Kwaheri

If you hadn’t guessed, I have made it home safely. It’s weird to think that a week ago today I was traveling back from Kenya, a country half way around the world. In my arrival home, much has happened in preparation for the next adventure of my life—college. Through this preparation, though, I have begun to notice the little things. For instance, the roads seem substantially smoother and a lot less crowded. No one stares at me when I walk down the street and into stores. Also, when a person says a time, they mean that time. There is so much in the United States I really take for granted daily; I have come to realize this.

In the hustle and bustle of preparing for college, I have also noticed slight changes in myself. A now look at a plate of food slightly differently. It bothers me to watch little scraps from someone else’s plate be thrown away. My patience level has increased. Late arrivals and departures do not irritate me as much. As the changes amount, I am convinced these changes are for the better.

The two months I spent in Kenya were some of the most rewarding thus far in my life. From the people who challenged my thought processes to the challenges faced by a tiny bed bug, I learned and grew an incredible amount. The smiling children and chorus of, “Mzungu, how are you?” will be sights and sounds permanently engrained in my brain. I’m not going to lie, there were times in Kenya that really challenged me. It isn’t easy seeing poverty on every corner and receiving so much attention for two straight months. However, the journey sparked hope and inspiration within. Before going to Kenya, everyone was afraid of me going to such a “dangerous” country. Having made it back safely, I would like everyone to know Kenya is a country available for visitation. The country is unique and the culture is rich and dynamic.  Within a few years I can see myself going back for a visit, visiting all of the amazing people who took me in like family.

The past two months there has been constant inspiration from Dr. Norman Borlaug. Being on an internship named after him, it was hard not to realize the importance of the man. The purpose of my blog was not only to inform you of my daily activities, but to inspire you as well. From my experience this summer, I can tell you food insecurity is a real thing. Many people have no idea where they will get their next meal. With the research I witnessed, though, there is promising hope for the future. Hope for food and hope for solutions. Until later Kenya, kwaheri.

The Final Day

When I woke up this morning it didn’t feel as if I were leaving. I went on my typical morning run, got ready, and ate breakfast. The Guest House held the tradition of no water so I was sent with a heaping pile of clothing across the corridor to another room. The water actually worked in that room, however it was freezing cold. Sometimes I just can’t win.

I arrived in the office and started tying loose ends of anything I needed to talk to people about or give them. Then the goodbyes started. The offices I worked in at icipe are spread out, so I headed to the research building to say goodbye to Fabian and the group over there. I did this in the morning in case anyone was to leave early.

As a final meal, we ate one last lunch in the Guest House. I think they knew it was my last day because as tradition they served rice, beans, and fries—what my diet consisted of while living in Kenya. After lunch I really wanted to walk to the path I run on to take some pictures. A few steps out of icipe everyone realized that the place was far and we turned back. The afternoon was filled with me trying to concentrate on finishing my report, but my effort was useless. There were far too many distractions around me. In the office it didn’t feel like my last day. We talked as if I would have many more mornings to tell my colleagues about my weekends or Kenyan adventures.

Later in the afternoon as people left, the hard part came—saying goodbye. Friendships are such an interesting thing. It’s amazing how two months ago I didn’t even know many of these people existed, and, yet, for the past two months they have become close friends of mine, almost like a family away from home. I will miss each of them. I also thank them for everything they have done for me throughout my stay; they were part of making Kenya the amazing experience it was.

Right on time, my cab driver arrived to take me to the airport. On the drive I took in the surroundings as much as possible. The dirt roads and small vendors along the side will not be something I will see when returning home. This, along with the floods of people walking along the streets. Being an international flight, the cab driver offered to help me find the correct counter. After a few laps around the airport looking for a parking spot, we spotted one and took it. As expected, my luggage was far over weight. I tried to transfer some objects to another suitcase, but that suitcase was already stuffed. Luckily, the girl at the counter cut me a break and let it go through, even though I think it was over five pounds over. Within no time, I was boarding a plane and settled in for the night. Taking off I took one final look at the country I called home for two months, coming to the realization of how much I will miss it. But as many people say, this isn’t a “goodbye” it’s a “see you later.”

