#kenyaymca

[fputz]

What is Communication for Change?

For those who are unfamiliar with the CfC program, it is essentially a cultural exchange.  We’ve got participants from all over the world – from Kenya, Tanzania, Nicaragua, Brazil, Madagascar and Norway. All of us are gathered to attend a three-week preparatory course in Kenya before we travel to our host countries. This is where we are now.

What is key about the CfC program, is that the exchange is mutual. That means that not only Norwegian participants are sent to the South, but what we call our “South-participants” are exchanged to Norway. This means that, when the rest of the Norwegians and I have completed our exchange around Christmas, we’re bringing the South-participants to Norway. They are going to live with us at Sunmøre Folkehøgskole, something we're really looking forward to. (We're taking them skiing!)

In addition, we have something called South-South exchange, which is when South-participants exchange to other partner organizations in the South. For example, some participants from Kenya are going to Madagascar.

The aims of this program are many. For the Norwegian participants, the program includes cultural exchange, completing the course “Global Understanding” at Oslo University College (HiOA), and comprehensive leader training.  I think that the best way for me to sum up the overarching aim of the program is to cite the long-term objective:

 CfC is building young leaders for a global movement of justice and peace.

    If you’re from Norway and are interested in applying, you can read more about the program and the application process on the following websites:

http://www.kirkensnodhjelp.no/Engasjer-deg/gjor-en-forskjell/Communication-for-Change1/

http://kfuk-kfum.no/side61

[fputz]

Sleep-deprived, but ecstatic!

As incapable I am of finding a decent sleeping position while travelling by plane, I’m feeling incredibly sleep-deprived. Some others and I took a nap on the floor of the luggage room as soon as we arrived, and that nap happens to be the only hour I’ve slept the past 36 hours. Luckily we were welcomed to a very nice and hospitable place after the journey that lasted the whole night, namely Kenya YMCA. This is where we’re going to spend the first days of the preparatory course.

  Fortunately, our coordinators gave us a soft start, and we’ve spent most of the day getting short pieces of information about things ranging from safety precautions to an introduction about Kenya. The most attention-grabbing thing we did, however, was to go through our schedule for the next three weeks. Our leaders have put together an incredibly exciting and varied course, which includes everything from lectures about topics such as economic justice, to field trips, group activities and a game drive(!)

  I’m trying very hard to keep this post short, because I feel like there are so many things I could’ve written about -  like the huge bird I saw on our way here, or even how funny my Kenyan roommate looked at me when she saw that I neither comb nor put oil in my hair after I wash it. Most importantly, this is the very first time for me to set foot on African soil. I’m absolutely ecstatic about being in Nairobi and a part of this exchange program. I’m very eager to start the next day, but first I’m looking forward to enjoying a long, semi-unconscious sleep.