grocery shopping and moving all of my crap that I accumulated during training to site)
- Sauces (You might not be too into sauces, but if you like cooking EVER with say; Sweet Baby Rays, Ranch, or Frank's Hot Sauce, bring one. Most of us have dreamt of having sauces and they aren't too bad to pack) *also applies to spices
- Entertainment (I brought my laptop, Canon 5D Mark II, iPhone, a few books, and a few sketching supplies and I'm happy. I can get the Kindle app on my laptop and exchange books at the Peace Corps office, but a lot of people have a Kindle and that's a good bet too. Just bring things to do during down time)
- Flashlight/headlamp (Unless you know you have electricity at both your homestay and at site. Which you don't, and won't know until like, the day you get there so just bring one)
- Pictures (Just print outs or a photo album. You'll want them to show people and put up in your house)
- Extra hair ties and bobby pins (You'll lose them, they'll break; either way you're SOL so bring like 50)
I think that covers most of the stuff I'm really picky about. Some people might say not to waste the space on some of this stuff if you can buy it here, because you can find pretty much anything you need in Kenya in big enough cities. However, if you're like me, I don't want to spend a bunch of money on stuff here if I can just bring it with me. While things aren't expensive here compared to the U.S., they are in relation to how much we get each month. And while you could just have your family send you everything you need packages from home and more fun when they're filled with goodies rather than a bunch of practical stuff ;) Anyway, that's all I've got for now. I'm going to put up some pictures from my trip to the deformed animal farm on Facebook (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like) so keep an eye out for those :)
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Life Under an Avocado Tree
Tonight marks the 15th day since my arrival in Namanjalala. Yeah ! Time to go out, get crazy, and... by that I mean crack open a box of chicken rice and finish the scrapbook I'm making for my dad's 50th birthday (yowza!) of our trip to France. Nothing fights loneliness like looking at pictures of excellent cheese and bikeriding through the vineyards... I guess really being in Kenya it just makes me appreciate the trip even more than I already did!
But my house is now finished! I tried to upload the pictures onto here but it didn't work so you'll just have to look at it on Facebook. If you can, no your eyes did not deceive you. I did in fact install brand new hardwood floors. I'll be hosting dinner parties every 2 months, please await your invitation. I also bought a little shelving unit thing which I am lovinnnn. I'm slightly obsessed with keeping my house clean and organized.
Otherwise at work I've pretty much met everyone and started working. I think I'm pretty much a Community Health Worker. I met the Chief, Assistant Chief, the nurses at my dispensary, both of the Public Health Officers and all of the Community Health Workers for my organization. This past week has consisted of going door to door explaining to people why it is important to know your HIV status and asking people if they will get tested. We went to probably 100 households. Most of the people speak Ki-Swahili but a lot speak Ki-Bukusu too so I've been learning that language as well, it's really pretty. Anyway, today we started the VCT side of it- Voluntary Testing and Counseling. We tested around 20 people and have 2 more full days of testing. It went well, but it still surprises me how freaked out people can get over it when they probably don't even understand why they're so scared. We've had two men tell us that we would have to pay them to get tested. I saw what looked like a 15 year old boy run away from his friends when they suggested he get tested too. I think it's because it is seen more as a work of God then of science, and the community isn't knowledgeable enough of the subject to know the difference.
Anyway, what else is new? I have a puppy and a baby cow. They are technically my family's but I pet them and we hang out all the time. I usually feed the puppy too, he's less than a month old. My mama here just told me that she thinks he is lonely so we should get another one so he has a friend. So that will be my job this weekend! Hehe. His name is Simba, obviously. Peter, my brother, named him. He's hilarious. We've also named the cows. The mama is Mama Doa because MaDoa is many spots in Bukusu and she is white with black spots (or vice versa, whatever), and the baby is Moyo, which means heart in Bukusu, because she is caramel colored with a white heart on her head. She is precious. I'm still looking for a kitten. Who knew they were so rare! I just want a tiny one so I can raise it to be awesome. Oh well, someday my kitten will come right?
