| Hmm.. the mystery continues. |
[Sep. 27th, 2009|01:05 pm] |
So.. since I last posted I was nominated to do Community Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, shipping out in January at some point. I thought maybe I was going to Rwanda, but that was based on misreading the staging date for Rwanda which was January 2009, NOT 2010. Right now there are no staging posts on the PC wiki in regards to anything, so I honestly have no idea where I will be going in Jan. I do have my top 3 preferences though:
1. Kenya: From a professional standpoint, Kenya desperately needs community development in order to heal from the post-election violence. The arrival of fast and cheap broadband internet access provides exciting potential for job-training, networking, and community work. The slums are where this needs to start IMHO, because PC has a rather extreme emphasis on mostly rural areas. Certainly rural areas DO need PCV's, but so do urban slums like Kibera where resources are also scarce. A balanced approach would be to the benefit of PC and the host country. I also have good friends in Kenya, some of whose friends are well connected in the government and with local churches and charities, which helps when you need to get approval for projects (the legal way mind you.. I'm not a fan of bribing).
2. Rwanda: So much is changing in Rwanda that it's incredible. To say the country is being reborn would be accurate. French will no longer be spoken in public schools. Instead students are already learning English and an emphasis to integrate all Kinyarwanda speakers into the English Language is taking place. Peace and Reconciliation is the task at hand, and so far, the results have been amazing. Being a part of this rebuilding would also be incredibly rewarding.
3. Tanzania: Tanzania faces shortages in health and other sectors. There's a whole lot of need here, but also a whole lot of mismanagement on the part of the government. The question here is if there is a need for community development volunteers or whether Health is still the primary mission. From what I gather, Education has also been a strong focus, pulling in ESL volunteers.
I could end up in West Africa ( Ghana, after all, is still a flagship program for PCV), but given the high numbers of volunteers, it's hard to say whether or not these countries need more volunteers then they currently have. I won't know where I end up until I run the gauntlet of medical and dental and get my clearances. |
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| The struggle of poverty.. |
[Sep. 8th, 2008|12:06 pm] |
"When the poor are pitted against the rich, the wealthy smile and the poor cry. When the weak are pitted against the powerful, might waves the flag of victory. When the poor fight the poor and one side wins, they credit not predictable justice but "the good judge" or good luck"
-Former Kenyan MP Koigi Wamwere
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| Happy V Day/Singles Awareness Day! |
[Feb. 14th, 2008|06:54 pm] |
It's odd that the last time I gave someone a Valentines gift was 2005, and that adventure lasted all of 2 months. The cool thing though is that everyone I know has fairly good relationships with awesome people:
Seth and Britta haven't killed each other yet ( jk, they rock together).
Matthew is hooked up with a decent guy
Matt started seeing a girl from UNC's Nursing school..
Elijah is getting married (for real this time, no cheating fiance's).
In talking to a co-worker who mentioned her nephew is getting married soon, she said that she believes that God provides someone for everyone, which for the most part I can accept, but I also doubt that being passive and "waiting" is going to get me anywhere. Luckily I am getting out a lot more, and hopefully that means I can find some interesting people. I don't know what else to do, since the bar scene bores me. If I wanted to go find a quickie, I could pick up some random bottle blonde at a bar, but I'm not interested in a quickie, I'm interested in a relationship. Apparently if your name isn't Degraffenreid or you don't go to UNC, you can't play the game.
Anyway..
Tomorrow I get to at least network, as Matt says he talked to a woman today who is VERY interested in talking to me about a project she wants to get off the ground in Kenya around issues of community self-reliance and sustainability, which is my interest EXACTLY. I am going to a theatre project in support of saving a local african-american community here in Chapel Hill. This lady will be there and we will talk and exchange contact info. So, maybe I get a job locally and this would grow into a full-time board member position? I have to hear her proposal first and see if it is feasible. If it is, I'm signing on..EXCITING! Still have to talk to Jim , but I'm not sensing a whole lot of interest on his part in terms of meeting me. Maybe he's busy, maybe he's just not as interested in me as I am in his outfit. |
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| People who need people (in order to get a job) |
[Feb. 9th, 2008|05:04 pm] |
I went to Rye Barcott's lecture last night at UNC about Carolina For Kibera, and really appreciated the 2 minutes I got to speak to him about Kibera and Kenya and the need for transparency and sustainability in NGO work. He and I share the same progressive views about how NGO's should work:
1. Native populations shouldn't just be represented, they should be leaders in your movement/NGO.
2. People are more likely to trust and work with your organization if you give them a tangible reason to do so such as youth getting soccer uniforms and a chance to play in a trained league in exchange for collecting trash and cleaning up their neighborhoods. It is a lack of purpose that creates the seed for ethnic violence, because if I feel useless, then why should I trust that you care about me as a person?
