I left Kenya at the end of my residency program on Sept. 14. Kenya, I’ll be back…!
The ground from whence I come (Goodbye Kenya)
“One who is climbing a tree, must still come down.”
I am truly grateful for the opportunities before me, for the ability to tell the people’s stories and for the gift of words. Life’s joys can only be actualized by fulfillment and because of the goodness of others, I am reaching fulfillment.
Are you’re wondering what in the world I’m talking about?
“One who is climbing a tree, must still come down.”
I heard this proverb when watching a Nigerian movie one evening. An old Igbo man was talking to his son who had become rich and had forgotten his “roots.” The proverb stuck with me. (Africans are so eloquently expressive and such aphorisms are like ripe fruits in the mouth: sweet, wholesome and good for the soul.) Everyone’s goal in life is to progress, move forward, grow…climb a tree. But, the ground is still below and we mustn’t forget the ground from whence we came…and still come. We must come down, specifically to thank.
I write this for those who have helped me and as much as I can vocally express thanks, I believe nothing is more solid than the written word.
So, there is a man at the Medill School of Journalism named Bill. He is the one who coordinated this one-of-a-kind opportunity to report in Kenya. He worked hard to make it happen and while I crisscross from Nyerere Road to University Way to Harry Thuku Road to Kijabe Street and enter Longonot Place to take the elevator to the 3rd floor and walk into the K24 newsroom, I have to remember Bill. He’s not only a journalist and an instructor; he is a generous fellow whose eyes twinkle when he smiles. I’m serious guys, they twinkle!
Bobby, my longest- running friend; the quintessential, “good” buddy who listens and says exactly what you need to hear at the right time. Bobby, thank you for making me laugh, being my friend, encouraging me and never thinking that my goals are just “too big.” I can never, ever, never forget someone like Bobby; such a friend is hard to find in this life and I know this all too well.
And there’s Tope…. the slender, slim-eyed wonder of a friend whose soft, gentle voice leaves a lifelong impact. Tope has not only helped to guide my goals but has made me feel important. Said that… I’m not weird, but unique. Being the lofty, idealist, dreamer that I am, I’ve lived most of my life with my head in the clouds, and it can, indeed, get very lonely in those clouds. Tope sat next to me in the clouds. Good company. I thank him.
My other good friend is also a high-flying dreamer, but he is also like solid ground. And when he gets quiet, brings his palms together and raises them to his center of his face and just…watches, I know he’s thinking…deep thoughts. My thinking, dreaming, ever-solid friend told me not worry when Bill told me that some of the security concerns in Kenya may affect the university’s decision to approve of my trip. When Bill told me everything had went through and all the paperwork had been approved, my friend was no less excited as I was. The opportunities that he saw for me in Kenya were different, yet just as noble as the ones that I saw for myself. He believes I can do just about anything. Great friends come in divine packages like Uzoma.
And there are others, not a lot because I keep a small circle, but there are others. Shoulders I have mounted so I can grab the tree that I am climbing. Pastor Mike. Uncle Nche. Aunty Ngozi. Aunty Deborah. Uncle Ifeanyi. Dr. White, who exposed me to the beauty of anthropology. Mrs. Hobbs, who, when I was 11-years-old, told me that I must be a writer.
And the believers of God.
My younger siblings-three sisters and three brothers. Though I’m the oldest, I tell you, I’ve learned more from them than they’ve learned from me. We are a silly bunch and the hundreds of hours I’ve spent laughing with them are more valuable than gold. I wouldn’t trade my siblings for anything in this world.
Nurturing. Lifting. Encouraging. Teaching. Correcting. Loving. Valuing. Listening. Learning. Feeding. That’s what my parents do for me. They are helping me to live a rich and full life. I believe that a dog can only be a dog. An eagle must live an eagle’s life. And an elephant must follow elephants. I thank my parents for allowing me to be who I am. They have truly fostered my skills. I do love to write, and I believe that they enjoy reading my words. I remember driving in the car with my dad one afternoon a couple years back and I was scribbling in a notebook. Feeling my dad’s gaze, I looked up and he asked what I was writing. I told him, “my book.” He didn’t say anything else with his voice. With his silence, he was saying he loves me.
I took after my mom; she, too, is a writer-in-spirit. I thank them for passing on their traits, the good ones of course. I have my father’s smile and my mother’s creativity. She gave me her intense personality and my dad passed on his patience. Throughout my years of finding myself, they already knew who I was and who I would become.
I laugh like my mom, and my mom and I enjoy talking “big” together in the living room. And I finally understand that she is the source of my fiery passion.
I’ve enjoyed all my years of sitting beside my dad in the car as he, tired from work, picked me up from school. And like my dad, I am inquisitive. He always told us, “Ask questions! Read! Read everything!”
There is nothing like having a great set of parents. The greatest blessing is having parents who respect you as a person, love you as their child and believe in the gift of your future.
And the beauty of this journalist’s life manifests in meeting more people, telling their stories and thanking them for sharing. I look forward to continuing my climb.
But may I never forget the ground from whence I came…and still come.
K24 Day 43: Back to Nyeri September 6, 2010
I went to Nyeri again last Thursday and stayed until Saturday afternoon. This time, I went for 2 enterprise stories that I’ve been researching for the past three weeks and I am particularly excited about these two stories. In a small town, a youth center houses former street children and teaches them about environmental sustainability. But this center is doing some very interesting things. A social revolution is breeding here.
The socialists principles underlying the foundation of the youth center are evident in a number of ways. Firstly, at the center, the youth are encouraged to take up skills and to be a “good human being,” and by doing so, they gain points for which they can use to “purchase” items such as clothing. The “directors” of the center, Andrew and Paul are what many Americans would call radical. I’ve conversed extensively with both Andrew and Paul and one can’t help but to be inspired. Paul has a economics background and Andrew is trained in technological engineering and by combining the two disciplines, Paul and Okello have formulated socioeconomic principles to help Africans to help themselves out of poverty.
On Thursday, Kevin (the K24 camera guy who accompanied me) and I observed Andrew and his young volunteers discussing their project called Ujamma. Ujamma means “family hood,” in Kiswahili and denotes the idea of togetherness.
Ujamma, as a concept, was first practiced in Tanzania where the country’s first President, a very afrocentric and leftist leader named Julius Nyerere, advocated socialist ideals, promoting the idea that the land belongs to everyone and such. It didn’t last, but Andrew and his volunteers are convinced that Africans must returned to its tradition of helping one another. Ujamma, African socialism, they believe that this is the best direction for Africa.
So, these are Africa’s new revolutionary socialist.
When I asked the nine of them if they are socialist, I was met with a variety of replies.
