Loitokitok Village

So sorry for my delay in posting. We have been away during the past days. I promise to post photos soon!
So much has happened since I last wrote. 7 days have passed, but it feels like 7 centuries.
While we have been in Loitokitok for about the past week, I do want to write about something that happened before we left. I was able to accompany some Kenya Human Rights Commission staff to a torture trial for 20 survivors of torture conducted during the Moi era. The individuals were granted 3 – 5 million Shillings in restitution. Afterwards, a press conference was held. Our Deputy Executive Director addressed the press, which was really neat to see. He is quite a name in Kenya and has in fact been instrumental in drafting the new proposed constitution of Kenya. Following the press conference, there was a tour of the Nyayo house torture chamber. This area has been preserved in the name of documentation and as a witness to the past and meant to maintain memory of this history, and hopefully to learn from it. Touring these torture cells was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I was literally shaking the entire time. It was beyond creepy, beyond dark and scary. It actually haunted me for the first few days afterwards.
We have been in Loitokitok Village for the past 7 days. It has been a TRULY wonderful and magnificent experience. I love it here and the contrast between Loitokitok and Nairobi is stark, the gap between the town and the city vast. The charm of Loitokitok lies in the peaceful, relaxed pace of life, the friendly, disarming smiles of the local people, the endless dust which clings to your clothes and seeps into your pores, and perhaps the legend of our Professor which is very much apparent here.
While we were all perhaps slightly nervous about the homestay experiences, they have (as I expected actually) turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip so far). That being said, it seems every corner I turn here, I stumble upon another highlight, another best day so far in Kenya. The grace and hospitality of the Kenyans is expansive, stretches far, and embraces you. You feel quite at home immediately I feel.
With Mama Muthoni, my host family “mother,” I immediately felt at home. She is very sweet, yet also an extremely shrewd businesswoman, owning and running 3 shops in Loitokitok. One specializes in cosmetic products, the other 2 in shoes and clothing.
The first four days here were spent staying at Kibo Slopes at night. The first day we were here we toured DEB school, the school with which we are partnership to potentially (if it appears appropriate) partner with. After the tour we were treated to a Swahili lesson by the leading students in the school. I was blessed by being paired with “Kelvin” – the most self-assured, confident and charming 14 year old I have ever met. Such a leader! He led me through a series of Swahili language lessons in a very focused manner. I was blown away not only by his impeccable English, but also by his clear leadership skills. The other UW students reported that they had similar experiences and were equally charmed by the very talented Swahili Mwalimus (teachers) or DEB Kenyan school students with which they were paired.
Following the Swahili lesson SOCCER ruled the rest of the day. This was a truly once in a lifetime experience. Our UW cohort had 4 on 4 teams pre-determined, each of which also had a student “coach.” Our team had full team spirit and had purchased matching soccer uniforms just for the event. The soccer game was a huge deal. Actually, the entire DEB school body, hundreds and hundreds of adorable Kenyan primary school students, literally ran after our van. The entire school came to watch! It was pretty hilarious because most of us were super soccer novices – soccer is so HUGE in Kenya and most of the rest of the world beyond the US it was ironic that the 8 “wazungus” starring in the soccer match. Our professor had even hired a professional ref – a Kenyan, who was truly awesome with his graying hair, big beard, and huge smile. He was serious, though, when some locals tried to ride their motorcycle through the middle of our soccer field during the middle of the game, or to saunter through, he had none of it, and blew his ref whistle loudly in their face, gesturing frantically for them to GET OFF HIS FIELD. That coupled with the cows that were originally in the soccer field and the debris which they left on the field made for definitely an interesting game
Another big highlight has been meeting our professor’s family, especially his mother “Mama Lucy.” (**Note that in Kenya often parents are called “Mama” – Mom or “Baba” Dad Lucy or whatever the name of their oldest child is. It is important in Kenyan culture which child is the “first born” or the “last born” and seemingly an honour to be either of these esteemed positions within the family, and family is central to Kenyan culture!) Mama Lucy is an angel, the epitome of welcoming, and exhibiting the utmost in graciousness. In fact she told us the first night that we were in her home that we are “all her new children” which would mean we are brothers and sisters with our professor! I felt this was such a great promotion!
Saturday morning we visited an HIV/AIDS clinic which was extremely sobering. It is definitely heartening and hopeful that such facilities exist, yet the flaws in the international aid system are so apparent. The sister at the center emphasized the fact that most HIV/AIDS clinics are similarly small, but that they are too small to receive large grants from big donors such as the US PEPFAR program. Even more alarming is the position of woman in Kenyan society, and how it puts them at grave danger for HIV/AIDS infection.
Anyways, after the clinic, we went to the Loitokitok market, which was nice. People bought a lot of cloth, skirts, scarves etc.
The next day was Sunday and we went to church with our professor. The service lasted 3 hours! And it was all in Swahili! Though I did not understand much, I DID absolutely love the music. They had these really cool instruments and all of the songs had some choreographed hand motions accompanying them. So cool and so joyous!
After church we had lunch and headed out for a hike. We hiked to the Tanzanian border and then to a cave and waterfall! Was quite nice to get out in the fresh air and to experience the countryside. Everything is interesting – even the fact that there are chickens and goats just wandering around free. The goats eat the garbage and there are also often mule-driven carts which transport various goods around town.
Monday was FULL of interviews for our “hands-on human rights project.” This is where our human rights applied work begins. We have been charged with investigating what, if any, intervention or partnership might be forged with the DEB School. So Monday our group of 15 students split into groups of 3 to interview various groups: students, parents, teachers, government and education officials to ask for their take on the human rights situation. My group interviewed 2 Ministry of Education officials, which was *quite* interesting. We also interviewed a Maasai staff person, a woman from the local Maasai community.
Monday night we were all dispatched to our host families. I was quite curious when our Program Director dropped me off in a shop in the middle of town. Of course this was Mama Muthoni’s shop. I joined her for about an hour in her shop, before we walked home. Being in her shop was like being in Willy Wonka’s candy factory! Meaning that it was such an interesting novelty, all the products in there were so interesting and unique and different from home. Each of her customers was so unique, and I loved the way she interacted with them. She has had her shop for 23 years so she knows her customers quite well, even if doesn’t know their name, she knows their faces. What a parade of characters in Mama Muthoni’s shop. I was immediately enamored with the shop and with Mama Muthoni.
The walk home was quite pleasant – like maybe a mile and we walked right at dusk. Dusk is such a bewitching hour, and especially in this Kenyan village. I much enjoyed our walk home and Mama Muthoni’s house was very nice as well. I enjoyed dinner with her, her nice Margaret, Margaret’s baby and the housekeeper, Anne.
Today unfortunately our interview with the District Commissioner was cancelled because he was busy orchestrating a “YES” rally for the upcoming constitutional referendum. So we have been spending time at the Catholic Church where we have been meeting to eat and conduct interviews. This afternoon we will be speaking to the students at DEB, sharing our stories regarding our education and goals and how we have arrived at where we are today. Then, after closing remarks from the DEB headmaster, we return to our host families for another dinner, a final night. Tomorrow we return to Nairobi and will resume with our internships, coursework and life as usual in Nairobi.
I will miss Loitokitok very much and have REALLY enjoyed my stay here. It is wonderful to get a small glimpse into life in a small Kenyan village, and to experience the contrast to Nairobi, to feel the contours of this tight-knit community.