Our Success Story

Last week, I received a text from one of our beneficiaries. His school, Kaheti Boys had just sent him his end year results. When I read the text, I shrieked in delight. My boy Moses had As in almost every subject! You see, when Moses started in Form 1 (grade 9), he wasn’t doing that well. Although I was paying his tuition and other fees, he was struggling to fit in at the high school. Most of the other boys come from affluent families.

When I talked to his teachers about his not-so-great performance, they said that Moses did not interact much with his peers. He kept to himself and always looked lonely and unhappy. I was so saddened by the report and promised to talk to him. That school holiday, I traveled to Nyeri and invited him over for lunch. It was obvious that Moses was worried about his single mother and the struggles she was going through and he carried this burden to school. I also learnt that other boys teased him due to his poor background.

Now, when I started the Molly Kiunga Foundation in 2011(a registered Trust in Kenya), I did not have much money (Not that I have much now )I was simply walking in faith. I just knew that I wanted to do something in my community. I wanted to mentor young people: To keep them away from the vicious cycle of alcoholism and drug abuse, poverty and hopelessness. I also wanted to support bright children from extremely poor backgrounds. That is why our organization is two-fold: The Youth Mentor ship Project and The scholarship initiative.

A few months ago, I rallied a group of friends to attend ‘family day’ at Kaheti high school. I especially wanted Moses to interact with some male figures: Peter Opiyo (works with Safaricom, Kenya) and Don Masinde (owns a fitness center in Kileleshwa). I also had some female friends and family (gender balance and all). So we all drove to the school (2 ½ hours from Nairobi).

It was a great day and Moses was super happy to have all these cool people around him. His mother was for the first time able to visit him and it was my first time to meet her. Don (the fitness guru) engaged all the students and their parents in some team building and fun activities. Peter in his calmness mentored the boys on peer pressure issues. We (the girls) also engaged them in meaningful discussions such as self-value.

Why I am telling all this? Because this visit changed Moses! We proved to him that the Molly Kiunga Foundation is not just interested in paying his tuition. We also care enough to visit him, spend time with him, buy him shopping, give him pocket money and just be there for him. His mother also assured him that she was strong enough to handle her own issues so he needn’t worry about her. After our visit, the teacher tells me that all the boys were like “Moses, you have the coolest family and friends!” And voila! His self-esteem shot up. And so did his grades. We plan to visit Abigail our other beneficiary next year and hopefully she will feel loved as well.

Next year, the Molly Kiunga Foundation plans to build a resource center at Kihuyo, Nyeri. This will house an after-school program for primary and high school students. We will also hold trainings on Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS, Entrepreneurship and basic business skills, Drugs and alcohol abuse etc. We will also hold mentorship sessions in different schools. We have one on January 9^th, 2015 in partnership with Career Options Africa More info here: Mentorship and facilitation day. Finally, we want to build a library at Kihuyo Primary school.

Wont you be part of this amazing work! How you ask?

Sponsor a child: You can choose to pay tuition for a term or the whole year. You can also make monthly contributions.

Make in kind donations: Books, pens, crayons, mathematical sets, laptops and desktops, uniforms, school shoes

Be an ambassador/mentor: If you are not able to make a donation, be part of the team that will make school visitations. Also, spread the good word

Beach House Review: The Scherehezade

After a year of work and no play, I decided to take a vacation. I have visited Lamu and Mombasa but I have never taken time to enjoy Kilifi, another old and beautiful town on the Kenyan coast. A friend and I were looking for a beach house to stay in for a couple of days. We were referred to a place called Scherehezade and had such a great experience that I decided to write a review.

Named after a legendary Persian queen and the storyteller of One Thousand and One Nights, Scheherazade is a beautiful house situated 3km from the main road and 4km from Kilifi town. The outside architecture and interior décor’ is Arabic with wide and low windows allowing for circulation of fresh ocean breeze in all the rooms.

The house stands on a one acre piece of land with an assortment of vegetables and indigenous trees including palms. The East side of the property extends towards a steady rugged coral cliff overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean. A round wooden table and three chairs have been placed near the cliff. This was my favorite spot! I would sit there in the evenings and enjoy the sunset, the breeze, and serenity of the sea. We discovered some man-made stairs leading to the sandy beach below. I have a phobia for heights so I didn’t climb down but my friend did. Guests are advised to only use the stairs during the low tide for during the high tide; the angry waves usually smash the cliff walls with a great force.

If you have a family, this is an ideal vacation choice. The house can comfortably accommodate 8 people. It has a sitting room, indoor and alfresco dining areas, a fully equipped kitchen, a food store, and a swimming pool. The main house has 2 bedrooms. The master bedroom is en suite, located upstairs with a capacious balcony overlooking the ocean. It has one king size bed with beautiful beddings and fluffy pillows. The downstairs bedroom is also en-suite and ideal

for children. It has 3 four-poster beds.

