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GROW 2016 - Justice

We’ve had an interesting relationship with the justice system here so far. Police are a rarity. Though we live close to a police station, we seldom see them out in the streets. This comes across in the lack of traffic regulation, and the total chaos that sometimes occurs. Despite a large push for reform from the Kenyan police force and from the government, many citizens are still facing a very corrupt system.

A week before arriving in Nairobi, we were a little startled when we saw Kenyan’s police force making national headlines for infamy. A lawyer from the International Justice Mission, Willie Kimani, was investigating a case in which his client, Joseph Mwenda, made a complaint against the police for wrongly shooting him in the arm. Though Mwenda was further targeted by the police with intimidation and harassment for making the claim against them, he persisted in his work with Mr. Kimani. Kimani, Mwenda, and their taxi driver, Joseph Muiruri, disappeared, and then were later found dead at the bottom of the river with their eyes gauged out. This act of suspected police brutality and corruption caused outrage from people across the world, including some ongoing protests that have been occurring while we’ve been here.

While this case happened to make headlines, there is wrongful corruption going on all the time. Our first few days here, one of U-tena’s own members was wrongly arrested as a thief with no basis for finding him guilty, and was not released until the entire U-tena team vouched for him and cleared his name. The officer arresting him had no evidence pinning the U-tena member to the crime they were accusing him of. They just knew they needed to bring back someone.

Because the police are known to be so corrupt, many people often try to create “justice” on their own by taking matters into their own hands. Unfortunately, we had to witness the aftermath of this. While walking to work through the outskirt of the slum, we saw a man lying out on the ground in a pile of trash. Not an uncommon site here. However, the way in which this man was sprawled out gave us an inkling that something was not right. After walking up and joining the few other spectators, we realized that this man was dead. He had been beaten to death (supposedly by a Maasai, who was not a documented citizen) for stealing. Since the Maasai would not be in the system, his murderer would get away with it.

Needless to say, we’ve seen a lot of extremely unjust things happen here. However, it is the work of U-tena and other similar organizations that gives us hope and makes us optimistic for the future of this beautiful country.

–Ariel Silverman

GROW 2016 - Kenya from a glance

Here is some of the basic Swahili vocab we have learned!

Hey (casual greeting) – Sasa/Jambo

Hello (formal) -Jambo (we’ve basically only heard this when people are greeting us as tourists. Sasa is most common)

How are you?-Habari?

Thank you-Asante

Thank you very much-Asante Sana

Welcome/You’re welcome -Karibu (a little confusing at times since it serves as both)

Please -Tafadhali

Sorry – Polei (most commonly used in the phrase “POLEI CHA CHA”)

General information about Kenya.

National Languages – Swahili and English

Nearly everyone speaks both languages – they learn Swahili at home and study 5 of six subjects in school in English

Most people communicate entirely in Swahili, but commonly use an english/swahili slang language called sheng

Population – 45,010,056 (total), 6.5 million in Nairobi metropolitan area

Within Nairobi 60% of the population lives in slums – on 6% of the land

73% of the population is under 30

The life expectancy for men in the city is under 60 (Cha cha told us this)

Religion – 83% Christian and 11.2% Muslim

upon telling a friend we were not religious we received the response “Oh no. You should get religious.”

Climate – Kenya is close to the equator so it does not experience stark summers and winters. The temp ranges from 55-85 degrees F. It has been around 70 the last week.

Economy – Kenya’s services sector contributes 61% of GDP (much through tourism) yet 75% of the work force is employed in agriculture (an underdeveloped and inefficient sector which accounts for 24% of GDP). Their largest export is tea.

Development – Kenya has a fairly low HDI (Human Development Index – composite measurement of life expectancy, income per capita and education) is 0.591 of 1 – ranked 146 of 186 countries in the world.

Independence/Politics – The Kenyan Movement for independence began in 1944 with the formation of the Kenyan African Union led by Jomo Kenyatta. Kenyatta’s Kanu (Kenyan African National Union) party represented the Kikuyu ethnic group an economically marginalized group which demanded political rights and land reforms in reaction to white settler expansion. Beginning in 1952 a violent Kikuyu guerilla uprising left Kenya in a declared state of emergency, which endured eight years and led to the deaths of thousands of Africans.

In 1963 Kenya achieved its independence (from Britain) led by Kenyatta and the Kanu party, which remained in power for four decades. The Kanu reign was characterized by centralization, corruption and rent seeking, civilian disapproval and ethnic tensions that came to a violent peak surrounding the 2007 presidential elections in which nearly 1,500 people died.The Kenyan people have faced severe ethic preference from their leaders – meaning that Kikuyu areas have received disproportionate amounts of public goods over the years. Up until this point Kenya had essentially existed as a single party state and was arguably not even a formal democracy until 2010 when its new constitution was ratified. This constitution intended to devolve power regionally and received a two-thirds approval vote from Kenyans. This new era of governance focused on the development of county governments and improved public service delivery, government accountability, and equitable allocation of land and resources has Kenya headed toward the shaping of a participatory democracy.