“Socialism is a revolution. The value that we have as human beings shouldn’t be attached to money. Ujamma means family. Family is all of us. “ Tabitha Wangari Muchue, 23-years-old
“As much as we are trying to adopt capitalism, we are trying to keep our tradition of socialism. We want to keep socialism in us. This is in us. We cannot run from ourselves.” Harry Mkala, 22-years-old
“This is the time for another revolution…If you mean African socialism, then yes I am [a socialist]. I belive in Africans taking care of each other. Not the imported ideas from the West. I don’t believe in this debate between Marxism and communism. I believe in the socialism that my grandmother told me that you look after your neighbor.” Susan Nyambura, 23-years-old
“Africa has always been social. The child is brought up by the village. We look after each other.” Andrew Okello-Syata, 42-years-old
“The work of my body, my brain, my hands, that is what I see in Ujamma. That’s the beauty of it. I see money as very dirty but your sweat is cleaner.” Jannath Bhagar
Kenya’s Day of pride August 27, 2010
Around 10:30 am at Uhuru Park, President Mwai Kibaki promulgated the new constitution, making it the supreme law of the land. Dignitaries in attendance included former U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan; former Ghanaian President, John Kufuor; former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo; Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni; Rwandan President, Paul Kagame; etc.
I found a BBC article that nicely summed the story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11106558
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27 August 2010 Last updated at 10:05 GMT
Kenya president ratifies new constitution
Kenya has adopted a new constitution, more than three weeks after it was overwhelmingly approved in a national referendum.
Tens of thousands of people watched as President Mwai Kibaki signed the document into law at a large ceremony in the capital, Nairobi.
The debate over a new constitution has lasted 20 years.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was present at the event, despite being wanted for war crimes.
Human Rights Watch earlier called on the Kenyan authorities to either “arrest him or bar him entry” if he were to attend.
Kenya has ratified the statute requiring it to co-operate with the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Bashir.
However, last month the African Union instructed its members – which include Kenya – not to apprehend Mr Bashir.
‘Huge cheer’
The constitution is expected to bring significant changes.
Some have billed it as the most important political event in Kenya’s history since it gained independence from Britain in 1963.
The large crowd gathered in Nairobi’s main Uhuru park to watch their leader promulgate the new document, amid gun salutes and a grand parade.
After Mr Kibaki signed his name, he held the document up and there was a huge cheer from the audience.
The new constitution will bring a more decentralised political system, which will limit the president’s powers and replace corrupt provincial governments with local counties.
It will also create a second chamber of parliament – the Senate – and set up a land commission to settle ownership disputes and review past abuses.
It is hoped that the changes will help bring an end to the tribal differences that have brought violence to the country in the past.
‘Optimism’
The BBC’s East Africa correspondent, Peter Greste, says the debate for a new constitution ebbed and flowed with each new political crisis until the elections of 2007, which were followed by the worst ethnic violence Kenya has yet seen.
In the wake of the violence, everyone acknowledged that something fundamental had to change if the country was to avoid yet more trouble, our correspondent says.
“The historic journey that we began over 20 years ago is now coming to a happy end,” Mr Kibaki said earlier this month after the results of the referendum were announced on 5 August.
“There will be challenges along the way. But it is important that we look forward with renewed optimism to better days ahead.”
Our correspondent says that the previous constitution allowed politicians to exploit tribal divisions, left courts weak, and concentrated power in the president’s hands.
While many Kenyans say that this is just a start – and that things could still go very wrong – most believe it is a fundamentally better document than the last.
President Kibaki won a landslide victory in 2002 promising to change the constitution within 100 days of taking office. In 2005, he held a referendum but it failed to pass.
The previous constitution was negotiated with the British in the early 1960s.
Constitution key changes
- Reduces president’s powers
- Devolves power to regions
- Creates senate
- Creates a Judicial Service Commission
- Includes citizens’ Bill of Rights
- Creates land commission to settle disputes
- Recognises Kadhi (Muslim) courts
A Day at Village Market
A couple weeks ago, Mrs. Shah invited me to join her and her family to Village Market, a mall in the Westlands area of Nairobi. I know Mrs. Shah because I had done a story on her daughter, Ashni, about the National Youth Orchestra of Kenya. Before and after that story, Mrs. Shah has been extremely kind to me. She enjoys showing me around Nairobi and always offers assistance. She told me to see her “home as my home.”
So, I went with her family to Village Market and met her husband for the first time. Village Market is a large mall with a movie theatre, bowling alley, miniature golf field and small water park. It is more beautiful than most malls that I’ve seen in the States because it blends the outdoors with the indoors. Large trees are everywhere along with the sound of birds.
Weekend in the Nyeri Countyside: (Part 2)
I’m not crazy or anything but I have a curious affection for older people and I haven’t figured out where those feelings come from. But they have to come from someplace, because whenever I meet someone who may be at least 30 years my senior, I can’t ignore the force within me that emerges. I first noticed this when a Nigerian family came to visit our home several years ago and my siblings and I came down from upstairs to greet the guest. When I saw the grandmother, I bent down to hug her and did not fail to notice the delight in her eyes.
From that moment, I noticed my ways around the elderly. In Nyeri, Phyllis’ parents were probably the most interesting part of the visit. Her father, 65-year-old Joseph Munyi, talks about the Bible almost nonstop. A retired civil servant, he now tends to his crops of potatoes, tomatoes, maize, and beans. He said he was excited to know that an American was coming to visit him and he asked for me to tell my parents that I had slept in a safe home in Nyeri.
Phyllis’ mother, Grace, is a vibrant woman. I found myself looking at her face for long periods of time, and I finally discovered what it was about her that I found so irresistible… her eyes. Chestnut brown skinned with a softly chiseled face of high-cheek bones, Grace might have been what my mom would call a “local woman” but, I’ve always fancied “the locals,” especially the women. Walking behind Grace through her field of maize, pumpkins and aro root, I watched Grace’s hips sway as her bare feet treaded the soil.
Grace is part of a local woman’s group and from what I understand, women’s groups are prevalent throughout Kenya and the mother is usually the one who keeps the family together. They meet to discuss domestic matters such as health and nutrition, farming, education and how to make more money. I asked Phyllis if fathers meet for such things. She said that men are difficult because when they get together, things go bad. Drinking, ulterior motives and big egos are too often involved. So, it is the mother who maintains the home and Grace was no exception.
Grace and her group of friends, some her age and some younger, are helping each other to construct energy efficient cooking stoves. Actually, it’s a fireplace. Traditionally, Kikuyu women cooked on a stone mantle placed on top of three stone structures. But, even in rural Africa, technology is rapidly changing. Grace and the group of mothers learned a new style of a cooking fireplace that involves less wood, so one can prepare more food with less energy. One by one, the women in the group go to each other’s house to build the new fireplace. I believe Africa is standing today, simply because of the millions of mothers like these. But as we all know, they can’t do it alone…and that’s another story.
Khanga is the most common of fabric in Kenya. Worn by lower and middle-class women, khanga is easy to recognize because of the scarf-like pattern. I recognized the blue, black and white khanga that Phyllis wrapped around her waist as the exact one that I bought at Maasai Market last week. Phyllis said it is a popular pattern. I paid Ksh1,000 for that, and I HIGHLY doubt that these rural women paid that much for the same. I was ripped off!!!!!!
Tom Gitaa, A Kenyan based in Minnesota August 23, 2010
In the first quarter of this year, I received an email from someone named Tom Gitaa. In the email, Gitaa said he wanted to post one of my video stories on his website. I responded positively and that is how our friendship began.
Tom Gitaa is the publisher of Mshale News, a website and monthly print publication for African immigrants in the United States. www.mshale.com With it headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mshale also has offices in Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.
