Resurrection Round 2, Blog Attempt Round 3

So.. clearly blogging is not my specialty.. but mentally I am just determined to keep setting myself up for failure.. so here's to Round 3 of Blair's blogging! I think that it might be more successful for the next 3 weeks, because I am currently in the midst of my independent study in Western Kenya.

While working with the Institute over the summer, I interviewed Professor Ruth Oniang’o, a member of the Women Waging Peace Network from Kenya and former Member of Parliament in Kenya. When I arrived in Nairobi, I was able to reconnect with Professor Ruth and arrange to spend my month-long independent study working for the NGO that she founded – the Rural Outreach Program (ROP).

Founded in 1992, the Rural Outreach Program is a registered non-governmental organization in the Western Province of Kenya, targeted at eradicating rural poverty through various development activities. In addition, ROP focuses on empowering women by working largely with women’s community based organizations to increase their access to and control of economic resources. More specifically, ROP has led projects to increase access to clean water and adequate sanitation and to improve the quality of education and the health of communities. ROP’s current major projects aim to increase food and nutrition security, through the African Leafy Vegetables Project, the Dairy Development Project and the promotion of organic farming.

On Sunday, November 7, I traveled on bus from Nairobi to Mbale, Vihiga in Western Kenya where ROP is headquartered. The bus ride was long.. and, of course, bumpy..  and, as always, I had chosen to procrastinate on all of my final papers.. so I had slept at total of like.. 2 hours in the two days before leaving. Being completely exhausted made this a fairly miserable ride, though the bus itself was really rather nice. Plus that Ja Rule and J-Love song (which I have heard several more times in the past week or so) was playing. Kenyans LOVE r&b and American music from the late 90's and early millennium, so you know this was a true Kenyan experience.

Mbale is a town, with market and shops in the center surrounded by very very small farms. The area has experienced high population density, which as put constraints on the availability of land and, therefore, food. Many families use their small shamba to feed the family, but also engage in some form of business in the town to provide for their income. I think I am the only white person currently in Mbale, which - according to Wikipedia - has a population of around 600,000 people. At times this is nice - my mere presence at times causes children to squeal with joy and at times I reach almost celebrity status - but largely it is just exhausting. Everywhere I go, people stare and talk about me - though that is decreasing somewhat the regulars in town have become used to my presence.  I also get asked to "sponsor" people a lot, a.k.a. give them money, which almost always irritates me. Reflecting on it, however, it is completely understandable. In fact, I think that these people are without question more aware of the reality of my economic privileges than I am.

Upon my arrival, Doris, the ROP Field Coordinator for the Western Province, on her motorbike, picked me up and brought me to her home – my home for the month – and immediately presented me with a giant stack of white bread, jam, and Blue Band (a brand of margarine that seems to be taking over Kenya - recently, I met a man that goes by "Blue Band," due to his loyal and ongoing love of this believed to be "healthy" delicacy).

Much to my dismay, Doris and Robin, her husband, are on a mission to feed me huge platefuls so that I leave Vihiga weighing few additional kilos. This is a fact that they have stated very clearly and during every meal make sure to reinforce. They became fixated on weighing me, so that before I leave they can see how much weight I gained... Imagine the biggest meal you've ever eaten.. then double it... then imagine you eat it for every meal.. and that the main course of the meal is liver... this is how i feel.. every day. I wake up.. still full. If I still have food left on my plate.. I am ordered to eat more.


Also, it is important to note that Doris is the only woman in the district to own and ride a motorbike. Moreover, she reportedly rides ‘like a man’ – smart and fearless. On her motorbike, Doris is challenging gender roles and proving that women are capable of doing anything men can do. In her best moments, Doris is a strong woman... when I'm frustrated with her.. I think of this more as bossy.  The other day she stole the end of my chocolate.. and I still haven't forgiven her for that.. haha.

I have come to enjoy riding on the motorbike, though. There are not many cars on the roads here, so it is just a nice easy ride though unbelievably beautiful areas. Very Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-esque. Lucky me.. I brought that book with me..

