My First Field Visit
3 December 2007
Since arriving in Kenya I have been yearning to meet Kiva clients, to see the effects of Kiva and microfinance with my own eyes. Over the years I have read many books and articles about microfinance, but nothing can take the place of seeing the smiles on the clients’ faces as they watch customers file in and out of their shops - often as a direct result of their Kiva loan. I not only saw clients who had been given the opportunity to increase their incomes, I saw people with a newfound sense of pride, accomplishment, and confidence. I can now attest to the fact that Kiva loans really are loans that change lives…it’s not just a clever slogan!
We visited clients in Mlolongo, a rapidly growing town on the Mombasa Highway, just outside of Nairobi. What was only recently considered an informal settlement has grown due to the high traffic of transport trucks and is now considered a town. Mlolongo has a rapidly growing population and subsequently a rapid increase in businesses and homes. On the morning of our field visit, it had been raining. The roads are unpaved, and there is no drainage system for excess water. So it was mud, puddles, and careful steps for us! Everywhere we looked, we could see new houses being built to accommodate the influx of people coming to live in the town. Many recently-opened businesses lined the muddy streets. Unfortunately for those who can’t afford a stall or a shop from which to operate their business, a rainy day means that they can’t lay out their goods on the street for sale. One of the Kiva clients was one such unfortunate business-owner who had no choice but to accept the fact that she could make no sales until the weather cleared up. But the weather was no deterrent for the other Kiva clients I had the pleasure of meeting.
Instead of singling out a few of the clients, I want to express my overall feeling after my field visit. (If you want to learn more about the individual clients in Mlolongo, check out the journal entries I have posted for Action Now: Kenya.) Leaving Mlolongo, I had some time to digest what I had just seen and experienced while I sat in two hours of diesel-infused air while stuck in the notorious Nairobi traffic. My first thought was of the overwhelming display of entrepreneurship and determination in each of the clients. Each has suffered their own set of hardships, each has accepted financial responsibility for their families and often extended families or orphans in the area, and each has been proactive in helping themselves to rise out of poverty. That’s something that has always intrigued me about microfinance. In my eyes, the old saying, “It takes money to make money”, is only half of the economic development equation. It takes money and determination to make money, especially in the developing world where adversity often outweighs opportunity.
Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, I saw the difference a small loan can make. Most of the clients we visited used their loan to purchase inventory or materials in bulk for their shop. There are so many benefits from doing so: a bigger selection for customers (creating competitive advantage over other, similar shops), a price discount for buying in bulk (allowing for greater profits), and less travel time to go to Nairobi to make their purchases (reducing costs in both time and money), to name a few. Many of the clients said they wanted to become a wholesaler to supply other shops in the area with material or goods. The boost a Kiva loan can give to their business sets the stage for the future ability to do so. From an economic standpoint, a wholesale business can lead to greater profits and higher incomes; and from a development standpoint, it would mean that the shop owners of Mlolongo wouldn’t have to travel to Nairobi to purchase their inventory and the money would therefore remain within the town, benefiting the community as a whole.
I’ll be visiting slum areas of Nairobi this week, an experience sure to be different in many ways. I’m looking forward to seeing first-hand the different challenges faced by business-owners in the slums, as well as the differences in living conditions and overall quality of life – in comparison with the town of Mlolongo.
Watching Kiva Funds in Action!
26 November 2007
I’ve been in Kenya for a couple of weeks now and have seen such diversity in not only the people, plants, and animals but also in standard of living, quality of life, and income levels. Like anywhere in the world some people live expensive, lavish lifestyles while others work hard with little to show for it at the end of the day. In Kenya, the latter is definitely the most prominent. But last week as a Kiva Fellow at Action Now: Kenya(ANK) in Nairobi, I saw the beauty and success of microfinance that I had hoped for but was skeptical about as I embarked on this adventure (in terms of the realities of economic opportunities in the developing world). In addition, I got to see the effects of Kiva first hand, and as an avid microfinance supporter, and as a Kiva lender myself, I was more than pleasantly surprised.