The site features news about Africans in the diaspora and Africans back home. While in Chicago, I did a story on a Liberian-American soldier who was killed in Afghanistan. The story was picked up by several publications, including Mshale. View the story here: http://www.mshale.com/article/Features/Features/Remembering_a_fallen_LiberianAmerican_Soldier/18465
In April, Mshale picked up another one of my stories- one about Nigeria’s then Acting-President, Goodluck Jonathan, as he made his first visit to America to attend the nuclear summit in Washington, D.C. I researched Mshale News and learned that Tom is from Kenya, though he has been based in Minnesota for more than 20 years.
Later, I told Tom that I was planning to go to Kenya, but security warnings may prevent my school from allowing me to go. Immediately, Tom offered assistance, saying Kenya is safe. He even offered to talk with someone from my school to assuage their concerns.
Since I’ve been in Kenya, Tom and I have been in communication via email and two weeks ago, he said he was coming to Kenya for a family emergency.
I finally met Tom for the first time, last week, Tuesday. Upon seeing him, I immediately thought he looked Nigerian and when I told him this he laughed, saying that may be why he gets along with Nigerians and has so many Nigerian friends. We had a pleasant lunch at Java House on Koinange Street. After he finished his Swahili curry chicken meal and I had satisfied myself with a veggie samosa and a plate of rice, I pulled out my camera and audio recorder. I wanted to hear about Tom’s experience as a Kenyan in the Diaspora.
* * * *
Tom: I’m Tom Gitaa and I live in Minneapolis Minnesota. I’ve spent half of my life in the states now because I left Kenya pretty much immediately after high school. I left college, started working after college, got married, started a family. I’ve always been in the U.S. I come as often as I can, at the minimum, every couple of years. I think in the last five years, I’ve been here everywhere for a month or so. Some of it for business, some family visits.
There have been a lot of changes in Kenya. To be honest with you, I think in the last five or six years, it has actually been more fun to come to Kenya in the last five or six years than in previous years. A lot of things seem to work. Actually, it has been really nice to drive. I try not drive in Nairobi traffic, but when I’m going to Mombasa, the road is like driving from Minneapolis to Chicago because there are no potholes! (laughs) So it’s fun.
Chika: Is it safe to drive from city to city? What about bandits along the road?
Tom: This is the thing, since I’ve not been a victim myself, I’d say it’s pretty safe. Nothing has happened to me. I’ve always gotten from point A to B. I’ve heard things. Nairobi Mombasa road, especially as you approached Nairobi, near the airport from the Mombasa side, I know that used to be a really bad stretch. Of late I hear things have gotten better. They’re very open and happy that things are getting better. I don’t think we have what might be called the ideal government yet, but there have been strides to something better than what we had previously. I tend to find there’s a sense from a lot of people in government that things need to be better. Which is a big change from before.
The one thing I love is the internet. That has been a big change. I can normally do a lot of my business between here and Minnesota. At least I know when I’m in Nairobi or Mombasa, I can get high speed internet.
Chika: When did that come about?
Tom: Actually in the last three of four years. When I was here back in 2004, that’s kind of when the cellphone explosion was taking place. You could come here and I could not meet anyone who didn’t have a cellphone. When I came back in 2006, for unfortunate circumstances…that’s when we came back for my wife’s funeral. My wife died in 2006, so we were here in December again. So it wasn’t quite high speed yet, but you could do what you wanted to do. Go to a cyber café. And you’d find different classes of cyber cafes.
Fast forward now, I can come with my laptop and go to what I call a top-tier cyber café. I think the locals consider it expensive, but since I’m only here for a short while, I can pay for the high speed and the nicer, cleaner environment and conduct some business. Those have been fun developments.
Now, we just came for my father-in-law’s funeral and I’ve been able to keep up with my colleagues on the other side. I know what it going on in the office and what my writers are doing. You know I do a newspaper.
Chika: What do you think of the passing of the draft constitution?
Tom: You know I’m a diaspora guy, right? I don’t know any Kenyan diaspora guy that was a ‘no vote.’ All of us, well many of us, at least those that I know where in favor. You have to know where this is coming from. Some of this was in self-interest, obviously. One of the things in there is dual citizenship is finally being recognized. There used to be a thing called the Kenya Community Abroad which was sort of a lobby group of Kenyans in the U.S., Canada, but used to encompass a lot of Kenyans in the diaspora. You know, this is actually something for a long time they’ve been pushing for- the implementation of dual citizenship. So when it was passed, it was a realization for a dream of many. Because a lot of Kenyans [abroad] where forced to give up there citizenship. I know some Kenyans, for example, who have not taken up the citizenship of other countries. Because they say they are not comfortable giving up their [Kenyan] citizenship. So, it was a big, psychological thing, to tell somebody, ‘give up your citizenship.’ So, even from that perspective, I know there are other things, accountability to the people and the like, which we all love, but for a lot of diaspora people, that was like a key thing.
Chika: What are some of the myths and false perceptions that Kenyans have of those in the diaspora?
Tom: There are two things actually. One of the biggest things is they tend to think people in the U.S. have lot of money; that we are not struggling like everybody else; that we have a bottomless pit of resources that we can type into. I think of late, more and more Kenyans have been getting a correct perspective of what happens in the U.S. But there are still a lot of people, most people that you pull on the streets of Kenya will tell you they don’t mind going to the U.S. I have a few friends, they try to give advice to a parent to save their money they say to send their child to a Kenyan university. The parent will say, ‘you, you have already gone so that is why don’t want my child to have the same benefit.’ So that is what they still say.
Of late, especially in the last 10 years of so, Kenya has been considered an emerging market. A lot of people have come back. Business has been booming. A lot of people say, ‘You people in America…’ It’s kind of dual thing. Some people think America is glamorous, but some have dimmed view. They say ‘all you guys do is odd jobs,’ so there is also that perspective. But over the years, I think the local people have realized that the diapsora plays an important role in the society.
Especially since the Kibaki administration came into office, there has been an aggressive pushing of Kenyans in the diaspora. They have sent ministers. I remember a few years ago they sent a minister to a conference we were having in Atlanta. They were encouraging Kenyans in the diaspora to invest. Especially in real estate. When you exclude the Somalis that have been investing a lot here, the other biggest investor in real estate in Kenya is actually diaspora Kenyans. So there has been that perception. There has been a slow evolution to say diaspora people are very important in the economy. We send a lot of money and there has been a question of if that money has been used properly. But lots of progress has been made. There’s this big project that is being done in northeastern Kenya. It’s a big project. It is the biggest project that the diaspora community has ever been involved in. And part of those efforts actually came when the government started attending our conferences.
Chika: What are some of the misconceptions Westerners have of Kenya?
Tom: Oh, it’s a lot, a lot. You know Westerners, not all, but a good lot, there perception of Kenya and Africa in general is that, nothing works in Africa. They have heard the stories of you know, if there mind is not still in the stone age then, you’d be eaten by lions and whatever, it’s either ‘oh you know Africa man,’ ‘will I be robbed? Will I come back in one piece? Corruption?’ Yes, there’s corruption but there’s also a lot of Westerners making a lot of money here as you might have seen. I think that is the biggest misconception.
