The Blue Zone

Westlands is a wealthy area of Nairobi. Westgate Shopping Mall is located there. Also, it is where the Blue Zone is located. The Blue Zone refers to the United Nations sector, where various embassies and the U.N. complex is located, as well as where many of the U.N. staff reside. A contact living in the area was gracious enough to invite me to spend the day with her on Friday. After taking bus 45 and matatu 107, I arrived at Village Market, a very nice mall in Gigiri, where we enjoyed breakfast.

A native Bosnian, she lived in Western Europe for several years and has now been in Kenya for three. As a Westerner with white skin myself, I was curious about her perspective, as a white woman with a career, on living here for a substantial amount of time. There are some cultural aspects here that she realized right away would be quite different from what she had experienced in the past. Having "help" in the house was one of these aspects. It is customary, even for families that are not wealthy, to have maids, servants, and security working for them. When she first moved in to her house, the first two months were spent awakening to a mob of people outside her gate asking to be hired; her husband and she decided it would probably be best to hire someone since it was becoming impossible to even open their gate anymore. Once they hired one woman, they were told they would need two because the size of the house required two maids. This deals with the common misconception of white people having a lot of money. Kenyans have told me this about their own people (it is a topic I should probably dedicate an entirely separate post as it is complicated).

In addition, she realized one cannot live here and play by the rules (mostly because there are none anyway). If you want something done, you need to pay. For instance, when she needed an electrician to fix something in the house, she spent weeks trying to get someone to show up to appointments and do more than just say they could fix the issue. Once she paid a little extra, the electrician showed up the very next day and did the job in five minutes. The corruption in this country is endless and is found on every level. Watching the news each night tuned me into this very quickly. For someone with white skin, or someone with a U.N. sticker on their car, for that matter, getting trapped in the corruption, unintentionally or not, seems inevitable. To a degree, it is part of a lifestyle.

When we were done with breakfast, we drove down the road to the U.N.. The United Nations complex in Nairobi is unique and simply gorgeous. There are various low-rise buildings established in close proximty to one another. The land on which the complex is built is filled with trees, flowers, man-made ponds, and even monkeys (who apparently sneak into offices to steal employees' lunches). Being that terrorist attacks are prone to happen at any time, as was warned could happen on the day I visited, security should be high; it's not. If you want to experience tight security measures, visit the New York UNHQ. Compared to HQ, Nairobi offers a green and calm atmosphere, and also sees a very quick turnover of many staff. However, both New York and Nairobi complexes exude the professionalism and sense of purpose for goodwill that I admire.

After our visit to the complex, we picked up her son from school. He attends a German school, which is very selective about admittance, as most of the private, foreign schools are. The moms were all chatting in German while their children played on the playground. Social life for people in Nairobi is difficult as most Kenyans close off their relationships with outsiders at their front door. A colleague of the woman I spent the day with has been here for fifteen years and has never stepped foot in a Kenyan home. This is due to lack of an invitation, despite working with many Kenyans. Therefore, U.N. people and individuals working with international organizations tend to all run in the same circle. Within this circle, it seems everyone is very lively and there's always an event happening. Who knew the U.N. was such a party?

It is always a privilege to be invited into someone's home and daily routine. As a volunteer, I've been lucky to have been witness to lives of people from varying ages, tribal associations, and social and economic backgrounds. Not to make it sound like research, but these experiences have opened doors for me to learn much more about life in Kenya and what it would be like for me if I ever lived here long-term.

The Halfway Mark

On safari, I had a lot of time to think. One topic I chose to reflect on was my time in Kenya so far. The halfway mark of this trip is approaching this weekend and it is a good time to analyze the ups and downs of this adventure. 

I have been having countless new experiences which have been enriching in some way or another. I am glad I challenged myself to come to Kenya. I am also glad, however, that I did not commit to a longer period of time. Considering this is the first time I embarked on such a journey, it was a good decision to transition with a short time frame. With almost one month gone, I have already been able to identify the things I am able to handle and the causes I feel more drawn to. For example, next time I would want to focus on a specific topic, such as FGM or reproductive rights for young women. It is necessary to have a goal to work towards because it is easy to lose motivation otherwise. I have also been able to identify the foundation of frustrations I face: lack of structure, to be broad. In terms of location, I would not be opposed to returning to Kenya but would most likely choose another country first, for the sake of going someplace unknown.

Orphanage work is difficult but mainly because of my status of "outsider". There are some barriers non-Kenyans face, including language. Although most of the children speak English, like I've mentioned, it is still not their native language and I am far from fluent in Kiswahili. Cultural barriers are also present, such as difference in social etiquette. The children have many chores to perform, such as laundry, which they do not often like to receive help with. This is understandable but also leaves me with little time to engage with them on their chore days. It can be frustrating, as I was warned it would be. When I do have time to play with them, we complete puzzles, do homework, read, or walk to a nearby school to use the lot for outdoor activities. The boys and girls enjoy soccer the most. They also love to be photographed, as well as taking on the role of photgrapher.

Next week, I will be transferred to Mombasa to teach children for the month of May. This will provide me with a chance to have two trips in one considering Nairobi and the coast are wildly different. It will also aid in reducing the stagnation I sometimes feel here. Mombasa will be a more active and lively placement due to both the nature of work I will be doing and the lifestyle and culture of the coast. As Franceska will be heading home to Canada earlier than planned, I will face this new placement alone. I am not sure how many volunteers are currently there but either way, it will be exciting. I'm proud of myself for being independent enough to face new challenges on my own.

I know, and have always known, that I am a New York girl. My life there is invaluable. I love living in the suburbs yet having the option to take advantage of all NYC has to offer, which is quite a lot (although that doesn't mean I'd turn down an apartment in Manhattan!). Living near my parents is very important to me, and my pup, Zula, keeps me laughing with all her antics. I have traveled quite a bit but acknowledge there are obviously countless countries I have yet to discover. Based on the places I have been to, however, I know I could not permanently live in any of them. Of course, I may travel somewhere new one day that will completely steal my heart, but until then, I'll continue calling New York my home sweet home.