The Smiles

There is a first and a last for everything I suppose. This morning was my last three hour long African church service. As many times as I looked at my watch during the service, there’s this vibration and radiance of the building and praise I will definitely miss. Everything about those church services feels African. Today, I even wore my new African top. The service ended and Karen and I headed to her cell group meeting. Some of the members remembered me from my last visit; I was introduced to some others.

For lunch, Karen took me to a local chicken and fry place. I ordered the normal—fries and tomato sauce. We sat there for a while, talking and reminiscing on the time I spent in Kenya before she dropped me at icipe. When I got up to head to the car, I realized a young boy was standing behind me begging for change. I am unsure how long he was standing there. Wherever I go, there are constant reminders.

I waited for David to pick me up as we had planned on going to the Children’s Home this afternoon. David is typically good at keeping time, so when he didn’t arrive when he said he was going to I gave him a call. It seemed that he was having car trouble and did not come for over an hour. This time was good, however, as I needed to reevaluate my packing situation. David and Alex picked me up and we headed to Naivas to buy some sweets and biscuits for the children. We also bought bags of popcorn on our way out.

Same as my last experience, the children ran to the vehicle as soon as we pulled in. We got out shaking their hands. This time I actually knew how to greet them in Swahili. I think some of the youngest ones figured I understood Swahili because they continued to talk to me the rest of the afternoon, even though I had no clue what they were saying. We sat with the kids watching television for a while until we rallied them up to head to a local field. The group walked through unpaved pathways with sharp rocks. Most of the young children didn’t have shoes on their feet, unfazed by the gagged edges. In the field we found the kids using an old tire as a trampoline, jumping off and flipping. Some of the children were very talented and could flip over extremely high heights. I took out my camera, trying to snap as many pictures as possible. The children love having their pictures taken. I allowed the same girl who took pictures last time to take some more. She was so excited to be in charge and snapping shots. With the setting sun, we headed back to the house to serve the sweets we brought. David passed around sweets, playing a game with who could guess how many sweets were left. I handed out the packages of biscuits and juice was poured. The children played around, scarfing down their food. A young girl, maybe four, named Moxilla impressed me with her intelligence. She was saving all of her treats for later, making them last as long as possible. As I passed out the popcorn, she asked if she could have hers in the bag, realizing that way she would get more as her hands weren’t as large as the other children’s. Growing up under the circumstances the children do, most would expect them to not be as bright as they are. However, their intelligence is remarkable. We said our goodbyes and headed out. As I waved and took one last look at the children while pulling away, it was hard not to notice their smiles. Every single one of the children had smiles plastered on their faces. These children laugh and play as if they have everything they ever could have wanted—they don’t know any better. Knowing I fly home tomorrow, when I leave, the smiles of the children will remain with me far past my stay in Kenya. Their happiness is truly indescribable.

The Goodbye Luncheon

My flight left Mombasa early this morning. Nothing too exciting happened at the airport. My cab driver did try to charge me more for the week than what my calculations had shown. It’s a good thing I know my math. We also hit a large traffic jam on the way to the airport. I told the cab driver my flight time was earlier than it was just so I wouldn’t be late with the African time and all. Even with the allotted time, the driver insisted we needed to get there soon so drove on the edge of the road making for a very bumpy ride. We also received some dirty looks as we passed by. The security in the airport surprised me with their laid back attitudes. I walked through without any trouble and didn’t even remove my shoes or jacket. The man asked to look at my bag, unzipped it, and zipped the bag back up almost immediately. I am not sure if it is just my American instincts of high security, but it did seem like anyone could walk on the plane.

While sitting in the airport, I saw coverage of the Olympics playing. I could not believe it, because I definitely thought the opening ceremonies were tonight. I love the Olympics and to miss the opening ceremony. I will just have to find it online to watch. Soon the plane boarded and I was in Nairobi in no time. I met the lady with my name sign outside of baggage claim and she called a cab for me. When I got in the cab, the cab driver asked me how to get there. I panicked a little, having no idea how to get to icipe. There must have been some confusion, as the driver thought I lived in Kenya and he was planning on taking me to my house. Thankfully, the driver knew how to get to icipe. Room 1, the room I have lived in for the past two months, was taken by someone else so they gave me a room across the hall. The rooms look almost identical, other than the fact the new room seems to have gotten more wear. With all of my suitcases, I began unpacking and repacking, wondering how I was ever able to fit everything on the way here. It doesn’t help that throughout my stay I have purchased numerous souvenirs.