I’ve met some people who do not know there are big cities in Africa. But you have a choice. You can choose to say you want to see the old Africa, which is still there. If you want to get attacked by lions, we can arrange to go somewhere and they can eat you. (laughs) Or if you want to stay in the urban environment and experience the modern life, then all the conveniences are there. What you can get in America, London, Lagos, Cairo, Johannesburg, all of that is there. A lot of people don’t know such big cities exist in Africa.
Chika: My last question, in Nigeria there is something called ‘colo-mentality.’ Do they have such here, where you praise white people? I’ve noticed that where I live here in Nairobi, the guards don’t greet me, but they will greet the white person behind me. Is that mentality prevalent here? Preference for lighter skin and that sort of thing?
Tom: A lot of Africans are brainwashed. It’s a legacy that continues to haunt our people, especially people who have not left this country. For example, I was at Safaricom. When I landed here, I landed on Thursday night and the funeral was Friday. I went to one of the Safaricom outlets to get a sim card for my phone. So, you know me, I don’t jump the queue. I go line up and this other person comes. A black person comes, attempts to jump the queue and ask the clerk a question. You are not supposed to jump the queue. You are supposed to ask the guard if you have a question and he will direct you. I know the procedure so I lined up. Two three black Africans came and they intended to go straight to the clerk. I think they had a quick question but you are not supposed to do that. The guard stopped them right there and said, ‘hey hey hey, you need to line up.’ This white person, light skin, I think he was half and half. You know a mixed person. He comes and does the same thing the other guys were trying to do. He tries to go to the clerk, straight without lining. And the guard hesitated. He’s not as aggressive with this person as he was with his brothers. You see? So he hesitates until even the mixed person asked the guard and that’s when he realized he should be equal to everybody.
When I come, sometimes I stay at the hotels. When I go to Mombasa, you know that’s the tourism capital for Kenya because of all the beach hotels and the like. So when you go to the beach hotels, that is when you will see the brainwashing in full force. I’ll approach the gate. You know they try to make these beach properties very exclusive. They see me, they automatically think I am not staying at the beach hotel. You see? When I’ve already maybe paid full fare. And I even have white people working for me. (laughs) See our people don’t know this. They try to stop me. They have to go the extra step to verify, ‘are you really staying here?’ So you will experience the blatant brainwashing, colonial mentality. You’ll normally experience them in the service industries: hotels, airports. You know you have some people in the airport who try to help with luggage. I come with my children and you sometimes see the helpers falling over themselves trying to help the white people that we just rode on the plane with. You know things like that, it’s very unfortunate. But, we are hoping that our people will realize that this is our country. We are not saying that you should treat blacks better than whites. Treat all people the same. If a black person approaches, you don’t know what it there. For all I know, he could be the one owning the beach property or could be your boss. I could be the one owning 50% of that property. You never know.
Chika: Are white women highly prized?
Tom: I think they are, especially older white women. We have what they call, I don’t know what they call them now, but back then, we called them white sugar mommies who come here for what we call, sex tourism. At the coast it’s very prevalent. At the coast they are highly prized. In fact, in some of the newspapers even here, if you look at the personals section, you will see people directly, plainly stating, ‘white man’ or ‘white woman.’ Sometimes you can just read between the lines.
I came back, for a sad occasion, but it’s always good to be home.
Tom’s sister, Moraa, later joined us. His sister is a writer, a nominee for the Penguin Books Awards in the fiction category, and featured in the July issue of the East African women and lifestyle magazine, True Love. I’d been trying to interview her, so it was great to finally meet her face to face.
Israel and New Breed in Kenya August 18, 2010
At the end of the nearly 2 1/5 hour ministration, Israel Houghton said it was his first time in Kenya. The crowd clapped to welcome and thank him.
* * * *
This past Sunday, I was in my room looking up recipes (yeah, I like to read food recipes!) and resting after a lively service at Mavuno Church. Outside, I heard a guy, who I could tell was a young, white American, talking to a crowd of people. He was talking about the love of God and what it really means to be Christian. All day, several religious presentations had been going at Central Park, which was a 5 second walk outside of my building. Then I heard the guy say that he wants to welcome a friend. “Israel. And New Breed!” Suddenly, Israel Houghton’s powerful voice rang through the air.
My heart jumped. Gosh! This is one of my favorite gospel artist!
I leaped up, threw on my sandals and ran outside. At Central Park, a crowd of hundreds (I can’t give a more accurate estimate because I’m just not good at the sort of thing) stood before Israel and New Breed. After stopping at a security guard who traced my body with a metal detector, I made my way to the very front and danced away with my camera bouncing around my neck and thumping on my chest.
It seemed like half of the crowd knew the songs and the other half didn’t. The sun was blazing, but it was a comfortable heat with a gentle breeze blowing from time to time.
I knew Israel had ministered yesterday at a huge concert because someone has mentioned it at Mavuno on Sunday. She said she had attended and had a fantastic time. Two Sundays ago, two people had received free tickets to the concert as a reward for bringing first time visitors to Mavuno. A guy announced that we could by tickets at the table in the front. But, I couldn’t find the table and just forgot about the whole thing. I’m glad I did, because I had saved my money. The Saturday concert costed quite a bit, according to the lady from Mavuno. But on Sunday, I was jamming for free.
“God, do your will in Kenya. Do your will in Africa!” Israel said.
I have to say, Israel and New Breed in Kenya was better than when I had seen them live at my church in Conyers, Georgia. I think it was…the people, the sun, the trees, the squawking birds, and everything else that God created.
The lively Maasai Market August 16, 2010
This past weekend, I finally went to Maasai Market! I’d been planning to go, but something would always come up and I’d have to postpone. Maasai Market is an open-air bargain shop and all my friends told me I’d get ripped off if I went alone and the sellers heard my accent. So, everyone recommended that I go with a Kenyan. I believe it’s called Maasai Market but the sellers were originally mostly from the Maasai ethnic group. And the artistic wares, all handmade by the Maasai.
So Gladys took me to the Maasai Market right next to the Kenya International Conference Center (KICC). Gladys was an intern at K24. Having completed the 3 month internship, she has now resumed school. The Maasai Market at the KICC is open on Saturdays and the one next to K24 is open Tuesdays. So I went with Ksh5,000 expecting to come out with 6 or 7 nice fabrics and some jewelry. A colleague at K24 said I can buy khanga or lesso fabric for about Ksh300 and kitenge for Ksh600. Pastor Frida said I’d buy them for Ksh1,000 or so. Pretty big discrepancy, right?
I knew when we were getting closer to the market because all of a sudden I saw white people. I told Gladys this is definitely the type of place that white people like. Gladys laughed and agreed.
She said the West has the perception that the Maasai are the quintessential Kenyans. Truly, the classic image of the Maasai is world famous: tall, chestnut brown skin, very slender guys with long cornrowed hair dyed red, wearing a red and/or purple plaid wrap, standing on one leg and holding a tall wooden staff. And their women- big, white teeth with baby smooth, wrinkle-free skin with bright necklaces and bangles. Bald. But, their beauty is unmistakable. During the colonial days, the Maasai warrior was described as the “noble savage.” I think most Western visitors to Kenya want to see the Maasai people. Shoot… I know I did.
I have two Kenya travel books and both have extensive descriptions of the Maasai and don’t give much attention to the nearly five dozen other ethnic groups in Kenya. The Maasai people are known to love beauty. Guys and females take great care in grooming.