–Carly Paul

GROW 2016 - Gikomba Market-A Paradox

A feminist’s nightmare paired with the cheapest shopping we’ve ever seen…

Sierra, Carly and I (Ariel) decided to go to the market. We wanted to get a taste of local color and maybe pick up a few souvenirs or goodies while we were there. We took several matatus there with Shiko (a Kuza mentor) and Faith (Jonathan’s wife). They decided the best place to buy clothes was the Gikomba market—an especially cheap outlet where many of the shops and stands that line the streets all around Nairobi purchase their merchandise. Gikomba is the largest mitumba (second-hand) market and employs 65,000 people. The second-hand industry accounts for all the vigor of the market, but is often criticized as ruining Kenya’s garment industry. As we pulled to the Gikomba market, halfway between our home in Umoja and the Central Business District, we hopped out of the matatu and were instantly overwhelmed with sensory overflow. There were literally hundreds of stands in front of us, all selling very similar goods. There were shoes, all likely knock-off brands or second-hand, some of which were still wet from being washed by the storeowners in bins right alongside the shops. There were piles and piles of clothing, some of which still had Goodwill tags on them, though they were being sold for a tiny fraction of the price that the Goodwill tags dictated. Sierra was able to get a fancy floral dress for the American equivalent of only $1.00. It’s a great place for locals to buy affordable clothing, and their were many prominent brands. Shiko told us about some of the great deals she had gotten on Nike and other brands while there, and we could see her shopping expertise as she navigated through the stands. The shopping was extravagant, and the deals were unrivaled. However, we did not realize that we would barely even have the chance to look at the clothing.

We were harassed so incessantly, and it only worsened as we got deeper and deeper into the market. It started with people jokingly screaming “mzungu” (Swahili for white person/foreigner) at us as we walked through. Then it quickly worsened into a feminist’s nightmare. Men began calling out at us with things like:

“I want one! Give me one!”

…“Those are your bedroom dresses for my bedroom!”

…or disgustingly whisper in our ears “You are sexy”

…or even “I want to have you”

…and other things of the sorts.

I, being Asian, also got “Ching Chong” a few times.

What I found to be far worse than any of the verbal harassment, however, was the physical harassment. Men literally grabbed us and would hold onto us as we tried to walk forward. Getting rather annoyed, we began to shrug or push the men off, though some had stronger grips than others. Faith told us that she frequently faces this type of harassment in places like this, with men frequently slapping her butt. Faith walked behind us to try to protect us from behind, while Shiko walked in front of us. The men were hardly kinder to Shiko. I’d say the biggest difference is that they yelled at her in Swahili instead.

We suddenly realized, however, that even though we felt entirely uncomfortable with the way the men treated us within the market, we ultimately have homes in the United States where women are treated as HUMANS and get the RESPECT that we deserve. That realization made us even more sympathetic towards Kenyan women, and also made us feel very fortunate for the progress the United States has made. Yes, there are still issues within America concerning income inequality, power balances, and sexism. However, our struggles as women in America are dwarfed in comparison to the daily plights of many of the women in Kenya.

–Ariel Silverman

GROW 2016 - Boda Bodas, Matatus, and Pedestrians

Getting around in Nairobi is a constant adventure. It is anything but boring. For the first few days we were overwhelmed by the constant swirl of activity surrounding us as we toured through the city. Traffic laws are less rules and more of (un-followed) suggestions. Cars, pedestrians, boda-bodas (motorcycles), matatus (buses) and even sometimes cows, goats, and pigs all inhabit a single road. Each one weaves in and out around each other, striving to get to their destinations quickly. Dust prevails, as most of the roads are unpaved. The sometimes-uneven road makes the bus bounce up and down and the sounds of car horns dominate the soundscape as each driver struggle to get ahead.

Our journeys generally begin with a walk, either to our destination or to the next matatu stop. We walk along the dirt pathway next to the road, walking past scores of stands selling tons of different items, including fruits and vegetables, roasting meat, clothes and shoes.

Besides walking, our main form of transportation is a matatu. (Uber also exists here, but in the word’s of our dear friend Hank, “that’s mzungu shit”.) Matatus are buses that are the most common form of travel for most people in Nairobi. They range from seating 15 to 40 people (although the number of people in the matatu almost always significantly outnumbers the number of seats). The prices can range from the equivalent to 0.20 to 0.70 dollars depending on the distance and the time of day. The smaller matatus, the ones we usually take to work and around Eastland, are usually fairly plain besides the crazy driving. However, the bigger matatus are incredibly lively both in décor and ambiance. Each one has a different theme and is decorated accordingly. Every available space inside and outside the bus is covered in pictures depicting the theme. So far we have road in matatus with basketball players and teams, rappers, The Dallas Mavericks, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Tupac themes. In addition to the décor, they constantly blast loud music that usually consists of rap with English and Swahili words intermingled. Some of them even have large screens in the front of the bus that show music videos.

Riding in a matatu fluctuates from driving around like crazy, swerving to avoid pedestrians and fellow road goers, to sitting in a complete standstill in traffic for minutes at a time. When we are moving, every matatu tries to get ahead using any method possible, no matter if it is driving up on the curb or driving on the wrong side of the street. Yesterday, a different matatu even hit the one we were in! (But on the plus side, since the traffic is so slow, we generally don’t get up to a speed where they can be really dangerous).

However, during those times when traffic is at a standstill, our Kenyan friends like Cha Cha, Mokaya, and Jonathan tell us about the history and future of infrastructure in Nairobi. A few years ago, there were very few cars on the road because only the affluent could afford them. However, now that more people own cars, there’s a huge traffic problem in the city. (Although it’s amazing that anyone owns cars here as they can cost anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 US dollars because there are no manufacturers in Kenya and there is a hefty tax on them that virtually doubles the price. But our friends also told us that there are many roads currently being built and that when we visit Kenya again in a few years, that we wouldn’t even recognize the place because there would be so many more roads. What they told me was apparent in the numerous construction sites all around the city.

