Already Halfway!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Hello again!

A few days ago I passed my halfway mark, meaning I have around three months left before I have to leave Kenya. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me would like to stay much longer, as things move fairly slow here, I reckon that it would be necessary to have more time to have an impact, to be able to overcome the obstacles that prevent us from having the impact that we would like to have.

During this first half of my deployment I have certainly learned a lot; not only about the technical aspects of what we are doing here, but also abut the importance of the system, and to adapt to things that are not in our control.

One of the reasons why I decided to come to Kenya was to face a very strong cultural shock, I have had the opportunity to live in different countries beforehand, but I purposely chose a project in a country whose culture was supposed to be very different from my native one. This proved to be true.

I will try to explain myself with some examples. In the past weeks I have been focusing on financial training (after identifying it as a pressing issue to the economic growth of the local communities). The already mentioned very different perception of time is certainly one of the first cultural barriers that we get to face. People tend to show up a few hours late to trainings (or at 1pm when the training was scheduled for 9 a.m.) and this takes energy. Additionally, it is very challenging to suddenly become a teacher (although I do have a bit of experience from University). What I mean is that the illiteracy of some of the group members makes the sharing of information much more difficult that one would expect.

Group picture from the Financial Training given to the
Chairladies and secretaries from all the support groups

Nonetheless, I would say that this struggles and challenges make the achievements even more satisfying! 

When I see that the women we work with are genuinely happy about completing the exercises we do together, or they understand the importance of working on their skills rather than us just distributing items, it makes the difficulties seem (if not easier) worth it. 

As they say, no pain no gain! 

Currently, after having had two days training all the groups together, I am once again visiting the groups (with the support of Valery and David - the attachee/intern that will work with me for two months -) and apart from discussing and making sure that also those who did not attend the trainings understand the concepts, I am giving them a small notebook each to make sure that each one of them keeps track of their finances. I hope they will make use of it, and in a month or so I will be able to see the results from the groups. Fingers crossed!

Financial training with a single group

On a separate note, around 10 days ago was my birthday. Three of our housemates had to renew their visas, so we combined the two events to cross the whole country: from Western Kenya we made it all the way to the coast! It was a 30 hours journey, with buses, trains and matatu but it was fun!

We spent the weekend in Diani Beach, it was very nice, peaceful and relaxing.

Mohammad, Ebba, Emma and Valery threw a small breakfast surprise party by the pool of the AirBnb we were staying in the morning of my birthday, that was very nice :) 

We also spent a whole afternoon playing beach volley, Mo went from complete beginner to semi-pro in a few hours! I tried kitesurfing again after not having done it for one and a half years, but the wind conditions were not the best so I did not have much success 😅 Such is life!

Our attempt at taking a group picture ended up
with both Emma and I falling inside the swimming pool!

On our way to the coast, I also got to show Valery, Emma and Mohammad one of my favourite "spots" of Nairobi: the Gikomba Market.

During my last visit in Nairobi I lost my dear bucket hat, so I had to find a replacement! 

The Gikomba Market is a very interesting place, it's fun but makes you think and reflect at the same time. 

In fact, it is the size of a small town where everybody is selling second hand clothes, most of which come from western countries. It really shows the impact of the behaviour of consumers in our countries, and how many clothes are purchased and "thrown away" while still in very good conditions.

During my two visits, I was happy to buy two pairs of pants and two buckets hats, everything in very good contditions and for a total price of 12 euros. Both times I went there, my group represented the whole wazungu (white people) in the market. It's very authentic, and that's also why I like it! 

A selfie of the four of us after I found two bucket hats 

A picture of the Gikomba Market, you can find anything here! 

We keep going,

Baadaye! 

Mattia

Karibu Kenya

As I write this blog, it has been exactly one month since I boarded a plane (three, actually) bound for "the middle of nowhere" in Kenya. I usually don't have expectations for my new destinations, and this time was no different. I just wanted to wait and be surprised. The only thing I knew was that I was going as a communications volunteer to Shianda, Kenya.

