Kenya Human Rights Commission

Before I report on my first day at KHRC...I am including a photo from the contrast tour we took on Sunday. This is from a part of Nairobi that we were told is "lower middle class."

Monday was the first day of my internship. (Each student on this program has been assigned a human rights-related internship site.) The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) is one of the leading human rights organizations in Eastern Africa. Their work, accomplishments and publications are impressive. I am interning at the Kenya Human Rights Institute, which is a research branch of KHRC, with an ultimate goal of establishing a human rights university in Kenya! This is exciting, especially in terms of possible collaboration with the University of Washington and the new Center for Human Rights!

There are 4 other interns at KHRC, all of whom are very impressive. One has been nominated as a Global Changemaker, and will be soon leaving KHRC to work on furthering the Millennium Development Goals, and to hold global leaders responsible for the lack of progress in achieving these goals. Many of the other interns are actually attorneys, advocating for human rights. I know I will have a lot to learn at KHRC!

It is also fascinating to hear what the other students on the program are experiencing at their internship sites. Some of the other interns are interning at legal advocacy organizations, for example which provide advocacy and legal consultation to immigrants and refugees, or who train communities on grassroots organizing and community-building, direct service provision, women’s rights, and much more. I know we will learn so much from sharing our experiences with one another.

Today was have class, on international law and human rights. Tomorrow and Thursday we are interning again, and more class on Friday. This will be a typical work week schedule. This coming weekend we will enjoy a local art exhibition and then on Sunday we are visiting a baby giraffe refuge. I have to admit that I am *really* excited to see baby giraffes.

Again, the brilliance of the program design cannot be emphasized enough – we have been given the opportunity to experience the optimal combination of theory and praxis. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this program.

Miss all of you at home, and send my love!!