Day 3

Learning . . .
Yesterday we had an all-day colloquium during which we were able to meet our field supervisors. The colloquium was laid out quite nicely, with group introductions, a keynote on the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in human rights work in Kenya. There were also talks about the expected roles of the field supervisors and interns.
It was quite an inspiration to be in the same room with so many leaders in the field of human rights in Kenya. The organizations where students in our group will be interning are diverse – from women and girl’s issues, to immigrant and refugee work, to a children’s center nearby a slum.
During the discussion portion of the talk, it was interesting to hear about the site supervisor’s expectations and worries about accepting foreign interns. Many of them expressed worry about our understanding and acceptance of their culture. The students in our group tried to affirm that we are here to learn, here to approach our work humbly, that any experience and knowledge we can gain from our internship experience is valuable to us.
At the moment, a hot topic of discussion and debate is the proposed new constitution of Kenya. On August 4, this will be voted on. There are strong YES and NO coalitions, and it is quite a divisive and controversial topic. Interestingly, one of the site supervisors mentioned that it would be of value for us to lend our experience regarding the implementation of freedom of speech and other concepts which are foundational in the US, but have yet to be enacted in Kenya. It is very interesting to be here in Kenya at the very moment that the new constitution is being debated and voted upon.
My site supervisor at the Kenya Human Rights Commission’s name is Javaas. He gives a first impression as being very nice, easy-going, and having a great sense of humour. I am also sure of his passion for human rights – he said that at one point he got kicked out of school for voicing vocal opinions about his beliefs related to human rights.
Our colloquium was followed by a lovely dinner at Eastlands, a posh area of Nairobi. We had “nyoma choma” – basically a barbeque dinner. It was intense; they grilled an entire lamb and served it as the full animal. I tried to keep an open mind! For us vegetarians, there was ugali – a cornmeal shaped into a ball and eaten with the hands, boiled spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage and rice.
Of course, we watched the World Cup and again enjoyed amazing discussions. I sat at a table with some friends and 2 site supervisors, one from Haki Jami, which works with low-income individuals, right to education, and ministers to one of the informal settlements in Nairobi, and one from the Nairobi Hospital Gender Violence Recovery Unit (GVRU), which works with individuals who have been victim to violent crimes. It is very sobering and difficult to hear the stories that these front-line practitioners have to tell. The gentleman from GVRU had an interesting approach – stating that he views the victim and the perpetrator with equal compassion because often those who commit acts of violence have been victims themselves in the past. I asked him how he deals with the intensity, challenge and heartbreak from his work, and was glad to hear that he has a therapist to help him process the secondary trauma involved in such work.
Today, we are going to 2 different markets – one for fresh fruits and vegetables, and one called the Masaai Market, where one can buy handicrafts and other (touristy) types of souvenirs. We also already have a lot of reading to do.
Have a good weekend - signing off…