I was told to be ready for 6:30 and therefore made it out of bed just after 5:30 to shower, get breakfast and read. It turned out that we left after 7:30, which meant I could have delayed my breakfast as I knew later in the day I would be hungry. I was travelling to a small village 44km outside Kisumu to provide medical aid to hundreds of people who couldn’t afford to get treatment in a hospital.
We would be working with an Australian charity called Hands of Hope who had provided the drugs etc. A number of doctors, dentists and nurses had been organised to give the villagers a proper assessment. I started the day in the Pharmacy dealing out scripts although most of the people could only speak the local language ‘Luo’ and I was forced to rely on the nationals to translate. We stayed in the village for around nine hours and saw to over 1500 people – a successful day!
The charity consisted of eleven Australians who were all around my age so it was nice to have a different source of conversation and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Having contact with other internationals makes the culture shock a little easier as I was able to share my experiences and difficulties. The Australians would be moving into my apartment the following week for ten days and I am excited about this due to the fact it will act as another source of company.
I was happy to take this opportunity on my day off and be of some use because I have come here to serve people and that is in no way confined to legal practise. Today I feel happy and very much appreciate this experience – one never really grasps the difference between the UK and Africa until they see it with their own eyes. Most people here earn enough to cover the basics and anything else is unknown. And when I say basic, I mean mostly substandard of how we see life.
I arrived back at the apartment around 9pm and made a banana sandwich which was a taste of home, before climbing under the net.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Kenya Day 5
Court at 9am for a criminal case about a guy who was charged with stealing two batteries from a car. The batteries where worth around £100 and if found guilty he could face a maximum 14 years in prison which doesn’t seem reasonable. Peter was defending the man and gave a good account for his defence. It appears the police had inconsistent evidence to convict – only time will tell.
CLEAR are in place to represent people who can’t afford professional legal fees. This case may save a man from many years in prison and bring justice (that is of course if he is telling the truth and didn’t commit the crime).
We went immediately to the Kisumu High court for a hearing regarding a couple fighting custody rights of their children. I was unable to ‘sit in’ on this occasion. Following this and a scary ride on the back of a motorbike we returned to the office. Peter left for court with nothing for me to do so I went to the internet café to send some emails.
That evening on the way home I prayed that God would put people around me as I wouldn’t feel lonely. I returned home to meet a Kenyan couple (Dentist and Nurse) who invited me to have Kenyan tea and asked if I would join them the next day to help with medical care in a remote village 50Km outside Kisumu. I agreed as I had no other plans and prepared for a 5am rise and a trip close to the homeland of one Barrack Obama!
The internet was working so I sent emails to various people and read before bed. I felt God had organised my weekend to keep me busy and I praised his name.
CLEAR are in place to represent people who can’t afford professional legal fees. This case may save a man from many years in prison and bring justice (that is of course if he is telling the truth and didn’t commit the crime).
We went immediately to the Kisumu High court for a hearing regarding a couple fighting custody rights of their children. I was unable to ‘sit in’ on this occasion. Following this and a scary ride on the back of a motorbike we returned to the office. Peter left for court with nothing for me to do so I went to the internet café to send some emails.
That evening on the way home I prayed that God would put people around me as I wouldn’t feel lonely. I returned home to meet a Kenyan couple (Dentist and Nurse) who invited me to have Kenyan tea and asked if I would join them the next day to help with medical care in a remote village 50Km outside Kisumu. I agreed as I had no other plans and prepared for a 5am rise and a trip close to the homeland of one Barrack Obama!
The internet was working so I sent emails to various people and read before bed. I felt God had organised my weekend to keep me busy and I praised his name.
Kenya Day 4
I slept in until 8am, had a shower and breakfast and put on a shirt and tie (no jacket). I made it to the office in under 15 minutes, which was very convenient. The office was warm and Peter the advocate gave me a breakdown of what work the CLEAR Kisumu office carries out. Due to the time of the year and lack of funding, most of the prison visits and legal education have finished; hence I am bound to the office much more.
I was given a recent criminal case to read to in order to get a feel of what goes on. Nothing is typed and instead hand written so I was unable to understand what was happening until Peter explained. This caused a mini crisis in my head and sent me into a period of worry – would I struggle to understand everything here just because the writing is illegible? In addition, the office did not have wireless and so I am unable to use my mac for anything but word processing during the day. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any work for me to do and I’ve been left (for the time being) to wait. This has been a steep learning curve moving into an African office despite being warned! I continue to remind myself of why I am here and ask God for patience and contentment until things pick up.
The afternoon was much better as I bought something to eat and worked through some documents, which outlined more of the work carried out in the office. I decided to just go with the pace of the office and maybe devote more time to learning the local languages.
