It took almost the same time to create a baby, it’s time to go!

 I’ve been here nearly nine months, which is significant because the last time I stayed so long in one place was over four years ago when I was still attending my classes at uni. I am grateful for the time I spent here. Thankful for the stubborn and fantastic team of GBV Ambassadors, our successes, and the learned lessons from setbacks. Indebted to my team, who were here to celebrate the victories, support me during obstacles, and gossip about all that is unfolding here. Grateful for the green garden filled with countless bird species, the cows that come to graze the overgrown grass that every visitor keeps commenting on, and the privacy it has provided us. And happy with the gym, which has served as a cornerstone for my social interactions here. 

                                                      

Just a while back, I felt more than ready to leave and seek a new adventure with a new deployment. But now the time of leaving Shianda behind has finally come to my doorstep, I realise how much I have been able to build up here. I am definetely not a village person, having been born and raised in the city and enjoying disappearing in the crowd. Although, I learned to appreciate meeting my friends at the market, stopping here and there on my way home for small talks with acquaintances, getting called when I skip a gym session, having people randomly come over, and hearing the classic umepotea (you’ve been lost) when I haven’t seen someone in a while.

                                                       

Shianda has many opportunities; it is located along a relatively important road. It has services available, a market that provides all you need, a tiny cinema that plays movies daily for a few shillings, and it now has two gyms. The area is quite safe, and public transportation is readily available. At the same time, the region is too poor for a water refill station to exist, I haven’t spotted any place with a washing machine (yes, I can see my white-way of comparing wealth here), and people are struggling way below the poverty line to make ends meet. The capacity to tackle these issues is present as there are enough educated people to uplift the area. But enabling is an issue. I genuinely feel this is the most essential thing an ECSD volunteer can do. Enable activities to happen, support organising training and events, and ensure everyone has the capacity to attend. To be the neutral ground in negotiations and simply exert your foreigness to bypass corruption that others are facing on a daily basis when meeting people that actually should have been the neutral ground themselves.

There is still so much that can be done, and there are countless things that I really appreciate while living here. But I am also delighted to close this chapter and further my career elsewhere. Shianda has engraved her special place in my heart, including all the good and all the bad.

                                                       

I am glad that not all work will go in vain, as a new set of volunteers is preparing to arrive as I am preparing to leave right now. WEFOCO will work together with a new consortium, which will send four new volunteers - all for gender.

                    

Life is a rollercoaster! Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

 That this journey is filled with ups and downs, as hilly as this beautiful landscape, is a given fact. After all the positive momentum created with the new GBVA, everything suddenly started to get very slow again. Obstacles appeared left and right, which, I’m not gonna lie, demotivated a bit. However, like climbing a mountain, the way up might be challenging, but the views are always worth it! (Unless you find yourself on top of Mt. Longonot surrounded by clouds the whole loop, then it’s definitely the dopamine, serotonin and good company that makes it worth it…). 

All metaphors and proverbs aside, what I am trying to say is that giving up is never an option. Especially when you live in a community where there is so much to win, so much to achieve, and so much to be inspired by. A token came along my way (oke, one more for those who’ve read The Alchemist), and I decided to follow it. Not too long ago Patrick, in charge of the Young Mothers Support Groups, showed up, excited to meet the “new” gender volunteer and to see how we can continue (or actually set up) the groups. Needless to say, we got working! We presented ourselves at 7 different schools and are now busy meeting all the young mothers to explore options of setting up support groups and meeting all student counsellors to enhance their capacities. Meeting these bright young minds was the fresh energy that I needed! Suddenly, leaving in September almost feels like too short time again hahah. Nevertheless, this time, an extension is not an option.