There is an option of eating out or preparing your own meals. If you are not too busy and love to cook, go ahead and do-it-yourself. But if you want to laze around (which is the whole point of a vacation) hire a local to make the meals. We chose the latter except for the last night. I loved that we could tailor-make the menu and the cook whose help we solicited was awesome! Our menu included such meals as coconut rice and prawns, salmon and roast potatoes for dinner, mahamri and mbaazi, for breakfast and other coast dishes.

Local Activities:

Due to the close proximity to Kilifi town, we were able to take walks around the nonchalant town and enjoy the Arabic architecture. The streets are not overcrowded and traffic is relaxed. We were able to shop for local garb and sandals for reasonable prices. We also visited the local beach and took long walks along the sea shore. On the last night, we had dinner at Mnarani Club (which is a walking distance from the beach house). 

Other activities for guests include:
Boating (at Mnarani creek), snorkeling and other water sports, dhow trips, bird watching, jogging and golf—the Vipingo golf course is only a 20 minute drive from Scheherezade.

Interracial Relationships: Tips for Kenyan Women

Most of my friends have been pushing me to write on interracial relationships. I have been quite hesitant to put my life out there for public scrutiny. Two reasons why I caved in: One, I have seen most Kenyan girls get it all wrong with their white boyfriends. Two, after reading Chimamanda’s  ‘Americana’, I realized that Ifem’s relationship with her white boyfriend mirrored my relationship with Mark* (not his real name). And maybe I can help someone.

But before I continue: some disclaimers:

• Mark and I are no longer in a relationship. Long distance challenges and all. That is a topic for another day.
• My tips are just tips. Feel free to disregard them.

Here they are:

1. Be yourself! I see Kenyan women who are dating white men trying desperately to look and sound American/British/Canadian/German. They put on those long weaves and try to speak in the guy’s accent. Some even bleach their skin. You are getting it all wrong. The man most likely fell in love with who you are. Your ethnic hair, your ebony skin and your Kenyan accent. When I first met Mark in Lewiston, Maine I had cute and neat corn rows. I was busy telling my American friends (with my Kenyan accent) a much embellished version of the baboon story below.http://thetrainblogger.blogspot.com/2011/01/baboon-story.html

Anyway, when I later asked Mark what attracted him, he said:

Everything about you was exotic. You were not trying to be American. I loved your hair, your accent, and your free spirit. You were different from all the Kenyans I had interacted with in college.

Awwww.  But a few months later, I was tired of maintaining my exotic look. I looked for a hair salon and retouched my hair. When I met Mark for dinner, my hair was long and sleek. I waited to hear these words: Honey you hair looks beautiful! Nah, his eyes were fixed on the menu. I decided to force the words out of him.

Me: I went to the hair salon.

He looked up and examined my hair with his lovely blue eyes for just a split second.

Mark: O yeah, it looks good.

Me: (Exasperated) Good? Just good? I spent 90 bucks (9 bags of cement) to have my hair done and all you say is good?

Mark: (Very calmly.) He was always calm! Ninety bucks huh? Sorry honey, your hair looks good and am ok with it, but I like your African hair better. I think it is fiery and sexy.

Me: But I can’t maintain that look here in the US. It is expensive. Plus I don’t have anyone to braid it. I would have to go all the way to Boston.

Mark:  Relax, I don’t mean that you should braid it all the time. I understand that once in a while you have to wear it sleek and shiny, but I just want you to know I love you. The African you.

So Kenyan women, stop trying too hard. Be you

      2. Tips on challenges

 Here are some of the challenges that people in interracial relationships encounter

•   Cultural differences:

A friend from Togo once told me: race is not the issue, cultural differences are: Different histories, philosophies, traditions, attitudes and world views. The greater the differences, the higher the chances for potential conflict. Shun comparisons that will leave one culture looking less important than the other. Appreciate your differences and be intentional about sharing the foods, music, holidays and traditions you’ve grown up with.

On our first date, Mark took me to the woods for bird watching. BIRD WATCHING! I was so tempted to tell him that it wasn’t on my to-do-on-a-date list. My Kenyan ex-dates had usually taken me to Westie for mutuura, or to nyama choma (barbecue) joints. Or to an expensive restaurant. And here I was, following ONE bird with a pair of binoculars. I was tempted to tell him that I grew up with birds around our homestead, that they woke me up with a thousand songs in the morning, and they were the last thing I heard when I closed my eyes at night. And that sometime it was annoying when I wanted to sleep in. But I decided to just let him be. Later, I grew to enjoy apple and strawberry picking, he even took me to a maple tree farm where they make sweets and cakes out of maple syrup. We also looked for things we both enjoyed such as visiting museums and historic places, trying out different foods etc.

I sometimes wish I could take my current boyfriend to watch birds. I miss it. But I am ok with tumbukiza joints and restaurants.