ANK’s lending model differs from what we traditionally think of when we think about microfinance. ANK uses micro-leasing as a means of uplifting people from poor economic conditions. Through micro-leasing, clients are provided with tangible goods as an in-kind loan, instead of cash, that can be used to start, expand, or enhance their business and improve their income, and ultimately the quality of life for them and their families. The clients are then responsible for paying back the cost of the items in the same manner, with the same terms, as a traditional cash loan. When in desperate situations, a cash loan is sometimes used to satisfy needs completely unrelated to the client’s business. This not only increases the client’s debt burden, it also leaves them without the advantage of additional investment capital to enhance their business – causing a downward-spiraling effect on their economic well-being. Micro-leasing bypasses this issue. You can’t feed a hungry child with a sewing machine. But you can use that sewing machine to earn income to feed that child.
So, last week I accompanied the loan officer/community mobilizer/superwoman who does just about anything that needs to be done, to the bank to meet with Jeremiah, a Kiva client. It was here that I could see Kiva funds actually working the way I, as a Kiva lender myself, envisioned it. The money that was raised for Jeremiah was deposited into ANK’s bank account and there I was, in a land far, far away from where the funds most likely came from, withdrawing it. It was almost as if there was this outstretched arm coming directly from the developed world with cash in hand, connecting with us here in Kenya!
We withdrew half of the exact amount of Jeremiah’s loan and headed for the Gikomba market to purchase the goods he needed for his shop. The other half will be used to make purchases in the near future. ANK’s procedure is for the loan officer to accompany the client to the shop and to get a receipt for the full amount of the purchases as evidence of the disbursement of the loan. The first shop we went to buy Jeremiah’s goods did not have any receipts available. This was not sufficient for the ANK officer due to the lack of accountability and transparency that could transpire, as well as the potential for inadvertently taking part in unethical trading. So we found another shop, one which was willing to provide a receipt, where Jeremiah could purchase his goods using the Kiva funds. In this small gesture, ANK exhibited its integrity and dedication to best practices.
While we were in the shop, the employee who was serving us was curious about this type of loan and where the money came from. She expressed that she had wanted to open a small business of her own but didn’t know where she would be able to get the capital to start-up. We told her about ANK and about Kiva and she was really excited about the idea. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve learned that the majority of ANK’s clients hear about their micro-leasing program through word-of-mouth. They see a friend doing well in business, ask them how they did it, and come into ANK’s office to apply for a loan. Viral marketing has shown to be an effective tool for creating awareness of ANK’s products/services. To me, any product customers take upon themselves to promote, must be a great product. And in the case of microfinance, it’s not just the product they are promoting, they are promoting being proactive in uplifting oneself from poverty. Now there’s a product I can feel good about!
My Last Blog….
18 September 2007
Totos in Kayole Slums
Jambo Jambo everyone! Sadly my blogging and Kiva time has come to an end, I am actually writing this from home as I thought it would be interesting to compose my final installment from the perspective of being back in the ‘developed’ world. But before I launch into the big spiel I prepared about my amazing time in Africa, I will first delve into my last week working at Action Now Kenya.
My last week was pretty busy, seeing the last few clients and wrapping things up. We managed two trips into the field, firstly to Kibera to visit the last few clients there I had not seen, and then to another informal settlement called Mlongoro. This slum area is on the bustling Nairobi to Mombasa highway; I say highway in the loosest sense of the word since it does not resemble any highway you would ever had seen, its basically you’re average (sometimes) paved road. They are currently expanding it to make it into a dual carriageway, and in the process destroying all the settlements along the road. Anyway, so it’s not exactly a ’slum’ area, since the housing is more formal, with real buildings made from concrete. But like the other slum areas I have visited, Mlongoro too has its own flavor. And man was that flavor funky smelling, you see, unlike Kibera or Kayole, Mlongoro has no semblance of a sewage system. In the other slums trenches are dug that act as rudimentary vessels to carry away waste and garbage- or as usually is the case just let it sit there- but at least its not in the road. However, in Mlongoro the waste and sewage was everywhere, and of course with my luck we visited on a particularly hot day so let’s just say things were festering and bubbling in a way that it funnily enough made me think of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Don’t ask me why, but I had the theme tune in my head all morning!