3. Erasing or denying individual ethnic identities " we are all the same" doesn't erase tribalism. Talking about these differences and learning the common ground that exists on issues does.
I'm glad Rye is willing to hook me up with what networks he has. Sometimes it frustrates the hell out of me, because we want to be so damn isolationist in this country. I can talk about these things, and be passionate about them, but ultimately I can't get anywhere professionally if I believe in them ( it appears at least). This also goes a long with " Well, maybe you're looking for a VOLUNTEER" situation, which can sometimes come off as " You can't seriously make a career out of this!". Well, I plan to, and either I end up broke and penniless trying, or someone out there cares enough to say " Yes, I have been waiting for someone to stand up and take initiative". |
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| Chaos in Africa.. |
[Dec. 29th, 2007|11:47 pm] |
I figure by now most people know of the violence going on in Kenya due to electoral concerns. If you don't go to this link:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQUIrJzN6krWc0yJ6DP3ySeXQekQD8TQVDS80
I don't intend to speak for or as a Kenyan, but my experience of the country and it's people does allow me to say the following:
Politics and Fear are inseparable many times: You vote out of fear or you fear the consequence of voting one way or another. In countries that have known stable and conflict-free democracies, this fear is often allayed when a fair election is not in question. The people of Kenya live in fear because they know what it's like to hope and then be hoodwinked, lied to, and stolen from in the name of nationalism. They have seen there president attack the free press with government police, parliamentarians lie about visas given to known mafia-like drug smugglers, and bribes routinely used to steal land from the poor. Even if it is shown that no trickery was done (and I'm willing to believe that the charge is false and politically based) and the opposition party wins, it is no excuse to burn down a city. The Kenyans who are looting and rioting are desperate people who want a government that works. 20 years is a VERY LONG TIME to wait! But to call yourselves civilized and do this? No.. you are just as bad as the colonial government who imprisoned, tortured, killed and exiled your countrymen years ago.
Raila or Kibaki- we don't even know if either of these men will actually be sincere and avoid tribalism, but I know that tribalism has no place in a democracy. Neither does violence and looting. The world is watching you, waiting for someone to differentiate Kenyans from a bunch of savages- Choose the path of peaceful action, please..
AFRICA UNITE! |
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| If I had a boat.. |
[Aug. 10th, 2007|02:06 pm] |
I'd rescue Elijah, but I can't really help him. If I were some high powered Kenyan bishop or something, maybe I could, but he's basically living the African version of the average broke American 20-something. I know Zabuu doesn't make much money at his little Duka ( Shop) and the fact that they are scrounging off of well-meaning relatives and friends of Zabuu to get some food is not a good plan. At least Zabuu is paying the rent for the flat over in South C. I guess the best way to put it is that he's a part of a large dysfunctional system that makes any of ours look like a walk in the park:
Bishop agrees to ordain said deserving ordinand
Bishop claims he doesn't have the money or resources to place said ordinand, "Yet".
Church corruption means most of the money that a small parish could use to HIRE my friend is spent
making Clergy and local bishop fat and sassy, while parish leadership essentially goes down the drain ( Imagine trying to run a church of 200 with only one priest and no resources for upkeep).
As much as I love my friend, I can't bail him out till he gets a post. In the past, he would throw a Harambee, which is essentially a fundraising party where people are invited to donate and they usually hold a raffle ( for example, I was once conned into bidding for a live chicken, which Mwangi ended up winning and giving to his aunt). Seeing as Kenyans are particular about how often they give away their financial resources, it's not really an option for him to hold another one. My connections over there are limited, it's insane to try and bring him over here, and nobody I know in Kenya at CMS is a sure bet for hiring him to do office work. He doesn't have a college degree ( only a theological school degree)and limited work experience as a bellhop for a hotel. This means that he may have to start hitting up local friends and cousins for a job he probably doesn't want to do-running errands, janitorial staff, working retail ( which is notorious for mistreatment of workers).
I hate to leave a guy high and dry, but my hands are tied. I cannot be anyone's salvation, as much as it would solve a lot of problems. Urghh.. this is so frustrating and sad!!