Lucky for me, I heard from a little bird that WEFOCO will receive a few new volunteers soon, right before I leave. Coming from an organisation different from MONDO, we are stressing the importance of creating good hand-over materials for this new energy coming into town. With the help of Valery, our communications volunteer, we are establishing a better system to manage all documents related to the work of volunteers by WEFOCO themselves. This entails ensuring all documents by and for volunteers are straightforward, easy to find, read, and adopt. Also, I am finally meeting some more stakeholders in the area, with whom good collaboration can seriously increase the efforts of all our work. A list of contacts, functions, and organisations in all areas is in development, so you, as a newbie, will know who you should meet in your first month to pick it up right from where we left it! No more groping in the dark (yes, okay, one more). 

We’ve been spending a significant amount of time within Shianda without any good new travels... Although we visited the cinema in Kisumu twice (Inside Out 2 is a full-on recommendation, but don’t waste your time in A Quiet Place: Day One), We did have the WHOLE cinema to ourselves one time, which was kinda cool. Anyway, since I can’t sit still for too long, I’m looking forward to a weekend away, in addition to preparing a travel itinerary for my family, who will be travelling to Kenya soon.

Oh yes, almost forgot to add, I have to acknowledge how I admire the Gen Z of this country. They have already managed to dissolve their cabinet and forced governors to resign. They will continue until President Ruto steps down. Experiencing this momentum from the position where we are is incredible. Shianda is safe, and even when stuck in Kakamega during one of the protests, the atmosphere felt safe. Security assured, it has been an incredible inspiration to see people stand up against corruption, speak up about justice, and fight for a better future they so much need. 

The half-way blog

 My mid-stay here has just passed, and many feelings storm through my body. I can’t say it’s solely related to time. I am one to stay busy, and I am already anticipating the next steps (yes, yes, it is too early for that). Having studied international development and disaster management, there are different pathways I am looking forward to further developing myself. But my mind is racing now that I am exposed to this development experience, continuous reading into the aid industry, and discussions with peers. 

Anyway, let’s get into life in Shianda, so for those of you who are interested or preparing to come to Shianda can know what is ahead of you. At the beginning of May, we finally organised the 3-day training, an objective I’d had since my arrival, but one that had many roadblocks. Little things that could have easily been avoided continued to add up, making the process of designing and organising the training difficult, to say the least. I honestly wouldn’t know where to start explaining it all, and for future volunteers ready to embark on this wonderful adventure, I have a lessons learned file stored in the WEFOCO and MONDO drive. Now, finally deciding I was ready and it would be a now or never was a personal turning point to go through with it - and what was that worth it! For three intense days, we talked about gender, gender-based violence and violence against women, including different forms, types and consequences, land-human-child-disability rights, psychosocial support, and reproductive health. We re-established a president, deputy, secretary, and treasurer with the group, allowing for a more structured pathway forward. Sixteen people successfully completed the training, meaning we now have 17 wonderful GBVA in and around Shianda.

The participants' eagerness to learn more about these topics, to learn from each other, and to start with advocacy work has left me speechless. Although three full training days, from 09:00 AM (!!) to 16:00 PM (sometimes even longer), were exhausting, it was not enough. I will focus on facilitating more information and training the GBVA ambassadors to do continuous advocacy work within the wider communities. 

Another side project is the GBV library, which is improving slowly but surely. To make the trainings more accessible, we have added extra Kiswahili versions, instruction cards in English and Kiswahili for each training, and replaced the paper covers that are constantly ripping apart with more durable plastic ones.

With the first bigger GBVA meeting, we discussed numerous points; we continued the plan of doing smaller workshops to continue learning, introduced an M&E form to better understand how many cases we are handling, and started discussing how we can make the GBVA work more financially sustainable.

With these work-related updates, it’s time to understand that life is definitely not only work! Some of the most wonderful things about being here are integrating into the community and exploring the country. As my Kiswahili is getting better pole pole, I see some connections with the people here are improving warmly and comfortingly. One of the most important things I am learning is just to show up, and you’ll notice that you are welcome! So now I am becoming better at cooking ugali and am learning how to make a delicious and slimy dish called mro - which I am not sure my western friends would be too happy about if I make it for them, but I gotta say, I enjoy that slippery green meal! 