Judy, Me and Christine at my last day at work.
Mlongoro settlement grew from the busy road as an area for the truck drivers to stop off before hitting Nairobi, or after it if they are on their way to Mombasa. This is also an area where HIV/AIDS is a increasingly becoming more endemic, as there is also a lot of prostitution. As a consequence of this growing trend, a number of NGOs have set up Health clinics, and we were lucky enough to visit one, and also visit with some of the people trying to combat the problem, by educating young people and trying to support them with vocational training. We met with a wonderful gentleman who had also started up a Microfinance institution and we met with him for a while, learning about the vocational and business training he provides.Then alas, the next day at work was my last one, and I had to say goodbye to the amazing women I have had the honor of working with for the last two months, I am including a photo of a few of them in this blog! A few of us went out for a nice long lunch of nyoma choma the famous Kenyan barbeque meat feast! Then I hopped on the Citi Hoppa bus back to the suburbs and spent my last weekend saying goodbye to friends, visiting an amazing Maasai market, and feeding giraffes at the giraffe centre which was really cool, except I learned that giraffe tongues are really quite foul, purple and gooyey! But I would highly recommend it since its not often that one gets to spend a Sunday afternoon feeding giraffes who were roaming free around this amazing hotel in Nairobi!
Up Close and Personal With Giraffes!
I have worked in Africa before, in Tanzania, another amazing country. But my experience in Kenya was totally different. I was able to work with some really inspirational people, both the Kiva clients and the ANK staff, and I did not feel like a tourist or a traveler I felt like I was really living there, if that makes any sense! Having left Kenya almost 2 weeks ago now, I still really miss it. Even though it was chaotic, messy, smelly, hard, and trying at times, I really miss it. Because Africa is exciting, fresh, exhilarating, challenging and beautiful; everyone wants to speak to you and know you. You could be waiting for the bus on a cold and smoggy Nairobi morning, but your fellow commuter wants to meet you and discuss once again why the bus is so late; if that happened at home I would be scared that the person was going to rob me or something silly; in Kenya I never felt that. They would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it, there is a certain solidarity there that I feel missing in the industrialized world.
What I am clumsily trying to say is this: Go there, don’t be hesitant because of what you hear on the news; Africa is an amazing place and anyone you will meet who has been there will tell you the same exact thing. There is just something about that place that sticks with you, Africa gets into your head; it’s the red dirt that stays under your fingernails, it’s the totos that follow you around and just want a snippet of your attention, it really is the ‘cradle of humanity’. But Africa also has a long way to go, working there has enabled me to see how much there is still left to be done to help people out of poverty. I really believe that Microfinance is an invaluable tool in helping people, in a dignified manner, of lifting themselves out of the trappings of modern day poverty.Ok enough of my lecturing. I hope you all have enjoyed reading my blogs as much as I have enjoyed portraying my time in Kenya with you, and I would like to send out a big thanks to all the Kiva Staff who gave me this wonderful opportunity, to the staff of ANK for supporting me and teaching me so much, a big thank you to the Kiva Clients whom I had the pleasure to meet, and lastly, to all the lenders out there all over the world who are supporting these people. Your loans are really making a big difference in a lot of people’s lives, so thank you.
This is where my journey comes to an end, so, Kwa Heri!
