Tae boxing, GoDown Art center, and Painting

Something that I have miraculously forgotten to mention is that Blair and I are going to tae boxing at a little gym near our house. It's pretty hilarious and after about 10 mins of the warm up we are soaked in sweat and can't breathe. It feels good. So we feel like badasses and intimidate muggers with our seriously sweet kicking and punching skillz :)

Saturday I went to the GoDown Arts Center with the Binti girls. They performed a few dances and a poem followed by other local performers. Afterward we walked around the gallery. The theme of the event was Life as a Ghetto Girl. Their were blown up photos of scenes from the Nairobi slums, many of which I see everyday. There were also abstract oil paintings which were fabulous. It was capturing to see devastation expressed intricately through art. And really, when you can see it's beauty, it's really not devastation at all.

Yesterday I painted the outside of the Binti Center with a few of the girls. We had fun, made a mess, and got covered in paint :)

alisa

Things is Africa that make me laugh

In no particular order---- :)

1. The guy at Java that 'cleans' the plants (literally wipes the leaves with a cloth)
2. Three wheeled cars.
3. Sales people that try to sell things for 8x times the price and think we won't notice
4. Umi
5. The fact that Nakumatt is all out of soup. Every kind. Just plain out of stock. Huh?
6. The stray kitty that sneaks into our house.
7. The fact we petted and cheetah and didn't die.
8. Everyone being terrified (like run away screaming) of chameleons.
9. Bus rides feeling like the rickety wooden roller coasters from the bad theme parks.
10. Blaring early 90's R and B (it's everywhere)
11. Salim (he sure is sassy)
12. Matatus. Especially the hot pink one.
13. Women that somehow carry something on their head, back, and in both arms and still manage to walk faster than me.
14. People call flat tires 'punctures'. It sounds so sophisticated :)
15. Kids like having their picture taken so much that they jump in front of the camera every chance they get.
16. The guy I saw today walking with a box of baby chickens (all chirping) on his head.
17. The fact that in order to get in or out of the bathroom at Java you have to practically straddle the toilet. Serious design error.
18. Prestige Plaza plays the same 5 songs over and over and over and over.
19. When we fall through the kitchen chairs in our house (For some reason Jane has not screwed the seat to the frame yet). It's more funny when someone else does it, it hurts pretty badly when it happens to you:)
20. When people water the dirt. (Maybe it prevents dust?) Anyway it looks really funny when someone has a hose and is spraying it on a bunch of dirt.

Improv, National Park and Ambassador

So Sunday I had the first improv dance lesson with the girls. We did a flocking exercise which is when you move/dance around a room and pay attention to everyone around you. Then collectively without talking you decided to stop and look at someone. After any period of time, you decided when to move again as a group. The first two are looks, then a touch, then a weight share. It was difficult at first to get the girls to stop giggling and also to get folks to participate (many were clinging to the walls). I danced with them at first, but eveyone ended up copying what I did and looking to me for when to stop. So I stepped out and let them lead themselves. I was worried at first, because it just didn't seem to be working, some girls would stop, but others weren't paying attention and kept dancing. We decided to stop for the day, but then Carol came in and wanted to see. So I let the girls go one more time, and it worked! Hah I was so excited and it's kinda amazing to watch it when it works ( I have only ever danced it). Afterward I asked the girls what was hard, and what made the last time work better than the others. It's still a work in progress, but I am excited to see their skills develop.

Monday Blair, Yaniv, Cantar, Zubeda, Umi and I went to Nairobi National Park. We first went into the animal orphanage and saw many of the animals upclose. We were even allowed in the cheetah exhibit and got to pet a cheetah! (Let me tell you, I was terrified because all I have seen is national-geographic-style-killing-a-rhino-kinda-cheetahs). Umi (who is three) was super brave and wanted to come in the exhibit with us and she clung on for dear life while I petted a cat 3 times her size. I was impressed. Eventually (after some cost negotiation and a mini tantrum over a chocolate bar by Umi) we got into the park. We drove around for several hours and saw zebras, giraffes, antelope, wildbeests, waterbuffalo, and some unidentified others. We had a great time.

Yesterday Yaniv and I went to an open house at the US embassy to meet the US ambassador to Kenya. He was pretty cool, but a politician through and through. It was interesting to hear what the Kenyans were asking/talking about and what the ambassador thought about Kenya, Zimbabwe's current situation (and US non-intervention), Kibera etc.

Today we met with a safari guide to hopefully go to Masai Mara in late July to see the Great Migration, the Mara, Masai villages and more. It'll cost us, but we have been told it is totally worth is and something you can't leave Kenya without doing.