We’ve also been lucky to travel to some new places. Being accompanied by hundreds of dragonflies while exploring Ndere island, hearing nothing but nature as we are the only ones on this little piece of land, together with some zebras and baboons (I’m sure there are other animals; we just didn’t see them). We also had a weekend trip to the coast, which, despite Mo’s malaria and Ebba’s bacterial infection (making both of them sleep at every opportunity), was an amazing trip to discover a whole different side of Kenya. The white beach with coconut trees, the relaxed atmosphere, and the ocean inviting us to learn some kitesurfing was a true bliss.

Being here is equal to being constantly in awe, finding beauty in the small and unusual things around you. We find ourselves in situations such as learning how to cook mro and ugali on a jiko in a small kitchen hut, learn shortcuts between peoples houses, become fashionably on time to our own meetings, and start conversations in Kiswahili. You realise that the morning sun shines just a bit differently than you are used to at home and it makes your whole body warm up. The billion of fireflies lighting up the dark road on the way home from a rough gym session in the rustic gym. Spotting wild animals on little weekend trips while being accompanied by a hundred dragonflies along the way. The rough bodaboda rides that leave you with mad respect for the driver and the overful matatu rides that have you counting 24 heads in one small transport van.

So yes, many feelings storm through my body as I think of the fact that I’ve passed half of my stay. But right now, I feel mainly excited for all that is yet to come, which is still a staggering four months filled with opportunities!

Our 2024 family Christmas card is ready!!

Everyday life

I won’t lie, but I want to start my blog with “time is flying by”. It is the actual classic, but life is happening, and somehow, three months have already passed since I first arrived. To summarise, we are now four volunteers, which is nice because it means that we have a strong support network among each other. Our Swahili could be better, but we plan to tackle that issue - soon, we will be fluent (Inshallah). And I have completed my first few activities as a gender advocate here.

International Women's Day in Shianda

To start with the latter, at the beginning of March, I was able to get various stakeholders together to talk about GBV and develop a plan to proceed from here. With International Women’s Day, we were able to join hands and organise a march through Shianda to raise attention to gender equality and GBV. These were some interesting events with many lessons learned. Most of all, it was great to see the motivation of community members and to meet new people working on the same issues.

Other activities that I am planning include a refresher course for the current GBVA and recruiting and training new GBVAs to strengthen the community's efforts. However, my mind is also wandering towards the identified deadlocks that are limiting the GBVA's work and measures to overcome them, which is quite a challenge on its own.

Chairladies meeting

Although work and private life tend to get mixed up a lot in and around the house, which is a given fact when you live with three of your colleagues, we are also able to enjoy our moments off work. We mostly share our meals together, which is nice as I can often get away with cleaning the dishes afterwards. We fill the house with books, have little movie nights, and our love for sports is combined with our hatred for doing the dirty laundry afterwards. We have visited various places, including the Crying Stone in Kakamega, Ambururu Waterfall, Kakamega Forest, and Nairobi.

Visiting the country’s capital city was a bit of a startle, having skipped it altogether upon arrival and having lived in a rural area for 2,5 months. We had to travel to Nairobi for our visa renewal and for me to take my PMP exam. Seeing the difference between the places puts more things in perspective. While enjoying the luxuries of the city, it was also hard to grasp the fact that one meal could easily cost over 1000KES while two days prior, I was dealing with a survivor of GBV who couldn’t afford a 10KES book to visit the government’s medical facility - let alone the costs of medicine after diagnoses. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the headspin Nairobi gave me. Even though we see and understand the disparities (the reason that led us to be here in the first place), there are these moments when nothing makes sense anymore. It is especially during these moments that I realise having this network of volunteers around me to help me ground again is a blessing.