So be open-minded. Learning about another culture will help you see the world in new ways. Other challenges include:

• Rejection by the partner’s family. Although it didn’t happen to me, it is common in most interracial relationships.
• Being stared at, people shaking their heads as you walk by or enter a restaurant. Happened to me once. We were on our way to a cabin up North of Maine. There are no black faces up there so when we stopped to fuel the car, people kept staring. He noticed my discomfort and kissed me in defiance.
• Not being acknowledged at a party or a gathering. Fortunately for me, Mark’s friends and family always treated me like I was one of them. A friend of mine though was completely ignored once at a party where everybody was white. Only the boyfriend acknowledged her. They finally left even before the party was over. I don't have great advice on how to deal with challenges, but it is important to know them. 

3.       Meeting the parents/family

Just like in any other relationship, this can be an intimidating experience. Even when meeting the most accepting of families. I met Mark’s family on his birthday. While his father and brother were careful not to say anything awkward, his mother was shooting one question after another. After a few minutes I felt like it was an interrogation! Luckily, Mark rescued me and whisked me away. I was infuriated so much by the questions that I didn’t talk to Mark as he dropped me home that evening.

Mark: Honey, did my mother annoy you with many questions?

Me: (vehemently) She hates me!

Mark: I don’t think so. She is always like that…

Me: Then my goose is cooked.

Mark: (laughs) No. She really is a nice person. But I will talk to her. Will that make you happy? Puts his best smile:

Me: Ok.

Well, she turned out to be a nice person, with less awkward questions and I got to love her. So be strong and let the family see the awesome, funny, intelligent person that you are. Don’t kiss ass though, it will put them off.

4.       Dealing with skeptics

I see how people look at girls dating people of other races with skepticism: They will not last, he is going to dump her for a paler skinned woman, she is in it for money, she is too old for him, he is too old for her, he is too pale for her, they may get married but will be divorced in a year….

Yes, there are girls who just want to date a white dude for show or for his money, even if he is 70 something years old. But there are women and men out there in genuine, loving relationships. If you are one of them, dismiss the skeptics. Show them that there can be beautiful, healthy, thriving interracial relationships. Be happy no matter what people are saying. Maybe when see that you both are truly happy, they will warm to it.

Diary of an African Woman in the US: A Fake Kenyan Athlete

A few days after I landed in the US, my host Patti, my friend Rachel and I went for a run around the Back Cove Trail. This is one of the oldest and most popular of the trails in Portland. It's a 3.5 mile loop around an inlet of Casco Bay, including a portion over Tukey's Bridge. Back cove is known to locals as "The Boulevard". It is an easy and mostly flat trail with a just one stress-free hill along the stretch that parallels I-295.This beautiful loop offers a scenic view of the Portland skyline.

There are benches available along the way for sitting and watching the beautiful scenery. Also, two water fountains have been put along the trail. Portable toilets are available in the parking areas.

I had always kept fit. At Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps where I had previously worked, I jogged in the evenings; way after the scorching sun had retired. I played squash in Kakuma with my colleagues and badminton in Dadaab. I still fancy myself as the best badminton player who ever lived in that part of the desert.

Ok. Back to the Back Cove in Portland. Rach and Patti were in great shape and would effortless run the whole 3.5 mile loop without a single stop. Despite coming from a country where athletes are made, I struggled to finish even a mile. I would stop and sit on the benches every now and then and allow the smell of the ocean to drown the homesickness. After a few days though, I began to get used to the run and would finish the loop without resting.

It was during one of those record breaking runs that I met Adam and Eve. Not the Biblical couple but a current day marathon and triathlon duo from Maine. That day, I had worn an ash-grey t-shirt written KENYA at the front and back in bright red print. I had bought this shirt at Hilton Arcade in Nairobi, as something to remind me of home. As I ran on that August evening, I noticed that people would look at me with admiration. At first, I thought it was because I was the only black face on the trail. However, I learnt that people thought I was one of the famous Kenyan athletes from the Rift Valley.

“Wow! Are you like famous or something? What’s your name? I bet it starts with ‘Ch’?”

I felt like changing my name to Chebet, Chemutai or Chepkirui.

“Ummm….no.”

“But you are definitely an experienced runner? Coz my wife and I are serious runners, and we could hire you as a trainer.”

Yes! My name is Chepkirui, I broke the 800 meters record in Beijing Olympics this Summer.

“I wish! But how much are we talking about here?”

I was thinking fast! What if I become really experienced within a month? This could be a major career change from refugee rights to a personal trainer.

Adam and Eve said they would discuss it and get back to me. As I went back to Patti’s, I thought about it. If I lied to them about my marathon skills, they would eventually realize that I was lousy on the track, was not at all related to the Cheps, and was not from Rift Valley Kenya. Also, I already had a great job at Bates.

When I met them the following day, I was honest with Adam and Eve. They were disappointed and so was I. A week later, I met them on the trail. With them was a young Kenyan man dressed in a black tunic with KENYA printed on the front and back.

“Hey Winnie, meet Kipng’eno, a Kenyan athlete and our new trainer.”

I shook the man’s hand. He was definitely not a Kipng’eno. Not a Kalenjin! His skin tone and accent indicated that he was my tribesman.

So I decided to test him: I know a few Kalenjin phrases.