Because today is a Thurday, we have dinner at cantar's house! Chapti and Ndengu is on the menu. We are looking forward to it :)

much love,

alisa

Nubian Weddings

Last Saturday and yesterday I went to Nubian weddings. Last weekend we only stayed for a short while but the structure was about the same for both ceremonies. A few men beat hand drums and a woman sings traditional songs. To start the dancing the women start a line swaying their hips and waving handkerchiefs at the crowd sitting. The crowd waves back and this continues for 15 minutes or so. Then the women dance together until the men begin to form a line. The woman dance is basically moving you feet and hips in a way that sways your dress as much as possible (pretty sweet). The men do some serious step touches. Eventually the male and female lines face each other and men approach woman they want to dance with, dance for 15 seconds and then sway back into the line. Sometimes, both lines move forward and weave through each other, then turn around and face each other again.

The traditional garb is a long metallic skirt underneath a short silky dress underneath a long piece of shear fabric that wraps around your body and over your shoulders/head. Its the ultimate cross of being African and a southern bell.

This weekend, I had henna applied before the wedding on my hands, forearms, and feet (see attached). We were at the wedding from 6 until midnight and dancing a lot! I befriended some kids and we danced and danced. I also danced in the male/female line for a long time and had lots of fun! After the wedding, I spent the night in Kibera with Tina, Cantar’s sister. I was given a long nightgown like in the 50s (very cool) and slept with Quinn (Tina’s baby) on one side and Tina on the other.

I am still learning more and more swahili, and greeting people at the wedding using it. I still heard ‘mzungu!mzungu!’ when I walked to the wedding, but one lady I was with said, “they are fools, tonight you are not a mzungu, you are a nubian!” :) Nubians often greet their elders by moving the elder’s hand to their forehead, and then chin. I, of course, didn’t know this, so when I greeted one of the elders she stopped me, laughed and told someone to tell me when to do. I fuddled, and hit my chin first then my nose area. Ha. Anyway I’ve got the hang of it now!

Weddings usually last two-three days and consist of dancing and eating. Brides are not allowed to attend any of the celebration, and the bride’s brother says her vows for her during the ceremony. However, after the wedding, an elder in the community goes to the house and cooks for her and her husband for seven days.

It was a really fun cultural adventure.

Much love!

alisa

Giraffe center

We went to the giraffe center and got to get up close and personal with the most gentle, sweet animals I have met in a while! The place was a breeding sanctuary for giraffes and was on a large plot of land with a hug mansion where you can rent a room (for a price of course). The giraffes lean in the window while you eat breakfast and eat with you!!! So cool. Anyway here are some photos of us loving on some big spotted snuggle bugs.

June 12-20th

I have been pretty busy the last week so here is the run down ( I have some catching up to do):

Last Thursday I went with my boss Carol to Eastleigh which borders another major slum in Nairobi. We visited the youth center that she used to work at to compare it to CFK. It was very different from Kibera and reminded me more of New York projects. There were large murals on the walls, a pool table, gym, cyber center, and counseling center. Most of the facility was run down and when Carol asked about it they replied that funding had been weak the last few years and they just didn’t have the money to keep up there projects. So the ran a few, and put the others on the back burner.

Then Friday was a Braintrust meeting where directors of women’s orgs in Nairobi come together to learn from one another and discuss difficulties and successes. We talked about how to create good group dynamics among girls, how to facilitate teamwork, how to encourage talent, and several other side discussions. It was really wonderful to see such smart and talented female leaders coming together to improve the lives of girls all over Nairobi in different ways.

Saturday was my first Nubian wedding (to have its own post!)

Sunday We had a meeting for the Alumni girls in which we discussed the alumni program (where older girls mentor younger ones in their community). Everyone seemed to have a positive view of the program and wanted to continue mentoring. I really really think that mentoring is a priceless skill that creates a ripple effect of positive advice, trust, and guidance in any community, but it is particularly important among Kiberian women and girls. Sunday afternoon Binti had a community forum where the young girls invite their friends and neighbors to see what they have learned. Over 100 kids were crammed into our meeting hall! There were up to 4 kids in a given plastic chair. The Binti girls performed their skits and poems and also gave two lectures: one on banking, the other on sexuality. At the very end the crowd was begging to girls to perform one of their dances again. They ended up performing it 3 or 4 times. It turned into a dance off, and let me tell you, those girls can shake it. They move their hips like I have never seen! I eventually got dared by one of the Alumni girls to join in the dance off, handed her my fanta and jacket and the crowd pushed me to the front. When I started dancing all the little girls screamed! I looked like an idiot (and definitely did some grapevine) but they laughed and screamed so much it was totally worth it. Needless to say, I didn’t win the dance off :)

