Ninarudi Afrika

Ninarudi Afrika. I have returned to Africa. It’s kind of ironic because my last entry from my previous blog from Africa was on September 15, 2006, precisely three years ago. So much has happened in my life these last three years: two jobs, new friends, a wonderful niece, a relocation and countless unforgettable memories … and yet, after all that, I have somehow found myself back in East Africa. None of this, of course, is a coincidence. I have consciously decided to take this time in my life to answer the questions in my heart that at times my head will not let me make. How much or how little of an impact can my passion for doing work in developing countries really make? How can I best put to use my professional skills and talents in the context of sustainable economic development in marginalized communities? Do I have the vision and dedication to make this my lifelong work? Am I strong enough to do this?

I have been in Kakamega, Kenya, for a week now, as a micro finance intern with the Foundation for Sustainable Development. Kakamega is a small town situated at the base of the Kakamega National Rainforest. It is a lively town that boasts moderate commerce and economic activity – there is a large outdoor market selling fruits / beans / produce, a few petrol stations, a couple large supermarkets and several bakeries, retail shops and restaurants. You can walk the whole town on foot in about 15 minutes, after which, the shops become farther and farther apart and the lush, green foliage settles in. It rains at least once a day here, without fail, mostly in the afternoon, in a “God just opened up the heavens and turned on the water faucet” kind of way. At first I was a bit dubious of said thunderstorms, thinking, “Ugh, this mud is going to be such a hassle for me trying to keep clean”. Only after three days , I became accustomed to this daily ritual and now look forward to the rainfall .

I just moved into my homestay this afternoon after a weeklong orientation. I will be living just outside of town (a 10 minute walk to the cybercafe) with Mama Linety, her 22 year old daughter who is completing her third year at the local university, her 5 year old terror of a son who I’m playing “I’m the boss here buddy, back away from my things and knock before you barge into the room” with, the 20 year old house girl, a unknown man, about six cows (one who I thought was really fat only to ask my mama who told me she was pregnant and due this week and one whose name is little brown cow), a dozen or so chicken and half a dozen geese (?). My family is pretty well off – mama works for the government in the Ministry of Agriculture and my baba works about 8 hours away in Nairobi as an architect. I have running water, a refrigerator, a toaster and a microwave in the house, all considered luxuries in these parts so I know that my accommodations are fairly cushy.

I am anxious and sooo excited to start work on Monday. It is about a 15 minute walk from home, but will probably take me 30 minutes since I offered to walk Benedict to school everyday before work (something I almost instantly regretted after seeing how hard it is to round him up and make him do anything – I feel like Super Nanny, Africa edition). I will be working at K-Rep Development Agency in town, a not-for-profit that receives its funding from USAID and provides micro credit to local community members who are infected / affected with HIV/AIDS and looking to start up local enterprises but lack financial means to otherwise start these businesses with their own assets. I have been informed that I will be spending a lot of time “in the field”, visiting the existing / potential clients during their required group meetings and evaluating their business plans, appraising their assets (home, savings, electronics and cows, of course) and host training sessions on business management, leadership and accountability. The idea during my time here is value enhancement – adding value to existing programs and fine-tuning the process / policies, not completely reinventing the wheel. In the end, I have to make realistic goals for myself during my short time here and work on something that the community members are bought into, will support and help develop and a project that will be a sustainable model for future growth and improvement.

Landing in Kisumu airport

Chicken and beef stew, beans, ugali, rice, potatoes, steamed vegetables

Mama, son and a whole array of beans and grains

See the shiftiness in his eyes?

Advertisement