Daily views from the field visits

The gym has always been an essential release for me, and you have no idea how glad I am to continue that habit here. There is something about the sunrises in that little rustic room, the unorganised and confusing weights system, the welded steel beams that function as a leg press or shoulder press, the poorly laid wooden floor, and that intrusive smell of sweat that is simply motivating. Mumias East will keep a bodybuilding competition soon; needless to say, the guys are training hard. And while I will definitely stay out of that, it is nice to train alongside people who are just as motivated to push themselves to their limits.

The sunrise from the gym

We have had our fair share of issues surrounding the house, considering we spent 11 days without electricity, we wake up regularly to the fact the water has run out, and we have to wait until the sun generates enough energy to fill the tank, and the question of how we keep our grass short without overspending (yes at one point we had some cows and goats over). But all in all, I am very grateful for the place we call home - which does have plenty of space, wifi, and even a little projector to create a cinema effect on movie nights.

Life is not all roses, sunshine, unicorns and rainbows. But for some reason, I find myself at peace here. I get carried away by all the little glimmers in life that seem to make any obstacle worth conquering.

A new beginning

 

Living in this lush environment, the daily orchestra consists of birds singing, insects buzzing, and the light-dappled white curtain gently blowing in the wind. Once the sun sets, there is complete silence beside the crickets chirping. Occasionally, the neighbour's or our guard's music finds its way through my poorly closed window when I lay in bed, trying to read a book while my eyes are giving up for the day. The next morning, the sun finds its way through the split of the curtains, shining on my face to greet me. It's another day in Shianda. There is much to be done; everything goes at its own pace. Flexibility here is key; don't plan too much, but have faith that everything will fall in place.

Snapshot from a matatu

My interest in gender-based violence and psychosocial support has led me here as I am a gender advocate and PSS volunteer, working mainly with GBV with the community focus groups. In all honesty, it has taken me a while to understand how everything is organised, leading to an optimal use of my observation time. Only now, 3 weeks later, am I looking into how I can best develop and organise my activities.

Mohammad, here for ICT, and I arrived around the same time, allowing us to explore the life of Shianda, West Kenya, at the same pace. I feel quickly at peace, having been warmly welcomed by everyone around me. I am well-acquainted with living in countries outside of Europe, being used to frequent power outages, being careful with water use, and the overall chaos of boda bodas (moto-taxis) and matatus (local busses). The market is vibrant, with enough options for a rich diet, although we don't shy away from going to the city for some extra choices. I am enjoying the diversity of food ranging from the local restaurant, where we eat ugali or chapati with beans, spinach, eggs, cabbage and more at lunch, to the homemade cooked dinners at home, mainly by Mo himself in the fashion of the Syrian and Middle Eastern kitchen. 

The love for food!

Mohammad making chickpeas fatteh

Last week, Ebba, the volunteer for small-holder farming, arrived, leading us to move to a larger house with a bigger garden that will fit all of us, including another volunteer yet to come. The house is slowly coming together as many renovations had to be done before we could move in, and now the plumber, electrician, and another person for the ants are still working on the last issues we are experiencing. Ebba has started planting some seeds for a vegetable garden, Mohammad is working on creating a little stone walkway from the gate to our door, and I have been separating the organics from plastics and other waste to create a little waste management system. The latter is ground for a new side project, as I can't accept burning my waste like everyone else for lack of a better alternative.

Storm clouds over the old house

I'm still navigating my sports between home workouts and visits to the local gym, but I'm happy I can choose and combine. Learning Swahili is high on my list, as my Duolingo streak is improving day by day. However, I still forget the words when I want to apply them in conversations - hoping I will improve soon. 

Overall, life goes slow, but the days fly by. As mentioned by previous volunteers, the hakuna matata mentality is very much present, which is something I highly value. The unnecessary stress of the future, or the past for that matter, has dropped away. As my dear colleagues from MONDO and WEFOCO mentioned in the interview, life in Shianda is something to be experienced, as words will fall short.

Kids smiling as we greet each other in Swahili