Kayole, Kibera and lots of Totos
3 August 2007
Jambo Jambo everyone from Nairobi! Once again it has been a rather overcast week here in the highlands, but I have faith since we have had two sunny days this week! For all the Kenyans this weather is freezing, but as a Brit, its a normal English summer spent without sun and some rain, pretty standard. So this week has been quite exciting, lots of adventures to report, starting with another trip to Kayole slums outside of Nairobi on Tuesday. Most of the staff went, so it was rather a big day out for us all together, and we were interviewing some people for a project. I was surprisingly asked to be on the panel, and we spent about 5 hours interviewing, with a lunch break and then meetings afterwards. I have been able to visit Kayole a few times now, and have gotten to know some of the Kiva clients there, who are so welcoming and fast becoming friends. I also love all the kids who follow me around with their whispers of ‘mzungu‘ and ‘hello how are you’, one little brave toto (Swahili word for ‘kid’) even came up to me and wrapped his arms around my legs with a big smile and runny nose saying ‘Jambo mzungu’. With all the attention and waving I had to do, I told the ANK staff I felt like the ‘Britney Spears of Africa’ which gave them all a giggle.
The staff also thought it was hilaroius that I should want beans and vegetables for lunch; now, I am not a vegetarian per se but I don’t eat a lot of red meat, however the Kenyans LOVE meat here and eat it practically everyday. So for them it was very strange that I should pass on their nyoma choma (barbecued red meat). So for all of you vegetarians out there, be warned before coming to Kenya! There are butcher shops everywhere, all with huge carcasses of animals dangling rather disturbingly in the front windows!
That then brings me to Wednesday, which was a pretty nondescript day except for my bus journey home. Now the buses here are quickly becoming my nemesis. There is just no physical way, in this known universe, to be on time for work. Regardless of how early I might get to the bus stop, I could be waiting for 45 minutes (as is usually the case) or five minutes like I was lucky enough to this morning. So on Wednesday I plop into my seat on the bus and begin the supposedly 10 minute journey back into town. About 20 minutes later the jam is crazy (they call traffic jams, just ‘jam’ here, so imagine my confusion in my first few days here, when everyone kept talking about how bad the ‘jam’ was! I kept thinking they were talking about the raspberry variety!) Anyway, so I am sitting on the bus when the lady behind me starts making some rather unnerving noises. Then the plastic bag comes out. I don’t think I really need to go into any more detail there. Lets just say after 40 minutes of that, I hopped off the bus asap and walked into town. Another typical day!
That night I was also lucky enough to go to an awesome Italian restaurant. Now I know that is lame, considering I am in Kenya and should be partaking in all the great food here, but the only part of me that ever gets homesick is my stomach and I really have to have some home comfort foods now and again. So I indulged in some of the best spinach and ricotta ravioli ever and went to bed with a full happy belly!
That brings me up to August 2nd, Thursday, which was to be my first visit to the infamous Kibera slums finally. I was a bit nervous about going, but also excited to meet all the Kiva clients there. Myself and another ANK staff member took a matatu (party on a bus) and then another bus to get to Kibera which is about 20 minutes from Nairobi. As the bus pulled up, I could see what looked like another town; paved roads lined with shops and vegetable kioks, cars, bikes, houses, pretty standard stuff really. We disembarked and walked into the city; down some roads and met a Kiva client, then continued along the road deeper into Kibera. This was where the paved roads ended and the dirt track began. Kibera is hilly, set amongst some rolling hills that are actually quite pretty, and it allows you to see the rooftops of the slums and get some notion of how vast this area is. I stumbled down some muddy ’stairs’ and we continued to visit clients. How anyone can know where they are going is beyond me, I would have been lost in 5 seconds had I been on my own, since obviously there are no signposts and new shacks and buildings are going up all the time as the population grows.
