Visiting a Maasai Village

“We can make the power of those who exploit us irrelevant…Choose to know the truth about global struggles, and live in a way that supports a just alternative.” –Vandana Shiva

     Today I had the opportunity to visit a rural Maasai village. It was both interesting and enlightening. The long journey took us on a bumpy dirt road which lead to even rougher off-roading. The Canadian missionaries I was traveling with, like me, follow signs to find their way around. Three hours later out of our way, we saw the rusty sign that was our point to turn. Our Kenyan directions consisted of points like “turn at the big tree”. It was interesting to see a reflection of the low context culture they have through our confusing directions. When we finally arrived, there was nothing in sight but a few small mud huts, and cacti. It is Maasai tradition to be self-sufficient and live off the land. Our guide for the day was a local named Jackson that had been studying in Nairobi, the most developed part of Kenya. He is the first of his village to graduate from University. His Village was very proud of him, and the men his age now have growing desires to get an education. This is an astounding accomplishment, as many of the people living in this village do not even have a high school education. Jackson went to Pan African Christian University to attend seminary, where he learned that some of the Maasai traditional customs were creating more harm than good. For instance it is a Maasai tradition to preform female castration as a means of confirming a woman into adulthood. This is an illegal practice in Kenya, but because of the rural location of the villages it is not well enforced. He is now an advocate for abolishing the practice of female genital mutilation. Jackson is pastoring the first and only Christian church in his village, and he faces persecution for his faith. Christianity is only for women and children, men are to be strong and show no weakness. By no means do I want to discount traditional beliefs, as they do hold history and value to them, but when it compromises the well being of an individual that is when the questions are raised.

     Much of the Maasai tribal life is very interesting to learn about. I had the opportunity to join Jackson`s family for dinner in their Manyatta (mud hut), which was made of cow feces, mud and sticks. Unfortunately I was unable to see what I was eating because the small circular window was not hosting enough light into the house. In order to keep the flies away they only have these small windows. I understand why after constantly swatting flies out of my face. Because of the dry arid landscape the flies were determined to find water sources where ever they could, even if that was a human eye! The sad part about this was the condition the children were in, their faces and bodies where covered with flies. I felt as if I was on a World Vision commercial for sponsoring a child. Nonetheless, the children were very excited to see Mzungus for the first time, and enjoyed seeing themselves in pictures. Coming back to the meal I ate, although it was quite tasty, the lack of running water and electricity I believed compromise the food safety. Thirty minutes after our meal I had the awkward privilege of being the entertainment for the local children. I guess it is quite amusing and interesting to watch a Mzungu chuck their cookies.

     It was fascinating to see how connected they are with nature. Much of the things they used were made from the environment around them. For instance they used thorn bushes to fence in their cattle and protect them from wild animals. They made use of what resources they could find. This also goes to show how important food is to the village. It is neither easy nor cheap to purchase basic staples like flour or sugar because of their rural location. I can speak to this, as we had to fill up our car with purchased water bottles filled with fuel. When you know food is so scarce I believe it gives you a better appreciation for what you have. Reflecting on this visit, it really hit home how much we abuse and take for granted in the Western world, and how abundantly blessed we really are.

Teaching Women How to Make Yogurt

Teaching a group of women how to produce yogurt. 

     This week I was asked to host a women`s empowerment class at a local church. Each month women gather to learn about something new. Past weeks have been about business skills, entrepreneurship and more. Today
my topic was yogurt making, as that is my specialty here in Kenya. I brought along a student colleague who is also a Food and Nutrition student at JKUAT. As the event was being held at a church the meetings are to incorporate a spiritual aspect. At first it seemed like a stretch to use yogurt as a biblical lesson, but with thought, there can be quite an illustration in the Christian context. I find it easier to teach a lesson when there is something comparable that the audience can relate to. We also taught the basics of food safety and how vital it is to our health and food preparation. When we went over the process of proper hand washing it felt like we were insulting our audience. But it is such a vital step in proper food handling that is often missed simply because it is assumed everyone knows how! Although this was not probiotic yogurt, it was something these women can try at home and share with their friends and family.