I’m glad I went to the market with Gladys because she was excellent with bargaining. Immediately upon entering the shop, a young guy approached us and led us somewhere. That’s the way it seems to work. A guy comes to “help” you, and yes, he is helping but he is also making sure he gets paid. A young white couple was in front of us and a black Kenyan was running around them, like a lost puppy, trying to help. The white guy was very friendly, patting the Kenyan on his shoulder and smiling, but the lady was smart. She told the Kenyan, “no, we’re okay we don’t need help.” But the Kenyan was persistent. And the lady had to tell him three times, “no.”
So, a guy walked up to Gladys and I as Gladys was pointing to some fabric. “No, I don’t want tye-dye,” I told her.
The guy directed our attention to a wall of T-shirts. I told him I want khanga to make clothes. He understood right away. “Follow me!” He said.
Gladys and I twisted and turned throughout the market to keep up with the guy and of course, he made sure we didn’t get lost. I watched my feet to make sure I didn’t step on any jewelry, wooden wares, legs, stones, drums, and the like. We finally stopped where a lady was sitting and the guy showed me different colors of fabric. I told him I want something bright, purples and blues and yellows. Whenever I would pick up something, he’d say, “Oh, that’s pretty!” I ended up with three pieces of fabric. I believe 1 was khanga and 2 were kitenge, which is of better quality. He told me the total was Ksh4,000.
I was like, “no way!”
Gladys told him it’s too much. They continued talking as two other guys snaked over to listen to the bartering. One of the guys tapped my shoulder, “I have art! Nice art. Come look at my art.”
I said, “no” as firmly and politely as I could and went back to listening to Gladys and the guy as they spoke Kiswahili.
But the guy tapped me again, “Art. Very nice. Come see.”
Another guy walked up to me, “I have nice khanga.”
Finally the young guy settled on Ksh3,600.
I said it is still to much and pretended to walk away. He finally came down to Ksh3,000.
Gladys asked me if that is ok. I said yes. She asked if I am settled with what I have.
A green and orange pattern caught my eye and I bent down to look at it.
“You want to buy more? Or you want to switch?” the young guy asked. I was beginning to like this guy. He was very forward, but not annoying. Friendly, but not pushy. And his clever countenance and dashing eyes reminded me of my brother, Arinze.
“I’m just thinking!” I said with a laugh.
All three guys then laughed at once, as if on-cue.
“Take your time. Please. Think,” the young guy said with a broad smile exposing exquisite teeth.
I settled on my original three (red, yellow and black; yellow and green; sea green and white) and shook the guys hand. I guess he was happy.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“Now, I show you my art. Nice art.”
Gladys looked at me.
“I’m not interested in art,” I said.
Gladys asked if I needed anything else.
“Hmmm….jewelry.”
The guy lit up, “Come! Yes, come!”
Again, we snaked through the wares and sellers and buyers. With every step of the way, someone would see the Canon SLR camera hanging around my neck and advertise their goods in front of my face.
The guy led us to a woman sitting quietly. Before her feet lay about 400 beautiful necklaces and behind her, about 200 pairs of earrings. I picked up a jade stone necklace.
The guy said, “Two thousand five hundred.”
I laughed and walked away with Gladys behind me speaking to the guy.
I said, “The khanga wasn’t even 2,000 so what is he talking about?”
I’m not a fool. Gladys laughed and told the guy it is too much. We walked to another stall but this man followed us with the necklace draped between his long fingers.
I stopped to look at a beautiful, large elephant sculpture and another guy, tall and slim tapped my shoulder. He pointed to my camera and picked up a drum. He said that I can take a picture of him playing the drum for money.
“How much?” I asked.
He said Ksh200.
“50,” I said.
He agreed.
Gladys confirmed, “50 bob! 50 bob!”
“Sawa,” he said.
He began to beat and I felt kind of awkward. People began looking around, trying to find who was paying this guy to bang the drum. They found me and I was immediately surrounded by sellers. I gave the guy a 50 and he smiled. “Asante sana.”
A lady came to Gladys with the same beautiful jade necklace I had wanted earlier. This was the same lady who sat quietly as the guy led us to her stall. She spoke to Gladys. Apparently, she was the true seller of that necklace and the guy was just trying to make a sale off commission. I heard her say “500” to Gladys. I told her there was something else I liked.
We walked back to her stall.
I ended up buying three earrings and the jade necklace- all for Ksh1000. I did some bargaining of my own!
I thanked the lady and she was so happy.
“Keep those brokers away,” Gladys told the lady with a smile.
The lady nodded.
Maasai Market at KICC, I’ll be back. I’ll surely be back someday.
Kenyans celebrate the “yes” team’s referendum vote lead August 5, 2010
Tabitha Njoroge
“I’m the executive director of Women in Law and Development in Africa. Here in the Nairobi Chapter…I have just come from the Bomas of Kenya, where I slept last night. So I tried to tally the votes and I’m hoping this will really be a new dispensation for Kenya. So when this was announced on the radio station I said I had to come here and hear for myself what Kibaki has to say. And just to see whether the mood that he has is the same mood that the “no” leader has…We are all winners in this. They have considered defeat. They are agreeing that we need to move on as one country and forge ahead and implement which we already have right now.”
“As a woman especially, this is it! We have fought for affirmative action over the years. We have fought for citizenship over the years. I think this is a real package for women. We have been telling ourselves, if we don’t get it now, we perhaps might never get it. It can never be this close. So, we did our best, we went out there, lobbied people. And I can tell you right now, I am one excited girl.”
“Yes, I’m a very happy Kenyan, especially as a woman. The future that lies ahead in this country is great.”
Geoffrey Kamau, 29-years-old
“We have come as they launch the new constitution, because this has already passed…
Yeah, I was supporting it, for one, it is supporting youth in many ways…in terms of distribution of resources, yeah.”
James, 30-years-old
“I’ve come to see how the new Kenya is born, yeah.”
“Basically I want to see how we are showing the changes and hopefully how the changes will change the whole of Kenya, especially the political aspect, even the economic ones…There are so many clauses which I believe will bring a lot of change in Kenya, especially in line with the choosing of the cabinet ministers and also the issue of devolution. Right now we’re going to have a lot of funds being brought down to the grassroots. Unlike the current constitution, which does not have that provision.”
“It’s historic in the sense that since independence we’ve just been having one constitution that is we’ve never had a change in the constitution. What happened is some amendments which were not so instrumental. But now that we have a constitution…in fact what we’re saying is, this constitution was drafted by Kenyans. So we now sort of think it belongs to us—that we sort of own it.”
Claire, 27-years-old
“I’m here to celebrate the new constitution. The proposed constitution has passed. I voted for it. So I’m here to celebrate…I came from work. I just heard from the media the celebration here, the president was coming to address the public so I said, ‘wow, I must be with my fellow Kenyans and celebrate together.’”
“Yes, peace will prevail and I believe corruption will reduce.”
Penina, 20-years-old and Gladell Mwangi, 19-years-old
Gladell: “We’re hear to celebrate the new constitution that we’ve just passed. And we’re happy about it. It was a very peaceful event and we should pat ourselves on the back because we do deserve it. It’s a first and we are proud of every single one of us who took part in it. We’ve been waiting a long time to see for once an election that will be peaceful and will pass in a positive way and this has been one. Even though it’s not a major one for presidential or anything, it’s important for us because it’s about the laws of the land and all that so we’re very happy.”
