Haiti

Yesterday, Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, was hit with the largest earthquake seen in years.

Why them?

Even before the earthquake, this country had an unstable infrastructure with many living in poverty, half of these children.

Lord, I don't understand but I know that I have to pray. I pray for the children who can't find their families. I pray for those who are suffering and don't have enough strength to pull themselves out of the rubble. I pray for an absolutely devastated country. Why them, Lord?

Donate to the Red Cross

Thursday, Day 2

I will forever remember what I saw and how it made me feel...


A picture of Kibera, a slum that houses 1.5 million people within a 1 mile radius.


Children we met in the slum who were singing, "God blessed us for bringing you to us".


A little dog I saw walking in the slum. He was searching for food but it seemed inevitable that he would not find any.


Journal Entry: Day 2: Thursday, December 3, 2009

I don’t really know where to start…

At times this evening, I have been unable to breathe in response to experiencing Kibera, the 2nd largest slum in Africa.

Kibera houses 1.5 million people and does not discriminate on what type of people live within it. People of all ages, tribes, and walks of life have spent generations living in the very vicious cycle of poverty. Kibera accounts for less than 1 percent of Nairobi’s land but holds more than a quarter of its population. This slum was a piece of land that was given to Nubian solders (originally a tribe from Sudan) as a reward for fighting with the British in World War I. Since then, other tribes have moved in and have rented the land from the Nubian landlords. After Kenya became independent in 1963, the government enacted into legislation for Kibera to become an unauthorized settlement. Therefore, there are no basic services, schools, clinics, running water or bathrooms that are publicly provided by the government. Consequently, people are living in absolutely dire circumstances with little resources to recover.

While walking through Kibera, I looked at most everyone in the eye. Some offered a small smile, some said “Jambo”, and others quickly looked away. I couldn't help but think what it was that they were thinking about me as I walked through their neighborhood with two shoes that fit and matched. With a hood over my head to protect myself from the rain. With White skin that automatically set me apart offering reminders of those who had colonized their land. While sitting with my thoughts, I heard children singing and my heart warmed. They were singing, “God blessed us for bringing you to us” as we walked by and as they clapped and danced. I danced with them for a moment and they laughed.

As we continued to walk through the incredibly muddy streets, we visited a jewelry making shop. They welcomed us with sincerity and smiles.

The streets were so muddy as it had been raining all day. Consequently, our shoes were covered in mud and the feces that had been thrown in the streets. As we returned home to the Kifaru House, two men, who I believe were the security guards, took our shoes and began cleaning them. I didn’t ask them to clean poop off my shoes but they did it without asking for anything in return. The kitchen staff did not have our dinner ready at the scheduled time. They apologized profusely when dinner came out 20 minutes late and treated us like we were kings in queens.

All of these experiences left me feeling incredibly humbled. It reminds me of the story of Jesus washing his disciple’s feet: taking on the role of a servant. As I write, I continue to be absolutely overwhelmed by the humility and compassion that the people I met possess. I feel like they have been cheated and realize that life can be so unfair.

These people who have, physically speaking, so little, treated me like the most important person. I saw more genuine smiles today, than I have seen in a while. The sweet voices of the children and their playfulness despite the effects of intense poverty, showed amazing resiliency. The men who so graciously welcomed us into their jewelry shop offered me compassion. The men who cleaned our mud soaked shoes exhibited much humility. And our cooking staff showed incredible hospitality. These people are simply amazing. How can I ever offer to others, what these people have offered me?

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There is an non-profit that is housed in the slum that offers micro loans to residents who would like to start a business. The non-profit loaned the jewelry making shop, mentioned earlier, a micro loan in which they have paid off and are now making profit. The jewelry makers create beautiful pieces from wood, stone, beads, and recycled animals bones. I'm still trying to find the best website to give out for people to place orders for the jewelry. Its a little more complicated than I thought but we'll figure it out.