Just some tips we shared with the women:
• Make plain yogurt so that you are in control of the amount of sugar (most yogurt in Kenya is           not artificially sweetened like Canada)
• Add fresh or dried fruit to plain yogurt rather than sugar
• Use plain low fat yogurt instead of sour cream in cooking dishes

Why eat probiotic yogurt anyway? Well, here are just a few reasons:
• Rich in protein and calcium
• Assist in alleviating diarrhea
• Restore gastrointestinal micro flora after taking antibiotics
• Alleviates vaginitis which as an infection that increases the risk of HIV contraction
• Boost immune function
• And much more!

Children of the women in class enjoying our yogurt!

     Overall this experience was one to remember. The women quite enjoyed learning how to make yogurt and had many questions! One I couldn’t answer was, “My Dr. told me to bathe in yogurt when I had a yeast infection, will this actually help?” Google promises it is a home remedy sure to work! I believe it is so important that women do things like yogurt making, which give them a sense of control and accomplishment. Many of the women I have interacted with in Kenya talk about the oppression they face not as a burden but rather as an accepted reality. For them to have something new to try and accomplish they find great joy. And of course the best part of the day ways the taste testing of the probiotic yogurt!

Reflects on Kenyan Spirituality: Fasting

“Fasting deals with the two great barriers to the Holy Spirit that are erected by man’s carnal nature. These are the stubborn self-will of the soul and the insistent self-gratifying appetites of the body.” -Derek Prince

Today marks Eid, a Muslim celebration that concludes the month of fasting, Ramadan. 

Henna done for Eid celebration 

This marks the perfect day to reflect and investigate the role that fasting plays in religious practice. To fast is to abstain from food, or certain types of food especially for religious purposes. From a Muslim prospective fasting is “abstaining from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset with explicit intention of doing so for the sake of Allah” (Sakah-ud-Din, 2011). It was interesting seeing this practiced first hand in Kenya, as I have in Canada. Each meal time my Muslim friends would have to explain why they were not eating anything, opening up conversation about religion. In the Christian context fasting is similar, where fasting is done to build reliance on God, rather than our human selves. Many religions regard starvation and meditation necessary for spiritual growth (Sakah-ud-Din, 2011).

I attended a Christian fellowship meeting at JKUAT, where the students were studying a book called Ombi, (Swahili for prayer) a devotional book written by a local. I enjoyed reading the chapter on fasting, as the spiritual importance of food is quite fascinating to me. This chapter described how fasting can deliver more than just spiritual growth, it is also used as a means of intervention when seeking answer to prayer. In 2000 the president of Kenya, Daniel Moi called for a 3 day fast and prayer to ask God for rains after a prolonged drought. As people gathered at a stadium to pray and fast together heavy rains drenched the crowds (Mbevi, 2009).

In reflection on the concept of fasting, I can see how self-discipline plays in integral role in spiritual growth. Our desire to eat is physiological, emotional and social, thus multiple aspects of desire are being suppressed while fasting. If we can resist the physical and worldly desires that fasting denies, than that reflects our dependence on God. The celebration of Ramadan in Kenya, is not as private as Western parts of the world. TV stations will display local Ramadan fasting schedules, and local feast. Eid is also celebrated as a national holiday, which gives many workers the day off, including myself!

I also find fasting a reminder of how blessed I am to be hungry by choice, and for spiritual reasons rather than true starvation. Being in a country where 33% of people do not have access to adequate nutrition, it’s a scary reality that is now close to home (IFPRI,2012). Food even in its absence can have a role in spiritual growth, intercession, and even as a reminder of poverty. I believe each of these results of fasting can be co-related; we can grow our spiritual connection to the world and others, which guides us to intercede for those that need support. Overall fasting is yet another illustration of how fundamental food is to culture and spirituality.