Yet despite all the craziness of travelling in Nairobi, we’re starting to get the hang of it. We are finally getting in the habit of looking the correct way before crossing the street (they drive on the opposite side of the road here) and today we for the first time we road the matatu to the gym all by ourselves. We even made sure they didn’t over charge us because we’re tourists; we tell them “bao!” which means twenty Kenyan shillings to let them know that we know the going rate for a short ride in the matatu. Every day of traveling through this city is a new adventure, and every day we’re learning how to navigate our way around more and more.

–Sierra Fisher

GROW 2016 - Chakula (Food)

From the second we arrived we were thrown into the experience of African food. Our first meal consisted of pasta with a fish stew and a dish called umboga.

Umboga – is essentially a varied vegetable dish. The base is steamed cabbage but we have had it with green bell peppers, tomatoes and onions mixed in as well. Many of the stews are tomato based and include fish or beef, the two most common meats.

Vegetables can be purchased at a grocery store or more commonly any number of stands along the street. The stands are made of sheet metal and can be seen every five feet in some places but often are no more than 100 feet apart. We purchased a bag of cabbage for 30 Kenyan shillings (close to 30 cents) and avocados (the big ones) are 20KSh.

Other Kenyan staples we have eaten and learned to cook include ugali, chapatti, sukuma, matoke, mandazi, grilled maize, samosas, smoki, chai, modoro, sour milk and nyama choma. Here are some brief descriptions of them and our experiences! 100KSh is essentially $1

Ugali – This is undeniably the most common food in a Kenyan diet. It is made by adding corn meal to boiling water. It can be compared to grits but it much thicker like a dough. Usually it is served with vegetables or a saucy stew and eaten with one’s hands. It received a lot of hype from Kenyans and we think it’s good too… a few times a week.

Chapatti – Easily the second most common food is like a flatbread. It is originally from India and made with flour, sugar, and water. The other night a woman Diane (cousin of a U-tena employee) taught us how to make Chapati. She began by eye-ing the ingredients and then mixing and folding the dough with her hands. We then rolled the dough flat, cut it into strips, rolled the strips (like a cinnamon roll) and then flattened those into a tortilla shape. We then placed those in a pan with oil and cooked them much like a pancake. I (Carly) personally love chapati; it is warm and doughy and can be eaten with anything (we love having it with avocado). They can be purchased many places along the street as well. 50KSh or less

Sukuma – Kale! It is steamed and eaten with Ugali.

Matoke – Plantain stew. Originally from Uganda is is made with onions tomatoes and garlic. 120KSh

Mandazi – Kenyan Doughnut! Thick and fluffy. 20 KSh

Grilled Maize – This is corn that can be found on every block. The chefs cook it on a grate over hot coals. It is charred and delicious and offered with lime and a mysterious chili salt that will change your life. 20 KSh

SAMOSAS – We love samosas. They are everywhere and they are delicious. They are pocket of dough full of meat and spices… originally from India. 20-50KSh

Smoki – another food that can be found around every corner. It is a small beef sausage. 20 -40KSh

Chai – We were so pleasantly surprised when we found out Kenyans drink chai tea (always with milk) like its water. We have it every morning and some times after work as well.

Modoro – Bean soup. Our third day we went to lunch with some of the U-tena staff at a small slum restaurant (a sheet metal shack about 30 x 15 ft). They served modoro with either chapatis or ugali. It was delicious and cost 280 KSh for the seven of us, about 40KSh per person.

Maziwa Mala – Sour milk… seems scary, tastes delicious. We were nervous at first but with a little sugar sour milk makes a great dessert – much like a plain keifer.

Mutura – goat intestine sausage. This is a Kenyan classic but we haven’t worked up the courage for it yet – we may never. Vigilantly trying not to confuse these sausages with the Smokis.

FINALLY NAMA CHOMA – This is literally burnt meat and its delicious. You can order a Kilo for 500 KSh. Goat and beef are the most common meets. It is served with all the fat and grizzle and dipped in salt.

While we have enjoyed all the food so far we tapped into our bougie side today and are currently sitting at the “Starbucks” of Kenya called Java – eating overpriced food and capitalizing on their amazing wifi.

There is still a mountain of Kenyan cuisine to be discovered from street side to restaurants to shacks. WE ARE SO EXCITED. and so full.

–Carly Paul

GROW 2016 - Meetings for Her

Hello from Ariel!

Though the 30 plus hours of traveling was filled with a roller coaster of excitement rooted in suspense as well as a number of encounters and conversations with interesting and inspiring people, nothing could match the excitement I felt when I walked out of the luggage pickup area and saw Carly, Cha Cha, and Jonah standing outside the doors waiting! Cha Cha and Jonah are both part of the U-tena team, and some of the most charismatic individuals I’ve ever met. Their light-hearted but caring nature immediately came across as they helped us with our bags and told us jokes, all the while welcoming us to Kenya. (P.S. We now call Cha Cha our “Mommy-Daddy” or “Momma Duckling” because of the way he looks out for us and leads us )

The drive home was beautiful, filled with green landscapes and colorful buildings. After arriving at Cha Cha’s house, in a neighborhood called Umoja Two, we walked to the local Greenspan mall to pick up a few necessities we had forgotten. When we came home, we cooked dinner together as a family of sorts (including Cha Cha’s son and nephew, Mayan and Isaiah), and Cha Cha began to ease us into the local cuisine! Exhausted as could be, we slept very well that night– we even fell asleep with the lights on. But our full nights sleep prepared us well for the exciting day ahead.

We woke up on Wednesday with a full itinerary. But first, we were greeted with warm chai and pancakes made by Cha Cha. We were instantly swept off our feet by how DELICIOUS the chai was. It is brewed with warm milk and sugar, and is a common Kenyan staple.