Habari Yako - Hello , How are you?

I'm back from Kenya and am finding it very hard to put into words what I have experienced. I have been changed and I see the world just a bit differently. It seems the best that I can do to describe this trip and my experience on it, would be to share some of my journal entries.

Class 4: Monday, November 23, 2009

This afternoon was the last class before the trip. In between this class and the last one, I began to feel concerned that I am not at all prepared for this trip; not emotionally, spiritually, physically or cognitively. I have not bought any supplies, I have not sat with my thoughts, I have not prepared myself for what it is that I might see, and I have not researched nearly as much as I should about this country.

On the other hand, this is an experiential learning course, so maybe some of my anxieties about this are a little unwarranted as most of my learning will take place while in Kenya. Maybe I will always feel unprepared for trips like these, like I can always use more information. I suppose that this has been common in my work, this feeling of always wanting to know more or that I don’t know enough.

Also, something that has been on my mind is my role on this trip. Who will I connect with, what specific part of the trip will I be most interested in, essentially… what will be my specialty? It takes me a little bit of time to truly feel comfortable with new people, especially in groups. On this trip, I will be with a group probably 95% of the time. Even when I sleep, I will be sleeping next to someone that I don’t really even know. My hope, however, is that I can overcome feelings of being uncomfortable, challenge myself, and be an integral part of the team.

Here are some of the other concerns that I have been thinking about:

· Safety – according to the travel.gov website there has been some recent kidnappings of tourists for ransom.
· Will I be able to connect with team members on a deep level and will there be mutual learning from all team members?
· Will I have the ability to truly connect with the people in Kenya despite the language difficulties?
· I've wanted to go to Africa for a few years now and have wanted to be involved in international social work. My hope is that this trip will offer some insight into what kind of work I want to do, and offer a foundation for continued opportunities in Africa
· Lastly, I want this trip to impact me after I leave. Will it change my life’s paradigm and change the way I behave? I hope that I come out of this a little bit more knowledgeable, with more empathy, and with more compassion.

Okay… here we go....

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In reading back on this entry, it amazes me to think that all of my concerns were well taken care of of. Thank you to those who prayed for me and continued to keep me and the team in their thoughts.

My concerns were accounted for: We stayed safe. I was able to connect with team members on a very meaningful level, one of my highlights of the trip. I was able to form connections with community members and members of the African Network for Animal Welfare on a level that far exceeded any expectation... what a truly amazing people. I brought a Swahili book with me in which I used to continually challenge my language ability. I didn't learn a ton but learned enough to be able to connect with people. This trip most definitely laid a foundation for my international travel and work. I still don't know what that might look like, but I know this was the beginning.

Lastly, this trip absolutely changed my life's paradigm. I will be taking shorter showers, using less water, using more reusable items, being WAY more careful about using plastic bags, and will eat when I'm hungry and not because I can. I saw how these things effect others.

I hope that I never forget what I experienced on this trip. I know that my high will die down and that I will go back to normal life. I pray that I will not forget Africa when I go back to class, when I go back to work, and when I go back to my daily living. What a beautiful place. What a beautiful people.

More pictures and thoughts to come...

Baadaye

Baadaye means goodbye or see you later in Swahili.

I'm leaving for Kenya on Tuesday, December 1st and will be there through the 15th. A little background info:



Kenya is on the east side of Africa lying right along the equator. It borders the Indian Ocean, with Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, and Uganda and Lake Victoria to the west.



The country is about 85% of the size of Texas.
Its capitol, Nairobi.