Me: Chamgei, Hello. Iyamunee? How are you? Kukurenen ng'o, What is your name?

Fake Kipng’eno: Ah. Sikuelewi. I don’t understand

Me: Ureciria nii no uhenie uria uhenetie athungu aya iiiiiiiii? You think you can lie to me just like you have done to these white people?

Fake Kipng’eno: Woooi, please ndukamere! Woooi, please don’t expose me!!

Wacira, (that was his real name) was glad that I didn’t let Adam and Eve know that he had never been in any athletic competition. How could they be so gullible? O well…

After a few years, Wachira has become an experienced  trainer. He participates in the Boston marathons and has a number of high end clients in Massachusetts.

When I go back to the US, I will be a trainer too. And I will change my name to Chemutai Kipsang.

Diary of an African Woman in US: My Crazy Crazy Friends

When I lived in the US, I tried to connect with Kenyans and other Africans. So I met this group of Kenyans living in Boston, Massachusetts in 2008. Kariuki, Waruingi and Omondi shared a house in Waltham, close to Brandeis University. They were a fun loving, adventurous and a hilarious trio, which is why I loved their company. Since Lewiston, Maine is only two and a half hours to Boston, we visited each other at least every few months especially during Kenyan holidays. 

One day, I received a call from Kariuki, who we all called Karis:

Karis: You have any plans for Jamhuri day? It is this Saturday

Me: Not really. What do you guys have in mind?

Karis: We have a goat! We have been fattening him for 3 days! So Nyama Choma (roasted meat) pap!

Me: What? Where did you get a goat from in Boston?

Karis: At a farmer’s market. Our nosy neighbor Mrs. Phillips thinks it’s a pet. The day we bought him, he kept meeeeing through the night and she (the neighbor) came out in her pjs and asked us to shut the freaking goat up. Omosh (Omondi) with his acting skills started crying crocodile tears. Wa Phillips (a common way Kikuyus refer to the wife of or the mother of) was touched by his tears so she asked what was up. Guess what craaazy Omosh said?

Me: Yeah? What?

Karis: That we had rescued the poor goat! That we had found the goat meeing on Chestnut Street. He was lost and we were now housing him. Sheesh! Count on Omosh to cook up a story and add condiments! He even claimed that we had already named the goat ‘Mueni’!

Me: haha! That’s creative! Am game so I will come on 12^th. No goat for me though. I have become a vegetarian?

Karis: Nkt! Stop behaving like an American! You will eat goat and you will be incharge of making some yummy guacamole. Nkt! Ati vegetarian!!

So on 12^th I took an Amtrak train to Boston and Omosh picked me up from the Boston South station. We were excited to see each other after 4 months. So he updated me on the goat festivities. Here’s his version of the story:

Heee! So wacha nikushow (Let me tell you)! Mrs. Phillips left last evening for Connecticut to see her son. We were happy she was going away coz we weren’t sure how to malizia Mueni with her snooping around our place. So once she was gone, we took Mueni to our backyard. Heeee!

He paused for suspense.

“Endelea na story! So what happened?

So we were about to maliz Mweni when suddenly there was a flashlight on my face! It was jioni (night) you know. Kumbe it was cops! They were doing regular patrol in the neighborhood when they noticed some activity in our backyard and came to investigate! Si we were in trouble? Heee! So the cops were like: Hands where we can see them!

It turns out that unlike in Kenya where we can slaughter a goat in the back yard so long as it has been inspected; the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates many of the processes by which animals are slaughtered here. It has to be done in a plant. There is also the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Heee! huku manzee ni kucomplicated! (here things are complicated)

So anyway, the cops let us go but with a warning. They called animal control and they took Mweni away. So no nyama choma. But we bought some chicken.

It turned out to be a fun evening with my friends. But they learnt a lesson: America sio Kenya (American is not like Kenya). They are laws and slaughtering an animal can get you into lots of trouble.When Mrs. Philips returned from Connecticut, she inquired about Mueni the goat. Omosh was ready with a story: They had found Old Larry, the goat’s owner. And the two were happily reconciled.

Diary of an African Woman in the US: The Flight

People have been telling me to write more about my experience in the US. So here's a new series! I will write about my culture shock,language blunders, about the food, crazy weather especially Winter, interracial dating, finding friendships, school, entertainment, my encounters with racism etc. 

Nineteen hours and forty minutes! That’s how long the flight was: From the Jomo Kenyatta International airport, Nairobi; a 2hrs layover at Amsterdam airport, Netherlands to Logan International airport, Boston. 

Let me go back a while. After I had said goodbye to family and friends, and my mom’s friends, (Kenyans know what I mean), I boarded the KLM aircraft that would take me to Amsterdam . What a huge vessel! Now, I had been in a plane many times before, but it was usually a 12- seater to Dadaab, and Kakuma refugee camps where I had worked for some years. I liked the small planes better because: I knew most of the pilots and trusted them.