As for the rest of the day, we decided to divide and conquer, so we split up with separate U-tena executives to attend their respective meetings. Carly and I attended a meeting going on at the U-tena Youth Center led by a representative named Everlyne from the Kenya Medical Research Institute. It was a meeting being led to help educate single mothers about how they can safely avoid HIV/AIDs, STIs, and unplanned pregnancies. Shiko, a Kuza mentor, helped lead the presentation. The speakers were extremely inspiring and skilled– they spoke not only factually, but also had a great air of empowerment in the way they spoke to the women. They spoke of consent and and the value of one’s self over preserving a relationship with a pushy or disrespectful man. She introduced topics that we’ve never had to face before in the US, like the stigmas attached to birth control, or worrying that a man can’t know that a woman is using contraceptives or HIV-prevention drugs. These concepts of distrust and lack of power were foreign to us, and it was amazing to hear Everylne and Shiko speak about these topics with such strength and certainty.

At the conclusion of the meeting, all the women in attendance were offered 500 shillings (around $5, which can get you pretty far in Kenya) as a sort of incentive for attending/compensation for their time. We were told that this funding was coming from an organization in California, and was an extremely effective tool for keeping the women in high attendance and engaged in the discussions. I was shocked by how receptive the women were to the information and how willing they were to make themselves vulnerable with questions about the material. However, I can understand why, as Everlyne and Shiko handled all these inquiries with poise and grace. All in all, I was very impressed and optimistic about the entire meeting. After it was over, we walked back to the U-tena office to meet Cha Cha, Sierra, and the rest of the squad.

–Ariel

GROW 2016 - 30 Hrs

Hi all, Carly writing:)

We have all arrived safely in Kenya and it’s safe to say I have never been so thankful to have my feet on flat ground. However, traveling provided us with some great coffee, memories, and friends. We took two different routes both amassing to 30 hours – Sierra and Ariel together from California and Carly from Colorado. Here are some tidbits from my travel.

Colorado –> Washington DC. –> Addis Ababa, Ethiopia –> Nairobi, Kenya

I left on the 10th from Denver International Airport and took, what I would now deem, a short flight to Dulles arriving at 1am. I spent the next ten hours there snuggling my backpack underneath an airport bench, wandering and drinking chai to stay awake. At 11am I boarded my plane to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. As soon as I sat down in my bright green seat my heart started to race with excitement – and possibly adrenaline from the airplane music, which I can only describe as some sort of Ethiopian trap music. I was soon greeted by Aldo an american man with a three foot long dreaded beard with whom I shared my row. During the 13 hour flight I ate 3 meals, filled 6 pages in my journal/sketchbook, watched 3 movies, and paced the aisle 20+ times.

For the first five hours everyone is quiet yet restless, but as the time passes there is a growing feeling of community – as if everyone is thinking “we are all (stuck) in this together”. After two movies people began to chat with those around them and sleep on the shoulders of their loved ones. I saw offers of snacks, towelettes and extra pillows. The baby a row in front of me grabbed my toes and played with Aldo’s beard. The flight attendant washed her arms, put on a fresh coat of lipstick and offered me some lotion when I paced by. The sense of mutual understanding grew throughout the hours and fell over me like a thick warm blanket – or maybe that was the melatonin.

When dinner came the plane fell into a blissful silence with only the crackling of wrappers to be heard. I had not eaten on a plane since I was too young to remember and proceeded to take pictures of all my meals like a true newb.

When I arrived in Ethiopia I had to run – yes actually run – to my Nairobi flight. I was on board just a short 15 minutes later and in an hour and a half had landed in Kenya. I sat next to a young woman from Somalia who was going to school in Sweden. By the end of the flight we were laughing so hard people were staring. She and I then tackled customs together and said our goodbyes. When I left the airport I was greeted by Chacha (Utena’s Deputy Director) and Jonathan (Utena’s Director) and a sign with my name and two hours later we waited in the same place to be reunited with Ariel and Sierra!

–Carly Paul

GHU Talks Spring 2016- 3

hey hey hey!

This past week’s GHU talk on the approaches to fixing global health problems was really interesting! It was great to split up the group and have a mini-debate on the pros and cons of each of the two main sides.

Here is the wrap-up:

Horizontal Approach: prevention based, focused on investments in public health systems and treatment of all diseases Pros- effects more people, changing infrastructure on a local level creates partnerships, country get to know other countries better, done well at the local level

Cons- no responsibility put on a certain person, must go through lots of bureaucracy, harder to measure successes

Vertical Approach: focused on fighting one disease at a time

pros- much more funded approach, distinct goals, successes are easier to quantify

cons- western dynamic created, can be inefficient diseases aren’t necessary the problem in one area

GHU Talks Spring 2016- 2

Helloooooo!

Some really cool things have been happening for GlobeMed! Last weekend’s fundraising event, a collaborative showcase called “Global Health Through The Artist’s Eye” was a success, with some awesome performances. There’s also been some great GHU talks! Here’s some interesting facts of the most recent presentations...

Indigenous Health:

-An estimated 370 million indigenous peoples live in more than 70 countries worldwide [WHO]

-The health status of indigenous peoples varies significantly from that of non-indigenous population groups in countries all over the world. Health issues include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, reproductive and mental health issues, and infant mortality.

-How are these disparities being reduced? Decolonization, the integration of native healing systems, food programs, and an increasing number of grassroots organizations allowing native people to have more agency over their health.

Structural Violence:

-What is structural violence? It’s defined as a form of violence wherein some social structure or social institution may harm people by preventing them from meeting their basic needs. Its depersonalized, violent, pervasive and invisible.

