Day Five

To start day 5, we have to begin with an experience that Izabelle and Riley faced the night before. Due to the blackout, we went to the conference center annex building to have a hot shower and charge our phones. On our walk back, we passed the gate to KUCC and found ourselves lost. We walked around until we landed at the graduate school building, where we called Dr. Jalloh to escort us back to the hotel. We arrived safely and were able to go to sleep around midnight.

We had breakfast around 9:30 followed by a walk to the Business Services and Student Center (BSSC) where we could charge our phones during our second lecture. This was the first lecture in which we kicked off learning about reproductive health in Kenya, specifically on gender-based violence (GBV). Gender-based violence is a broad term that encompasses many forms of harassment or harm that may occur due to one’s gender/sex. Some of the categories include intimate partner violence, economic abuse (e.g., stealing wages), child marriage, and sexual assault, among others.

The information for the lecture was gathered from a study done with the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey conducted by Dr. Isabell Kingori and Dr. Ignatius Weru. Drs. Kingori and Weru looked at three counties in Kenya: Garissa, Samburu, and Isiolo. Supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the researchers focused on the disparate experiences of women, girls, men, and boys, as well as other intersecting demographics (refugee status, religion, ethnicity, etc.) when looking at GBV risk and incidences. Some of the important things we learned are that one of the main reasons that GBV goes unpunished is lack of education in the laws and their rights and awareness of the issues. So, a major recommendation is to provide more education to potential victims, so that they will be able to advocate for themselves better, as well as to potential perpetrators, so that they do not engage in harmful behaviors. We also discovered that, with the exception of Samburu county, there was no economic or emotional abuse reported. When Dr. Kingori was asked why that was, she explained that the participants may not have wanted to get their spouses or significant others in trouble and/or there would be cultural factors at play, such as stigmatization within the community when someone reports various forms of violence.

While Dr. Kingori was explaining the risk factors associated with GBV, she mentioned many things that we see in the United States, and then some that we don't. One of the similarities to the United States is that often GBV goes unreported by both men and women. For men, this could be because of feelings of shame about being harmed by others, which would be emasculating. Women, on the other hand, may not know the logistics of reporting, such as time constraints; in Kenya, one must generally report within 72 hours after an assault to ensure preservation of evidence. A unique issue not observed in the United States is that a lack of plumbing infrastructure (that is, private latrines or safe places to pee or go for #2) is a risk factor to GBV, because it leaves individuals exposed and vulnerable. Dr. Kingori’s study recommended, therefore, that counties build water and sanitation facilities. Other recommendations were educational and awareness campaigns regarding definitions of GBV, how to report, and addressing problematic cultural norms.

After lunch at the BSSC restaurant, we visited the Kenyatta University Primary School. The school has 1500 kids but only 36 teachers. At the school we met children from preschool to 8th grade. We went into some classes to meet the children attending the school, asking questions such as “What's your favorite subject?” and “What do you like about your school?” We were met with joyous roaring from the students eager to answer our questions. Once we could encourage them to speak one at a time we were given answers such as math and science and that the school helps them build self-confidence, which is vital at this life stage. We loved all of the inspirational quotes about education that were posted around the school, such as "Destiny is not written for me but by me," "Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge," and "This is a corruption free zone!" We all loved interacting with the children and getting to know their favorite subjects! One of our favorite things about the school is that the students had multiple breaks throughout the day to go play and an hour and a half for lunch. Upon attempting to leave the school Izabelle and Riley were met with a long line of children wanting handshakes and fist bumps saying, "Jambo (Hello)!" Sandipa and Zoe were swarmed by children as well, and we had to drag the two away to move to our next event.

This primary school was established by KU to serve low-income families. And as such, they do not have adequate school supplies and infrastructure. As we reflected on our experience here, we feel this school could be a beneficial site for a sustainable service-learning project as part of future January terms. Some areas of need that we observed and that were pointed out to us include kitchen upgrades, sporting equipment, pencils and pens, school uniforms, and shoes.

After leaving the school we had the rest of the day free and decided to go to the mall again to exchange our money, shop, and get coffee! While there, we found out the electricity was back on at the hotel again. As we were leaving the mall, we encountered some taxi drivers who tried to overcharge us for a ride back to the campus. They quoted us 2000 KES each car (about $12.90), while the Uber cost roughly 900 KES for two vehicles ($5.80). That was the first time some of us have needed to bargain for taxi fare. We learned sometimes you just have to walk away to find a better deal (just as we learned during our adventure at the Maasai market)! After coming back to Kenyatta University, we ate dinner (more goat and greens!) around 7:00 pm.

By Izabelle and Riley