Later in the afternoon, Vivian picked me up for lunch at Susan’s house. Susan lives in a very nice community, and even though I thought we were running late, we were the first ones to arrive. We sat in a room with a beautiful hand painted African mural, sipping juice as we waited for the others to come. Fabian was the next to come and gave me a gift of a large picture of an elephant he had taken while out on one of his safaris. Soon Mercy, Sarah, and Karen joined. We conversed for a while. Susan let their puppy out for Damian, Vivian’s son to play with. Most of the guests were completely scared of the dog, practically running away from it. This was so interesting to me, as dogs, especially puppies, are loved and welcomed in the States. In Kenya, dogs roam the streets or are used as protection for homes. Many told me frightening stories of being chased by dogs, never to have liked them again. In the course of the afternoon I met one of Susan’s daughters. The other was at boarding school and her husband was at the Kenyan house in London for the Olympics. What a hard job.

Fish, rice, and other various meats were served for lunch. We ate in the backyard with a very nice arrangement. More people began to come, some of which I do not remember meeting in the past. The more the merrier. After our meal, we sat in the backyard until dark talking. Our initial discussion focused on what Americans thought of Kenyans and likewise. Of course we think of Kenyans as runners. I have been surprised to find that very few Kenyans actually enjoy running. They explained to me their thoughts on Americans—workaholics, over cautious of security, etc. These didn’t surprise me in the least bit, because with the differences in our cultures, these would be the most drastic ones. I never thought of this in the past, however, they were telling me how the United States doesn’t have a direct flights to and from Kenya. With all of our security measures, even in the airports, I can see why. The topic of conversation then turned to different scams people ran throughout the streets of Kenya and how many of my fellow colleagues were almost caught in the mist of them. People running those scams are very clever, to a point it’s scary. I’m glad I didn’t hear all of the stories I heard on my first week in Kenya, or else I probably never would have slept at night. When leaving, Susan was very generous and gave me the gift of a cloth (I can’t remember what it is called, but very African). Sarah, Mercy, and Karen also gave me some gifts as well.

I am not sure if I have talked about this in the past, but the hospitality Kenyans show is remarkable. From Susan having the goodbye luncheon today, to all the people I have met here, I have really been fortunate to be completely immersed and welcomed into a new culture. I think it hit me on my ride back to icipe of how much I am going to miss the people and the daily culture surrounding me. Tomorrow is my last full day in Kenya. In the final hours I spend, I plan to make the most of it—taking in the wonderful surroundings.

Let the Sun Shine Down

I have absolutely loved the sunny weather in Mombasa. The temperatures are not nearly as warm as they are currently in the States, but hot none the less. People say the sun is hotter at the equator, I’m not sure if I completely agree, but I do have a little sun burn that may prove the point. This morning I spent my time in the KMFRI offices. The first scientist I talked to this morning was Eddie, working in the socio-economics side of KMFRI. He told me about the methods used to survey local and rural villages. The methods KMFRI uses are very similar to the methods I worked with during my time on the CHIESA project at icipe. They are using questionnaires and focus group discussions to gather information on where people are fishing, how much they are fishing, the value of the fish they are catching, etc. Being knowledgeable in this subject due to my experience in Nairobi, it was nice to converse and ask questions over their analysis methods and what was done with the results. Eddie said supposedly the reports get sent to management and disseminated throughout the KMFRI organization to help other projects. Whether this happens or not is questionable. The second man I met with, Charles, is in charge of marine ecology and monitoring of the water quality in the area. Instead of using biology components to monitor the water quality, as I did in Kakamega, they use chemistry components to analyze the metal and hydrocarbon levels. Charles went on to explain the effects of biomagnification. Today was my last day at KMFRI. I learned a plethora of new knowledge which will be helpful in deciding paths for my future.