-This has clinical impacts. Physicians are trained to reduce a patient to biomedical symptoms. Social factors often determine who falls ill and who has access to care, but social factors are generally ignored in clinical care.

-There have been successful attempts to address structural violence! A group of Baltimore researchers in the 1990s showed that race and income level were associated with timely receipt of treatment. They began to pay for transportation costs and other incentives, address comorbid conditions ranging from mental illness to drug addiction, and implemented improvements in community based care. Disparities largely disappeared between demographics in the population!

-Hannah

GHU Talks- Spring 2016

Hello everyone!

The spring semester is already half way done, and GlobeMed meetings have been in full swing. There’s been some great planning for upcoming fundraising events and some awesome GHU talks over the past few weeks. We started off the semester appropriately with a presentation on the breakthroughs of 2015. It was amazing to see just how many advances in global health and medicine have occurred in only the span of a year! Some especially cool breakthroughs:

-The WHO has declared Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea completely free of Ebola, and a new vaccine against Ebola has been 100% successful in clinical trials.

-A man named Kenton Lee designed a shoe that grows with a child’s foot, preventing underprivileged kids, whose parents cannot afford new shoes each time they outgrow a pair, from contracting soil born diseases.

-Researchers at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) designed a 3D-printed titanium rib cage and sternum that fit perfectly to save the life of 54 year old cancer patient that needed transplant.

GHU next gave a talk on Zika virus, something that has been publicized a lot lately in the media. This was a great topic of choice, because many people had heard the name of the virus thrown around in the news, but did’t actually know that much about the disease. Here are the key facts:

-Zika is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, but it can also be transmitted from a pregnant mother to her child during pregnancy or birth.

-Symptoms are usually very mild, and many people just feel as if they have the flu.

-The virus has been linked to several birth defects in newborns, such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

-There is no treatment or vaccine as of now.The WHO has declared Zika to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), which is a big deal. Only the H1N1 outbreak and Hurricane Katrina have been placed in this category!

Some great learning has been going on at GlobeMed over this past month, and there is plenty more to come- I’ll be writing again soon to update! :)

-Hannah

Hilltop Conference

Final Days and Thoughts

As I write this, I am soaring over the Mediterranean Sea at 857 km/hr. I can’t believe six weeks is over and that I’m really on my way home. I’m not sure it has set in yet that I have left Nairobi and U-Tena, but at least I have a lot of flying time to reflect on our journey.

Our second to last week was rough for me because I was sick. I threw up for the first time since I was five years old, so that was like a new experience in itself. I had the pleasure of really getting to know my lunch for a second time, as I had clogged the sink and had to spend a good fifteen minutes fishing about a cup of cabbage out of the drain. Let’s just say I still can’t look at cabbage without having awful flashbacks. (TMI? Sorry...). I basically lived off bread for the next 3 days, and I wasn’t the greatest company. Those few days are slightly hazy in my memory. I managed to sleep through three hours of a graduation ceremony after finding a nice couch two floors below the ceremony. Albert was convinced that I was dying as he continued to get just a groan and a mumbled “I want sleep” whenever he tried to check on me. As sad as I was to miss the ceremony, that nap was definitely necessary. It was definitely the lowest point of the trip for me, but at least I was mostly recovered for the last few days.

Our last week felt like it was over before I could even blink. On Friday, Niki and I decided to get our hair braided, so Shiko took us to her co-mentor’s salon in the slum. It took about four and a half hours, and was slightly (okay, more than slightly) painful, but the two girls did a very good job. However, a mzungu with braids? We looked a bit silly, and got even more stares (and even quite a few laughs) than usual on the way home. Ask Jonelle how much she laughed at us when she first saw us. I wish I had it on video. Niki and I also got to experience riding a boda boda for the first time. Boda bodas are basically like motorcycle taxis, and the drivers frequently don’t follow the rules of the road. But then again, who does in Nairobi? Niki sat behind the driver and I was behind her, with my butt an inch from the edge of the seat. I held on for dear life and spent half the ride imagining my death. We also went the wrong way on an entrance ramp, but again, that’s just the norm in Nairobi. Overall, the experience was slightly terrifying. But would I do it again? Hell yea.

We went to the KUZA Monthly Bash on Saturday, and it was great having all the girls together again. The bash included three motivational speakers, some dancing, lunch, and a Q&A where the girls asked the GROW interns anything they wanted to know. ”Do you have a boyfriend?” “No, I don’t.” “I have an older brother...” Looks like I have a potential boyfriend.

On Sunday, we left with Niki’s aunt and uncle for Maasai Mara, where we stayed for two nights in these really cool tented cabins. Mara is a huge park filled mostly with open grasslands. In areas of the park where animals have not yet grazed, we could barely see over the grass outside the car windows. Maasai Mara is the Kenyan continuation of the Serengeti in Tanzania, and every year, from July to October, there are huge migrations of wildebeest, topi, zebras, and gazelles from the Serengeti to Mara. And we were there to witness it! We also got to see two cheetahs and many lions - including two lions that were in the middle of, er, procreating. (”It’s standing on something. A rock?” “I think he has prey!” “Wait, that’s another lion.” “Oh....”). When they had finished, we proceeded to drive up right next to them and capture some really great shots. As a side note, having a lion look you in the eye from a few feet away is very intimidating when your windows are down.

