Mzungu Cream and Mzungu Tea
"Mzungu! Mzungu!" Every morning, I am greeted by at least one group of kids running, smiling, and pointing at the "white person" desparately clinging to a 'boda boda' (motorcycle taxi) on the way to a nearby primary school. Kiswahili generally does not have a literal translation of "Hello," so many children also yell "How are you!"--a translation of "Habari yako!"--the common greeting in Kiswahili (I'm still unsure of the Dhuluo language!). This greeting extends beyond just schools, but also any town or village nearby. On the way to Kericho this past weekend, children frequently smiled and shouted "How are you!" at the wazungu crammed in a matatu as I passed.
This simple greeting has remained the highlight of my day every day--there's nothing more funny or endearing then a bunch of kids waving to the crazy white guy going 40km/hr by on a dirt road without a helmet (sorry Mom and Dad). However, it's also contrasted against many of the interactions and observations I've had with/of communities surrounding Kericho and Lwala. To clarify, I don't mean this in a negative manner, but there is something to be said of the maturity and 'development' of Western Kenya as it relates to its history and people.
*For example: this past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Kericho and explore the expansive tea farms that canvas the county. For those that do not know, Kenya is the world's largest exporter of tea (especially black tea) and the largest per capita producer of tea. On a tonnes per capita calculation for production, Kenya produces roughly 7 times what China produces and 10 times what India produces (as of 2013--economists can check my math on that one). However, tea is not native to Kenya at all, and was brought to the country specifically for production and export. Now, tea accounts for 26% of Kenya's exports and 4% of the country's GDP (compare that to Safaricom from last week).** As a tourist in the region, I was taken through the fields by a former 'picker' herself, who told me of the conditions and results of such work--back and foot injuries, quick turn-arounds on labor, fluctating weather conditions, etc. Pickers harvest 14 kg a day, rain or shine. This contrast reminded me of my own presence in the region--much of this 'progress' has been reliant on foreigners, culminating in my own 'privilege' to view their harsh working conditions as a fun weekend getaway.
***Our tour guide recognized this incongruence, as did many adults working in the region. Whether it be matatu drivers attempting to attract customers because there's wazungu on board, specialty seating, or the sale of 'Mzungu Cream' (aka sunscreen), there's a market for FDI and, more specifically, white people. It becomes immediately obvious that there is extant neocolonialism. Although Lwala Community Alliance remains a bastion and example for a grassroots and a neohumanist approach to development in the region, my very presence reminds me constantly of the image my nationality, skin tone, and language project. However, as I said last week regarding Safaricom, there are results. Pickers are provided housing, free schooling, and lunch breaks. In terms of infrastructure, the surrounding county and city of Kericho boasted clean paved roads and sidewalks with shiny new malls and many local enterprises. Kenyans have been able to use this influx of FDI and NGO presence to create something Kenyan, and the people remain hopeful. In the context of my work, I've been able to observe this in classrooms in primary school using e-Readers. Also, I've spoken with teachers regarding their use of e-Readers in various subjects/class levels (aka grades). Without divulging too much of the research (or boring y'all with details), the results and reception of the e-Readers have been enormously positive. Teachers have largely enjoyed using them in their classrooms across subjects, and students are excited about reading and even attend school more! However, many of these schools lack consistent electricity and definitively internet. I say 'consistently' because, although many schools are linked to a common transponder and some have a generator, frequent power outages due to poor infrastructure lead to many problems--especially when trying to maintain an 'e-classroom.' Again, teachers themselves have remained positive, and I've been both pleasantly surprised and impressed by their responses to the situation. Many teachers have told me in conversation that they believe 'technology is the future.' Despite their lack of access to consistently functioning ICT, teachers have told me on a few occassions that they believe in a few short years that 'everything will be digital'--not necessarily even in the context of e-Readers. This future, although not detached from FDI or LCA's presence, does still seem feasible despite the barriers. The fact remains: Kenyan teachers have used Kenyan curriculum in Kenyan classrooms with one provided tool: an e-Reader. On a grander scale, a plant that was brought into Kenya for more exploitive reasons has now become a staple of the economy and fueled electricity, 3G, internet, and free housing and schooling fora whole region. FDI has allowed for a Kenyan business to produce one of the largest mobile banking networks in the world. The paradigm, and reflection for myself, and many others in my situation, is this: can I be a tool used by Kenyans for Kenyans, or am I just another example of an intern using his experience abroad for personal success? I hope I, and others, can be the former.
*Tea fields in Kericho County
**Statistics courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
***From Left to Right: Katie, Will, Lilian (our guide) and myself