Bound for Shianda

Just as I boarded the plane in Madrid, I was leaving behind the last 9 months of my first long-term volunteer experience. The experiences, the people, the learnings, the routine, and everything that makes up "living" in a place.

Turning the page from that chapter to this new one felt more like changing books. With zero expectations, but a lot of experience living in contexts similar to Kenya, I found myself navigating an environment that felt familiar; not familiar to the last 9 months in Spain, but familiar to my 21 years in Colombia.

There is something magical about the African connection with Latin America, and I found that this magic is based on the familiarity of our customs. I feel very fortunate in this aspect, as the daily chaos of life in Kenya does not cause me any discomfort.

Seeing boda-boda in Kakamega feels just like home

Upon arriving at my new home in Shianda, after sleeping the entire way from the airport in Kisumu, I found a beautiful place. A week earlier, I had had the opportunity to talk with my colleagues, roommates, flatmates, and now new friends. A situation I was grateful for as it greatly reduced my social anxiety.

Karibu Kisumu

Upon arriving home, everyone was there: Ebba, Emma, Mattia, and Mohammad. Even my mentor, Hanna, was virtually present, and having arrived with Esther (my new boss) who picked me up at the airport, suddenly and like a great coincidence, the entire team was at home to welcome me.

Eating together by candlelight

For the first two weeks, I was in sponge mode. A somewhat passive mode for my liking, where on one hand, I absorbed all the training information at the WEFOCO office while noting down names and positions that I could hardly remember the next day. On the other hand, I tried to understand the dynamics and new customs at home without making much noise. Honestly, when arriving at a house where four people had already built some sort of unity, you can feel a bit out of place.

However, I couldn't have asked for better companions. They have always done everything possible to make me feel part of the new home. They have helped me with everything I have needed and fortunately, our personalities get along very well. I've been very lucky.

A snapshot before some people got wet

We just got back from a trip together to the coast. A very picturesque group trip; one of them surviving malaria while spending hours getting covered in sand while playing volleyball, and another in her second week of bacterial infection, ensuring us that each day she felt better than the last.

It was a very fun trip and personally, very enriching. Seeing giraffes and zebras on the train ride, finding dog-sized monkeys crossing the road to the beach, and arguing with other monkeys to keep them from stealing the bread off the table; is unforgettable.

On a more serious note, the last two weeks at WEFOCO have been more active for me. I have learned all the names I noted down. I understand my functions and what is expected of my role in the organization and I have had the opportunity to start creating the foundations for an internal and external communications strategy that can improve the impact of the activities carried out by the NGO.

I have created some of the social media channels, am finding a better way to manage the website, and looking for resources to allow for more appropriate and sustainable internal documentation over time. Although my role is a bit behind the scenes, I have also had the opportunity to meet many of the members and beneficiaries of WEFOCO's activities. Their stories, their motivation, and even their smiles are invaluable lessons for our work here.

I swear I'm there

Although I understand that it has only been two weeks, I feel a bit frustrated (and I had already been warned about this feeling) by the slowness with which I have had to develop certain initiatives. I know it is my anxiety and need for achievement speaking in this case. That is why I try to keep track of all the tasks I have started and their status, as instead of starting a task and finishing it to start another (as I was used to), the work pace here dictates a different process. Here I start tasks simultaneously and keep an eye on all of them to ensure they reach their end.

This pace has a very positive pro: it keeps me motivated by all the tasks that are in progress. It excites me to see them completed, which keeps my mind active, looking for ways to speed them up. I am eager to see the results of all the ideas that come to my mind. Surely soon (or not so soon), I will write about them.

To conclude, one of my favorite colleagues is ending her volunteer work soon (this really is very soon) and I am already beginning to feel the emptiness of her departure. I will surely miss her funny and very intelligent inputs, as well as her positivity in the face of adversity (like assuring us she is okay after fainting twice). It has been a pleasure to have her at my arrival as she has greatly helped make my adaptation easier.

I believe it is these kinds of experiences, connections, and emotions that make this experience so fascinating. It is my first month, and it feels like a full cycle of highs, lows, good, bad, and better. What will come next?

Válery J Serrano U.