MTV mit der Jikaze-Selfhelp-Group

REPORT JIKAZE-SELFHELP-GROUP LTV
(10th of July 2005 to 21st of January 2006)

Arrival:

I came to Kenya on the 6th of July, convinced to do two different MTVs, the first in Western, the second in Kibera/Nairobi. I thought both together with at least one other volunteer, both in an already prepared project which needed to be continued.
But everything should change, should be different:

I arrived in Mumias/Western on the 9th of July, tired after an 11-hour journey. I was a bit unlucky because usually the coach goes directly there. But we were late so that the driver decided in Kakamega not to go on so that I had to go on by one of those small matatus, with all my luggage.

Knowing that it gets dark at 7 pm I was a bit worried but fortunately I arrived in time. I was very much welcomed by my host family but I got to know that the town of Mumias wouldn’t be my home and that the Jikaze-selfhelp-group was not to be reached after 6:30 pm because no matatu was going anymore. So I had to spend the first night in a guesthouse in town. Everything was so new and what shocked me most was that I was the only white person and, moreover, the first one ever having been there. The next day when it was light outside, I was stared at by the natives. I talked to my host dad in the village and I was told that no one else had ever been there before, no whites, there had not been any project. I was confused and angry and thought that I might stay for a couple of days to be polite but then leave soon. In such a rural area under those circumstances I saw no chance of survival for me.

But everything should change, should be different:
The next morning I had breakfast in my host mum’s hotel before we set off for the group. At 10 am we arrived but the “mamas” had not yet been back from the field. So we waited. When they came we introduced and they danced and sang for me. It was nice but I was not convinced to stay. In the afternoon I wanted to go to town to mail my family but heavy rains started and I felt imprisoned.

The next day was the first working day on the field. I had not known that I was supposed to work in the shamba2 most of the time but I did not say anything. I just worked. That day from 7 in the morning up to 2 pm. My God, I was so tired but the work was very nice. The “mamas“ welcomed me, we sang during work, we laughed and I began to feel alright. In the evening, when I sat outside with a cup of tea, watching the wonderful sky of stars, I thought about how to go on then and I decided to continue. If there was no project, it would be my business to start on. My task as a volunteer was clarified and so my time in the Jikaze self-help-group began...

During morning hours we were mainly in the shamba: digging, harvesting maize, planting, the afternoons were free for home visits, going to town, caring for the cows, being together with my “mamas“. The first project was born:

ADULT EDUCATION

During an evening talk with my beloved host father Jack I learnt that the “mamas“ neither wrote nor spoke any English which might be difficult for future volunteers who, unlike me, do not know any Kiswahili. We opened our small school and started adult education. Every Wednesday at 3 pm (African time, more 4 pm) we met. I started slowly like in nursery school and divided the time into two terms. The first one was especially for those who had never been writing and reading. I taught them the ABC, how to write their names, the letters in general, how to spell and to pronounce them.

The second term was then for English. I started with self-introduction that was “I am... I come from...”. My host father and one member of the community helped me with translating tasks to the “mamas“. We went on and up to now they have been able to say where they are going to, what they might do (like cooking, digging, working, etc.). They know how to greet, how to say the date or numbers and Manassee, a member of Jikaze, will go on till a new volunteer will go there or I will be back.

The longer I stayed there, the more we became a big family and I was a member of the community. We did everything together, discussed questions, ideas and problems in our monthly meetings. When they was the time to leave because 3months had been over, I made the decision to stay. There was a lot to do, I had to help my host mum in the hotel, I had to continue the adult education and furthermore two new projects were about to start:

1) HIV/Aids AWARENESS

Together with a Kenyan friend of mine who I had met when I had been in Kenya back in 2002, I made a workshop over three days. Two for the “mamas“, one for the youths. HIV is widespread in Western Kenya and there was no day on which nobody died. People don’t know how to cope with the infected and those themselves have no knowledge about life with HIV/Aids. Our task on those days was mainly to teach them how to teach themselves. The workshop was one thing but afterwards it is usually on the community members to go around to inform those who did not participate in the workshop.

2) BRICKMAKING

When in October/November the dry season begins, there is nothing to do on the shambas. “mamas“ stay at home. So I asked my host dad why not using that time and together with the son of Manassee we started the brick making. It was back-breaking work and sometimes the “mamas“, especially the old ones, did not come but mostly we were a team. The women’s task was going and fetching water to prepare the soil. Surely, it was hard but we had a lot of fun, too. And we knew and still know that that brick making is supposed to be a generating income. It is our plan to built a multi-functional centre in which there is a home for all the orphans who are now spread over different homes, sisters and brothers separated from each other. Additionally, it is supposed to be a social centre in which the monthly meeting would be held, in which the adult education can take place as well as the nursery school which is now in a home of a community member but in a room which has never been finished properly. It is not more than a provisional arrangement. The pupils write on their seats moving all the time. By now there are approximately 6000 bricks. The half of them is kept for the centre, the other a half is supposed to be sold.