As we walked deeper into Kibera, this was where is became more ’slummy’ (if that is a word!) there was literally mountains of garbage, with goats and dogs picking at the leftovers, most of the ‘houses’ are tin roofed shacks that don’t look like they could survive the slightest tremour or storm, and the smell is funky to say the least. However, Kibera definitely has a different ‘flavor’ than the other slum areas I have visited, its almost like its own micro country, its really hard to describe, but to be honest it was not quite as bad as I was dreading, I think Kiambiu is a bit worse. People are able to have televisions and refrigerators,(although the electricity is illegally tapped off of the main grid by middlemen, who charge the people living in the slums money for an inconsistent supply of power) however sometimes the power company gets fed up every few months and just cuts them off.
The people are so friendly, and the little totos were running around chanting ‘hello how are you’ in chorus. It makes for a very interesting day out of the office. Although don’t get me wrong it is extremely depressing at the same time since you have to wonder how can all these people ( no one really knows how many people there are in Kibera, some might estimate one million) ever be pulled out of poverty to lead a healthy life that they deserve. Its quite disheartening, but at the same time I am in my idealistic phase of life, and I really believe that micro finance is our best weapon in the fight against poverty, helping people to help themselves; rather than just throwing money at governments then to have it disappear.
Oddly enough, Judy, the ANK Project Officer who took me to Kibera, told me that most of the people living there are not really that poor. Why would they choose to live that way then? And the answer is largely that its sooo much cheaper to live in the slums than in a formal estate- trust me when I say Kenya is not as cheap as I was expecting, I am struggling to pay my rent! So people just decide to stay. I have been in homes where they have full on entertainment systems, despite the fact they live in what I guess could be called a mud house!
So thats about enough of my ramblings, today I have another visit to Kibera planned to meet some more of the clients then hopefuly tonight attending a barbecue where I will partake in some nyoma choma! So, until next week, baadaye!
(Will try and upload some photos later, the internet is being so slow at the moment!)
Baadaye…..
18 July 2007
Continuing on from my last blog, I believe I was talking about my adventures last Wednesday, which would have been July 11th. Firstly, one thing I would like to discuss was my bus ride that morning. I waited for 45 minutes to get on a bus, because they were all full. So imagine my delight when FINALLY a bus let me on! I sat in the last row of the bus, and settled into the quick 10-minute journey to ANK. Upon reaching the hospital stop though, this seemingly smooth bus ride turned into a roller coaster at Disneyworld, as the bus was pulling through the bus stop I was being bounced at least 1 foot up into the air! Gripping onto the seat in front for dear life, this ordeal lasted a good 15 seconds, yet unlike a ride at DisneyWorld, this was not a barrel of laughs, but at least it was a much cheaper thrill! So after that eye-awakening start to the day, I realized one important thing; don’t sit at the back of the bus!
Wednesday was also my first field visit, to meet some of the Kiva clients in the Kiambiu slums, and if my map skills serve me correctly, Kiambiu is located on the eastern side of Nairobi- also known as ‘Eastlands’. I have visited slum ‘areas’ before, and therefore thought I might be mentally prepared for what I was going to see, however, walking through the slums and meeting the people was a very different experience.
We parked the car in a churchyard, since it was safer, - there was an askari (private security guard, of which there are an estimated 100,000 in Nairobi- even the coffee shops downtown have askari) we then walked up the road to the entrance of Kiambiu. Walking past a few vegetable and fruit stalls, you then cross a bridge over mysteriously grey-colored stream; presumably it was that odd color due to the garbage and pollution everywhere. Then you enter the area where the houses are, with stray dogs lying everywhere, and children playing in the paths. The people of the slums are used to seeing mzungus (a white person) since a lot of other NGO’s, charities and international organizations work amongst them, however, it is still fun for the children, and they come up to you, with their big inquisitive eyes and runny noses, shouting ‘ hello how are you!!’ to which I replied, ‘ fine, how are you?’ Some of the braver youngsters ran up to me and shook my hand, whilst a few of them simply followed us around.
