Cayley Blog – Wednesday, July 17th, 2019
It’s been three days since we left Canada, and somehow, today was Day One (or Day Moja)! Time is kind of funny like that…
We had a wonderful first full day in Kenya, and can’t believe how much we have learned and how many amazing people we have already met… and we’ve been here for less than 24 hours!
Getting into JKIA, the Nairobi airport, was pretty painless, and customs and immigration went by pretty quickly and painlessly! Getting our bags was a bit of a kerfuffle, but in the end, none were left behind and we all managed to stumble out of the airport, weary, but with everything we left with from Toronto!
Outside the airport was bustling, with so many signs and so many people awaiting their friends and family! Andrew Obara was a sight for sore eyes, and it was great to see him through the crowd, along with Caroline (Caro), who will be with us as our NCCK liaison for the duration of our trip. We met our driver and our shiny blue bus, that will carry us here, there, and everywhere around Kenya, then stacked our bags up and hopped in, riding out the final hours of our journey trying to make out the city unfolding around us by night.
When we finally arrived at Jumuia Conference Centre, we were elated, and were more than ready to call it a night and pack it in… but we had some dinner first! There was a full buffet, with soup, potatoes, rice, meat, fish, greens, mixed vegetables, and plenty of delicious tea and fruit, and I don’t think any of us knew how hungry we were until we sat down! A truly magnificent introduction to Kenya!
The jet lag got to some of us, with sleeping schedules all over the place, but largely, folks were more than ready to curl up and blink, only to wake up to the next morning. (The cozy hot waterbottles were certainly helpful in that regard – it’s only in the teens at night, and everyone here is wearing multiple layers of warm, warm coats and sweaters!)
In the morning, bright and early, we got to enjoy the wonder that is seeing by daylight all that had been cloaked in darkness when we arrived the night before. The grounds are lush, green, and brimming with beautiful tropical plants, and it feels like a little quiet slice of paradise, nestled on the edge of Nairobi. Breakfast was delicious, with many options (including a made-to-order omelette station!), and it was soon time for us to hit the road for a busy, BUSY day!
We drove our bus with Andrew and Caro to the National Council of Churches of Kenya office, where we got to meet the General Secretary, Rev. Karanja, as well as a number of other folks who work there and shared what it is the NCCK does. We were blown away to hear of the magnitude and breadth of work being done, from reproductive health to climate change to peace and policy. They work diligently to make sure that what comes from them and the highest levels of programming, is passed along and down to the leaders of churches, so that they can better serve their communities. The NCCK truly values the grassroots approach, and wants to better serve and support community leaders so that theycan be the ones to enact and bring about real, lasting, and meaningful change. We shared mixed tea (delicious, super creamy tea steeped in milk, instead of water) and biscuits, and then headed on our way to our next stop: Jumuia Hospital.
When David and our last Kenya group were here last, they attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the very same hospital. What was once a small clinic and some other offices (including those of Nzumari Africa… more on them shortly!) was now a 6-level, modern hospital, and it was incredible to think of the work that had been done in 4 short years. We were lucky enough to be able to get a tour of the entire hospital and its facilities, as it is not yet totally open/available for the public (though they are close, only one signature needed to finalize everything for opening). It’s pretty odd to be in an empty, but fully prepared hospital, but it was so great to get to understand the value that the hospital and all its services will provide for the community and Nairobi at large. Although healthcare isn’t totally free in Kenya (it is partially subsidized by the government), they told us that the Jumuia Hospital is set to be one of the more affordable ones, making it more accessible to those who truly need it. They brought us some tea and lunch (turns out arrowroot is more than just a cookie!) and we debriefed before heading out.
While at the hospital, we met Edwin and his gang from Nzumari Africa, a local community organization that works to build relationships based on learning and community through the arts. After our hospital tour, they walked with us to their office, a short walk through the local neighbourhood, allowing us to get a small peek into real life (and real roads!) in some parts of Nairobi. In their offices we saw the two computers that were brought with the very first Kenya youth trip – still going strong! – and meet some more of the young people who make up the staff and leaders of Nzumari. Though there wasn’t time for a full puppet show (keeping our fingers crossed for another day!), Edwin talked with us about the importance of dialogue and talking about things with each other, and the value of those conversations in fighting stigma around mental health, STI testing, contraception, and family planning. We got to see some of the puppets they used, and Kathryn even got to try one out! (Check out the @runnymedeyouth Instagram for an action shot from that!) Our time at the Nzumari office, though brief, was tremendously impactful: the passion and drive that they have for what they do is infectious and capitivating, and we can’t wait to spend more time with them during our time here!
After Nzumari (yes, there’s still more!) we headed to Huruma, a temporary low-income settlement (AKA a slum, though Koamo from Nzumari talked about his reluctance to use the word, citing the pejorative connotation and the negative images it conjures up). We walked through, getting to see some of the iron-sheet homes and the winding maze-like alleys, to get to a local school. Nzumari is often involved at the school, doing community outreach, and it was lovely to hear about the great work that they do from those who are on the receiving end. We got to see the classrooms and meet some of the students and teachers, with whom we were also able to share some of the supplies and gifts we brought with us. The little ones shared some songs and dances for us before they were dismissed, and though we had started the day quite tired (and only deteriorated from there), most of us ended up feeling quite energized from getting to visit the school.
The settlement surrounding the school was one that stood out in stark contrast from what we have come to know as low-income housing in Toronto and Canada. At one point, someone asked one of the youth if we had any communities like that in Canada, and that question really helped to remind us and put into perspective the privileges we have in our personal lives, and in general, as Canadians. We don’t even think about filling our bottles up from the taps at home, and the insulation in our homes keeps us warm and safe. We might not even stop to think of these things as luxuries, but there are many in the world, including here in Nairobi, who do not have access to these things that we don’t even really stop to think about as basic necessities.
Leaving Humuru was a tight-squeeze, as everyone was coming home from work and school, but we got to see some more of daily life from the bus as we headed out, and headed home. We were home before dark, giving us a bit of time to relax and decompress after a very, very long (first!) day, and then got to enjoy another delicious dinner (with more mixed tea, of course!) It turns out that winters in Nairobi have an autumnal quality to them, so warm food and warm tea was welcome as we gathered for our final meal of the day.
As will be the case with the end of every day, we closed it off with a group meeting to debrief and chat about all that we had seen and experienced that day. This part of our day is so meaningful and important. Not only does it allow us to process together everything we learned, we get to share different tidbits and experiences that we had throughout the day. Kenya is a very different place to what many of us are used to, and it is helpful to share things that made us feel myriad different ways. Plus the debriefs are a chance for us to spend more time together as a group, comfy in our pyjamas, getting to share lots of laughs, laughs, and even more laughs.
Tomorrow, we are off to meet some baby elephants (!!!!), and we can’t wait to tell you all about it. Check back here often for more (albeit perhaps less verbose) updates! We love reading your comments, so keep ‘em coming! Plus, don’t forget to follow @runnymedeyouth on Instagram to keep up with some other photos, as well as @runnymedeunited!
Hugs from Kenya,
Cayley
on behalf ofAdam, Alex, Ali, Annabelle, Charlotte, Claire, Clare, Daniel, David, Kathryn, Nik, Robyn, Rosemary, and Tommy
Runnymede Kenya Youth 2019 