I can't help but keep thinking of Dr. Karambu's words and her big question: "Why are we here?" I mean I love Africa with a passion and so I suppose much of it is the selfish reason of being able to experience their lifestyle... but at the same time aren't I here to help, as well?
It's a difficult place to be, because of course we want to help but at the same time we don't want to have the attitude that we're here to try and fix everything...I mean who are we to think we can fix them and try to make them like us? America has it's own problems and is our lifestyle really the right model for them? They have their own culture and lifestyle. A BEAUTIFUL ONE that's all its own. I just feel so blessed to be a part of it! There is so much beauty and grace in the way they carry themselves and live their lives through their faith in God. Despite their lack of resources and many many problems, they have so much grace and joy I can't help but want to be around them and learn as much as I can.
I guess something that has had the most impact on me is seeing all of the children whether it's in the schools, around town, or on the streets when we come home to our host family. I've always had an unconditional love and appreciation for children and childhood in general. It's such a beautiful time in life, one when the mind has limitless opportunities and a surplus of creativity, imagination, and resilience. It's so amazing to the smiles on the children faces and how they interact here… and just how similar they are to the kids at my daycare back home…kids everywhere! Children just have an amazing capability to make the most out of everything and bounce back from any setbacks that come their way. Being around them, there's never a shortage of smiles and laughter and I truly feel I am around the most esteemed, significant, wonderful people in the world. Children are truly the future and it is so important for them to have their childhood as long as they can.
It's been really hard to see the physical condition of a lot of the children around here and the malnourishment that is a daily reality for them. I want so much to know that they'll have bright futures but I see the tight hold of their potential fate that exists within their roles in their family and their limited resources.Seeing them in their torn, worn down clothing walking around in socks because they don't have shoes... with their probably very hungry bellies, you can't help but to cry because you want so much better for them. It just doesn't seem right!
On a brighter note, our workshops at the secondary school seem to be going really well. The photography one i'm working on with Sophie and Jenna has been a huge hit...almost too much of a hit as everyone's crazy about it but we only have two cameras and limited ink and paper to print photos. We've done our best to make sure each student at least has a portrait of themselves to take home and keep as many of them have no photos of themselves, but many of them want some with their friends and (secret) significant others (it's against the rules to date at Bliss but of course it still goes on) but we only have so much time and resources. I just wish we could give them all pictures of anything and everything! A photo is truly the best gift you can give someone, a recorded moment frozen in time that they can remember forever. I don't know what I'd do without my camera! I want to give them all one!
Everyone elses' workshops are going well, too! Other members in my group are doing sex education/AIDS awareness, diversity projects, and even Chinese yoyo, all that the students enjoy and are learning a lot from. I think it's such a great opportunity for both groups to benefit. I know I'm learning so much from them and i'm sure it goes both ways!
It's crazy to think that you can live a million miles away from someone, essentially on a whole separate planet and have so many mutual interests and understanding. It is so true that we are all the same, and I can't help but believe that if we could all get past our differences whether it's religion, race, politics, or simply ignorance we could find common ground and truly understand one another and see just how similar we all are. I've got to spend a lot of time with my host brother Kevin (Kimeru name: Mutuma) and I think of him like one of my really good friends back home. We're virtually the same age and at around the same stage in our lives and it's just fascinating to think how different our lifestyles and pasts are yet we have so many common interests and experiences. I just wish everyone could see the universality that exists when it comes to human nature and our capability to love and help others. We all want a life of meaning… to feel like our existence is actually making a difference… we all want to love, to be loved, to be viewed worthy in the eyes of someone..whether it's God or a significant other. We all long for the same things, so why is it so hard to find the common ground that's obviously there and get past our judgements.
One of the most important things I've realized is just how powerful the media really is. I mean I knew, yes...but I guess I never put it in context in terms of my views on Africa and their views of us. In America we have come to view Africa as this large continent of hostility and thin, fragile bodies sitting on the side of the road begging for food. The media portrays them as all the same and it is not always clear of the diversity that exists within Africa and each country itself. Within Kenya there is much diversity between different communities and tribes. They each have their own language and lifestyles. So when it comes to countries there are vast differences that are not always seen from our tinted glass windows provided by the Media, and it goes both ways... when they see "Mzungu" (white people) here, they see us as rich, successful, materialistic...which of course does not apply to all of us. It's so hard for them to grasp the concept of African Americans and Asians in America because they view the US as one big country of unified rich white people...again this is the Media but what can we do.
I guess if anything I am assured that by being here I am helping to clear any misinformed ideas they may have of Americans as well as clearing up many of the stereotypes I may feed into without noticing. I'm am so grateful to have the opportunity to be here and learn about their amazing culture...as well as teach them about mine.
Yes, I love Africa and I want to spend as much time here as I can. But not to save them. Sure, there are countless issues that I feel the need to help with and make a difference...and I feel by being here I am fostering relationships and making a start... but before I can go about changing anything... I need to learn and appreciate their culture and to build relationships that I can then create a partnership to help solve problems in a sustainable way. And that's why I'm here :)