Throughout my first week working for ROP, I have learned a great deal about the organization, as well as the struggles facing women in this region and the role of women in rural development in Kenya. In fact, my co-workers at ROP explained to me that ROP’s projects, which increase their knowledge of agricultural practices and their access to livestock and poultry and to seeds to grow indigenous vegetables, financially empower the participating women. These women are, in turn, able to feed their family and pay the school fees and doctors bills, while simultaneously decreasing their dependence on their husbands and male relatives. Additionally, because ROP works directly with established women’s groups, these female participants are able to practice and improve their leadership skills.

As Kenya’s new constitution, which was passed by a vote of 67 per cent of Kenyan citizens on August 4, 2010, is being implemented female leadership is becoming increasingly important. The new constitution – considered to be a major victory for Kenyan women – requires that 1/3 of all elected and appointed government posts at both the local and national levels must be filled by women.

So far, I have attended ROP meetings with new groups (which, by the way, are conducted largely in Kiswahili). The first meeting I attended was with the Millennium Wajane Women’s Group, a group of widowers that participate in a merry-go-round – a method of increasing members access to large sums of capital by requiring all members to pay a certain amount of money each meeting with the total being given to a different member each meeting – and small scale agriculture and horticulture projects. After introductions, which included the widow’s energetically leading in song and dance to welcome their guests – Doris and I – the ROP staff advised the women on how to improve the productivity of their shambas, small farms, by planting nutritious, indigenous vegetables (I have had the opportunity to taste several of the indigenous vegetables promoted by ROP… but normally in larger quantities than I would like) and practicing organic farming, specifically teaching how to carry out intercropping and rotational planting and to make and use manure as organic fertilizer. Furthermore, the staff offered suggestions to develop and strengthen the group’s plans to begin a shared poultry farm. At the end of the meeting, the jovial and excited mamas confidentially asked questions to learn how to better their individual situations and shambas. The next step will be for one of the ROP employees to visit one of the member’s farms to demonstrate for the group the methods discussed at the meeting.

Lucky for me, by the next meeting two days later my Kiswahili had improved and I was able to follow the general ideas of the discussion with minimal translation! This meeting, with the Mwichio Community Based Health Care Nutrition Group, another new group, held in a hut made of dried grasses, was similar to the previous meeting, but customized to the group’s specific needs and projects. I was welcomed as an honored guest… and granted a tinsel necklace a midst a welcoming song and dance…

 This group – like many in the area – is challenged by the high rate of poverty in the community, limited access to funding, a lack of adequate training, and small harvests (due to the unpredictable weather as a result of global warming and the use of commercial, chemical fertilizers). The ROP staff engaged in discussion with the group members to find solutions to these problems, and then actually visited the group’s shared shamba. Even without background knowledge in agriculture, it was evident to me that the group’s maize plants were severely stunted. The people at ROP gave the members advice, specific to the group’s plot, on how to increase their productivity and profit. At the end of the meeting, I offered some closing remarks in Kiswahili and received great applause and laughter for my efforts… rural Kenyans LOVE hearing ‘mzungus’ trying to speak Kiswahili.

 The people here really like to relax and enjoy themselves… and this includes during work. There are so many hours spent where none of the ROP staff are doing anything productive at all. Very very very different from American work places… I have had a hard time adjusting to this… especially because when they are joking around… it’s often in their mother tongue… and, therefore, I’m not able to understand any of it… so this can be pretty frustrating. I have been thinking a lot about this, however, and I am beginning to think that this is one way that their standard of life – ranked in terms of happiness as opposed to income or material goods and amenities – is greatly improved.  So, although it is frustrating… and not fun for me… probably good for my philosophical outlook on life.. or something.

I have also spent time cooking chapati and ugahli and roasting maize. My host-dad, Robin, owns a pub.. so I have also spent a lot of time after work drinking Tuskers baridi (cold). My host-mom… who is showy with her money... is simultaneously very cheap, so she encourages the middle-aged men to buy us drinks… (Mom, don’t worry… she is also very protective of me and would never let anyone cross the line of what is appropriate).

Also, I am writing a blog for Inclusive Security every week, so hopefully I can get myself to post a new blog based off of that one each week.