On the way home I stopped at the supermarket to get various items. Tonight I knew I was coming home to an empty flat for the first time so was prepared. I read a little and attempted to get connected to the internet but to no avail. Lillian was still there when I got back so we chatted for a while. I cooked pasta, sausages and mixed vegetables which made me feel ill. Bed early as I have a criminal case to attend in court at 9am.
I was given a recent criminal case to read to in order to get a feel of what goes on. Nothing is typed and instead hand written so I was unable to understand what was happening until Peter explained. This caused a mini crisis in my head and sent me into a period of worry – would I struggle to understand everything here just because the writing is illegible? In addition, the office did not have wireless and so I am unable to use my mac for anything but word processing during the day. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any work for me to do and I’ve been left (for the time being) to wait. This has been a steep learning curve moving into an African office despite being warned! I continue to remind myself of why I am here and ask God for patience and contentment until things pick up.
The afternoon was much better as I bought something to eat and worked through some documents, which outlined more of the work carried out in the office. I decided to just go with the pace of the office and maybe devote more time to learning the local languages.
On the way home I stopped at the supermarket to get various items. Tonight I knew I was coming home to an empty flat for the first time so was prepared. I read a little and attempted to get connected to the internet but to no avail. Lillian was still there when I got back so we chatted for a while. I cooked pasta, sausages and mixed vegetables which made me feel ill. Bed early as I have a criminal case to attend in court at 9am.
Chroncile Article - 4
A heat wave? Surely not in January! Granted I am sitting directly on the equator during the summer season yet my subconscious still half expects the first month of the year to yield sub zero temperatures and be exposed to road gritters (which will ironically damage the car more than the snow and ice). Yesterday, the temperature clocked 36 degrees and I’ve still managed to contract a mild cold. Your guess is as good as mine…
With these sunnier climes comes the inevitable pastime of sunbathing. Personally I was never a big fan of lying prostrate on the ground until my back sizzled, leading to days to applying the latest sun care moisturiser (then again I went to see High School Musical on Ice at aged 20 so who am I to talk)! Nevertheless, since I had a couple of days off work, I felt the time was right to give lying in the sun the respect it deserved, especially as I had come all this way. My main goal was to shake off the well-formed ‘farmer tan’, which had developed during the months of November and December. (The ‘farmer tan’ being the general tanning of the arms and face only – I would know as I grew up on a farm!)
My shirt came off, much to the disgust of the locals around me who were forced to wear sunglasses in order to deflect any unwanted rays from my white chest. I should note at this point (and not to name names) but my mother suggested I buy sun cream when I arrived in Kenya, not considering there isn’t much of a market for the product out here. Hence I eventually applied copious amounts of extortionately priced Factor 40, which in reality allows one to return to their native country a shade lighter than they arrived. After one day I felt it was for the best that I retire from sunbathing and return to promoting legal aid and good governance in Africa. That is, with the farmer tan still intact!
With these sunnier climes comes the inevitable pastime of sunbathing. Personally I was never a big fan of lying prostrate on the ground until my back sizzled, leading to days to applying the latest sun care moisturiser (then again I went to see High School Musical on Ice at aged 20 so who am I to talk)! Nevertheless, since I had a couple of days off work, I felt the time was right to give lying in the sun the respect it deserved, especially as I had come all this way. My main goal was to shake off the well-formed ‘farmer tan’, which had developed during the months of November and December. (The ‘farmer tan’ being the general tanning of the arms and face only – I would know as I grew up on a farm!)
My shirt came off, much to the disgust of the locals around me who were forced to wear sunglasses in order to deflect any unwanted rays from my white chest. I should note at this point (and not to name names) but my mother suggested I buy sun cream when I arrived in Kenya, not considering there isn’t much of a market for the product out here. Hence I eventually applied copious amounts of extortionately priced Factor 40, which in reality allows one to return to their native country a shade lighter than they arrived. After one day I felt it was for the best that I retire from sunbathing and return to promoting legal aid and good governance in Africa. That is, with the farmer tan still intact!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Kenya Day 3
Today I have reached Kisumu where I will start my internship. The bus journey took five and a half hours, which was comfortable. Although I will not comment on the driving! Luckily there was someone waiting to meet me when I arrived on the edge of Lake Victoria. It was Peter who is the office advocate (in Kenya they don’t have the solicitor/ barrister distinction – instead everyone goes to the bar). Peter took me to the office and I noted there would be three tables and computers for 5 people. The others in the office seem nice.
It is much warmer in Kisumu than in Nairobi, which will be huge challenge although I think I will rarely have to wear a suit. My new accommodation has lifted my spirits somewhat as I have a well-protected room from mosquitoes and a woman called Lillian who washes my clothes!! The apartment is very clean and secure however I am not sure how long I can stay here, as it may be temporary.