My Trip - Detailed Itinerary:

Wednesday, Dec 2:
- Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW)will pick us up from the airport and introduce us to their work

Thursday, Dec 3:
- Introduction to social conservation efforts
- Giraffe Center
- Trip to Kibera - world's 2nd largest slum
- Play soccer with Kibera Girls Soccer Academy

Friday, Dec 4:
- Animal Orphanage - elephant orphans
- Gamedrive at Kapiti Ranch

Saturday, Dec 5:
- Help in the removal of snares (devices used to trap animals)

Sunday, Dec 6:
- Drive to Voi and camp in Waatha community(in southern Kenya on the edge of Tsavo National Park)

Monday, Dec 7:
- Demonstrations to hunting skills
- Hear stories and history of the Waatha
- Enjoy an indigenous fire starting demonstration
- Build a grass thatched huts
- Tree nursery management practice
- Soil conservation – sand bags in an erosion prone area

Tuesday, Dec 8:
- Safari in Tsavo National Park

Wednesday, Dec 9:
- Voi children’s home and rescue center
- Ceremonial tree planting session at the Waatha center
- Travel to Kasigau, to the ANAW campsite for dinner and overnight

Thursday, Dec 10:
- Experience farm life, fetching water, gathering firewood, herding animals
- Training session on Financial Management
- Make bricks to help build a house for the village

Friday, Dec 11:
- Continue building house
- Show conservation videos to community members

Saturday, Dec 12:
- Hike/climb to Mt. Kasigau

Sunday, Dec 13:
- Travel back to Nairobi
- Go to Masai Market at Yaya Center

Monday, Dec 14:
- Visit the Nairobi Central Business District (NCBD)
- Visit Bomas of Kenya cultural center
- Departure to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Tuesday, Dec 15:
- Fly into Amsterdam and return back to U.S.

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I cannot wait to experience the greatness of Africa. What a beautiful place. Please pray for our travels. Can't wait to see you all!

I will leave you with an excerpt from Wangari Maathai's book, The Challenge for Africa regarding her philosophy of her work in Africa:

"... I was reminded of the traditional African stool, which is comprised of a seat and three legs. The first leg represents democratic space, where rights - whether human, women's, children's, or environmental - are respected. The second leg symbolizes the sustainable and accountable management of natural resources both for the living today and for those in the future, in a manner that is just and fair, including for people on the margins of society. The third leg stands for what I term 'cultures of peace'. These take the form of fairness, respect, compassion, forgiveness, recompense, and justice. Just as the African stool is made out of a single block of wood, each leg, or pillar, is reinforced by the others and formed from the same grain, so the issues must be addressed together and simultaneously."

Shikamoo

Shikamoo. This means Hello or Good Day, to an elder, in Swahili. I love this word, particularly because every letter that I receive from my Compassion child starts with "Shikamoo my friend". I love it.

I’m leaving for Kenya in 26 days and I cannot wait.

I’m traveling with twelve other students and two instructors for school. I just had my first class where we learned from others about their conservation and human development efforts in Kenya, specifically from the Dean of my school and his human development work and from the Denver Public Zoo on their conservation work. It was amazing to hear about their experiences with the land, animals, and the people.

Although I don’t have an exact schedule, I assume that it may go something like this:

Day 1: First, we will fly into Nairobi where we will spend 1 to 2 days learning from other social work practitioners and students about what social work is in Kenya.
Day 2: Visit one of the world’s largest slums in Nairobi. And continue to learn from those at the university.
Day3: Begin our travel to the southern part of the country in the southern end of Tsavo National Park. We will be visiting an elephant orphanage where we will learn and participate in the important connection between animals and humans.
Day 4 through Day 13: Begin our work in several different communities/villages. We will be working with those in the village to develop strategies for economic sustainability. Because this part of Africa, like many parts, is agrarian, economic sustainability often means looking at issues of conservation.
Day 14-15: Head back to Nairobi and get ready to depart.

In preparation for the trip, one of the books we are reading is called “The Challenge for Africa” by Wangari Maathai (2009). A Kenyan native, Ms. Maathai started the Green Belt Movement with a focus on social issues, mainly environmental conservation. She received the Nobel Peace Prize for her sustainability work in Africa. Her book is worth reading for advocates, workers, or anyone interested in learning more. Her perspective is unique in that she is a powerful, educated, African woman who has experienced civil war, corruption, and exploitation of her own land and people.