Walking through the main ‘street’ of Kiambiu was almost like an out of body experience, I mean you know what to expect when you hear the word ‘slum’; dirty roads, open sewage, rickety houses built of mud mixed with cement and held up with timbers; but it is still surreal. The burning rubbish gives out a rancid stench that sits in your throat, and the smoke stings your eyes, as you try to stay upright dodging huge holes in the dirt paths, with people staring at you the whole time. All I could think of was how unfair it was that people had to live like this, especially when you see the small toddlers playing with rubbish along the roads, and massive amounts of guilt for the life that I am lucky enough to lead at home. Simple things we take for granted; access to clean drinking water, free education, simply knowing that we will have dinner tonight; these things are not guaranteed for the people of the slums. Even something as commonplace as street lighting- recently there has been a project running in Nairobi called ‘Adopt a Light’, whereby local businesses sponsor lights to go up by advertising on them, and in return the people of the slum areas get lighting, which has helped improve security.
I was able to meet a few Kiva clients in Kiambiu and also sit in on a meeting of a credit group. Women seem to be the main beneficiaries of micro credit, and it seems a lot of this is down to the fact that many of these women are left to run the household and bring in money, whilst their husbands often look for casual work in the industrial areas of Nairobi. Women have proven themselves to be trustworthy and reliable as loan recipients, sorry I do not mean to be sexist, but this does seem to be the general trend. Consequently it is the women who have often organized themselves into ‘Merry Go Round’ Groups, like a rotating credit fund, to pull together their resources, improve their businesses, and therefore provide for their children.
As we walked away from the slums, I was chatting to one of the ANK staff, who informed me that Kibera – the largest and most infamous of the Kenyan slums- is actually worse. Worse? I thought, how could anything be worse than that! But apparently Kiambiu is actually relatively clean and organized, whilst Kibera there are houses everywhere, right next to each other leaving no space for paths, or to allow for some sort of basic drainage system. Next week we are planning to visit Kibera, and I have to admit that I am anxious about it.
Sunday July 15th
By the weekend, I was ready for a bit of a relax, and maybe out to get some ‘Western’ grub, although I am loving the food here, its always nice to have a taste of home. So on Sunday, whilst most Kenyans attended church, I went to the Sarit Center in search of Harry Potter and pasta! So I braved the infamous matutus and made my way to the shopping center- the matatu was not that bad- I like to call them ‘party on a bus’ since they blast out loud African music and are crammed with young people.
Much to my delight I found both Harry and pasta! So I purchased my ticket to see the latest installment, selected my seat- you are assigned a seat in the cinemas here- and then spent a glorious hour at the food court devouring my pasta and Mexican salad (one of those salads in a big taco shell, which really surprised me to see, kind of random to find in the middle of East Africa!) I wandered around the shopping center, and then the time finally came for HP, which was awesome, and a nice treat to have, despite the fact I blew my daily budget for it, it was worth it!
Now that brings me up to today- Wednesday- and after a few days of tremors it seems there has been an earthquake over the border in Tanzania- nothing bad but still a little unsettling, especially since last night after a tremor at about 9pm I convinced myself that the ceiling in my room was going to collapse! But luckily I woke up, sans ceiling collapse, just another day in crazy Kenya!
That’s about it from me in Nairobi for now- I will have more adventures (and misadventures!) to report later on in the week; after a field visit to Kayole, a slum area outside of Nairobi, so, until then, Kesho ( tomorrow)!
Karibu!
13 July 2007
I must apologize since I have been in Nairobi for a week now and have not blogged! But fret not, I will make amends. There is so much to write already, I don’t quite know where to begin, so I guess I will start from the moment I stumbled off the plane from London after a sleepless overnight journey. Landing in Nairobi at the rude hour of 6am it was still dark and looked cold. Hmmmm I thought, I have only brought one jumper with me, oh well I am sure it will warm up during the day! Oh how I was wrong. Turns out this is the coldest month of the year- but keep in mind when I say ‘cold’ it really does not dip below about 60F, so all is well. Although it has been overcast everyday, it hasn’t rained yet, thankfully.