I have been shown how to get in and out of the city in a matatu (mini bus). It takes about 15 minutes and costs 20 Shillings – equivalent to 16p.
I slept in the afternoon and woke to find three Swedish girls and it turned out they had been living in the apartment for the previous three weeks and were leaving the next morning. They cooked me dinner that night and offered me a lot of useful information about Kisumu. It was refreshing to have conversation with clear English speakers and learn some facts and safety measures that may have taken me weeks to find out. The girls had been working for an NGO in Kisumu and had left for Tanzania by the time I was out of bed the next morning.
Day 3 was the first time I had spoken to anyone from home - a five-minute conversation with Mum. Also that evening I managed to get online via wireless in the apartment and send some messages on Facebook. I listened to Radio 4 to try and bring some normality back into my life, especially as everything has changed at once.
It is much warmer in Kisumu than in Nairobi, which will be huge challenge although I think I will rarely have to wear a suit. My new accommodation has lifted my spirits somewhat as I have a well-protected room from mosquitoes and a woman called Lillian who washes my clothes!! The apartment is very clean and secure however I am not sure how long I can stay here, as it may be temporary.
I have been shown how to get in and out of the city in a matatu (mini bus). It takes about 15 minutes and costs 20 Shillings – equivalent to 16p.
I slept in the afternoon and woke to find three Swedish girls and it turned out they had been living in the apartment for the previous three weeks and were leaving the next morning. They cooked me dinner that night and offered me a lot of useful information about Kisumu. It was refreshing to have conversation with clear English speakers and learn some facts and safety measures that may have taken me weeks to find out. The girls had been working for an NGO in Kisumu and had left for Tanzania by the time I was out of bed the next morning.
Day 3 was the first time I had spoken to anyone from home - a five-minute conversation with Mum. Also that evening I managed to get online via wireless in the apartment and send some messages on Facebook. I listened to Radio 4 to try and bring some normality back into my life, especially as everything has changed at once.
Kenya Day 2
6 hours sleep saw me rise at 7 am (which is 4am in the UK). I dressed in Jacket and Tie as I was acting as assistant counsel in Nairobi High Court Anti-corruption Division that morning…you couldn’t have written it. However, I didn’t make it to the office until 10 am and missed the hearing – luckily it had been adjourned.
I was however offered a tour around the High Court buildings and met the Chief Justice – no big deal! Kenya is currently debating a revised constitution that is primarily opposed by most as it includes entrenched provisions concerning Islamic law. Although it may cause little consternation in the current climate, the future implications could be huge regarding the rise of Islam in a country which is roughly 90% Christian (albeit some being nominal).
God has been taking care of me and I can see it. I feel content after Day 2 and the mother of the family I am staying with says I am her son. The parents where very touched by the tea towel of the Giant’s Causeway and 4000 KSH (£32) I presented to them. I have been invited again if I ever make it back to Nairobi. I thank God for good health and good meals so far. Food was one of my biggest fears. Although in a few weeks I may be potentially cooking for myself (BIG Prayer Point).
I’ve been blown away by Nairobi and the standard of living here. There is no such thing as a footpath (bar the city centre) and drains by the side of the road are holes. I was under the impression that the city was very developed, yet everything in terms of finish and structure is sub standard for the UK. Welcome Stuart to the 3rd world. Yet after only a day of walking in the city I do feel that I’m getting used to how everything appears to be in disrepair, almost like a building site that will never be finished. I believe that our level of infrastructure would stun many of the people here. Anyway, I’ll get over it!
I felt a lot less self conscious today walking about in a suit because 50% of people in the CBD wear a suit and so I look much less like a tourist. Today it didn’t rain and wasn’t overly humid so wearing a suit was just about do-able.
We have been watching the God channel in the house during the evenings and I’ve noticed the prosperity Gospel is rife among teaching. Everything seems to focus on becoming wealthy and having more money with the eventual outcome of reaching immense happiness. The family, although clearly Godly, seem to subscribe to this doctrine and I’ve figured (for the time being) that this is only due to the amount of poverty which quite literally surrounds them. I have been advised to approach everything with a patient and open mind mainly as this is not my culture and I wish
not to become bitter about things I cannot change.
Still getting used to the currency, personal hygiene is facing an all time low and before I go to bed I will read my Bible and pray. 5 O’clock start and an 8-hour bus journey to Kisumu in the morning!
Kenya Day 1
The first day was all about the travel. It worked out at 28 hours from when I left 14 Oldtown Rd and arrived in the office in Nairobi. Some confusion on my arrival left me stranded at ‘International arrivals’ for over 4 hours before I was able to email and call back to London in order to find an address.