Penina: “Gender equality. I think something for the less fortunate, like the IDPs. I think it will do something good… There was like so much corruption in the country, so I think Kenya will be in a better position because Kenya was ranked like one of the most corrupt countries in Africa and the world at large. So we’re expecting changes like that. Plus, it was very efficient and we are very happy. It was efficient and fast, unlike the previous elections. So, basically that’s why we are here. We’ve never been to one of these gatherings but we were like, ‘let’s just go.’ Because we are really happy as Kenyans.”
Gladell: “For me as an individual I can particularly say, okay, the old constitution could not allow me to have dual citizenship but now I’m allowed to have dual citizenship. I can be an American if I wanted to tomorrow, if I get the green card or whatever. So, that’s a chance. That’s a good thing for me because I’m about to go study abroad. So that’s a big thing for me.”
Benwell, 32-years-old
“I’m here for the constitution…Yes I support it.”
“There was peace and that’s what we want to have…It is good because there are a lot of changes that will be happening.”
Edwin, 32-years-old
“I’m here to celebrate the new birth of Kenya…Yeah, it’s a new birth to us. Because since independence, we’ve had a very bad constitution. So, we believe this is going to be a departure from the past.”
“Because it’s going to bring power to the people and resources.”
“I did vote yes because 50 percent of the resources will come to the grassroots. Also our MPs will not have the power to determine their salaries.”
Carol
“Victory. It’s a victory for us. It explains itself.”
Naboth, 34-years-old
“I want to hear from the President, what he says about the constitution and we are also expecting the holiday to happen so we are here to celebrate and also to force him to give us a holiday so we can celebrate tomorrow until Monday…The meaning of the holiday would be to celebrate given that we have struggled for more than 20 years, since 1990 up til now. And because of that one we want to at least celebrate after that long struggle.”
“Yeah, I was supporting the draft constitution more than 100 percent if there is a percentage as such.”
“The reason why I’m happy, I’m happy because it is something that we have struggled for for more than 20 years. And apart from that one, if we get it, then this something of tribalism will be something of the past. In the year 2012, the presidential candidates is going to get 50 percent plus and that one with the tribalism, you cannot get that with a single tribe. So it is going to clear that. And apart from that one also, the resources is also going to be distributed equal. Because after this constitution passes, 50 percent [of resources] will go to the grassroots, that is to the counties. And that will help in building Kenya equally.”
“What is meant for me is ..it is a new future. It is something, I don’t know how to put it. But I have a hope that in future that at least something of tribalism-for me that is the most important thing- it is going to end. We are going to have a Kenya which is developed equally without knowing someone. Because right now, you have to know someone in order to get employment.”
Evans, 37-years-old
“I was a presiding officer with the IIEC. The referendum was free and fair. The whole exercise started well and we ended well.”
“This exercise was conducted in a very harmonious way, very peaceful. There was no reported violence so far. There was no misconduct or even manipulation of the results. So, in a real sense here, I want to commend the IIEC and even the people of Kenya. They have done the best to show that we are together. Because at the end of this we need continue to be living as brothers and sisters. They have shown that they are mature, politically, and everything.”
Sheila, 19-years-old
“I’m here just to see the ministers and Raila Odinga and Kibaki. I was in town so I saw them here, so I want to see what’s going on.”
“I was trying to wait to go home, but I came to watch here but there’s no space, that’s the problem.”
Godfrey, 58 years-old (my good ‘ole driver)
“It’s historic for Kenya because for more than 20 years we’ve been looking for a new constitution. It’s been a long journey, many people have died. Others have been maimed. And now, finally we’ve got it. We hope that with a new constitution, things will change for the better…Though it can’t be 100 percent good, it’s more better than the present one. We anticipate good things out of it.”
“Education. Promotion of youth in respect of work. Also, it’s good to the farmers, in many areas, it covers many areas. We prefer it.”
“Individually, due to my work I expect a lot of visitors to come because the country will now be very peaceful. People are now united. They are now more united than before. Foreigners will come. Investors will come and with that, my business will be good.”
“This [peace] is what has pleased me so much because many people were anticipating violence. But Kenyans have shown a good tolerance. They have shown they like peace and they would not like to repeat what happened in 2007.”
John Kimani, 70-years- old
“I’ve been waiting for this date. I want everybody to give peace. Everybody. Even you. Even me. Everybody. I want peace…I’m very happy.”
Referendum 2010 August 4, 2010
Today is the day, August 4, 2010, when more than 12 million Kenyans are expected to go to the polls to vote “yes” or “no” for the passing of the latest draft constitution. It’s a day Kenyans have been waiting for since the re-writing process of a new constitution began in 1998.
More than 27,000 polling stations are manned with troops and police officers deployed from around the nation.
Whether the draft constitution passes or not, today is a historic one for the nation of Kenya.
Memories of 2007’s post election violence are still fresh in the national memory. President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga have called for peace and yesterday evening, hundreds of Kenyans carried fire-flamed candles at a peace rally organized by Uwaino Peace Initiative.
The common message: We are all Kenyans. Let us have peace during and after this referendum process.
Violence, well…everyone is praying against such. The hot spots are mostly in Rift Valley Province, where ethnic tensions run deep. A friend named Jayshree told me to be sure that I get a ride to work this week because it may be unsafe to walk. She also told me to stock up on foods. On Sunday night, we went to the grocery store, Nakumatt in Westgate mall, and the milk and cheese were gone. Many other common items were gone as well and Jayshree said people are storing up just to be safe. During the 2007 post-election violence, Kenyans were forced to stay inside as blood spilled in the streets….literally.
I asked one taxi driver is he thinks there will be any violence. He said no, but if there were to be, it would come from the students at University of Nairobi. If the draft doesn’t pass, they may go to the streets in protest. From what I hear, these are quite aggressive students and their protests involve burning buildings and turning over vehicles. Fortunately, my apartment is right next to the University of Nairobi’s student flats! How…exciting!
As a visitor to this country, I’ve been quite impressed with what I’ve seen during this whole campaign. Democracy is alive and well in this country. The media and Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) have done an excellent job in educating Kenyans about the details of the draft. Nearly every night, the popular news stations have broadcasted feature shows about the referendum. Sometimes the shows are funny, sometimes serious, but always informative.
Those who are in support of the referendum, the “yes” campaign have been parading the country wearing green and the “no” campaigners have draped themselves in red. Kibaki and Odinga are in full support. At one press conference, Odinga said that this constitution is for the liberalization of all Kenyans. He called for Kenyans to prove the world wrong by conducting a peaceful referendum voting process.
But, former president Daniel Moi does not support this draft and many analysts say that he is worried that he may not be able to keep all his land. This draft constitution makes a provision for distribution of land ownership. Moi owns an extensive amount of land in this country and it seems no one knows just how much.
An overwhelming majority of those I’ve spoken to (students, taxi drivers, journalists, teachers, doctors, business owners) support this draft constitution. The passion of the Kenyan people is surely a sight to see. Yesterday and the previous day, I heard music in the streets and saw three vans painted in green driving slowly along University Way. Inside the van, people wearing green t-shirts, some with face paint, danced. The “yes” campaign theme song blared loudly to what sounded like a soukous beat. Last Sunday, I heard shouts of people in Uhuru Park and a voice from a megaphone calling for the peaceful passing of the draft.
