Kenya Elections

I am sure you have all heard/been reading about the chaos that has ensued following that Kenyan National Elections on December 27 so thought I would offer an East African insight. 

While the chaos was a direct result of election fraud, the inside scoop here is that Kenya was a big tribal time bomb waiting to explode. From what I could tell before I left the Western press was focusing on the tribal elements of the conflict and how the fact that Kenya, East Africa's stable economic powerhouse, can erupt into such pandemonium doesn't bode well for the rest of the continent. Unfortunately I am afraid the sentiment here isn't much better. In fact, it might be worse. 

I had a long chat with Alphonse, Plan's Finance Director who is Kenyan and was at his home there for the holidays, the other day about his thoughts about what this all means. A Kikuyu (the same tribe as the winning President and as a result the tribe that is currently being persecuted), Alphonse said that he was too afraid to drive home so instead flew and has asked someone to drive his car back when things settle down a bit. I asked him if the conflict was solely about a fraudulent election (some districts reported 110% voter turnout) and he said that yes, something like this always happens come election time and yes, the closeness of the election explained the heightened level of conflict, however also said that the tribal undertones had been waiting to rear their heads for a long time.  Kikuyus have long known as being wealthy and corrupt (the first President of Kenya was a Kikuyu) and this stereotype isn't going away anytime soon. I asked him if the election had not been rigged if the same thing would have happened and he believed it would- that nothing will ever calm the tribal tensions. I asked him what that meant for democracy and he just shook his head. 

This clearly doesn't bode well for African democratic principles. When I asked Alphonse if he was upset that the government's response to the chaos has been to try and appoint 1 or 2 members of opposing tribes to high government positions and begin business as usual, he asked what else the government could do. You see the majority of the "battles" have been fought in small villages where tribes mean everything and establishing a strong government presence there, to be honest, probably isn't going to change anything. 

In terms of what this has meant for Uganda, in short lots of refugees and no fuel. The Rift Valley area of Kenya, located in the West and right on our border, has been a major battleground so hundreds of Kikuyus have sought refuge across the border. This has been significant for Plan because one of our Program Areas, Tororo District, is located right on the border so we are currently housing and supporting 500 refugees in one of our schools. We are also playing a huge role in developing a long term action plan about how to support all of the refugees seeing as Kenya doesn't look to be getting any less tumultuous anytime soon. Complicating matters is the lack of fuel due to the instability. I am happy to say I missed the worst of the crisis (at one point fuel cost $6 per liter) however I was made aware of the difficulties immediately after my arrival when my cab ride home from the airport cost 1/3 more than usual (and I got a deal that has inspired the jealousy of all of my friends). Apparently for 3 days Kampala was a ghost town devoid of any traffic jams (an all time first) as no one could either find or afford fuel. Gradually more fuel is making it into the country but prices are still higher than usual and there are still hundreds, especially in the north and western regions of the country, without any access at all. 

The worst part about this whole situation is the fact that no one knows when it is going to end. This isn't a normal conflict with clear cut winners and losers as while the fighting may end the tensions won't and there is no telling when another conflict will arise.  

Who says you can't go home?

Over Christmas I was lucky enough to get to spend three weeks at home. I endulged in everything I had been missing (cheese, salmon, sushi, Mexican food, chocolate peppermint cake, Mom's cooking... notice a theme here?), got to see lots of friends and family and experience New York during my favorite time of the year. There really is nothing quite like going home for the holidays.

Now I am back in Kampala and while I have yet to sleep through a night (jetlag is much worse on this end) it is definitely business as usual here. I have been amazed at how easy it has been to resettle in both cultures. It seemed like from the moment I touched down in Newark I had never even been to Africa as I reacquainted so quickly. I blame it on a combination of the difference between the two cultures (they really are impossible to compare) and the difference in my mindset (live and work in Kampala while my American adventure was nothing more than a vacation) but the whole transition process, while perhaps weird, was not nearly as hard as I was expecting. That said, there were certain little things that took me by surprise both when I arrived home and when I came back here.