On Tuesday night, we were supposed to return to Donholm for our welfare party, but we unfortunately got caught in traffic and never made it. We moved about half a mile in 3 hours. We eventually gave up and returned to Niki’s uncle’s house, where we stayed the night. Traffic in Nairobi is awful, especially at rush hour. No wonder why everyone is always late. Meeting at 10? Chances of it starting before 10:30 are next to 0, and it is likely to start closer to 11. Being a person that likes to arrive five to ten minutes early to everything, this lack of punctuality was tough to get used to. However, I embraced this lack of timeliness in the end. Life is a little less stressful when you’re never in a rush.

We had our second attempt of a welfare party on Wednesday evening. We got together for dinner and drinks at a club called Kuzima and we exchanged gifts after the table was cleared. Most of that day was spent running around town trying to buy gifts for family, friends, and every member of U-Tena, so we were excited to give them out. We were so appreciative of all of the gifts that U-Tena had gotten for us. I can’t wait to wear my sandals (made by U-Tena!) all the time. A few people couldn’t make it to the party, but it was great having almost everyone together one last time. Looking at all of the smiling faces around me reminded me of all of the memories we shared and how much I appreciate each member of U-Tena and each of my fellow interns.

While there were ups and downs along the way, these last six weeks have been nothing short of amazing. I know that these experiences and memories will remain with me for the rest of my life. After spending so much time with everyone, I leave with nothing but love for every member of U-Tena. I knew theoretically before coming that GROW is important for partnership, but I didn’t realize what a huge effect it would actually have. Everything that U-Tena does and everything GlobeMed at Brown does for U-Tena has become infinitely more meaningful now that I know the faces and minds behind the organization. I sincerely hope that the friendships I have made will continue long beyond my time at Brown.

There is so much that I will miss about U-Tena. Their never-ending laughter and jokes, each person’s unique personality (and dance moves), the ease at which everyone interacts, and, most importantly, the passion that each member has for what U-Tena does. It is so evident in rehearsal, performances, and in how hard every member works; ask any member about U-Tena, and you can hear it in the way they speak about the organization. The majority have stayed with U-Tena from the start, with no promise of pay or knowledge of what the future of the organization will hold, but just the notion that they are making a difference. Even now, there is not as much funding coming in as there had been in previous years. Through conversations with members, I know it hasn’t been easy for them. Yet the amount of support they give each other and the obvious amount that they care about each other is truly inspiring. If one member needs help, the rest of the team will come together to do everything they possibly can do to support him or her. I can sincerely say that U-Tena is filled with some of the most amazing and inspirational people I have ever met.

I’m going to miss the craziness of life in Nairobi. The loud and crowded matatus with drivers who drive on whichever side of the road they please; the obstacle course of ditches, bumps, and muddy messes that walking anywhere entails; the groups of children that yell “Mzungu! Mzungu! How are you?!” in unison whenever we pass; the mind-blowingly cheap and delicious meals we ate and the ability to buy chapati on practically any corner; the nightlife that doesn’t stop until the sun comes up; the friendly security guards at Tumaini supermarket by the office; the two trainers, Juma and Nato, who pushed us through our workouts at the gym we joined; and even the random man that told me he loved me as he tried to sell me an American flag in the middle of the street in honor of Obama’s arrival. The list goes on and on. Leaving Nairobi and U-Tena wasn’t easy, but I know that this goodbye isn’t forever. Mpaka nitakuja tena. Kwaheri, Kenya.

-Olivia

GlobeMed Bog #5

A Culture of Celebration

Last Sunday and Monday we went on our first safari at Amboseli National Park. This majestic park is located near the slopes of Kilimanjaro and is most famous for its elephants. Seeing the elephants up close and in nature was beyond awesome. They crossed the road right in front of our car and one even came as close as five yards to our car! In addition to seeing many elephants, we spotted two lionesses in the grasslands, hyenas, zebras, many wildebeest, two buffalos in the swamps, hippos basking near small lakes, ostriches, warthogs, giraffes, and plenty of gazelle. Moreover, night time away from the pollution of the city lights was just as amazing. The sky was so clear and spotted with billions of stars; we even could see the vast expanse of the Milky Way streaking the sky.

On Tuesday, we attended U-Tena’s weekly dance rehearsals. Swaying to the pulse of Vicki’s drum beats and attempting to shake our hips Kenyan-style was definitely tons of fun, though difficult. Uzo, BB lady, Vicki, Chacha, and I even had a mini jam session at the end of practice and sang some popular songs such as “Jambo Bwana”. On Wednesday, we had a big birthday bash for Shiko, where we once again attempted to feed tons of people at Dot’s house (we definitely missed the mark on that one). By far the highlight of the night was watching everyone grab clumps of cake like it was Ugali. It was also tons of fun having the chance to dance with all the U-Tena members.

The next day was definitely a struggle, especially for Pradip who had to sleep on Dot’s couch in the cold. BB Lady, Uzo, and I attended the stakeholders meeting for the third edition of the First Community Conference in the Slums. The event is scheduled to be held in August and is basically a large networking opportunity for local business and youth groups. It is especially a chance to empower the youth of the community and allow them to showcase their talent. GlobeMed’s contribution to this event is making profile PowerPoints for the youth groups to present at the conference and designing the poster for the event.

On Friday, Fundi made us ngoja gato, a traditional dish from his wife’s tribe. Afterwards, we went dancing at Sky Club, and once again the night ended in a crazy sleeping arrangement where BB Lady and I were squashed on the top bunk, Uzo was on the couch, Pradip was with Chacha and his son, and Vicki was huddled in the corner under a blanket. The next morning we attended the crafting sessions where all the girls learned to make beaded sandals.

Yesterday we spent the day exploring town. We went to Uhuru Park, which is the equivalent of the central park of Nairobi and visited Westgate Mall which just opened two days ago. And amazingly, while we were there, we saw the President of Kenya!