Among its many provisions, this draft constitution calls for equal representation of the ethnic groups in the government, gender equality and the creation of a new chamber of Parliament to check the President.
In 24 hours, we will see what happens.
“My names are…” July 30, 2010
That’s the way many Kenyans begin when introducing themselves. One time, a guy I was interviewing stood up, cleared his throat and said, “my good names are…”
Let’s explore these “good names.”
I’ve always been fascinated with names and the traditions people use to name their children. In some Nigerian ethnic groups, several relatives will contribute to a child’s name so the child may end having at least six names.
In Kenya, I’ve learned that many children take on the names of a late relative. Well this is the case among the Luhya ethnic group. Often times, when I ask for someone’s name here, I get confused. For example, there’s a camera guy at K24 who is named Anthony. 
Anthony is a very happy, friendly type of guy and you will always find him smiling (though he’s not smiling in this photo). So, I asked Anthony for his full name and he responded,
“Anthony Ngacha.”
“What is your middle name?” I asked.
He said that Ngacha is his middle name, actually his grandfather’s name. I asked for his surname and he told me “Kiboi.” So I asked why he did not include Kiboi the first time and he said he is not sure.
This is not the first time this has happened. During an interview, I asked a lady named Jane (I have changed her first name) for her full name. She told me her full name is Jane Kariuki. I became confused. I told her that I’ve known her as Jane Munyi. She said that Munyi is her father’s name but she is now married. So she told me to use Jane Munyi Kariuki. So I asked for clarification.
“So, your father’s last name is Munyi?”
“No, my father’s last name is Maganga (I’ve changed the name).”
So…I hope you understand my confusion.
Well, I sought out to understand this naming issue once and for all. I went to a guy at K24 called “Papa.”
First, I asked him for his full name and he said, “Odali Julius.”
I asked for his last name and he told me, “Kasibwa.”
“So Julius is your middle name?”
He said no, “Odali” is the middle name.
Julius is his given name while Odali is his father’s father’s name and Kasibwa is the surname. His children’s middle names all come from late family members, including his mother, father, aunt, and mother-in-law.
“And your children’s last name is also, Kasibwa?”
“No, Odali.”
I didn’t give up trying to learn! He explained that among his ethnic group, the Luhya, the child’s last name is the father’s middle name. So if I were Kenyan, my name would be Chika Ashinyeli, because Ashinyeli is my dad’s middle name. And then my middle name would be the name of a late relative. So, Chika Bridget (my grandmother) Ashinyeli.
I think I got it now.
So, I asked a few of my colleagues for their full names: Mary Wanjiku (mother’s mother’s name) Nyoike;
Gladys Wanjiru (grandmother’s name) Mwangi; Diana Wanjiru (dad’s mom) Muiri
And sometimes, a child can be named according to the season during which they were born. Julius said among his people, a child born during rain is named, Wafula and during the dry season, the name should be, Wanjala. Similar traditions exist in many cultures, most notably, among Ghanaians, who are named according to the birth day… literally. I remember explaining this to one lady. I have a friend name Akosua (“born on Sunday”) who had explained to me about Ghanaian, specifically Ashanti, names.
One day in an anthropology class, a classmate asked why almost every Ghanaian guy she knows is named Kofi. I told her that Kofi means “born on Friday.” She turned up her nose in annoyance and said it would be so awful to be in a class with so many classmates with your name.
“Millions of people were born on a Friday!” I distinctly remember her saying.
Well, each to his own, but I love the way that we, Africans, are named.
A few days ago, I was talking with a K24 colleague. Her name is Beryl and she happens to be a superb journalist. We were talking about baby names and we both agreed that African names are indeed, significant. She said that she had to grow into her own name.
I remember, my own journey, the journey of becoming Chika.
Throughout elementary and middle school, I was called by my middle name, Sandra, because I was ashamed of “Chika.” Sandra just seemed more appropriate, for the public- though at home, I was called “Chika.” In high school, I became somewhat of an “Afro- centrist” and I finally started telling people to call me “Chika.” Man! My L-town ghetto classmates had fun with that. “Chuka? Chicken? Chaka Khan?” My tenth grade math teacher once ridiculed me in front of everyone saying, “Chaka, Shiko, or whatever your name is…” But I didn’t care because I had finally learned to become “Chika.”
Then, I learned that Chika is actually short for Chikaodinaka. Chi Chi. Chika. Chikaodi. Chikaodinaka.
“My names are Chikaodinaka Sandra Bridget Ashinyeli Oduah.”
If you’re confused, send me an email.
K24 Day 12: Dyslexia Awareness & More July 24, 2010
I went to a private school in Dagoretti, Nairobi for a series of stories I’m working on about dyslexia in Kenya.
The story will feature as a three part series on one of K24’s news programs. I’m actually excited about doing this because it will give me a chance to do some deep enterprise reporting. I wouldn’t say this is an investigative piece, but it’s enterprise.
A woman named Phyllis took me to the school. I went with K24 camera guy, Leonard. Phyllis founded Dyslexia Organization Kenya a few years ago to promote dyslexia awareness. Her sister is a special education teacher at the primary school that I visited.
Both Phyllis and her sister have sons with dyslexia. In Kenya, the condition is virtually unknown. Many teachers don’t even know about it and students who display dyslexic characteristics are labeled “slow learners.” They are called “mjinga” (stupid in Swahili) and face stigma because in Kenya, as in most African countries, education is highly regarded as the way to success. Parents have a hard time accepting that their child has an actual condition, according to Phyllis.
Phyllis is quite a remarkable woman. She noticed that her son was having extreme difficulty with reading and was lagging behind in his literary development. Among other realizations, Phyllis observed that her son avoided reading and learned that kids and teachers were making fun of him. She knew that something must be wrong and that’s when she started research online. Dyslexia.
She realized that her son displayed all the characteristics of a dyslexic child: retarded reading development, omission and/or reversal of letters when spelling a word, intelligent and creative, very hands-on and active, excels in mathematics. Phyllis learned how to help her son and is working hard to establish the organization starting from the grassroots. I was honored to meet this woman. She’s truly a soldier for her son. She informed her sister that her own son may also be dyslexic since it is a hereditary condition; her sister’s son was also slow in reading. After meeting Phyllis, I met her sister at the school on Day 12 of my reporting at K24.
At the school, I talked with a few boys who display dyslexic characteristics.
Hearing the story of the students who Nancy labels as dyslexic made me proud to be a journalist. I am telling their stories! The three boys I spoke with are in sixth grade, love math, and avoid reading. Interviewing one boy named Stephen, I noticed a big teardrop on the brim of his eyes. It didn’t come out, though. But the shakiness in his voice and the glassy look in his eyes were unmistakable. He said that he confuses “b” with “d.” The second boy said he is frustrated with the classmates who make fun of him. Getting information from the boys was a little difficult. I tried to ask open-ended questions, but they may have been having a hard time understanding my accent.
And of course, Leonard and I caused a ruckus at the school. Once the kids saw the camera and the K24 flag on the mic, they went wild. Sticking their faces out of the windows, shouting and crowding us, those kids really made my day, as kids tend to have that effect on me.