Sunday night, Blair and I treated ourselves to a local Italian restaurant and let me tell you, it was a piece of Heavan. African food is really good, but it was nice to have a taste of home (not that I am from italy or anything). We split a greek salad, ordered spinach and ricotta ravioli, both had two glasses of red wine, and split a tiramisu! The prices were fair, but it still added up to a pretty penny! Totally worth it though, Blair and I were giggling the whole time (mostly at the though of cheese, because there isn’t much in Kenya). We had a lovely time, and it was the most romantic dinner I have had with a woman in a while :)

Monday two professors from UNC came to visit CFK. They were both very pleasant and seemed engaged in CFK’s mission. I picked them up from their hotel with James, and we talked for about 30mins on the way to Kibera. Then were introduced them to the staff and sat down to talk more about what CFK does. They asked a lot of questions about our experiences as volunteers, which really forced us to solidify our feelings and thoughts and express them clearly. Having to talk about Kibera and describe how we have related to the community and what we have learned really helped me understand what I am actually doing and learning. It was refreshing. After the meeting we walked through Kibera which is always fun.

Tuesday Blair and I went to the post office to pick up some packages we had received (thanks to Gage and Walter!). Downtown Nairobi is far from glamorous; it is smoggy, people a pushy, and there is very little to look at other than plain buildings. Anyway, we trotted around downtown to get to the customs office to pick up our packages. When we got their, we got our packages and had to wait in line to have them inspected. The inspection was someone opening your personal items and filtering thought them to see if there is anything they can tax you on. After postal service in the US this felt like such an invasion of privacy! We had to wait in 3 or four more lines before we were allowed to leave. After an hour and a half, Blair and I were happy to have our boxes and left. We were so exhausted we went home and fell asleep!

Weds was our day off and we went to the giraffe center!!!!!!!! (to have its own post)

Saturday I went to another braintrust meeting, where there was facilitation for the girl group representatives on courtship and marriage. It was interesting, but several thing the (male) facilitator said I didn’t agree with. Much of courtship and marriage is ‘man-centered’ here; i.e. how to please a man, how to open up to a man, how to keep him interested etc. For anyone who knows me, this of course drove me crazy. There was also no room for homosexuality in any of the discussion. However, I understood that there were cultural differences, and so I sat and listened and took detailed notes about my secret frustrations:)

In the afternoon at Binti, I held my anonymous question and answer session. I told the girls to write questions for me about my experiences, sexuality, reproductive health etc. The girls wrote questions for me on small pieces of paper and put them in a bag and I answered them one by one aloud. I got a bunch of questions about if I was married, how many kids I had, where I was from, what my family was like, what was rape, what was homosexuality etc. It was fun and hopefully made them feel more comfortable asking me questions.

Phew that was a long one! I’ll try to stay on top of it more! Love you and miss you all! Email me a picture of what you are doing if you can! Ake6950@gmail.com

Alisa

Dinner at Cantar's and community clean up

Last Friday Cantar ( the program officer for the Sports program) and his family graciously invited us to 'cooking lessons' and dinner at their house in Kibera. On the menu was Pilau; a wonderful mix of rice, potatoes, cardemon, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, onions, garlic, ginger, meat, and sweet lovin. We learned from step one of sorting through the rice grains looking for small stones (see picture). Umi, Cantar's little girl graciously helped us and was honestly better at it than we were. Everything was sauteed and cooked in a metal bowl atop a small charcoal 'jicho' which is kinda like a camping stove. We also helped Umi with her homework, which was writing the letter 'E' over and over again (remember doing that?). She could very well be the cutest and least shy little girl I have met thus far. She talked to us in kiswahili and we would talk right back in English; but we had a great time and for the most part understood each other. Cantar's wife, Zubeta, is an incredible cook (as well as being beautiful, smart, funny, and very hospitable) and we all were full to the brim after dinner. We had strong tea, and barely made it home before we fell asleep. I am convinced Pilau could double as anti-anxiety or sleeping potion. It was really neat to see Kibera at night and to spend some time in Cantar's home. We are lucky enough to to be invited to their house for every Thursday the rest of the summer :)

Saturday morning after one of the best sleeps yet, I woke up early to go to the community clean up hosted by the sports association. Each soccer team gets points for showing up to community clean-ups and those points help them win the championship, which is pretty motivating for the youth. There were at least 100 people there and piles of rakes, shovels, garbage bags, gloves, and jerseys. We rallied the troops and walked into Makina, one of the villages in Kibera. At first I thought that shovels and rakes didn't seem like very effective clean-up tools because any clean up I have been to has gloves and maybe a pincher claw thing to grab garbage. But I soon realized that the only way to manipulate the clogged sewage trenches was shoveling and raking them into the streets to be shoveled into plastic bags. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't gross, or that the smell of stirred up waste (human and otherwise) was not enough to make you gag. However, much of the community vocalized their thanks to the youth and we made a visible difference. Unfortunately, without government regulated trash collection or garbage facilities, the community literally has no where to dump waste other than the street in front of their compound (or maybe their neighbors).