Let’s Celebrate, But Remember Those That Can't

The past 2 weeks have been full of celebrations! Last week I had the honour of being a guest at a friend’s graduation party. Kenyan’s sure know how to party! The whole community, extended family and friends were all under one tent sharing in the proud moment of a grad! I am sure it took all morning to prepare the multitude of food that we had, as my portion was a bit too generous (including the piece of cow intestine). The 60 of us ate our food while listening to the grads speech, and the Muzungus introduction. Because we were unknown it was customary for us to introduce our self’s, which is much nicer then the Canadian way of just thinking what the heck are these strangers doing here! At these grad parties they even take up an offering to assist the grad in finding a job. So my plan now is to say because I lived in Kenya I would like a Kenyan grad party….! In my family a grad party is simply a dinner with immediate family at a nice restaurant.

The next celebration in Kenya was hosted by moi, Canada Day! It was my first time celebrating Canada day in another country. With the recent issues of terrorism, I figured it was best to skip the fireworks, and just indulge in poutine! I didn’t notice how strange this French Canadian dish looked until my international friends started commenting! It is so interesting how food can be used to distinguish a country. Fun facts of the night: no I don’t live in an igloo and Justine Bieber was born in the same hospital as me!

My final celebration for this week was United States Independence Day party at the US embassy. I was honoured to be invited to this special event, among ambassadors, high commissioners and representatives from around the globe. Our group even had our own military escorts (with large guns!) to insure we were safe.To give a true American feel at the event, there were mini burgers, hot dogs and Subway for the guest to enjoy.

As special as I felt at this swanky even, I couldn’t help but remember what I saw on my way there. As we traveled passed a major overpass several children holding bottles to their noises approached our vehicle with glazed eyes. In Nairobi there are about 50,000 street children and 300,000 in Kenya. Of these children many sniff glue to cope with their situation. Children as young as 5 years old are addicted to glue (Voice of America, 2009). My heart broke as I rolled up my window on a young boy, I couldn’t image the feeling of rejection this child feels, at a time in his life he should be tenderly loved and embraced not ignored like a nuisance.

It was a good reminder to me as I go about this internship and daily life that there are so many things to be done no matter where in the world you are. We need to be active citizens not by standards. Let’s work together to be world changers!  
     

We All Have a Story

  
"Future Hope and Baby Centre was started on February 5th, 2006. Jane, the Director of the home, liked to visit Children's Garden, an orphanage within the District where she worked as a teacher. The director of the home was a friend who was struggling to raise abandoned children. On the material day, an officer visited the orphanage to seek help with two abandoned children in need of shelter. Jane accompanied the director to the nearby slum where the little girls were left alone. The younger baby 1 1/2 years old, was too young for the orphanage. They took the 4 year old girl. Jane was saddened by the fact that the younger baby was remaining alone in the one roomed house without any relative to take care of her. After much discussion, Jane offered to take care of Hope, as the baby was later called, on behalf of the orphanage and until the mother was found. She never turned up. The children's officer visited Jane and her family and was happy with the way Hope was being taken care of.


With time, Jane began receiving more abandoned babies in her little flat. In February 2007, Jane had received 7 young babies. There was no room. Babies slept on her dining table in their weaved baskets. A friend, Ann Bergerlind, from Sweden, helped Jane get a bigger home and rent for two months and thus, the Baby Centre was born. To this date the center is home to about 24 children. The center receives no funding from the government and relies totally on the donations of others. Any donations will go to the children's upkeep, food, rent, medical supplies, wages and transport." - Taken from the Future Hope and Baby Center Facebook page 

We all have a story…some make you smile, others bring tears. Let us take our stories of sadness and turn them into gladness!  Today I wanted to share a cluster of stories from Kenyan orphans that I had an opportunity to visit this past week.

Edward...a young autistic boy that survived extreme neglect and abandonment. 

Edward…loves to play ball and when he does, he has a smile that would brighten anyone’s day!

James…a baby that survived a late term abortion.

James…a bouncy baby that everyone has to fight over who will hold him next! 

Ann and Joy…two young girls that lost their mother to malnutrition. 

Ann and Joy…two young ladies that are the first to befriend you and sing a song for you!

Nicholas…a boy that covers his head in fear when you call his name.

Nicholas…an extremely smart boy that is the first to start his homework!

These kids now have a redefined future, one with hope and love! One woman saw a need and didn't ignore it. She took action, kept the faith, and followed her heart! This is just one or the many amazing Kenyan woman we can learn from.  