To me, Mumias became a second home. I got friends, I got a family and I had a wonderful home, warm and full of harmony. In October I cancelled my plans to do a second MTV in Kibera. I extended the one in Mumias. The people of Jikaze are much willing, they want to learn, they are open!!! Life went on and new projects were to be introduced:

POULTRY FARMING:

Together with a friend from Japan a house was built to start immediately with the poultry farming from the time on we could afford chicken. But as money is a problem the project is supposed to start this year. Together with my parents we started cooperation between Germany and Mumias and it is our hope for the next year and beyond to sink boreholes, install solar energy and later on to produce enough bricks for an orphanage as well as a house for the monthly meetings, the adult education and for the nursery school!!!

Life of a volunteer:

As far as my work was concerned I stayed in two homes. The first was the village: At around 6 am the cock started crowing but it didn’t matter. It didn’t disturb the sleep. Only in the beginning it takes a bit of getting used to. On weekdays there was breakfast at around 7 am or 7:30. But if I got up at 8 am it also didn’t matter either if you needn’t walk to work which depended on the work which was on. From July to September work will be on the field and not seldom we had to get up at 6:30am cause the shamba was about 5km away. Lunch is sometimes at home, sometimes in form of a home visit.

Living conditions are comparatively poor although I had my own house. The latrine was outside the compound, the shower was behind a stone wall and with a basin and cold water but when I wished, “mama” warmed water. That was not the problem. But usually it was so hot that one was happy to have a cold shower. The compound were I lived consisted of four living houses: two of the brothers of my host father, mine and the one of “mama” and the children. Further two kitchen. All houses were built of dried cowpats but there was no smell. Most of the time “mama” prepared the food: Ugali and sukuma wiki, from time to time fish or meat, but this seldom. In the afternoons there were home visits or the finishing of the work as well as teaching. It depended a bit on my initiative. There were days on which I was happy to have free time due to my tiredness. I was only lying outside in the shade, sleeping and relaxing. Moreover there was a place my host dad and I called “the beautiful place”. It is a very big rock thrown into the countryside and if you climb up, you can see far, like climbing a mountain.

Another thing was the water-issue: Usually my host family didn’t want me to go and fetch water but when you stay there just watching them, you found it unfair. In my opinion it is also the task of the volunteer to go and fetch water for showering, washing and cooking. Finally for the smokers: “mama” was also smoking and it was no problem to smoke on the compound. Only during the visits of a school or other homes it is better not to smoke, especially for girls/women. But it is no major problem anyway. The second home was Mumias town: I stayed there with my host mum and the two children and sometimes my dad if he did not have to look after the cows in the village. But during the week I went there seldom, only if the girls who worked there did not come. Usually I stayed from Friday up to Sunday evening and helped mum in the small hotel serving customers, cutting meat and everything which was necessary to be cut for cooking. Further I cooked and cleaned. The day started at 5 am and was over at 7:30 pm/8 pm when we went home, taking a small snack and a tea and then falling in bed. I was fed in the hotel which was a nice variety compared to ugali and sukuma in the village. Surely, we had ugali and sukuma for lunch (that is what Western (Kenyan) people love and what they need to survive – in their opinion), but in addition we had chapati, meat (nyama fry or stew), liver (maindi fry), beans (maharagwe) and bananas (ndizi). When I was tired I bought myself a plate of rice (10 Shilling) or mandazi (1 = 5 Shilling) somewhere else. The work was strenuous especially for those who had never been in that business before, but it was fun and most of the customers were nice. One even became my best friend. A volunteer needs to be open for jokes but a smile and fast service are enough to make them happy. I loved that job and from time to time I even spent one week in town as well as my last 2 days. It was fun! 3

In the evenings my host mum, the children and I had nice talks, too. Okay, sometimes Junior (3) or Effy (9) were a bit stressful but mostly we relaxed and talked a lot, like a real family. Mumias itself is a small town with three small supermarkets and a big open market on Fridays and Sundays . It has a post-office where internet is available. Sometimes the network broke down and for one week nothing went but this did not happen often. If I wanted to call home I used the Telkom-card which was NOT available in Mumias. In Kisumu or Kakamega you can buy, the phone boxes in Mumias are next to the post office. The biggest sugar factory of Kenya (Mumias sugar – simply the sweetest) is situated 5 km from the town-centre. A visit is worthwhile!

After half a year life up there people know me and everybody greets on the street. It is advisable and excellent to go to one of the pineapple and watermelon sellers. The fruits are already cut in pieces and very nice especially when it is hot!!!

The end:

All doubts from the beginning vanished and I had a lot of fun and experience: My community, my host family and my friends taught me to have real zest for life and what it means never giving up hope even if everything seems to be against oneself. Although conditions are poor and every western standard should be forgotten, I would advise to go there. Projects are there and work is there and the people are looking forward to having visitors!!! Finally I want to take that opportunity to thank my family at home in Germany for help, support and backing as well as my host family for welcoming me and taking me as a member and I want to thank Juma and Henry who made it sometimes much easier for me, who taught me culture and life and who showed me the area around Mumias!!!