I want to explore if there may be a spiritual rationale behind the denial. I think some parents may “pray against the existence such disorders”, so I’ll do some investigating to find out more on that angle. Many Africans that I speak to abide by the “name it and claim it” concept, so following that logic, if you name or pronounce dyslexia over your child, then you are not only accepting the condition, but you are also actualizing it, or making it your reality. God forbid! That’s what Nigerians would say. Do they say such in Kenya? “Mr.Odinga, your son has dyslexia,” so-and-so says. How does a typical Kenyan parent respond? That’s what I want to find out, without reporting stereotypes and generalizations, of course.
After returning from the school, A fellow reporter asked me to accompany him to cover a press conference with Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The reporter, Ken, is really good at what he does and always looks uber professional.
A delegation of Maasai representatives met with Prime Minister, Raila Odinga to bid him a speedy recovery from the head operation he had last month and to ensure their support for the proposed constitution. The group spokesman for the group said representatives are campaigning throughout Kenya to educate fellow Maasais about the proposed constition. Kenyans are set to vote on the referendum on August 4. Many, including Odinga say a new constitution has long been overdue.
After shaking hands with the Maasai spokesperson, Odinga said he is confident that all forward-thinking Kenyans will vote yes. I couldn’t help but look around Odinga’s beautiful estate. It’s lovely and grand, but it’s not over-the-top.
“The constitution is actually for the liberalization of this country,” Odinga said at the conference. “I know for a fact that all right-thinking Kenyans will vote for this constitution.”
The “foreigner” feeling July 22, 2010
I’ve always assumed blending in in a foreign country, especially in an African country, would be easy. But, I’ve learned, that’s not always the case.
In Guatemala, I was assumed to be a Garifuna. Also known as ‘Black Caribs,” or “Garinagu,” the Garifuna are the descendants of unions between Arawak and Carib Amerindians and enslaved Africans. You’ll find them along the Caribbean Coast, mostly in Belize, St. Vincent, Nicaragua and Honduras and to a lesser extent in Guatemala, Barbados and Roatan. They look like…African Americans and Africans and unfortunately, they don’t have it easy in Guatemala. They truly live on the fringes of society.
While in Guatemala, I got to hang out with some Garifunas and they told me about their plight. Injustice. Racism. They are fighting to keep their indigenous lands from being taken by powerful stakeholders in the expanding tourism industry. I told them about my experience in Guatemala: being closely followed by two guards in the mall (every time I looked back at the guards following me, they’d act like they were doing something else), taxi drivers speeding past me as I waited for a ride and people on the street sometimes quite hesitant to speak with me.
Some of the Garifunas told me that they go through the same thing and the reason why the taxis were speeding past me is because Garifuna girls are assumed to be prostitutes.
Sadly, it seems people of African-descent have similar stories around the world and to be honest, some of what I experienced in Guatemala, could have happened to me in certain places in the U.S.
Once, I went to a dance club with several of my Garifuna friends in Guatemala City, and as soon as we entered the discoteca, the manager came over with a worried expression. Maybe the site of a group of black people was disconcerting? He asked what we were doing and then led us to a table- in the back. But we didn’t let him damper our spirits; we danced the night away.
So, I was well aware of the foreigner feeling in Guatemala. In Nigeria, I tried to blend with my clothes and it worked for the most part. But, I was still spotted out on occassion.
“It’s your skin,” a friend told me. He said the lotions and soaps in America are of better quality so he can always tell which Nigerians are visiting from abroad because they have “glowing” skin. Wow! Um…really? Sounds like a bit of a stretch. But at least it’s good to know that all the cocoa creams, shea butters, pomegranate shower gels, rose water mixtures, almond oils, lemon and ginger extracts, aloe vera gels, black soap and Vitamin E supplements that I use are not in vain!
Now, in Kenya, a handful of people have told me that I look Kikuyu, a Bantu people who originally settled around Mount Kenya and throughout Kenya’s central highlands. The Kikuyu are Kenya’s largest ethnic group. Mr. Obaga, the music director at Nairobi School, said anyone would assume I come from just “around the corner.” One lady, swore I was a Kikuyu. But, the name Chika is not at all Kenyan and people here are having THE hardest time with what I’ve always been told was a simple name. I get a good laugh, watching Kenyans trying to pronounce it and even remember it. They want to say, “Shika,” (which means take or hold in Kiswahili) or “Chuka” or “Shaka.” One guy smiled and told me, “what a strange name! I will never remember that.” I told him to remember that my name means “girl,” in Spanish, and I am a girl. He said, “oh! In Kenya, chic means girl!” and we laughed.
So, that’s another lesson learned. I assumed Kenyans, being Africans, wouldn’t have a problem with my name. Stereotyped debunked! That’s the beauty of traveling- your mind opens and you confront your preconceived notions and stereotypes. Not all Africans can easily say, “Chika.”
Oh…and my accent! It seems to be somewhat of a problem here when it comes to reporting, and when I want to order food over the phone and when I generally want to greet someone.
Yesterday, I called an educational center to ask about their training on dyslexia for a story I’m working on. I introduced myself as a reporter with K24 and the woman on the phone simply could not understand. I re-introduced myself, oh… only about four times and each intro was slower than the last one. Finally, she transferred me. I was re-transferred about…um…let’s just say more than six times. They just did not know what I was trying to say. I was even pronouncing the word the way it is said here: DIE-SLEKS-SEE-YUH as opposed to how it’s pronounced in the states: DIH-SLEKS-SEE-YUH, with the “I” in the first syllable like “I” in the word “dim.”
But, nothing worked! I decided to just ask my story source for a contact at that center, as opposed to calling cold turkey.
You live to learn.
At a recent morning news meeting, I explained a story idea and was met with blank stares. Then someone said, “translate!” And everyone laughed. Apparently, the person could not understand me even though I was speaking as slowly as possible.
Speaking with a slightly British accent seems to help a bit. The first time I ordered a pizza, it took about 8 minutes to communicate my order. The second time I ordered, I sounded more like a Brit and it took about 3 minutes to order my food. Many Kenyans are more used to the British accent and many of them had British teachers in school.
Even humor can be culturally specific. I remember sharing a hilarious youtube video that my sister had sent me with a friend here and the person didn’t really get it. He tried to, he even chuckled. But, he didn’t get it. He said, “You Americans are crazy!” with a big smile.
I can say, I know the “foreigner feeling,” and the feeling may be positive, negative or neutral. It’s not just about your accent and your name, apparently, even your skin can make a difference in the way it “shines” and in its general complexion.
Now, I know what my parents go through. Though they’ve lived in the U.S. more than 20 years, they are still often treated like foreigners by some people. I grew up listening to my dad raising his voice to impatient customer service representatives on the phone.
“O-D-U-A-H! O-D-U-A-H!”
But the way he says “h” is different from how most Americans say it. I learned that very well when I spelled my last name for my teacher in the fourth grade. I said “h,” they way I heard it said at home: with a deep exhalation, like “h” in “hate,” when most Americans say “h” without that extra breath, so it sounds like “eigh” in “eight.”
But for now, it’s still: “O-D-U-A-HETCH!”
A Nigerian-American journalist in Kenya 