I pulled out a couple of important quotes/concepts from her book thus far:
She states, “I strongly believe that if Africa, particularly that part of the continent south of the Sahara, is to progress so it is no longer dependent on aid from the international community, or if it is to cease being a byword for poverty, conflict, and corruption, it is on hillsides like these and with women such as that farmer that we must work. That’s where those of us concerned about the fate of Africa and her citizens must focus our energies, for it is where the vast majority of Africa’s peoples are, and it is with their lives that we must engage.”

The woman on the hillside that the author speaks of was preparing the soil for seed in such a way that was incredibly inefficient. So much so, that the soil would be ruined and the seed most likely not take root. She states that if only African states’ agricultural services were not underfunded than maybe this woman would have been provided the education needed to prepare the land correctly. Maybe she would have access to more modern equipment. And maybe she would have more support that would enable her to farm efficiently and less destructively to the soil.

This similar issue of underfunding and lack of education comes up in many areas all over Africa: HIV/AIDS education and access to antiretroviral treatment. Access and education about childhood diarrhea, which kills 1.5 million children per year in developing countries- more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined (Interesting article: As Donors Focus on AIDS, Child Illnesses Languish). Access and education to mosquito nets for the prevention of malaria. The list goes on.

She continues, “Africa has been on her knees for too long, whether during the dehumanizing slave trade, under the colonial yoke, begging for aid from the international community, paying now-illegitimate debts, or praying for miracles… They [Africans] must believe in themselves again; that they are capable of clearing their own path and forging their own identity; that they no longer need to be event to today’s needs; and that they no longer need to be indebted – financially, intellectually, and spiritually – to those who once governed them. They must rise up and walk.

Good words. More to come.

If you are interested in reading about a woman's journey through life's circumstances and her search for a real God, watch Elisabeth Corcoran's trailer for her new book:

He Is Just That Into You from Julie Salzmann on Vimeo.

She's also got some great intimate, authentic, and real posts about life and God on her blog:

Elisabeth Corcoran's Blog

Exercise on Trauma

Write down on a piece of paper four values that you could not live with out. For example, mine are:

Faith/Spirituality
Family and Friends
Service
Laughter and being happy

Okay, now seriously, get a piece of paper and write them down.

Finished?

Now cross off one of those values that you will have to live without.

Pretty hard, right?

Now cross off another... and one more.

It was pretty difficult for me to cross off even one of my values from the list.

This is commonly what happens to a person who has experienced some type of trauma. Some of their most important values are stolen from them. Their life's paradigm shifts and their lens in which they view the world is forever changed. A traumatic event is "when a person experiences, witnesses, or is confronted with actual or threatened death or serious injury or a threat to the physical integrity of themselves or other". The person then responds with feelings of fear, helplessness, and vulnerability (info-trauma.org website). Considering this definition, many experiences can be traumatic and have the potential to impact people in completely different ways.

Based on a study on the prevalence of violence (Thoennes and Tjaden, 2000) it is estimated that over 1 million women and over 3 million men in the United States are physically assaulted each year. Additionally, it is estimated that over half of both men and women have experienced at least one traumatic incident in their life (Research on Women, Trauma and PTSD, 2009).

Given these statistics a traumatic incident will most likely impact our lives. If you or someone you know has experienced a traumatic event, there are great resources to help, some are listed below. As natural disasters, violence, rape, terrorism, political unrest, abuse, domination, discrimination, and war continue to exist, we are going to continue to need support.

RAINN
Helpguide
Veteran's Affairs
Traumatic Stress Network
International Society for Traumatic Stress

Book: Life After Trauma: A Workbook for Healing by Rosenbloom and Williams.

*I participated in this exercise lead by some of my peers at school and thought it offered an incredible perspective.