Peace Corps In Africa / Kenya: August 2011

During the last 10 weeks of Peace Corps training I have visited and interviewed many community health and business projects around the country – western province…in Kakamega and Kisumu, Bondi; the central area communities of Lake Naivasha and Nyanza, Rift Valley and Nakuru; the eastern area around Garessa, and finally the beautiful coastal communities of Mombasa, Kilifi and Malindi. The trainees are here to learn, help with business plans, evaluate operations, and to assist in measuring the effectiveness of each project. The process will help us to prepare for our permanent site assignments. The trainers are Kenyans from over a dozen different tribes. I‘ve worked with Kalajans ( area which contributes all the renowned runners), Kukuyus (real entrepreneurs) Meru, Luos, and Kamba and wonderful American staff from all over the US. The Peace Corps efforts here are coordinated in conjunction with the Kenyan government and the national plan to strengthen education and reduce poverty. (Everyone working, from school teacher to the agribusiness professional working in a shamba with a farmers is here to learn, but also to leave knowledge behind…where there is a more educated, employed Kenyan there is less spread of AIDS and other serious illnesses. The training of women is also a priority, they are motivated, work more hours in a day than I can handle, and want to pay the school fees so their children can continue to qualify for secondary school.

General Economics
The average Kenyan earns 100-150 shillings a day, a little over a dollar. A PC volunteer earns $200 per month, so he or she still makes more than a teacher or techie working for a NGO. Rent in the city can be 1500 shillings so for the head of the family making 6-7800 shillings a month with a wife and three kids that doesn’t go too far.
Here’s another context. Steve Jobs probably has 76 billion in his checking account on any given day –The Kenya national budget is 28 billion ($) I visited several villages in the north where the death rate for children under 5 years is incredibly high at 20%. If we can help develop projects and train the locals to make a living, there are many solutions to reduce loss of life.

Types of Projects I have been exposed to…
Bee Keeping – Apiaries are being built by local fundis, constructing the frames, learning to handle the bees, harvest, and clean the equipment, all by hand. Beekeeping is flourishing Kenyans are eager to be taught and are good at it. We visited at night when the bees were docile! Challenges where PC business volunteers can help include:
- All work is manual even the capping of the frames and extraction centrifugal process!
- Keeping the equipment clean in this kind of environment without running water or electricity critical
- Protecting honey from critters
- Sources for equipment and transport to market
- Only 10% of what is harvested is making a profit

Fishing, Lake Victoria, Lake Nguru and the Coast
There is a Scandinavian NGO overseeing a large project with the Ministry of Fisheries to improve fishing practices and safety. Between 2000 and 3000 fisherman are lost annually due to drowning. The boats are not very seaworthy, mostly dugout canoes with sails constructed from burlap rice sacks or other materials fashioned to a eucalyptus mast. Even the expert boat builders from Mombasa who are training the regional craftsmen build their boats by hand, down to the drilling of holes. The boats are beautiful and strong but take many months to complete. Between the Swedes and other volunteer workers these challenges are being addressed
- getting the fish to market
- environmental waste management of by projects (one of the programs of my
organization, Eco Ethics International)
- education and training with fishmongers who work in pairs when the seasonal fishermen are living on the beaches. Instead of trading sex for fish they are learning
to make nets and crafts in to make a living

Fish Farming/Ponds
A good business for HIV sufferers since less physical labor is required.
Papyrus and Sweetgrass Furniture Making
Stronger than rattan, I can decorate my whole house for about $20! It takes four days to make a chair, and ¾ of an acre to earn 1000 shillings for the fundi. He is also expanding his business to make ropes, and woven area rugs, baskets etc

Common Stereotypes
-American like war
-The Indians take over Kenyan business and resources
-British are not popular due to the colonization however Kenyans love British products in the cities
Chinese are hardworking but not good teachers, impatient

Peace Corps Stressors
-Christian radio 24/7
-staying clean (a relative term)
-language (using Kiswahili only since third week here)
-making food edible (ugali, like our polenta from maize is tasteless, but pili pili hot sauce helps! I eat kale, chapatti (tortilla), potatoes, rice, beans and cabbage mostly)
-isolation
-Privacy, being stared at, called “muzungo” means traveler
-health symptoms
-too many local ladies hitting on the guys
-missing family
-wanting mail
-traveling on the matatus
-sore feet
-no sex
-not having enough TP or forgetting it

PC Rules We Hate
-No riding on piki pikis
-curfew for safety
-health rules and education (a morass of information)

We have had great training about integrating into our communities through the books and teaching of Gudy Kunzet and Kim, Communicating With Strategy (cutting through the layers of messaging, and cultural mores of people) and Everett Rogers, a British author who had dedicated years of study to addressing innovative decision process within our minds.