When working on my research report and going through some old blogs, I realized I had been spelling vial wrong in every post. I apologize. I also apologize for all of the typos I am finding throughout the posts.

I was given the afternoon off to enjoy the beautiful weather. After saying my goodbyes and thanking everyone who made my trip in Mombasa an enjoyable one, I headed to the beach for an afternoon of reading. Tonight at dinner I had to say my goodbyes to the mission team working around the Mombasa area. Ever since being in Kenya, I have realized how much more enjoyable meals are with people. I was very fortunate to meet a group of adults from Southern United States this week to eat dinner with. Although, most of them were at least twice my age their stories were very inspiration. Tonight at dinner, I was once again reminded of my mission here, as they told me stories about the poverty they found in the Bush—children drinking out of puddles, families eating the bones of the chicken, and the diseases running rampant. Although our missions for our stay in Kenya may be slightly different, we share a common goal of improving the lives of those we interact with.

Kenya Wildlife Service

The morning began much like the others in Mombasa. I woke up, got ready, went to breakfast, and was picked up by my cab driver. I was welcomed into the office, took my seat, and worked on miscellaneous tasks before Miriam arrived. When Miriam came she took me to a scientist in the Natural Products office who told me all about the program. As explained in an earlier blog, Natural Products is in charge of physical preservation and value of fish. Through different mechanisms, the program is working to decrease spoilage and help fishermen gain the greatest amount of income for the fish they catch. Many problems arise with rural fishermen. The boats they use are small and not equipped with proper storage for the fish they catch. Therefore, outreach programs of KMFRI are working to educate the fishermen on ways to decrease their spoilage. Such ways include gutting the fish before arriving to shore and using methods of handling approved by supermarkets to sell fish there. As of now, there is high demand for freshly caught fish. When there is not, however, the Natural Products team is working on different ways to keep the fish good for the longest time. This includes different ways to sundry the fish, usually involving solar panels and a greenhouse effect. Due to the humidity of the area, creating a greenhouse with the fish inside may not actually dry out the fish. For this reason, fans are usually inside of these units. The scientist told me how the fish populations near the shores are diminishing so they are encouraging fishermen to learn deep sea fishing. With declining populations, I inquired why fish farming wasn’t used. The scientist explained to me the infrastructure is not good in the rural communities so fish farms are hard to maintain. All of this relates back to food insecurity and how the problem is arising and prevalent throughout the area. It is good to know the government is investing in substantial research to help the people. I am not sure if the solutions are good, but they are solutions none the less.

In the afternoon Miriam took me for a visit at a local Kenya Wildlife Service office. I have used many of their services, with visiting their national parks and had always assumed they were run by the government. To my surprise, some of their funding comes from the government but a majority comes from outside donors. Some of which is my expensive park entry fees as a tourist. Without an official appointment, I was sent to some office to get an overview. Of all the offices I was sent to throughout the week, this was by far the most interesting. The man explained to me different monitoring programs Kenya had in their national parks. He showed me a recent experiment where cameras were set up to monitor the animals and record those spotted. Through this project, the researchers even identified a new type of shrew. They also caught poachers on camera. I’m not sure how exactly they will track them down from here, but this seems to be a step in the right direction. I had a look at the poacher pictures and got the chills looking straight into the eyes of one who had spotted the camera. The man also explained relocation of different elephants due to over population and elephants ruining local farmer’s crops. The task of relocating over two hundred elephants takes a very detailed plan. In respect to marine parks, I learned about their monitoring of the coral reefs and how different species act as indicator species. The hundreds of sea urchins spotted yesterday are attributed to the decline and over fishing of the trigger fish; the sights are now making sense.

