"Jennnyyyyy!? Jenny WHERE have you BEEN? We've been worried about you!!" The familiar yet comforting sound of my mother's voice screeching to me in a overly-dramatic mixture of concern and reprimand is coming from the other end of the line. "MOMMM, I TOLD you, I went on a trip to Rwanda and Uganda!" "Yes, but we thought you were only going to be gone for three days!!" I pause for a moment as I think about how that doesn't even make sense, seeing as how it takes at least one full day to get there and one full day to return. Regardless, I know I've been lost, so let's update....
I have officially moved to Dagoretti Corner, an outskirt of Nairobi, just outside of Kibera. I've networked with an NGO called Zana Africa http://www.zanaafrica.org/zinner.asp?pcat=aboutus&cat=whoweare that helps adolescents with empowerment and awareness within community challenges. I'll be spending two days per week with Zana, visiting different schools within the slums giving presentations. The other three days will be spent at an orphanage teaching and coordinating activities with the children. Kibera is one of the biggest slums in Africa, and I will be finishing off my last three months of volunteering there. While I know this worries my entire official and unofficial family, I can assure you that contrary to belief, I've grown increasingly savvy in African integration these days. I know the safe areas and how to assess each situation. I know how to act and be treated like a local, and I know where and when I should and should not be walking alone and/or after dark. That being said, I'll admit it's risky and situations can escalate in a matter of seconds. A recent article in the Daily Nation is a perfect example...
I first saw it while in Uganda. The headline: 25 Killed in Karatina; Mungiki Massacre. I had to read it twice, as this is the small village in which I spent my first two weeks in Kenya. As I've explained before, the Mungiki is an underground sect of youths demanding money, specifically from Matatu drivers, and are known for brutally killing their victims during demonstrations. This is inter-tribal hostility, within the Kikuyu tribe. Karatina, in addition to my most recent home in Nyeri, is amidst Kikuyu-land, which is why demonstrations frequently happen in these areas. Apparently after a group of locals banned together to capture and kill known members of the Mungiki, they retaliated. Having knowledge of the whereabouts of their aggressors, the Mungiki went to each of their houses at 2am and demanded they get dressed and come outside. Using pangas(machetes), knives, clubs and swords, they killed the locals right outside of their homes. Additionally, they burned many houses, trapping the inhabitants inside. The saddest part is that it's inter-tribal, even further internal than a civil war. To make matters worse, the government here is in complete disarray. The Prime Minister and President are at odds, as the PM is attempting to call a re-election. This could get bad, and quickly. The Rwandan President is advising Kenya to learn from their problems 15 years ago with the genocide, as it looks as though Kenya could be on this similar path of destruction.
At this halfway point in my venture, although I can attest to moments of extreme caution and awareness, I have also become extraordinarily content within each moment. Not only am I more sure of my role and place amidst my journey, but I have found a peace of mind in my expectations and what I had hoped to accomplish. I know these next few months will fly by, and I'm trying to hold on to as much as possible before leaving the paradox of complexity and simplicity that is Africa.
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