At home

1. Talking on my cell phone. Given our "pay as you go" plans here, actual cell phone calls are a real luxury as they are about 10 times as expensive as texting. Feeling comfortable calling people and spending large amounts of time on the phone took me a while. I believe I even mentioned to someone that "we should hang up because the call was getting expensive." God bless pre-paid plans.

2. Fast internet. I forgot what I was missing! Seriously. Incredible.

3. Prices. I expected these to blow me away but somehow they seemed normal. Proved to me that it is good that I think in Shillings and not Dollars while here because the absence of a conversion means I don't actually have to think about the fact that a tailor-made dress here costs about $10, as compared to the outrageously high American prices.

4. The cold. Again, didn't even notice it really. Putting on a coat, scarf and gloves seemed completely routine. In fact, when I deboarded the plane in Entebbe I was actually surprised by the heat- the reverse of what I was anticipating!

5. How quick and efficient the subway is. I sort of knew to expect this but still it just blew me away. I think riding the subway just might have been my favorite part of being home.

6. How there are some (?) similarities between American and Ugandan public transportation and that American isn't always better. I took a New Jersey Transit train home from New Year's and was pleasantly surprised about the amount of personal space I had when a woman sat down next to me and placed her snappy chihuahua, traveling in a mesh-covered rolling carrier, right next to my legs. "He's not friendly. Please don't provoke him" the woman kept telling me. Provoke him? We were on a bumpy train! If he isn't friendly then why did you put him on my feet on a MOVING train ride? I wanted to ask. Instead, I dealt with growls and yips for an hour and silently prayed for a well behaved baby or chicken.

Here.

1. The smells. They still get me. You know it is bad when you start to consider New York City "fresh air."

2. Bargaining. I forgot how frustrating it is to have to bargain for absolutely everything here. It was so nice to know how much something costs. Yes, I may not believe that a certain sandwich is worth $6.25 or want to pay that much but at least I know that is what it costs- something I often find myself wondering here. I had a very enlightening conversation with one of my favorite boda drivers, Brian, before I left about how Ugandans are just as frustrated with the bargaining process as mzungus are. He noted that no matter what price a Ugandan gives a mzungu, whether it is ridiculously high or ridiculously low, the mzungu will try and make it lower (a quality not shared by Ugandans). To this I countered that the reason we bargain is that we are constantly being ripped off so we are programmed to defend ourselves. The conversation enlightened me that it is a horrible perpetuating cycle where in the end both sides are frustrated as they both feel that they are being taken advantage of. The fact that my first boda driver since I returned try to charge me 5 times the normal price doesn't bode well for the end of the cycle.

3. Dust. This place is DUSTY. I forgot just how dusty/exhaust filled this place is until my snot once again turned black and I began suffering from incessant sneezing attacks.

4. New Years Resolutions. A happy surprise, the recent surge in gym attendance suggests to me that Ugandans too believe in New Years Resolutions. Who knew? Ever more incredible is that they also manage to fulfill them in a "Ugandan" fashion. For example, there were 5 new fully spandex attired overweight female Ugandans in my step aerobics class yesterday. Figuring that they were on the road to a healthy life, I was happy to see they had come. About 4 minutes into the hourlong class, however, they started taking their "water breaks." Don't get me wrong. I understand the need to catch ones breath if an activity is more arduous than anything you have done in a while, however is it really necessary to sit and gossip in the corner during an exercise class? And on a 4 to 10 minute interval (4 minutes of aerobics, 10 minutes of chatting, repeat)? This is so quintessentially Ugandan that I don't even know where to begin. These women made me even happier than the ones who were fully oufitted and "ready" to workout but didn't do anything other than sit by the pool and watch those on the treadmill before heading back to the locker room because in the locker room the "participants" were able to talk about "how hard" they had worked at aerobics. Absolutely classic.

5. How much I love boda bodas. The wind in your hair, the exhaust in your face. There really is nothing like a good boda ride.