 Ok. Saying I trusted them is an overstatement. Allow me to digress a bit. One day, I was flying from the Wilson airport, Nairobi to kakuma. I had been away for my 2 weeks R&R (rest and recuperation) and was going back to work. Usually, the small aircrafts had only one pilot so I always rushed to grab the co-pilots seat for a few reasons: I enjoyed the view from the front, I was fascinated by the cockpit and I enjoyed putting the co-pilots headphones and listening to the coded chats between the pilots and control towers. During the flight, I tried to chat with the pilot. He was super nervous and I thought chatting him would make him relax. My friend Maggie disagreed. "Stop charming the man, let him concentrate! U will get us killed!' Sheesh! Maggie! Relax. He has engaged autopilot! 

As we were about to land, we observed a herd of cattle crossing the runway! A turkana herdsman was trying to rush them across in time but landing the plane would be impossible. Everybody on board (well, except me and the pilot) was screaming on top of their lungs. We were going crash onto the cows! In a nick of time, the pilot maneuvered the plane back to the air, circled around and landed us safely. The cows were already gone. Don't ask me who was responsible for ensuring the runway was clear for landing. Anyway, people got off the plane, cursing the heardsman and his cows. The pilot however was rooted to his seat. With concern, I asked him: You ok? He slowly nodded. "Dont tell anybody, but this was my first flight by myself!" What??? You are telling me now? "Would you rather have known when we were up there?" Ok. You make an excellent point. "So yeah! And I landed the freaking plane safely! Wooooohooo!"  And with that, he leaped out of the cockpit and helped me out. 

Back to my journey to America. Now in the huge vessel I was sandwiched between two heavy Dutch men. Don’t get me wrong, I like Dutch people. In fact, I was supporting team Netherlands for the World cup. But here I was, in between unfriendly men for 8 hours! Not that I wanted extremely chatty neighbors really—they would bore me to death. But at least respond to my ‘hi’ with more than just a snort. When I look back, I am convinced that my introvertedness, which was pretty dominant in most of my stay in the US, started on that fateful day.

The plane left Nairobi at 10.20 pm. That was way past my regular bedtime, but excitement kept me awake. My first real airplane food was served by a tall flight attendant. (I had once applied for a flight attendant job with Flamingo airlines, Kenya but they said I wasn’t tall enough. That is a story for another day).  After the cold, bland food, I watched some movies, slept, woke up and watched another movie, ate some more and then we landed in Amsterdam.

This airport is the sixth largest in the world in terms of international traffic with almost 50 million passengers per year. I had an over 2 hours lay over. I couldn’t sleep for fear that a terrorist would slip a bomb into my carry-on bag or that a drug courier would sneak some and I would get arrested at the security check.  The constant warning over the intercom ‘Attention all passengers, please keep your luggage with you at all times. Do not leave your luggage unattended. Do not accept any offer from strangers to handle your luggage. Do not accept any luggage from strangers’ kept me very alert.

I boarded the Northwest airlines (now absorbed into Delta) to Boston. It was less luxurious. And the airplane food was even worse. For some reason, I had expected everything to be better. The plane was old, the seats were less classy and the flight attendants were shorter. But I had a window seat though so I was able to see the ocean down below!

And finally we landed. I was overwhelmed with excitement as my feet touched the American soil. My childhood dream had come true. I didn't know the process of getting my luggage but I followed the other passengers. I found my suitcase and took the escalator down towards the exit. And there they were! The two wonderful women who had made all this possible: Patti and Rachel. They didn't need a placard with my name and with the words: Welcome to America. Their beaming smiles said it all. Hugs and more hugs and we walked to the car and drove to Portland, Maine. I leaned back and enjoyed the ride. I was finally here.

To be continued…

Innovation in Developing Countries: Butterfly LED Lamp in Kenya

Innovation, especially technological innovation, is regarded as one of the keys to economic and social development. One of the myths about the developing world is that people living there lack innovation necessary to spur economic growth and development. Some development experts have advised governments in developing countries to adopt already matured technologies from developed countries. Others have argued that technology transfer from developed to developing countries is the best way out.

While I agree to both ideas and agree that developing countries have significant opportunities for tapping into global knowledge and technology for dissemination in their domestic context, I also disqualify the myth that there is no or little innovation in these countries. It is there, but  is inhibited by poor framework conditions (such as governance, education and infrastructure).

 I encourage governments in developing countries should support innovations by local citizens. They can do this by

• Developing and implementing practical innovation policies
• Providing technical, financial and other support
• Reducing obstacles to innovation in competition and in regulatory and legal frameworks
• Providing government-sponsored research and development (R& D)
• Developing an education systems that encourages creativity and innovation

In this series, I will be highlighting various innovations from developing countries. This week, I will feature an innovation by two Kenyans:

The product: Butterfly LED Lamps

·        They are an affordable form of lighting made for the poor and those in the rural areas without access to electricity.

·        The lamps are made of recyclable materials:

Battery: this is made of recycled dead laptop batteries

Outer covering:  made of white trunk pipes

• The LED bulbs installed produce bright light thus giving the user enough light for a big room
• The butterfly lamp charges via both electricity and solar energy. The battery charges for 10 to 20 minutes to give a whole week consistent lighting.