As usual I made friends on the flights without much problem. On the Belfast – Heathrow flight I sat with a couple who were on their way to Goa, India and seem to be seasoned travellers. They explained to me how every year they went on SKI holidays (Spending Kids Inheritance) – I told them they were just right. The Couple who where from Newtownabby gave me some tips on making my way from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3. This was found to be a rather easy task as I took the bus. Heathrow is mad – I’m nearly sure the population of Northern Ireland was packed into the duty free Dixons alone, never mind WHSmith.
The Virgin Atlantic flight was through the night and although I failed to register more than about 4 hours sleep, I did watch ‘Adventureland’ and one hour of ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’. The food was surprisingly good and filling – hats off to Richard Branson. I sat beside an American girl, Blonde, Californian, who had worked 5 years for Google (two and a half of which were in London). As we chatted, I discovered she was a Christian and attended Holy Trinity Bromton. She was friendly and certainly made the flight a lot more fun. She had a Boyfriend who ran an online dating site. (I conveniently directed her to the headline from The Times Business Section, which read ‘Man makes fortune from online dating site’ – she just smiled). Her name was Alexa and was attending an International Malaria conference in Nairobi for one week.
After the flight I paid $25 for my visa because they refused to take my Northern Bank £10 note – needless to say I was offended before I had stepped through immigration. The atmosphere was noticeably more humid, however not that warm. The ground was wet from the rain showers, which came every 30 mins and I was left with the irony that no one was there to meet me with my name on a board like I had always suggested. I hijacked the internet in the tourist booth to tap into my googlemail account to notify Christine that I had been approached by 40 men to see if I wanted to get in their taxi. She called through on my new Kenyan sim card to offer an address that would take me to the Kenyan Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship office. 1500 Kenyan shillings and 30 min drive later I was there. On Arrival, John who is in charge of the office welcomed me with open arms.
I was beginning to feel incredibly sleepy and was facing a long journey to Kisumu in the next few days. Hence, I was falling asleep at my Mac… it was only 3 p.m.
I was eventually taken back to the parents home of John Swaka, the CLEAR advocate. We watched Kenyan TV and ate at 9;30 (chicken Dish). The family is huge and live in an ‘up-market’ compound called Diamond Park. At bedtime I was faced with a mosquito net full of holes. Hence, the stuffing of toilet roll into each gap and a poor nights sleep. (I would arrive home the next day to find the family had bought a new net…I felt bad…but only a little.)
As usual I made friends on the flights without much problem. On the Belfast – Heathrow flight I sat with a couple who were on their way to Goa, India and seem to be seasoned travellers. They explained to me how every year they went on SKI holidays (Spending Kids Inheritance) – I told them they were just right. The Couple who where from Newtownabby gave me some tips on making my way from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3. This was found to be a rather easy task as I took the bus. Heathrow is mad – I’m nearly sure the population of Northern Ireland was packed into the duty free Dixons alone, never mind WHSmith.
The Virgin Atlantic flight was through the night and although I failed to register more than about 4 hours sleep, I did watch ‘Adventureland’ and one hour of ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’. The food was surprisingly good and filling – hats off to Richard Branson. I sat beside an American girl, Blonde, Californian, who had worked 5 years for Google (two and a half of which were in London). As we chatted, I discovered she was a Christian and attended Holy Trinity Bromton. She was friendly and certainly made the flight a lot more fun. She had a Boyfriend who ran an online dating site. (I conveniently directed her to the headline from The Times Business Section, which read ‘Man makes fortune from online dating site’ – she just smiled). Her name was Alexa and was attending an International Malaria conference in Nairobi for one week.
After the flight I paid $25 for my visa because they refused to take my Northern Bank £10 note – needless to say I was offended before I had stepped through immigration. The atmosphere was noticeably more humid, however not that warm. The ground was wet from the rain showers, which came every 30 mins and I was left with the irony that no one was there to meet me with my name on a board like I had always suggested. I hijacked the internet in the tourist booth to tap into my googlemail account to notify Christine that I had been approached by 40 men to see if I wanted to get in their taxi. She called through on my new Kenyan sim card to offer an address that would take me to the Kenyan Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship office. 1500 Kenyan shillings and 30 min drive later I was there. On Arrival, John who is in charge of the office welcomed me with open arms.
I was beginning to feel incredibly sleepy and was facing a long journey to Kisumu in the next few days. Hence, I was falling asleep at my Mac… it was only 3 p.m.
I was eventually taken back to the parents home of John Swaka, the CLEAR advocate. We watched Kenyan TV and ate at 9;30 (chicken Dish). The family is huge and live in an ‘up-market’ compound called Diamond Park. At bedtime I was faced with a mosquito net full of holes. Hence, the stuffing of toilet roll into each gap and a poor nights sleep. (I would arrive home the next day to find the family had bought a new net…I felt bad…but only a little.)
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