Blog Posts

Third Time's The Charm?

3/18/2012

Kibuye Market Fabric Stall

Luo word of the week: sawa-sawa. Sawa-sawa means “okay-okay”. It’s used in conversation to show that you are listening, or understand. It is also used in bargaining, to say you agree to the price.

Sorry for skipping last week's post. These past two weeks have been a little bit slower. At OGRA Foundation, I am in the process putting together an informal strategic plan evaluation, which will help OGRA put together the 2013-2018 Strategic Plan. I’m also working on a concept note to build greenhouses to supplement an upcoming free-lunch program at primary schools.

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Kenya's Children

3/5/2012

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Kenya's Crest

Swahili word of the week: Harambee. Harambee, is the national motto of Kenya and literally means pull together or oneness. Symbolically, it speaks to the 43 tribes of Kenya coming together for one purpose, to create a unified country.

This week I was able to go on many adventures. Wednesday, I spent the day with Fredah, the Orphan and Vulnerable Children Director at OGRA Foundation. Fredah is a passionate woman, who uses her resources to help orphaned children get the nutrition, health, and education they need to be successful in life. It is amazing what she accomplishes with the resources she has.

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Out and About

2/26/2012

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Stalls inside Kisumu's Kiyube Market

Luo word of the week: Nyongo. Nyongo means early morning, the time a little bit after the sun rises. It’s a nickname I’ve been called by people on the street when I’m walking to the market a couple of times. I still haven’t figured out why, but assume it has to do with me being new to Kisumu, my skin color, or the often confused or lost look on my face. I’m going to ask my coworkers- it’ll make a good laugh.

This week I had the opportunity to spend time in the field and explore more of Kisumu. The last three weeks I’ve been working in the office on a concept note to bring PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) of HIV to a grassroots level in the Kisumu District. HIV is a big problem in theregion, women are 3 times more likely to contract HIV here than any other place in Kenya. This YouTube video gives some insight on why HIV is more prevalent, or in the words of Professor Phil Murphy and his dark network, a “wicked problem.” Warning: This is a brutally-honest, scientifically-based video- there are some tough scenes.

Please click "read more" for more pictures and the rest of the blog.

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A Five-Cow Wife

2/19/2012

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Dowry-Cows

Word of the week: nyogo. Nyogo is the word for the multiple meetings and process involved in a traditional Luo marriage ceremony. This is a Luo word, not a Swahili word. Although English and Swahili are the official languages of Kenya, Kisumu is primarily inhabited by the Luo tribe- hence, the local language is Luo.

Last weekend I made friends with Katja, a German women, and her husband, Joshua, a Kenyan Luo. They met in Sudan doing charity work, fell in love, and were married in Germany. It was very important to Joshua’s family that they have a proper traditional Luo marriage. This last Saturday, they performed the last part of the ceremony, and I was lucky enough to be invited.

To read about the nyogo and see the pictures from the event, please click "Read More"

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Life in Kisumu

2/12/2012

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Serena's future "precious"

Swahili word of the week: karibou. Karibou means "welcome" in Swahili, but every time I hear the word, I think of this.

It's official, culture shock and homesickness have set-in. This week I needed to get out of the hotel, have a salad, get a car, and take a long drive down the Pacific Coast Highway- and then everything would be okay. I am an independent take-action American women, and although the staff at Dewchurch Hotel are awesome, and have my best interest at heart, I really need my freedom.

To continue, please click "Read More" on the right for the rest of the blog and photos

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And it begins!

2/4/2012

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A hot day in Kisumu

Swahili words of the week: simba, mambo and kiboko. Simba: lion (like Simba the lion, in Disney's Lion King); Mambo: crocodile; Kiboko: hippopotamus

I have made friends with a doctor from the U.K. who is passionate about healthcare in East Africa. Dr. Mike Marks, the Board Chair of OGRA Foundation, and I have spent many lunches and dinners together at Kiboko Bay Resort, where we watch the water and he shares his depth of knowledge on the successes and failures of healthcare in East Africa. Our conversations have been really helpful in helping me understand the issues East Africans face everyday: income insecurity, political unrest, corruption, unmet basic healthcare needs, education, lack of infrastructure. All of the basic things we have in the U.S. and the rest of the developed world, that are the barriers to East Africa achieving its full potential.

For the rest of this week's blog, please click "Read More" on the right.

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A Few Days in Nairobi

1/29/2012

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Swahili word of the week: mzungu. Mzungu literally means "rich man" but the common meaning is "white person" in Kenya. Kenyans are very friendly and chatty, and whether I was walking or riding in a car down the street this week, every few minutes I'd hear people shouting "Hi Mzungu!" and smiling.

Please click "Read More."

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Switzerland

1/25/2012

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Serena on top of Uetliberg, with the Swiss Alps in the background.

It is a warm and beautiful feeling to catch yourself smiling,while riding with people you love, in an old but efficient train, with the view on the left overlooking the Zurich Sea, and the view on right reflecting the shadows of the Black Forest of the Swiss Mittellands.

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Frankfurt,Germany

1/16/2012

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The week with Emily in Frankfurt was fantastic!

In the evenings, Emily and I explored food: pork Donerkebab's, a German version of a middle-eastern dish; tabbouleh and hummus from Lebanon; Japanese unagi that was just as good as her friends Paul and Robert claimed; gnocchi stuffed with mozzarella in a tomato cream sauce from Der klienmarkthalle (a must-visit if you are ever in Frankfurt); Frankfurt's famous schnitzel with green sauce (it is traditionally eaten with boiled eggs, but on Emily's recommendation, I tried it with schnitzel instead); and of course, an assortment of apple-tarts and nut-tarts and pralines. It was glorious.

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The Adventure Begins!

1/8/2012

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Creek Bridge Cottage - Kelsch Family Cabin

Before I begin my great adventure, my parents and I decided to spend a couple of days at their cabin in Big Bear. We spent most of the time checking out local restaurants, doing some repairs, and watching Saturday Night Live (Charles Barkley was hilarious last night!)

Tomorrow, I leave to begin my great adventure! I am very excited about my travel itinerary - I've taken advantage of my layovers and the fact that I don't need to begin work in Kenya for a few weeks.

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