·        The charging system is unique in that it has special ports installed. One can use any mobile phone charger to charge the lamp. Majority of people have mobile phones (including those in rural areas), so this is an easy way to charge the lamp.

·        Compared to other devices in the market, Butterfly Lamps are brighter and provide light for longer.

Target Population

-Slums and rural areas where there is no government installed electricity.

The Lamps are already being used by:

• Nairobi university students: due to the regular blackouts at the university resident halls, one student bought a lamp. She uses it to study for exams when the lights go out.
• Homes:  relatives of the innovators who live in rural areas use butterfly lamps for lighting.
• Long distance truck drivers: Some transit drivers from Mombasa to Kampala use the lamps. At most times the truck breaks down in the middle of the night. They use the lamp to see around and for security.

The Innovators

Paul Mucheru

-Works at Faulu Bank. He is developer of electrical control systems. His passion is to provide access to lighting for all especially the poor. He came up with the idea of the Butterfly Lamps and developed a prototype .

Joe Mwaniki

-27 years old. He is a software and web developer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. He Works at West Innovations Limited. In 2010, Joe won the vice chancellors innovation Award. He is passionate about the technology of tomorrow.

Where did the idea come from?

Here is what the dynamic duo had to say:

We were preparing to watch the UEFA Champions League finals between Chelsea and Bayern Munich when the lights suddenly disappeared. Arrg!! Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) had failed us again. We desperately wanted to watch the match.

That is when we decided that we had to do something. There had to be an affordable form of lighting. With frequent blackout and many Kenyans depending on KPLC alone, an alternative form of lighting had to be developed. And we were going to do it! Indeed necessity is the mother of invention.

Future of the product

• The lamp will have a battery meter so as to alert the user on the battery levels
• The user will be able to access the lamp or bulb wirelessly through a smartphone app. This will help show the battery charge levels, if the product is broken, and how to improve the productivity of the lamp.
• The lamp is in the process of being patented
• A outer cover is being designed to protect the bulbs 

Potential benefit to Investors

·         Investors will benefit from the sales of the lamps to the many customers across the region.

·         Investors will have the opportunity to clear the environment off toxic materials (the recycled batteries used in the product).

Women's Voices: Part 2

One day I walked into our center and there was a new face. She was holding a baby who was screaming on top of his lungs. The mother looked frazzled and when I said hi, she just murmured something and barely looked at me.

A week later she asked me: “Ms. Winnie, you don’t remember me, do you?”    

“Uhhm…not really. No. Have we met somewhere before you came to our program?”

She laughed out aloud? “Are you sure? Because you and I had quite a long conversation a week before I came. At Valley Arcade?”

Suddenly it hit me! I was at the Java at Valley Arcade for a meeting. On my way from there, I met this woman at the entrance. She was begging from passers-by. She stopped me and said: Auntie saidia. Help me, auntie. Auntie is a Kenya way of regarding a female stranger.I remember there were some men selling movies close by. They chuckled and whispered among themselves: Just wait, this gullible lady will be conned before our very eyes.

I decided to listen to the woman nevertheless. She had been begging all day and nobody had given her a single coin. Her husband had married another woman and left her with 5 children. He paid the rent but that was all. She and her children had slept hungry for three days. And could I buy her flour so she could go cook some ugali? I gave her Ksh200 (`$ 2), went home and forgot about her.

Now she was right in front of me grinning so widely. So she had been genuinely in need! Phew! What if I had ignored her? What if I had insulted her like most Kenyans do? And then I come to the program to find the very woman? I would have been so so ashamed! Thankfully, I had listened and done something good. Phew! Here is her story as she shared with us as part of healing.

I am a mother of five children. My husband dumped me for a younger woman. He only pays the rent but does not cater for other needs. My first born is married. I was raised by a single mother and because she could not afford my school fees, I dropped out of school at class four.

I came to Nairobi to look after my aunt's child but could not stay there for long.  Her husband (my uncle) attempted to rape me. I went back to the village but came back to the city to look for work. Igot one as a house help but I later got married. But as I mentioned earlier, he left me.

Since I had no education, I could not get a good job. I would go to the street and wait for casual jobs such as cleaning houses and doing laundry in rich neighborhoods such as Lavington and Kileleshwa. But it was not easy to get a job and I could go for days without work. My children and I would spent even up to three days without food. I started begging for food from well-wishers on the streets. It was so demeaning. Some people would insult me and most would just ignore me.

Then one day I met with the people who do street ministry from Always Enough: Cecilia and Ruth. They got interested with my story and they introduced me to Tandaza Trust and Safe Harbor International. This was a turning point for me. I love it here since I am busy unlike before when I could only sit waiting for a job that I was not even sure of.  I get a stipend to buy food and they took my girl to school. Nowadays I find myself smiling and laughing more often. I guess am just happy that there is food on the table for my children. And that my dignity has been restored. I thank God for Tandaza Trust and Safe Harbor International.