Well I guess that's pretty much it for now... but I want to say a general thankyou to everyone that loves me in America. I hope that everyone knows how much I miss them and how much I appreciate their love from so far away. I got to spend a lot of time with everyone before I left (for the most part) and I'm very lucky to have such a close bond with my family; every single one of them. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have all spent a lot of time and money on letters and packages for me, and I savor every single piece of mail I get. It's not easy being away from home, especially with such an amazing family. And my friends... well, I miss midnight yoga, closet sessions, wine and puzzle nights... I can't wait to spend time with everyone when my job here is done- but until then pleeeeaassee know that I love and miss you all!
And here are a few things I can never get enough of if anyone is looking to send me a package ;)
Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits, Skittles, Canned/packaged Chicken, Cheezits, Aldi's strawberry licorice, Crystal Light Peach Tea, Starbursts, Love, Love notes, yourselves... I think that's about it!
Until next time :)
But my house is now finished! I tried to upload the pictures onto here but it didn't work so you'll just have to look at it on Facebook. If you can, no your eyes did not deceive you. I did in fact install brand new hardwood floors. I'll be hosting dinner parties every 2 months, please await your invitation. I also bought a little shelving unit thing which I am lovinnnn. I'm slightly obsessed with keeping my house clean and organized.
Otherwise at work I've pretty much met everyone and started working. I think I'm pretty much a Community Health Worker. I met the Chief, Assistant Chief, the nurses at my dispensary, both of the Public Health Officers and all of the Community Health Workers for my organization. This past week has consisted of going door to door explaining to people why it is important to know your HIV status and asking people if they will get tested. We went to probably 100 households. Most of the people speak Ki-Swahili but a lot speak Ki-Bukusu too so I've been learning that language as well, it's really pretty. Anyway, today we started the VCT side of it- Voluntary Testing and Counseling. We tested around 20 people and have 2 more full days of testing. It went well, but it still surprises me how freaked out people can get over it when they probably don't even understand why they're so scared. We've had two men tell us that we would have to pay them to get tested. I saw what looked like a 15 year old boy run away from his friends when they suggested he get tested too. I think it's because it is seen more as a work of God then of science, and the community isn't knowledgeable enough of the subject to know the difference.
Anyway, what else is new? I have a puppy and a baby cow. They are technically my family's but I pet them and we hang out all the time. I usually feed the puppy too, he's less than a month old. My mama here just told me that she thinks he is lonely so we should get another one so he has a friend. So that will be my job this weekend! Hehe. His name is Simba, obviously. Peter, my brother, named him. He's hilarious. We've also named the cows. The mama is Mama Doa because MaDoa is many spots in Bukusu and she is white with black spots (or vice versa, whatever), and the baby is Moyo, which means heart in Bukusu, because she is caramel colored with a white heart on her head. She is precious. I'm still looking for a kitten. Who knew they were so rare! I just want a tiny one so I can raise it to be awesome. Oh well, someday my kitten will come right?
Well I guess that's pretty much it for now... but I want to say a general thankyou to everyone that loves me in America. I hope that everyone knows how much I miss them and how much I appreciate their love from so far away. I got to spend a lot of time with everyone before I left (for the most part) and I'm very lucky to have such a close bond with my family; every single one of them. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have all spent a lot of time and money on letters and packages for me, and I savor every single piece of mail I get. It's not easy being away from home, especially with such an amazing family. And my friends... well, I miss midnight yoga, closet sessions, wine and puzzle nights... I can't wait to spend time with everyone when my job here is done- but until then pleeeeaassee know that I love and miss you all!
And here are a few things I can never get enough of if anyone is looking to send me a package ;)
Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits, Skittles, Canned/packaged Chicken, Cheezits, Aldi's strawberry licorice, Crystal Light Peach Tea, Starbursts, Love, Love notes, yourselves... I think that's about it!
Until next time :)
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