After the clean up was finished we sat on a hill waiting for attendance to be recorded. A little girl came up to me and just starred without inhibition. I laughed, picked her up and put her on my lap. She just sat there happy as a clam until her sister called her saying it was time to go. I can only imagine what someone might have said to me if I picked up their kid in the states and put her/him on my lap! The kids here are really independent and walk around Kibera to and from school without any adult escorts. Everyone holds hands with everyone (including little boys with other boys) and watches out for one another. It's fun to see and surprising how well it works.

I love you and miss you all. Email me when you can!

much love

Alisa

Meetings, reggae, and YAYA market

I met with my Program director (Caroline) to discuss what specifically I am doing this summer. I have several ideas, which are flexible and I will try to implement which ever ones are most desired by the girls:

1. Revamp Vagina Monologues with the girls (have girls write their own monologues about current issues in their lives)
2. Try to fund and organize a library containing text books, novels, women's issues etc.
3. Improv dance lessons: to build relation/connection to each other and also to help build confidence in front of others
4. Help with drama rehearsals, give tips/recommendations for improvement.
5. Anonymous question and answer session about sexuality/bodies/reproduction/ or me and my experiences

Looking forward to all these things and whatever else comes up as important/needed or wanted by the binti girls.


Last week Blair and I traveled around Kibera with Ben to see other medical clinics in Kibera that we sometimes refer patients to. Kibera is huge and every time I walk through it I see something new. I am trying to learn Kiswahili (which people speak in addition to several others) and it is going pretty well so far! It's amazing how "Mambo? Poa." (How's it going? cool.) can take you so far! It's a really fun language.

On Saturday I went with a couple of the older Binti girls to a Braintrust meeting, which is a division of Binti Pamjoa where we meet with girls that represent several other women's groups across Nairobi and the surrounding area. On the way to the meeting space I traveled by matatu (small crazy bus) with one of the Binti girls. I fell in love with matatus that day because on our ride there was a rocking remix of amazing grace blaring so loud you couldn't hear the person next to you. I laughed most of the ride, and luckily no one noticed because the music was so loud :)
When we arrived at the high school, all of the students we out on balconies of the 7 story building. I was the only mzungu around and I think they must have stared at me for about 15 solid minutes. I felt like and exotic animal and haven't felt that self conscious in a while! It's amazing what 7 stories of shameless school kids staring at you can do:) Funny, nonetheless.

It was wonderful to be in an intimate setting with a small group of girls (about 18). The program is pretty brilliant because it spreads knowledge about a given topic to these girls which in turn return to their organizations and continue the education. It seems to be very effective. One of the girls I met was particularly impressive. She told me when her older sister got pregnant and dropped out of school she decided as the second born, she wanted to be a positive, successful role model for her siblings. She received several marriage proposals after primary school, but (which the support of a very forward thinking mother) refused them and took a year off to save money to attend high school. She now has finished high school and is hoping to attend college for Mass Communication. She continues to mentor her younger siblings and encourages them to strive for the best and achieve their dreams despite social pressure to marry young. Hell ya.

After the meeting we went to a reggae concert in an outdoor venue. There were two stages, one with traditional African music and dancing and another with African Hip hop and young artists. Both were awesome. Petit, one of the binti girls, was full of energy and dance moves and we went back and forth between the stages dancing, jumping around and having a great time! At one point at the traditional stage one of the little girls and I faced each other in a dance off: swings our arms up and down and grooving for as long as we could stand it. She of course won the dance off, and I nearly fell over myself with dizziness and laughter.

Sunday was the masai market at YAYA which is walking distance from our house. Blair Yaniv and I all went early in the morning. Vendors have goods sprawled out all over the parking lot of a shopping center, which you weave through to see. Being mzungus, we got harassed like no tomorrow. We had to do some serious bargaining and convince folks of the following:
1. we aren't actually rich
2. we work in Kibera (the slum)
3. we can speak some swahili
4. and we aren't suckers.

Not as easy as it sounds. But we had fun, made some friends, and got a few good deals.

Afterwards, I went to Kibera to the Alumni girls meeting, all of whom have small groups of younger girls across Kibera that the educate and mentor. We talked about challenges and successes and possible solutions. One of the biggest challenges was attendance for a variety of reasons including overlap with school activities and parental restrictions among others.

Oh and one last little thing. I was walking through Kibera and a little boy (maybe age six) said 'how are you?' like they always do and reached out for a hand slap. I slapped his hand, but he didn't let go, and we walked down the street, hand in hand, without saying anything else. Then we went our separate ways and said bye like we had always known each other. Neat kid, I think if we all held hands with strangers the world would be a better place.

much love.

alisa