This resilient woman recently graduated from our Literacy Program with a certificate in Lower Intermediate English. We are also training her and the other women on how to make Arts and crafts such as notecards, mats, baskets etc for sale. We also have trained entrepreneurship skills. We hope to help her and others either to get jobs or start small businesses. 

Women's Voices: Part 1

In the last few years I have been working as a Development Specialist with Safe harbor International (SHI).I work with women who have been rescued from the streets. These women have been to hell and back. They have been homeless for over 5 years, they have suffered physical and sexual abuse, slept hungry for days on cold, dark, dirty and dangerous alleys, have been arrested by city council police and thrown into jail. They have begged for coins in order to feed their children, been insulted by passers-by. In short, these women have been stripped of their dignity.

SHI partners with Tandaza Trust and Always enough—two NGO’s that are passionate about street families. They rescue these women, rent flats for them, and then enroll them in the empowerment program. Here, the women are taught entrepreneurial skills, how to make artwork such as note cards, mats, baskets, jewelry etc. These are sold and proceeds used to help them. Since most of the women are drug addicts by the time they join us, they are enrolled in a rehabilitation program.

I coordinate the Literacy program. As they go through rehab and empowerment, we concurrently enroll them for English classes depending on the entry level. We currently have Beginner’s 1 and 2, Lower and Upper Intermediate and Advanced English levels. In our classes, we teach job skills such as resume writing, interviewing, customer relations and public speaking skills among others. Other trainings include reproductive health (family planning, STIs and HIV/AIDS) basic nutrition, basic hygiene and good grooming, basic business skills etc.Once the women finish a cycle (usually one year) we help them find a job, go to college or start a small business depending on their choice.

As part of their healing process, the women have been sharing their stories with us. They say we have given them voices, restored their dignity. Those in Advanced and Intermediate levels write the stories themselves but the beginners tell the stories to us. We then record and transcribe them. In the next few entries, I will be sharing these success stories. To protect their identities, we will use pseudonyms or totally withhold the women’s names. We pray that they will encourage women everywhere no matter how bad their life has been. I am so glad to be part of the amazing work that Safe Harbor International, Tandaza Trust and Always Enough are doing in Nairobi, Kenya.

Below is one of the stories as shared by Maggie (Not her real name):

I come from a poor family. I was raised by a single mother in Mathare slums and later moved to the streets of Nairobi to beg for food. During my frequent visit to the streets, I met a woman from England who sponsored me up to form 3 but she later went back to her country. This made me devastated and left me with no other option than to go back to my old ways of begging. I met a man who married me and I got pregnant. Unfortunately, he chased me out of his house after delivery. I had nowhere to go since I was estranged from my mother. I had only one option: to go back to the streets of Nairobi.

Life in the streets was not easy and especially with my young daughter. We slept in the cold and my child developed a chest problem. In order to relieve myself from the stress, I started abusing drugs. I would beg during the day around museum hill and at night we would go and sleep at the corridors in the city. I begged until my child was five years old. I always received insults from people I begged from.

When begging became difficult for me, I joined a gang of thieves. I would seduce men and when they followed me, the others would attack from behind. I did this for three months but we disagreed with my friends after I helped a white man escape. They threatened me and I had to run away from Nairobi town to Kawangware.

While at Kawangware I met my old friends from the city and at first I was very scared since I didn't know whether they had changed or they would report me to the gang. Later, I met with them again and after sharing my story with them, they introduced me to Tandaza Trust and Safe Harbor International.

I stopped abusing drugs and became a Christian. I also joined the Literacy class where I sharpen my English skills. Currently, I am assisting in teaching some students. I can now see a future for me and my child and I know she will get a good education. I desire to become a hair dresser someday. I appreciate the Tandaza Trust program and Safe Harbor International.

Dos and Dont's for Expatriates

When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable. — Clifton Fadiman

This entry is dedicated to all my friends who studied International Development with me, have been, are or will be expats. And all my other fans who still read my blog entries even when it is not really that relevant to them .

The number of expats in Kenya keeps rising. However, I see expats making the same mistakes year in year out. To try and assist them, I recently conducted an independent research, interviewing both locals and expats in Nairobi. Here are some dos and don’ts suggested by both groups. And a few additions of my own since I consider myself an expat. I also trained a number of expat groups when I lived in the US. These dos and don’ts will help expats be more productive, have a better time, and better relationships with locals. There were more don’ts than dos. Don’t ask me why.
Dos
1. Research extensively about the country you are going to. The culture, tax laws, property markets and day-to-day expenses. These vary from country to country. Even if you are returning to a country that you have lived in before, tax laws change over time.

2.Get adequately trained. Typical programs for the expat and his/her family should include:
 •cross cultural training •language training •documentary and practical information on the new location • sensitivity training • arrival orientation • field trips where possible

3. Get a repatriation program. You may be going to a volatile location. Ensure that the company/organization sending you there are ready and able to repatriate you if need be.