Interesting read

This Op-Ed, written by a 50+ Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar, explains why it is so hard to get a job as a 22-year-old in Africa. I actually agree with most of his points but also wonder how many experienced 50-year-olds are willing to hop on a plane and move to a remote African village for two years? I must say that what us young folk lack in expertise we certainly make up for in enthusiasm as very few of us have started our "real" lives yet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/opinion/09strauss.html?th&emc=th

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas?

By the time I returned to Kampala it was nearly December and we all know what that means: the beginning of the holiday season. I always thought Rockefeller Center was a bit premature in lighting their tree the Monday after Thanksgiving, however I didn't fully grasp "premature" until I came to Uganda and the Christmas season begins at the beginning of November. It is then when stores begin offering fake trees, santas and garland and my co-workers started playing Christmas carols. The premature arrival of the holiday season meant that by the time I came back to the office on November 27 about half of my co-workers were preparing to take their Christmas holiday on Friday (December 1). And here I thought I was being excessive by taking the week before the before Christmas off. Adding to my disbelief was the fact that December and January are the hot, dry season so I had a hard time believing Dionne Warwick when she belted out "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas" seeing as it was about 90 degrees outside.

My spirits were significantly lifted on Thursday night, however, when Baseball and Apple Pie FINALLY won quiz night. The Canadian powerhouse "Say Yes To Sugar Mamas" gave us a run for our money (we won by 1/2 a point) but in the end we prevailed- perhaps an early Chrismas miracle? I don't think I have ever been so proud in my life. We decided to celebrate by heading to Gulu for the weekend to finish up some Christmas shopping.

The office was especially slow the next week as many were on holiday so took Friday afternoon off to explore a series of markets with Leah in preparation for Plot 18A (my house)'s holiday party that night. Our favorite stop was to Owino (the obscenely large market I have mentioned before) for Christmas sweaters (sadly I didn't have Mom's plastic bin of extremely tacky, yet still wearable in her mind, ones). We purchased three, all children's sizes, that would certainly give her a run for her money. Pink snowflakes, santas, a furry hat and fake fur were involved.

The holiday party was a complete success. I baked chocolate mint brownies, chocolate chip cookies and shortbread and Sarah made latkes for the lighting of the Menorah. Bethany was in charge of decorations and with the help of Leah and Jeff set up a tree with paper ornaments and lovely streamers. The crowd was a great mixture of mutual, my, Bethany and Sarah's friends and everyone seemed to very much enjoy themselves (the last people didn't leave until 3 am!). The next night I taught Leah how to make lentils and then went to a mulled wine holiday party and Sarah and Katy's house. A different crowd than my party this one was just as much fun.

I spent my last week in Kampala before coming home glued to the news as a new strain of Ebola was discovered in the Southwestern part of the country and rumors flew that it was headed for Kampala. The result of a Kampala outbreak would undoubtedly mean a quarantine and no Christmas at home so not surprisingly the expats heading out of the country were more than a little concerned.

The concern turned to celebration on Thursday night (my last night in Kampala) as not only was I officially going home and hosting quiz night but it was also Jeff's gala. Jeff works for an NGO called AFLI (African Leadership Institute) that had recently published an accountability report for all members of parliament to be distributed to the voting public as a way of promoting democracy and informed voting practices. About six of us went to support Jeff and listened to a fascinating array of speakers (voters, members of parliament, a representative from the Prime Minister's office, the Dutch Ambassador, the leader of the Opposition Party) before attending a meet and greet. It was at the meet and greet that I met my new idol: Chairman Norbert Mao. Yes, Mao. No, he is not Asian. No, he is not a communist. He is simply the Chairman of Gulu District and has one of the best Ugandan names I have heard (although that trophy still goes to Hitler, a P.E. teacher at Rainbow International School). His name even allows me to forgive the fact that he went to Yale.

After the meet and greet we headed to the very Christmas decorated Bubbles to give our quiz which was very well received and while not American-centered was won by Ryan's team ensuring at least one more random British trivia free week. It is too bad I am going to be the only member of my team around for the next quiz. Talk about pressure!

Wish I could add photos but sadly am back in the land of slow internet...