On my way back to the hotel, I was approached by some locals, so I thought. I usually try not to interact with anyone on the street I am unfamiliar with or have not been introduced to. These people asked me if I was from London. Having been warned the other day not to tell people I am from the States, I simply said, “Yes,” with hopes that the people would leave me alone. When they responded, “We’re from there too, which part of London are you from?” I had realized I had backed myself into a hole. I’m not very good at lying to begin with, so I was almost at a loss of words. I stumbled for the right ones saying something about being from the central area. They looked confused. Then the lady asked me which zone I was from. I had to take a shot in the dark at this one; zones could be a number, color, or letter. Quickly making my decision I went with a number, and kept it low just in case there weren’t many. Somehow I had stumbled into the right trap because the lady responded, “Oh. We are from that zone as well, just on a visit in Kenya.” After that the family walked away from me, and I have never been more relieved to be left in my life. Lesson learned: do your research before lying about coming from a place you don’t.

In My Element

In Kenya my cell phone is not an object I check very often. I only use it when I need to get in touch with people, and rarely do people call or message me. If they do, I’m usually expecting it. I should probably start checking the cell phone more often because this morning there was a message from the night before on it, telling me that Miriam would pick me up over an hour earlier. It just so happened that I got up at the time she was here and waiting, except I didn’t realize this until almost an hour later when I received a phone call to my room. Oops. I rushed to get ready, literally throwing my hair up and grabbing any essentials for the day. I apologized, but I still feel bad. I wait around a lot for people in Africa, just because of the whole “African time”. I hate when people have to wait for me, however.

We set out, a little later than anticipated by Miriam, our first stop being the ferry crossing. The ferry connects the island of Mombasa to South Coast. There has not been a bridge built across so literally the only way to cross the strip of water is by the ferry. This means that everyone is jammed on one ferry. From cars and trucks to people, the ferry was packed. Watching the ferry unload before our eyes was remarkable, too. A flood of people come off of the ferry at once. The new port frequently used for transporting cargo, was visible on our ride. Miriam encouraged me to take pictures, and I got out my camera snapping away. While waiting to exit, she even encouraged me to snap some shots standing off to the side, letting other people pass us. Little did I know, these pictures would cause quite the fuss. While exiting with the mob of people, I felt someone tap my shoulder. Sometimes this happens in the streets, as people want to greet me with a, “Mzungu, how are you?” Therefore, whenever someone taps my shoulder I don’t usually turn my head. This same hand then reached across me and tapped Miriam. She turned, and I probably should have as well, because the hand belonged to a security officer. He asked us to come with him. We agreed. I don’t know what was said between the two of them because most was spoken in Kiswahili. I did notice a sign when walking saying photography was not allowed. Throughout my stay in Kenya, I have been very conscious of taking pictures when appropriate. I always ask before using my camera. Even Miriam must not have known this rule, as she was the one encouraging me to take pictures. I began to get a little worried my camera would be taken away or, worse yet, I would spend my day in a Kenyan police station. With some negotiation, however, Miriam asked me for 200 shillings and we paid the man off. I realized I was just contributing to the corrupt policies in the country, which bothered me. There was not anything else I could really do. The officer never requested I delete the photos or anything of that sort, making me further believe the policy is there just so officers can catch people and make money. Needless to say, this was a frightening start to my morning. Below you will find the 200 shilling pictures.

The drive to the Southern Coast to go snorkeling lasted over two hours. The scenery was not very exciting and with the large amount of sleep I receive here, I wasn’t very tired. Soon we arrived in Shimoni and were swamped by the locals, trying to sell us a day on their boat. The way business works here never fails to feel a little fishy (no pun intended) to me. A group comes up and tells you about the awesome adventure they have in store for you, saying their price is the best and so on. After this happens the person negotiates a fair price. Usually the salesperson will say, “I’ll give you a discount.” (Also known as, I will give you a fair price.) Miriam negotiated our price down and we shook hands with the salesman—deal made. Before we loaded the boat, I inquired about seeing the snorkeling gear they would provide us with. I was quite concerned the gear would be some stolen stuff off of a beach with scratched and foggy lenses. The gear ended up looking good so I told him all was okay. The man looked shocked I knew English. I don’t talk when Miriam is negotiating prices because I’m not good at that stuff so people sometimes think I don’t speak English.

