Day Seventeen

Here we go. Today is the day we say “kwaheri” (“goodbye”) to Kenya. It feels like we arrived just yesterday, but as the common saying goes, time flies when you are having fun. The past couple of weeks have been truly insightful, fruitful, fun, and productive. We learned about Kenyan culture; exposed ourselves to determinants of reproductive health, including gender-based violence and the (in)accessibility of the Kenyan healthcare system; enjoyed a safari; and savored delicious Kenyan food. We made many friends and learned so much from our Kenyatta University collaborators, in particular Drs. Nawiri, Kingori, and Keraka.

We began the day at 7:00 am with a delicious breakfast, as many of us had to leave for the Mombasa airport at 8:00 am to catch a flight to Nairobi. We made it safely to the airport with plenty of time to go through security and board. An hour later we landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi where we needed to find creative ways to make our 9-hour layover less painful. We headed to Paul Caffee (again) for a lunch of sandwiches, burgers, coffee, and milkshakes. A man took an opportunity to poorly pound the piano labeled “free play.” We spent some time there chatting and joking around before eventually deciding to enter the International Terminal for our flight to the USA. 

Sandipa left the hotel for the airport at 2:00 pm because she had a 6:00 pm flight departing from Mombasa.  Celeste on the other hand, will continue to enjoy the Mombasa beach life for two more days before she departs for the USA and Hollins. She stayed behind initially to meet up with a friend from Uganda, but that didn’t materialize. Nevertheless, she will be lingering in the warm sun and sand while we venture on to the cold and snow.

While we are happy to be going home again, we will miss Kenya greatly. We are so grateful for the opportunity to venture through the country, and we will cherish the memories we’ve made, continue to nurture the friendships we’ve built, and keep with us the cross-cultural knowledge we’ve cultivated during our time here. 

Until we meet again, kwaheri Kenya!!!!