4. Learn the language: If you did not receive language training as suggested above, try to learn even if it is just a few basic phrases. Most locals agreed that they were warmer to foreigners who could say Habari, or any other form of greeting.

5. Bring the best from your country, especially technology, company culture and management integrity.

6. Try local foods. You might get a case of food poisoning once in a while, but chances are that the food is clean, and yummy. Ok. Strike the food poisoning part.

7. Make friends with locals. Most expats just hang out with other expats. Then they just look like an unapproachable sorority. I am not saying that you shouldn’t hang out with your fellow expats. Yes, celebrate 4th of July and Thanksgiving together, but also celebrate Jamhuri or Madaraka day with Kenyans.

8. Communicate with people back home often. Call your people. Share success stories. When you go back, the gap will not be so big. You will adapt more easily than if you were not communicating.

Don’ts
1. Don’t complain throughout about everything! The queue is so long, it’s too hot, too humid, too cold, this necklace is too expensive, this street is too dirty. Yes, Nairobi’s traffic is too crazy even for me as a local. But why whine about it all the time? It is not going to improve just because you did.

2. Don’t try to fix everything. Yes, you came here to work for human rights, but you can’t fix all the problems. The politicians are crooked, the pot holes on the roads need to be filled, there is a cholera outbreak at the refugee camp, matatu drivers are so reckless (my greatest pet peeve), the country has so many problems….You can only do so much. Unless you are super man (who has a kryptonite by the way), you will experience a bad case of burn out and you will be back to your country before you finish your task.

3. Don’t be a know it all. One of the annoying things expats do is to act like they know everything about a country after a year or two. Even if you have been there for ten years, there is always something new to discover. When there is a new expat, share the knowledge, but let them learn some things on their own. Don’t deny them the joy of discovering things for themselves.

4. Related to 3 above. Don’t insist that your way is the best way. Yes, you are trained as a Development Specialist and you have studied that country extensively. You have a Master’s in Project Management, and those on the ground have no idea what a Log Frame is, but they have tested many development strategies. They know what best practices are for that community project. Consult them and see if your ideas and theirs can be used together. If you insist on ‘your way’ all the time, you will be frustrated throughout and you won’t enjoy your work.

5. Don’t ship everything from your home country. You might be surprised to find your brand of body lotion in Nairobi, but if you cannot find it, ask for recommendations on local brands.

6. Related to 5. Above: Don’t shop at expat stores throughout. Their prices will be up the roof. In Kenya, you can find almost all the items you need at the local supermarkets such as Nakumatt and Uchumi. For veggies, go to the local farmer’s markets. You will find your organic tomatoes for cheaper.

7. Don’t exaggerate! E.g. when I worked in Dadaab refugee camp in 2005, my project provided housing for half a million refugees. (That number is too high. The number of refugees was about 200,000 then). Most expats do amazing work in harsh locations. You do not need to boast or exaggerate for people to see you are doing significant work.

8. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Yes, we know you are on a serious mission. But if you don’t laugh about the language blunders e.g. the time when you asked the waiter for mavi , (excrement) instead of Maji (water), then you will not last long.

9. Don’t leave the country for vacation all the time. Why don’t you explore the country? Visit the touristy areas. If in Kenya, go for a safari. Go to the Maasai Mara; visit the coastal towns like Malindi, Mombasa, Lamu; or climb Mt. Kenya.

10. Don’t judge other expats. You may not approve their choice to wear a hijab, or eat nyama choma, but let them be.

11. Related to 10. above. Don’t expect your spouse and children or even other expats to adapt to the new location in the same pace. Your wife may not be able to learn Swahili as fast as you and your son may not be ready to wear local garb yet. Give them time, be patient.

12. You can watch CNN, BBC, or DW news, read the NY times online but don’t ignore the local press. Buy the local newspaper. Watch the local news. Visit a local theatre and watch a pantomime.

13. Related to 12 above. Don’t be addicted to social media. Don’t be on facebook, twitter throughout. Turn them off and go outside! There is a beautiful coffee shop that you won’t discover if you are on facebook.

14. Don’t live in fear. Oh my goodness, I just saw a mosquito—I will get malaria. OMG! Did you hear there was a bombing in Kenya? Sudan is next to Kenya so it’s next. I can’t use the bus. The general elections are around the corner—let’s get out of here! Things might become volatile. Ok. Some caution is important but don’t let fear rule you.

All the best expats!

Muna

Muna,
I saw you, I saw your light
In the night of guns, in the primeval darkness
I saw your little light, flickering diffidently amidst shattering bombs

Muna, I saw you, I saw your fire
In the night of guns, in the primeval darkness
I saw your dying embers, glowing reticently in the rain of bullets

Muna,
I saw you, I saw your strength
In the breaking dawn, when the red sun awoke
I saw your small stones, sticking confidently among superior rocks

Your little light became the sun
Your dying embers became a bush fire
Your small stones caused an avalanche
I saw you,
I saw your incandescent light, I saw your blazing fire, and I saw your prodigious strength.