Making yogurt with the Food Science students at JKUAT

This week I had the chance to see the farm to table experience of yogurt making. Here on campus they have about 40 cows that they use for milk and meat. They also produce the grains to feed the cattle right on campus! The dairy farm is quite advanced as they have three automatic milking machines. As I watched the cows being milked, a small window in the building was being crowded with locals and students with their buckets and containers in hand waiting to receive their fresh milk rationing for the week. In Canada it’s very uncommon to sell unpasteurized milk! But here the locals know that they need to sieve and heat the milk before consuming. The following day I joined a great group of food science students that were learning how to make yogurt. It didn't take very long to heat the milk, as it was still warm from Betty’s Utters! It was good to see the care they took in ensuring proper food safety, as the products they were making would be sold later at the university.

The proctor that was instruction the students on the yogurt making was also giving them a pep talk about how if they put their minds to it they can be successful in the food industry: “Start small, and follow your dreams from there.” I found it very encouraging that the proctor was both a teacher and a mentor.

As a nutrition and dietetics student, I really appreciate how JKUAT university campus is all encompassing. It allows students to experience every aspect of nutrition, from framing and production to working in microbiology labs.

Food and Spirituality Experience:

This week I had the chance to speak with a pastor of a church that owned a butchery business. Very interesting mix of careers! We conversed about how farming and food production is done in Kenya compared to Canada. Really interesting to see the stark contrast! He discussed with me many issues that farmers in Kenya face, like drought, patented seeds and rising costs. What I found really interesting was when he described how farmers work together to find solutions to the problems they face rather than taking on the task alone. Throughout our conversation he made sure to emphasize that relying on God for provision is the key to small scale farming. I think I’ll coin this concept Faith Farming!        

Farm to table yogurt making.

Well my friends, I have been in Kenya for one week! I am finally adjusting to the new culture, and once again falling in love with this country!

My first few days were fully of many mishaps, but the pole pole (relax, take it easy) atmosphere here is starting to set in! I am still getting used to all the attention and looks that Mzungus (foreigners) get around here, and adjusting to some language barriers.

Before you continue reading, go and give your washer, dryer, internet modem, and cell phone a hug….they are underappreciated! What a painful experience to not be able to check my Facebook every five minutes! Just kidding, but seriously Canadians you have a lot that you take for granted (myself included).   

Painting the girls nails at the Ngoingwa Children's Orphanage
 in Thika Kenya

Highlights from my week would be meeting some great people, both Kenyans and international students from all over the world! I was also able to visit the orphanage that I had worked at 3 years ago. The children are still as precious as ever! They sang and danced to welcome me, and we played the afternoon away! I am looking forward to paying them regular visits while I am here.  

My food and spirituality experiences of the week:

I am this close to becoming a vegetarian after this week! It is crazy to see how disconnected our western culture is from our food! The goat I ate for lunch still had its hooves hanging from ropes near our dinning spot, and I sat beside a live kuku (chicken) in a grocery bag on the bus today. I was talking to one local, and he thought it was disgusting how we bought meat that was packaged shipped and refrigerated in our supermarkets! This is a very valid point, we really don’t have any idea where that meat has been or how it was treated before getting to the shelf.  

Food preparation and safety here is much different than in Canada, let’s just say I am still getting used to the different standards. In comparison to Canada there is much less pre-packaged and pre-prepared foods. Every city, village, and road is cluttered with an array of fresh fruit and vegetable stands, which are very affordable! The food at the university cafeteria cost less than a dollar for a meal!   

On another note, you can’t deny that Kenyans have a strong faith. Everywhere you look there is something to do with religion. Matatus (public transport vehicles) are decaled with Bible verses, and store fronts boldly display the name of Christ. Even my cell phone provider sends me daily Bible verses! It’s definitely not hard to find a church here, as they are on every block. And if you have to work at your stand that Sunday, not to worry, there is a church sermon surely playing from a speaker in the town center. There are also Christian fellowship meetings of some sort on campus at least four times a week. And of course before and after a basketball or rugby game, the team is never to miss a group prayer. 

Overall I am enjoying life in Kenya, and am excited to learn more!