Kat, if you're reading this, I could use some advice.. |
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| No one is safe from terror |
[Jun. 11th, 2007|05:22 pm] |
Crap. It appears as though a Muslim extremist was behind the Nairobi bombing of The Ambassador. Guy with a backpack bomb it looks like. Considering they took out the US embassy in the 90's and later a Israeli hotel near Mombasa, this scares me. Add on to that Mungiki sect members randomly beheading people. Luckily none of my Kenyan friends have been killed or are in danger:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6739937.stm
Seriously people.. read your Quran.. killing is NOT a tenant of Islam, you murderous idiots!
(Sorry, just so sick of all the injustice..)
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| Same as it ever was |
[Apr. 11th, 2007|06:45 am] |
I wish I had good news to report, but instead, my news starts off on a bit of a sour note. A good friend of my Kenyan companion, Elijah, has died of AIDS. He was only in his early 20's. Mwangi, his brother, believes he contracted AIDS from an infected girl or girls he met at area clubs or local bars ( usually this means teenage prostitutes). This death comes a day before he and his girlfriend are to be married, so it must be a crushing blow to have a wedding and and a funeral on the same day.
In good news, Elijah is graduating on track in October, which means he doesn't need to send me any requests for money to pay his tuition. |
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| I was the only one who got burned.. |
[Mar. 6th, 2007|01:39 pm] |
I feel really bad for my friend. This is the 2nd time in 2 years that he has been burned by a woman. First, his girlfriend who he had talked about marriage with wound up pregnant with a a shuttle driver's baby ( unfortunately not unheard of in Nairobi) and then last week, he walked in on his other girlfriend Ros, as he called her, buck naked in her flat with another guy "in flagrante" so to speak. Elijah thinks that it may be because he didn't have sex with her ( he's a fairly conservative Christian, more conservative than I am) and I have had to convince him that if he's feeling forced to have sex to save his relationships, then the girls he's going after are probably not as good as they claim they are. All this affirms my belief that not pursuing a relationship but rather letting "Mrs. Right" come to me is probably the best plan. To the girls benefit, they may have wanted something a little more physical and my friend is not big into caressing beyond hugs, squeezes, and passionate kisses ( his ex joked that he was a "power kisser".
Here in America, it's usually the guy who goes sows his seed everywhere and with anyone willing to give him 15 minutes. In Africa, apparently, it's the woman who seeks out the affair. Is the high AIDS rate and the rise of prostitution and pornography in parts of Africa MAYBE a bi-product of the crap our western society gives to the world? Hmmmmm.. don't think to hard on this one!
I wish I had the magic answer to break my friends pattern of broken relationships, but I don't. I have my own history of lousy ones that I still don't have the answers for. |
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| Somali refugee camp.. |
[Feb. 27th, 2007|06:59 pm] |
Check out this story about the Daadab refugee camp just across the border in Kenya. It's interesting to see how people create a market economy in a place almost totally dependent on aid and under no real jurisdiction by either government..
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2007/02/27/PM200702276.html
Make sure you look for the photos link.. it gives you a good look at what the people and area looked alot like in Northern Kenya ( Somali's and the Borana have a link in that many speak Oromo related languages). |
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| How quickly things change.. |
[Feb. 3rd, 2007|02:44 pm] |
This makes me sad.. sad that people hearing and reading about this will use it as an excuse to not go to Kenya or to try and paint Kenya as unsafe:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/27/world/main2404585.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2404585
(it's short enough i didn't feel like cutting)
Sadly, this incident is reflective of the poverty and desperation that breeds mindless violence. In a country where the average citizen earns less than $1 a day, robbery is a reality. Still, the government had done alot to crack down on criminal gangs, even capturing a gang with ties to lower level government officials. While I did once here gunshots causing me to lock down my own private compound and check on my hosts, the perpetrator was apparently shot to death by Flying Squad ( Kenyan SWAT) members hours later when he was roadblocked. I can only hope that the government cracks down so that people can enjoy the country in peace and without risking their lives just to get home ( as these 2 women supposedly were). |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 1st, 2007|05:30 pm] |
This was sent to me by my brother.. It paints an interesting picture of what "inclusivity" really means at the World Social Forum. While the World Social Forum had it's high-points, alot of key issues were brushed over by western and european powers, eager to appease the egos of government allies and business interests.
Read more..
