KENYA beautiful KENYA
At about 1:40 PM Friday January 21st I found out I will be calling Kenya my home in 3 months, for 3 months. Specifically Kariobangi Kenya!
And yes, I am throwing an exclamation mark after that - Because I am going to live in the slum, worry about safe drinking water, feel uncomfortable, worry about danger in the night, see the poverty ... and out of all that I know somehow I am going to find great beauty. While realizing the great dept of poverty and injustice which exists in this area and making my best attempt to learn what can assist the people of Kariobangi Kenya to make them stronger, safer, more educated and healthier I want my focus to be on exploring the beauty of Kenya and it's people.
too often we focus on the negative
and its the negative that pulls us down
I love approaching things with a natural flow when traveling - it lets the true uninhibited experience come to you.
At the same time I know I sometimes have a hard time letting go of control and believing in the experience - a good friend of mine and me spent many a nights bunked up in a tent dwelling on this very insight (thanks bud!)
And finally I think I am at the point in my life where I want nothing more than to 'be' and interact in tune with the experience and let the experience be what it may be.
... Unfortunately this experience is going to take a lot of researching! A fair bit of thought. And I am going to have to remember these things I learned and focus on them until they come naturally abroad (such as customs, attitudes ect.)
Here are some facts for you my reader. a wee little insight into a diverse country that is Kenya!
Kenya's economy is the largest GDP in East and Central Africa and Kenya's capital, Nairobi is a major commercial hub.
Kenya's main source of income is tea, coffee and tourism (to economic sectors which are difficult to count upon year in and year out)
But yet...
Kenya's average life expectancy is 55.6 years
Kenya's adolescent fertility rate is 103.5
Kenya's contraceptive prevalence rates (for married women age 15-49) is 39.3
And in Kenya only 42% of births are attended by skilled professionals
Kariobangi is a low-income residential estate in northeastern Nairobi (Kenya's capital). Kariobangi is divided into North and South. The North consist of earlier development and is mostly apartments, while the South is comprised of slum type dwellings. And it is these Slums of Kariobangi that we will call home.
I have only yet uncovered the very top layer of what is Kenya as there is lots to discover and understand.
To help me prepare for this placement I need your help! :)
- please leave your comment below on one thing you think is important for me to know before I go!
kwa amani (in peace)
The thing that I keep thinking about is what our first night will be like after we settle into the apartment. I wonder wonder wonder the sounds we will hear and the things we might see out of our window (if we have one). The one thing I'm curious to research about the market and what a market would look like in Kenya and what items of food they have!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the sentiment of reading all of the blogs both present and alumni students. It truly will be an experience we will never forget!
-Sebastien :)