Jambo from Kenya

These past few days had been quite the experience. On Friday, we went on a City Tour. Our team of 8 piled into a Safari van and drove around downtown Nairobi. (Me, Katharina, Ryan)
As you can see from the picture, the roof pops up, so that we could stand and look out. However, it was not that we needed any help to stand out…eight white people driving around Nairobi. Nothing says tourist like a safari van. It was a nice way to get an overview of the city, but there was a significant feel of us observing the locals as if they were an attraction.

After we drove through the city, we went out the see one of the slums that borders Nairobi. It’s called Kibera. This slum is home to 1.5 million Kenyans. As we drove one of the outside streets of Kibera, we were met with unwelcome words. This is reality for them and they did not appreciate being treated as a tourist stop. We wanted to see Kibera because it is as much, if not more, of what defines Kenya as is the wealthy area that we are staying in. As with any slum area, it is hard to witness the proximity of the slums to a neighborhood of houses with gates and 24-hour security guards. Honestly, life sometimes sucks, but that is reality. Instead of wishing it were not so, we should focus our attention on how to enable the people of places like Kibera to improve their situation.

On Saturday, the fourth of July, we went to the Bomas of Kenya. (Dwight, Jason, Ryan, Conner, Chris)

(Me, Juli, Katharina)

This was a showcase of the cultural identity of the tribes of Kenya. The two main things at the Bomas of Kenya were a recreation of tribal huts and a reenactment of the tribal dances.

For the most part, the huts were similar between tribes. The most significant difference between tribes was the structure of the village. Each tribe delegated different responsibilities to different people. In some villages it was the responsibility of the grandmother to keep watch on the cattle; in other villages it was the responsibility of the sons. Another difference is that in one tribe the daughters sleep in the mother’s hut so that the mother can keep an eye on them; in a different tribe, the daughters sleep in a separate hut, but the sons stand guard at night. Their values were different too. One tribe considered the birth of twins to be evil, while another considered it good luck.

Each tribe is very distinct and thus there is identity that naturally comes from belonging to a tribe. When we visited the huts, we had a tour guide who explained the unique characteristics of the tribes. I would not have known the difference if someone had not told me. I am learning that culture is a deep underlying piece of Africa identity. I need to be willing to assume the role of the learner and listen to what Kenyans value in order to be successful both in business and in simply interacting in their culture.

At the Bomas of Kenya, we also saw these sweet acrobats...
Yesterday, we worshiped at Nairobi Baptist Church. There was something absolutely beautiful about being lead into worship in a completely different cultural context than I am used to. Despite our obvious outward differences and culture upbringing, we worship the same God and are able to enter into this worship as a body of Christ. This was a great opportunity to engage with the Kenya culture as opposed to just being an observer. I am so blessed to have been able to experience this service. I can’t wait to go back next week!

After church we walked over to the Macai Market, which was next to our hotel. This is where Kenyans bring their artisan crafts to sell. The merchants are very aggressive and try their best to sell just about anything to you. Who knew that all my rounds on HOST and Ark with cat-calling half…sometimes fully…naked boys would teach me the skills necessary to fain ignorance and brush off unwanted advances…Now that I know what they sell and how much things are worth, I may try my hand at bartering next Sunday when the market happens again.

Today starts our first full week in Kenya as well as our market research. We have a few more interviews, but for the most part we will begin to conduct our research for our target businesses. Please pray for discernment as we do not fully understand the culture or business customs.

A few Swahili words for you all:

• Jambo: Hello
• Karibu: Welcome
• Asanti: Thank you
• Sana: Very Much --> Asanti Sana: Thank you very much
• Mzungu (the ‘m’ is silent): White person

Hopefully this vocabulary will expand a little more

Much Love,
Amanda