From there we walked out to the pier and descended the stairs onto our boat for the day. The boat looked old and rickety. I kept thinking it would fill up with water any minute, but surprisingly, it didn’t. We cruised across the Indian Ocean to our first diving site. I think I have forgotten how great the ocean is and why I love it so much. With the wet ocean breeze on my face and the sweet salty smell, I reconnected. Within no time we were at our desired location. Miriam didn’t want to snorkel so it ended up just being me and the guide. I dove in and instantaneously felt at home, finally in my element.

We swam around many reefs, most of which looked healthy and vibrant. The colors of fish and the types are so hard to describe. In a small crevice below my guide pointed to an eel, bright purple in the sunlight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an eel so big before. In other places, there were many parrotfish, some were huge, at least a foot long. We also ran across a bull fish, not beautiful but big. In other spots we saw puffer fish. In one area I swam through a full school of smaller fish, all of which had a blue/green tint and glittered. The guide would sometimes pick up animals off the sea floor. I held a living sea cucumber and conch shell. There were also clams littering the bottom. To show me their “magic” the guide would dive down and quickly touch them. Instantaneously they would snap. For the first time I saw hundreds of sea urchins, all with their spines sticking straight up, ready to puncture any foot that dare set down on the floor. There is something about the ocean, maybe the animals or just the cool water, I just love! After a while of swimming around, we stopped and called for the boat to come and pick us up. Once I got back into the boat, another guide asked if I wanted to see more. I did and dove back in at another location. The second swim wasn’t as nearly long or interesting. Many of the corals we looked at were far below the surface and hard to see.

Upon returning to the boat and drying off in the sun, Miriam and I boarded a smaller boat to the island where we would have lunch. Part of the deal with the price coming down was agreeing to have lunch on the island, boosting their tourism income. We climbed through the intertidal area and sat down at a beachside table. I was going to wash my hands in the bathroom until I was informed they didn’t have running water in there. If there wasn’t running water in the bathroom, I could only imagine how they were preparing the dishes for me. I settled with rinsing my hands in a bowl with water and flowers. The flowers were clearly picked from nearby trees. The place was trying way too hard, as many of the flowers were dead. Regardless of how clean I or the food I ate was, it tasted magnificent. Miriam and I ate fresh crab recently caught that morning, along with a freshly caught fish (bones and all). They also served coconut rice, cassava, chapatti, seaweed, and a tomato coconut sauce. Cassava is a white legume with a very starchy texture. It seems to be common in Kenya, but this was my first time having it. The chapatti was probably the best I have tasted since being in Kenya. Chapatti is similar to a tortilla. I don’t think it is something I would like in the States, but since being in Kenya I have grown accustomed to its taste. The coconut sauce and seaweed were very sweet and delicious. I had a hard time finishing my plate; everything was so good! For desert they served fresh bananas, coconut, and oranges. I was stuffed and impressed.

The guide took us around the small island. He explained about their water shortages and how they harnessed any rain they could into a large collecting tank. They irony of islands being surrounded by water and having water shortages always amazes me. We went to a local Coral Garden and Mangrove Board Walk run by some local women. The place was called Wasini Women Group Board Walk and their story is fascinating. This is a project funded by the United States and other organizations to not just build a board walk to attract tourists and empower the women living there, but to preserve the beauty and importance of the natural habitat. The coral garden was a completely new experience to me. The water levels in the area had declined hundreds of years ago leaving an area of corals exposed. The corals were mesmerizing in their own way. The arrangement and scattering seemed perfect and pristine. Walking through I didn’t know what the woman guide was saying, but I got the gist that this project was helping to sustain her family. In another area of the boardwalk, a mangrove forest surrounded us. There are nine different species of mangroves on the Kenyan coast. At one point my camera ran out of battery and I had to change it. While doing so, I dropped the battery cap. Immediately after it slipped out of my hands, I knew it was headed straight for the gap in the wooden planks. The cap fell straight down, landing in a puddle from the last high tide. I told Miriam, seeing if anything could be done. One of the young boys playing around us, immediately climbed down a pole, jumped through the corals and retrieved the cap. I gave him a high five and much thanks.

After our board walk and stroll around the island, we walked out to our boat and headed back to the pier we started at in the morning. After a long day of exploring, the long journey back felt nice.