Ok so I managed to get through immigration no worries, grabbed my overstuffed backpack from the baggage claim, bought some Kenyan Shillings, and headed out into arrivals. This is where things went a little pear shaped, basically I ended up waiting in the small and somewhat dingy arrivals area for about 90 minutes, at 8am I braved the crowds and squeezed through to the information booth to make an announcement to see if the Action Now Kenya (ANK) people were here and just couldn’t find me for whatever reason. I was standing at the booth, when this nice ex pat lady approached me to ask if I was alright. To cut a long story short, these fellow Brits took me into town, and I went to their house for the obligatory cup of tea and a biscuit. Then they helped me find a hotel in town so I could rest and contact ANK. It was all pretty funny, but I was so jet lagged I just wanted to crash!
Eventually I got in touch with Irene, the Director of ANK and she agreed to pick me up on Saturday ( July 10th) for a tour of the city. So after a big dinner and a long sleep I was refreshed and excited to meet Irene and see some of the city. She picked me up from my hotel and took me to ANK’s headquarters- which are about 10 minutes from downtown Nairobi. We went upstairs and spent a good time chatting over some sweet Kenyan chai (tea) and some freshly made chapatis (sort of like a thick crepe, but savory) After that, Irene and I went on a mission to find me some lodgings for the week, and after an exhaustive search all around the hostels of Nairobi I settled on the YMCA since it was close to town and to ANK’s offices.
So on Sunday I moved into my new digs, and prepared for my first day at work. Irene ordered a taxi to come pick me up Monday morning since I had no idea where I was really, or how to navigate the Nairobi’s bus ’system’ - I use that word lightly since in no way do the buses here run on any sort of schedule, and many change their routes and prices everyday-. Monday morning, I promptly arrive at 8am and grab a cup of chai since Irene and the rest of the staff had not arrived yet, and relaxed in the cafe that sits at the bottom of our office building. I spent Monday meeting the other 3 staff members, and going over Kiva files and getting more acquainted with the clients.
Now this brings me up to Tuesday- where after a long day at the office- getting to meet a few of the clients- I braved the bus for my journey back. Costing only Ksh20 (about 31cents) it is very cheap, however, the buses probably aren’t really up to scratch in terms of their safety and they pump out fumes , adding to the already horribly pungent and polluted air that sits on top of Nairobi city center like a huge blanket. But I prefer the buses since the Matatus seem more dangerous to me, always weaving around the traffic, very cheekily, and not very concerned about laws or rules of driving!
So I got back to my room, and was relaxing reading the quintessential ex pat read - ‘Out of Africa’ - when the light bulb in my room died a slow and painful death. Great I thought, of course this would happen to me! So I checked the switch in the bathroom too to see if it was the bulb or the electricity supply. Unfortunately it was the electricity, so I marched up to reception and told them of my theory. One of the hotel staff came to check it out, and he announced that the infamous Kenya Power would have to be called. All of a sudden images flashed in my mind of either; my room combusting into flames, or me having to lug all my gear to another dismal room. So I retired onto the veranda of the hostel that looks out over the swimming pool, and had some chai, and a surprisingly good sausage roll, and awaited my fate. Two hours later I ventured back to my room to see if it was in ashes or not, and luckily there was light! Just another typical day!
This is turning into a real essay, so I think I will write about Wednesday and then give it a breather! Wednesday morning I thought I would grab some tea from the hostel since I had some time to spare before I caught the bus. I discovered, to my delight, that the hostel offered a free hot breakfast. I thought it was awfully cheeky of them not to have told me this when I checked in, so I sought some sweet revenge by trying to eat as much food as I could physically manage. Finally got my first taste of mandazi a lovely Kenyan donut, its less sweet and more crunchy than the usual fare, but delicious nonetheless. Ok thats about it for now, its lunchtime and the chapatis are waiting!