In short, almost every day this week has been filled with festivity in true Nairobi style. It’s hard to think we have less than two weeks left. :(

-Niki Vaghjiani

GROW 2015 Blog #4

Food and Lifestyle of Nairobi

One of the most beautiful parts of discovering the Kenyan culture has been the unique opportunity to experience its food. From eating at “hotels” or “inns” (the Kenyan terms for restaurants) on the streets of Nairobi to eating chips in the slums of Mukuru for 50 cents to enjoying a home cooked meal at a U-Tena member’s house, we have experienced a spectrum of Kenyan life through meals. In these past five weeks, food has definitely brought me closer to the heart of Kenya and its people.

A typical Kenyan morning begins with a cup of warm chai and slices of white bread. Unless, of course, you are Fundi. He lives by a strict no-wheat (unless-malted-and-fermented) diet. In his case, every morning meal consists of a hard-boiled egg topped with a tomato and onion salad called Kachumbari—all of which is served to him at 9:30 a.m. at the office by a man who looks somewhat like a milkman except with a large bucket of hard boiled eggs. Of course, it wouldn't be much of a cultural exchange if we didn't add our own little twist to breakfast. Many mornings, Uzo and I (and more than occasionally BB Lady) toast our bread on a pan and add avocado or peanut butter and banana. Nom. Nom. We both enjoy tasting all the delicious fruits vended on the streets. Pineapples, mangoes, passion fruit, pink lady apples, Kenyan tangerines. So delicious!

For lunch, we can always count on our trusty 7-Up restaurant for one of the best sides of gratuitous Kachumbari. 7-Up’s specialty is githeri--a delicious mix of boiled maize and beans--with an optional topping of sliced avocado. In the beginning of our trip, Diamond, a restaurant located right beneath the office, used to be our go-to for lunch. It has bomb garlic fries (as Assistant Fundi can attest to) except they never have the ingredients in stock to make the garlic fries or half their menu really. However, most recently, Uzo, Fundi, and Nzuki introduced us to the best “inn” near Mareba Center. It is endearingly nicknamed Mama’s Place by Nzuki, and it serves the most scrumptious chapatis rolled on a fork. Moreover, three people can enjoy full meals for less than a dollar fifty!

Dinners in Nairobi have definitely been the most adventurous for us. A couple nights have ended with us cooking at Dot’s house for fifteen people--more people than we ever should have signed up to cook for with only one propane tank! Needless to say, there was a lot of chapati-making happening. Kenyans love good hearty meals and can definitely boast a large appetite. On the bright side, we figured out how to start a coal chapatti stove with cooking oil, maize husks collected from the street, and pieces of a ripped up flour bag; and we learned that we probably should open the air vent of the oven when trying to heat the coals (whoops). (Really it was Assistant Fundi winging the whole thing, but it somehow worked.) However, some our dinners were definite feasts like our coconut cream corn, our mokimo and kachumbari, and our chips and cabbage dinners.

Through all the cooking endeavors made by ambitious Brown students to the delicious food made by the people of Nairobi, it’s been amazing to see how much a plate of food can bond people of seemingly different cultures.

-Niki Vaghjiani

GROW 2015 Blog #3

Homestays and Partnership

There’s really no better way to learn about someone’s life than to stay in his or her home, eat meals together, journey to work together, and witness the ups and downs of everyday life. Homestays are such an integral part of the GROW internship; partnership is started in the office, but strengthened in those everyday moments. While U-Tena’s office is constantly filled with the sounds of banter and laughter, I have learned the most about the members of U-Tena during the times that we all have gone out together, or when we are invited into their homes for a delicious home-cooked meal. A house does not define the person living in it, but there is something personal about entering someone’s home that offers a look into his or her life that you wouldn’t get by just sitting next to each other in the office. If we only saw each other at work, I would not have: witnessed Fundi knock back vodka like it’s water, tried my first Kenyan pancake (courtesy of Dot), eaten Niko the Bachelor’s delicious homemade chapati and mokimo, nor seen MC Jonah dance by himself with more confidence than anyone else I know. You can’t spend time with any member of U-Tena without your abs hurting from laughing so much. I’ve also had the pleasure of getting to know the rest of the GROW team. I know I can always count on Assistant Fundi, Floater, and Kiki for anything, and I could not have asked for a better team to work with.

And, of course, I can’t forget about my wonderful host. If you asked me what the best part of GROW has been, I would have to say living with Chacha. Chacha is one of the funniest people I know, and he always brightens my day. He’s the only person I know who drinks water out of a flask and uses “superdouche” as a positive exclamation. He has graciously welcomed me into his home, and I have learned so much from him in the two and a half weeks I have been here. From our conversations while walking to work (during which I occasionally have to jog to keep up with his huge stride), to hearing all about his life growing up and all of the things he has experienced. I got to look at photo albums with pictures starting from when Chacha was a child, all the way up to more recent pictures of his beautiful wife and son. He has taught me how to cook Kenyan dishes and hand-wash my clothes, showed me how to eat a whole fish around the bones (I failed miserably), and pushed me to be independent. I have learned my way around Donholm and can walk to the nearby shop to ask for what I need in Swahili. Chacha continually inspires me to do more, and is a constant reminder of why everything we do in GlobeMed is so important.