( Read ) |
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| This totally made me think of a friend |
[Jan. 11th, 2007|09:40 pm] |
This song came to mind when thinking of my Kenyan friend, who is evidently going to be sent home soon because he can't pay his tuition at a seminary. I'm going to try and send him a cash card as soon as I can, but he will probably still be sitting at his mom's house in Muran'ga for a few days. I guess it could also relate to me as well..
( pacing ) |
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| Someone to be thankful for |
[Nov. 23rd, 2006|04:28 am] |
It's not the kind of news you want to hear, but the man who ran Nyumbani Children's home, where I was a volunteer died. He was 80 and an inspiration to many. The man who didn't know me from a whole in the wall took me out to dinner 3 times and would not allow me to pay even once. When he heard I was leaving to head north, he stood up during the morning prayers ( which all staff usually attended) and said a blessing for me, even though I wasn't a Catholic. God bless you father, you stood up for those kids more then you know.
You should read the obit:
( Father ) |
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| Sometimes being a friend sucks.. |
[Nov. 19th, 2006|03:51 am] |
I love my Kenyan friends dearly, and I love it when they take the time to email me, but sometimes you get too caught up in their 3rd World drama..
Elijah, who is finishing his theological studies, is one such person. While I understand that life is hard and that things are very Good/Tragic or Black/White within the African worldview, it does not help to exaggerate things into a negative situation. I know this because i'm just as guilty of being a worrier and painting bad things as total disasters and damnation. My friend needs $2,114 dollars. Neither I or my family can give him that, but I can do the best I can to help him with some of it. He can't turn to his family because they are all poor farming people, and the bishops are pretty corrupt (much like Kenyan politicians). I asked him to send me an itemized budget and I may be able to fundraise for him, but I can't make his problems go away.
Elijah is mature in alot of ways, but very naive to how money works and even more naive about how people perceive Africans asking for money. While I remain a close friend, it doesn't help that he sends me morose and depressed emails stating " You are the only real friend I can rely on", "I can't trust the others to be generous, i very isolated now, my friend". or " You know my situation, and it is getting worse by the day. I don't know what i must do if I have to leave school".
So, what do I do now? Do I fundraise, do I ask you all for minor donations? Or do I tell him that I, the "only one (he) can rely on" cannot in fact be relied upon to help him out at all? And why on earth would a college in the middle of nowhere with very poor students charge that much for a year or even 2 years.. can anyone without a white sponser expect to pay??
God, this is so frustrating. |
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| The Graduate-African Style! |
[Mar. 27th, 2006|08:45 pm] |
I'm afraid i've become a would-be husband for a rather misguided lady. B___ the Security Guard at Nyumbani, struck up a nice conversation with me that she wanted to finish, sending me an SMS saying " Lets B Friends.. Fair enough, right? Being a nice lady, I suggested lunch. We have lunch and she is very polite and asking about what i'm doing in Marsabit and how I like Kenya, and the differences between the US and Kenya. I, of course, pay for her as she gets a minimum amount for her wages and is a 40 something year old single mother of a 9 yr old boy. As she drives me back to Nyumbani, she asks me if I know anyone who might be willing to sponsor Brian's (her son) school fees. I tell her I wouldn't know of anyone knowing full well she probably thinks I have a ton of money. I leave feeling a bit strange about the whole deal.
Flash to 6 Pm. I come out of the shower and my phone shows 1 New Message:
Asante(thank you) for lunch today. Please, Open your heart 4 me. Nakupenda wewe kabisa( I love/like you very much). Please give me you email so we can talk more! Etc, Etc. and finishes by calling me "dear" and asking God to bless my ministry. At this point I'm just stunned.. and I feel a bit used. I had to tell her that it just would not work out between the two of us. I felt mature, but a bit like a dick for having to be so blunt to her.
I'm sure that this is a common pattern here in Kenya sadly.. middle-aged women without husbands and fathers for their children, carrying on like they are strong enough to handle it and inside they are DYING.. Dying of loneliness and grasping at anything that comes near enough to hold.
It's sad.. Really Sad. |
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| Kenya has some really cool animals.. |
[Mar. 3rd, 2006|04:41 pm] |
This is the little critter that makes blood-curdling strangulation sounds at night(Scaring the S*** out of me the first night I was here). It's known as a Tree Hyrax, though the one in the picture is a Rock Hyrax. Tree Hyraxes are little buggers and are very hard to see, even during their nocturnal ranting. I think it would make a good pet for people who can't afford a guard dog. I don't know any robber who would want to break into a house when he hears " ARRACKGHHHAHHHHHHHHHHK".
Oh.. and it's closest relative is the Elephant. |
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