Pre-departure, as some of you may recall, I was a little freaked out. I couldn't sleep, and kept putting off booking my airplane ticket. I was spending much time in limbo: worrying about leaving, worrying about the unknown, worrying I wouldn't accomplish anything. Finally, on a whim, I went online and booked my ticket, I gave myself a solid five days to find a place to stay, buy supplies and pack. Thank you to all who were unfortunate enough to have to spend time with me on those last few days, suffice to say, I was not at my best. Nonetheless, armed with a few clothes, a laptop, and solar panel, I was off.....
Fast forward three weeks: I had my very first entirely Swahili conversation a few days ago with a woman at the market. Okay, it was very basic, nonetheless I walked away with a huge smile on my face. It went something like this:
Hello, how much is this: Jambo, Pesa Ngapi?
Twenty shillings: shilingi ishirini
Okay: Sawa
Thank you: Asante Sana
Goodbye: Kwaheri
Anyways, it was a proud moment, as languages are NOT my gift, similar to my musical talents; it is not something that comes natural. In order to pick up phrases and actually learn, I need to be very conscientious: sit down, read my language book, memorize, and then go and practice on a willing Swahili speaker. Slowly, slowly...
I have enjoyed working with the NGO, although there are definite cultural differences and language challenges. Nonetheless, all the volunteers as they call themselves, are very welcoming and friendly.
The most pressing thing I am doing at the moment is updating their website. This was a bit of a frustrating ordeal for me as I mentioned that I have done a little bit of this, so there was an expectation that I knew what I was doing. When I first got the website and software I remember thinking “Gaaaa, why did I say I could do this?” However, after about several days (internet connection out here is about one tenth the speed) of banging my head against the wall trying to figure the programming and coding out, I had a breakthrough. I now have figured out all the big elements of doing the website updates. Now, for the fun part: passing on the knowledge.
They are also very interested in a program monitoring and evaluation framework. I mentioned that I had done program monitoring while working for the government, and hence they expressed interest in setting something up so that they can monitor progress, make informed decisions, and allocate resources in the most appropriate areas. This will take longer to figure out as I am still getting to know the volunteers, what the volunteers do, and the program services. I have not even begun to ask the bigger questions about what their desired outcomes are, what kind of indicators we can use, and how to set up some baseline data. However, it is a challenge I look forward to.
Finally, they also want me to help out with government regulatory reporting. I familiarized myself with the NGO legislation and regulations. They have been a registered NGO since 2007, but have yet to fill out an annual return: oops. Luckily they have slid under the radar and have not been deregistered, as many Kenyan NGOs have. So, we are working on getting these forms filled out and sent on.
I am staying at a backpackers which is only about a 20 minute walk from where I am working. I am staying in a tent, as you can see from my photo. It is a great place and affordable and I have already met very interesting travellers who usually fall into one of the following categories: traveller, NGO employee or volunteer. Other than that, it has been surprisingly cold here. It has been rainy and overcast, which feels strange for Africa, but I am told winter (if you can call it that) has just begun.