-Olivia Recabo

GROW 2015 Blog #2: Prateek Joshi

On my first night in Nairobi, Jonathan’s car broke down on the way back from the airport. The source of the problem was a broken radiator. As Jonathan and a mysterious stranger pushed the car down the road, I nervously inherited the role of driver, steering the car to the nearest gas station at around 1 am. After the car was parked, I rode on the back of a motorbike to Jonathan’s house, somehow carrying my giant suitcase through the bumpy rock-infested road. Needless to say, my first day in Kenya was intense, exhilarating, and exhausting. This was the general theme of the first week, as I was tired from a long journey and overwhelmed by the multitude of sounds, sights, and smells.

Now, after my second week abroad, I am still meeting new people, eating new food, and seeing new things (both in the real world and in my hallucinogenic dreams brought on by the weekly malaria pills). Thankfully I haven’t actually had any of those negative malaria pill side-effects, but I can’t say the same about mosquito bites. I have a lot of those, so hopefully the medications are effective, although I was recently informed that mosquitos in Nairobi don’t carry malaria. However, I can confidently write that I have fully recovered from the jet lag.

This past week was our first full one working at the U-Tena office. Last Monday, Olivia and I attended U-Tena’s weekly staff meeting at the Lunga Lunga Youth Friendly Center. U-Tena’s weekly meetings are far from boring because everyone, especially Albert (aka “Fundi”), is constantly making jokes. Unfortunately, Jonelle was a bit sick that day, so Niki stayed home with her. After the meeting, Olivia and I went over a few sections of the KUZA II manual with the mentors, which covered financial literacy and relationships. This is the material that the mentees will learn about in the upcoming year. On Tuesday and Wednesday, all of us looked over the baseline surveys that the mentees took last year and analyzed the results in a spreadsheet to include in our Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) report. On Thursday and Friday, we worked on writing our 3 year plan for the KUZA project, and some random Brown graduate named Meygan Lackey saved the day by emailing us a soft copy of the KUZA manual so we wouldn’t have to retype the whole thing.

On Saturday, Niki, Jonelle, Olivia, and I attended two more KUZA sessions and administered the midline survey. In these sessions, the girls were more social and less shy compared to last week, and we were even able to start interviewing them. In the second session, the mentees volunteered to escort us back to U-Tena’s office so that they could “protect us with their kung-fu”. Albert invited us to dinner that night, and after we filled our stomachs with delicious food, we drank lots of water and other beverages to stay hydrated. Yesterday, we took a trip to Hell’s Gate National Park and biked through the savanna before hiking through the gorge. The name is misleading, because I don’t think Hell has wild giraffes, zebras, baboons, vultures, gazelles, and warthogs. A baboon even stole part of Niki’s lunch, which was quite unfortunate for her but entertaining for the rest of us. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of our month in Kenya!

Also, Chacha thought I was Korean.

GROW team 2015: Week 1- Jonelle Ahiligwo

After over 24 hours in the air (not including layover time), I made it to Kenya on Tuesday night. I met Olivia, Prateek, Chacha and Jonathan at the airport. We went home to Chacha’s and I had my first Kenyan sleep underneath a mosquito net. Needless to say I was not used to it and I woke up with the net wrapped around my face. The next day we tagged along on a trip in a “mutatu” (a public service van) to an agricultural center in Ngong, a town about an hour (longer in traffic, as we found out on our way back) outside of Nairobi. The trip was designed for “youths,” Kenyans under 35 years old, who were interested in farming. The people who ran the farm gave an informational tour of value addition of produce and different farming techniques for various animals, with an emphasis on urban-friendly farming practices. It was fun to interact with Kenyans who are our age, not that U-Tena isn’t great! It took some time for them to warm up, but soon they were joking around, telling me that a water tank was a pool that I could swim in. We ate at a Kenyan restaurant in Ngong town and I got the “Githeri special,” a bean and corn dish at only 120 Kenyan shillings. Everything is so cheap! All in all a good time, Ngong is a very pretty place.

The next day we had orientation at the youth-friendly center in Mareba, which is near the slums. The majority of those who work in U-Tena were there and they told us about the work they do and general Kenyan knowledge. It was very informational and nice to see U-Tena in person.

On Saturday we went to two KUZA sessions. Shiko led the first, and the girls were pretty shy because us GROW interns were pretty intimidating. We talked about why women are more vulnerable than men and played musical chairs. The GROW interns asked what their favorite part about KUZA was and we took some photos with them. Then we went into the Mukuru slums for the next KUZA session. But before the session, we walked around and accompanied Shiko and two girls to buy some chips (fries) from a little restaurant in the slums. The slums were makeshift, but a lot more permanent than I thought. Although the dirt roads were muddy and unkempt (both Niki and Prateek accidentally stepped in the sludge), the houses we entered were clean and the floors were concrete. We visited two of the KUZA girls’ homes and interviewed their mothers. The main thing their mothers wanted to improve the KUZA program was scholarships for school. Oftentimes, the girls’ parents do not have enough money for secondary school so the girls do not have an education. As GROW interns, we think GlobeMed should seriously consider offering scholarships for girls who need them. We can talk more about this at Brown, but it seems like an important issue for the girls.

In the second KUZA session the girls were similarly quiet, and it mostly comprised of a question and answer session where the girls wrote three questions regarding sexual/reproductive health on a piece of paper that the mentor, Irene, would answer. An example of a question was, ‘Can you still become pregnant if you have sex standing up?’ Irene quickly dispelled any myths of certain sex positions being unsuitable for pregnancy. Afterward, we had a little dance-off between one of the girls and me which I will just say it ended in a tie.

On Sunday we went to Nairobi National Park to pet baby elephants and feed giraffes! Chacha’s 4 year old son, Mayan joined us. It was a fun way to wrap up the week. First week in Nairobi in the books!

#U-Tena #GROW 2015 #globemed #Brown u

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