Kenya - December 7, 2003

Nairobi - Gateway to East Africa

My travels in Africa have helped me realize how narrow my understanding of the continent was before my visit. Previously, if some said the word Africa, images of exotic wildlife intermixing with Massai on vast wild plains would be the most likely images to pop into my head. That was then, and this is now. It is clear now that treating Africa as a single entity was a mistake for a variety of reasons, mostly though because it ignores the vastness of the geography and plurality of its people.

In Kenya alone there are up to seventy tribal groups each with significant differences in appearance, language, or culture. In addition, there is a large expatriate and Asian community. Nairobi, the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg, is an amplified reflection of East Africa's characteristics, where western luxuries are readily available to those that can afford them. Unfortunately, that group is the minority as almost a third of the population survives on less than one dollar a day.

During my first week in Nairobi all my assumptions about Africa were challenged. Tales of Kibera, Africa's largest slum with a population of approximately one million people and a reputation for supporting a third of Nairobi's crime rate, made me wary and on the lookout for robbers known as "Now-rob-me's".

Stories of criminals being caught stealing and then beaten by a mob that eventually rings the criminal in a fuel-laden, burning tire are common. A young Kenyan who volunteers in the slums told me that grandmothers have been know to pimp their 14 year old granddaughters for the equivalent of 10 cents and a stiff drink.

However, it is far too easy to isolate yourself from the effects of poverty in Nairobi. Along the green, flowery suburban roads Mercedes and Range Rovers pass stately suburban homes. Besides the thick exhaust that plumes from the "Matatus" (public transportation), the city seems clean and the sky appears crisp. Shopping centers and U.S.-sized grocery stores sell most Western comforts.

Continental and Asian cuisine is readily available from a plethora of costly restaurants. In these locations there are large numbers of Caucasian, Asian, and African people displaying their wealth by wearing trendy clothing and practicing the fine art of conspicuous consumption. During my first week, I couldn't help but be surprised by the large number of white people in Nairobi.

It was only after an unfortunate incident though, that I first experienced the feeling of being completely foreign to the host culture.

As a bit of background, within the confines of the wealthier communities in Nairobi, it is common to have a security guard and house cleaner that live on the grounds of the property. When my friend's security guard/gardener, Sammy, did not return home at the end of a second straight day she was alarmed enough to search the local hospitals and police stations. I joined her and together, we went to the hospital where he would most likely be treated if he were discovered ill or victimized on the street.

Here hundreds of people crowded the admissions area and some there were sick people sprawled out on stretchers among the crowd. As we searched the floors we passed large rooms overcrowded with sick patients laying on mattresses scattered about the floor. The swinging of my arms in my peripheral vision reminded me that I was the only white person among hundreds, thousands maybe. Fortunately, we didn't find Sammy at the hospital and were relieved to see him at the gate upon our return to the house. He was healthy but poorer than he had been the day before.

The previous day Sammy had agreed to help a friend cut grass in another yard and then as many workers do, he and his friend decided to have a few spirits afterwards. When the police saw Sammy helping his friend, they picked him up for being slightly intoxicated, and made him spend the night in jail. As if that wasn't bad enough, they took all his money, and forced him to cut their lawn.

With a new peacefully elected government most Kenyans today appear optimistic that corruption will eventually be eliminated. Unfortunately though, it takes time for things to change so corruption, poverty, and AIDS remain the three great inseparable problems facing Kenya. Having worked with children professionally, I was particularly struck by the number of AIDS orphans in the country.

I decided to try in some small way so during my final two weeks in Nairobi I volunteered at New Life Homes which cares for orphaned infants and toddlers. Some of the children are HIV positive and others are orphaned by parents who were severely effected by AIDS. Mopping floors, wiping off mushy mouths after eating, and of course, breaking up fights over toys are a few of my duties as a volunteer.

While those were all necessary activities on any given day, I found my most appreciated activity was simply holding the children. With a capable staff these children are well taken care of and are relatively healthy. Despite their history, the children walk with waddling hips, put everything possible in their mouth, get what they want by crying and smiling adorably, and make a mess just like other two year-olds around the world. Yet, it is uncertain whether these children will ever have the chance to say "jambo!" with big soft Kenyan smiles when a mother or father walks into the room.

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