Kiva Stories from the Field

Prior to departure from the states, I was given the option of staying in either a hotel or a home stay for the duration of the trip—I chose the latter for the cultural experience. I stayed with staff members Patrick Oketch and Rogers Otieno, both aged 23 and great hosts despite the constant attention drawn by a mzungu in the rural parts of the country. The home stay was a small two bedroom house, shared between the three of us and a handful of local insects. The conditions were actually better than I had prepared for, but mosquito nets and bug repellent were necessary.

Most of my social experiences parallel Tanuj and Kerry’s recent posts; it has been surreal for strangers to constantly make an effort to shake my hand or engage in a short hybrid conversation of English and Kiswahili. The children are very social, and unquestionably the most engaging participants during my client visits to the rural areas. On a typical visit—within minutes of entering a village—most of the children will have poured from their homes and tightly crowded shoulder-to-shoulder behind me.

Located on the shores of Lake Victoria, Kisumu is highly influenced by the local fishing economy. There are commonly fishermen carrying a fresh catch directly to the markets for sale, and others cooking along the shores over a small charcoal grill. There are also just a handful of fish that actually inhabit the lake; the most popular being Tilapia, a sizable whitefish. My first experience trying the locally prepared food was a bit unsettling, as the cooked fish was delivered with the head, skin, and tail intact—all of which are intended to be consumed, excluding the bones. I’ve since become accustomed to this style of preparation, but I’ll admit that I long for a simple boneless filet.

A few weekends ago, after a similar meal, a few of the SEED staff took me hippo hunting on the lake. There are a few hippo hideouts that we searched along the shores, and to my surprise we found a small family of four bathing in the sun! I took as many pictures as possible, which can be found here. The lake itself is beautiful, and despite its vast size the maximum depth is a relatively shallow 84m (276 ft) which aids in more frequent spotting of wildlife. I’m also told that Lake Victoria has a large crocodile population, although I’m happy to say that we didn’t see any near our small boat.