The first 40 hours were an adventure, and I love a good adventure.

After my journey from Boston to Nairobi, I arrived at the Franciscan Family Center around 1am Thursday and fell asleep to the crickets, a familiar and peaceful sound for me. I didn’t realize that my new confidant Monica knows Spanish, so I was pleasantly surprised when she Whatsapp’d me “Estás aquí?” Her Spanish is much better than my Swahili (for now)!

The next day, Monica and her significant other Gibson kindly invited me to a delicious tilapia and ugali lunch. Even more, they patiently waited a wondrous hour and a half at the Safaricom as I was getting my e-sim card installed. Let’s just say that configuring SIM cards is not my strong suit, so I insisted we take pictures to commemorate this milestone.

Success! I now have a local Kenyan phone number!

Since then, I have taken my first local minibus to the Kagumo village, listened to Kenyan news with Monica’s mother (“Mama Monica”), ridden a few boda-boda’s (motorcycles), and been greeted as a “mzungu!” (white person) by more Kagumo residents than I can count.

I have several expectations as I prepare to begin my fellowship at Children’s Peace Initiative – Kenya (CPIK). I expect from myself to bring an open mind and inquisitive perspective every day to the office. I am excited to utilize my outside knowledge of conflict between East African pastoralist communities and from reviewing the findings of former peace fellow Julia during her fellowship in 2022. I’m even more excited to have this prior knowledge be challenged or even disproven, based on conversations I have with warriors and elders in the field this summer.

Grains & veggies in Kagumo

I recognize the assumptions that Westerners (myself
included) are quick to make about rural African groups and their ways of life; however, a community’s perception of wealth, livelihood, and wellbeing is subjective, informed by personal experience. Prioritizing these personal outlooks is paramount as I navigate future conversations and perhaps design programming that truly and sustainably furthers CPI’s goals.

I have a number of intentions for the summer. One skill I hope to improve upon is taking due time to evaluate potential program objectives and decisions, rather than rushing into action and compromising efficacy. Along the same lines, I aim to set achievable goals alongside the team— clearly laying out steps to achieve these goals. I plan to learn from mistakes and setbacks that may occur this summer. Finally, I am eager to immerse myself in the local culture and norms—whether that is taking boda-boda’s after sundown to reunite with Mama Monica or participating in a local church service in Baringo County. Although I am Jewish, I am very familiar with the customs of Christianity, having attended an Episcopalian school for 15 years.

Monica’s sister “Mama Shadi” and her children Claudia and Angelica pose outside of Mama Monica’s home

Finally, I am excited to live with Monica and Purity this summer. I have lived by myself for the past 2 years but am thrilled to fill my time at home with these two lovely women.