Jambo Kenya
From the moment I landed in Nairobi, Kenya welcomed me in. With open arms she pulled me close, with soft lips she kissed my cheek and with heartfelt sentiments, she wished me a pleasant journey. These sentiments, to no surprise, lace my first impressions of this grand country.
First and foremost, Kenyans are unbelievably FRIENDLY! Singing a jovial, “Jambo” (“Hello”) from across the street or simply offering directions, every action is done with a smile and kind heart.
Kenyans also love to talk…especially about Kenya! Stuck between traditional tribal affiliations (over 50 different tribes still exist in Kenya today) and an emerging nationalistic pride, Kenya’s identity has yet to be defined. A persistent societal divide that keeps politics, religion and economics on the lips of locals and in the ears of all those who travel here.
As for lifestyle, Kenyans embrace a casual, “Hakuna Matata”, attitude - laughter being their favorite pastime. A stress free pace of life that is both refreshing and desirous until, that is, you need something quickly. Try rushing a Kenyan and you will be met with a displeased eye roll and slower work pace then before. Relax, take it easy, you’re not going anywhere for a while.
Other initial observations stem from Kenya’s British colonial past. Namely, religion. Christian churches, missionaries and schools have sprung up everywhere and you would be hard pressed to find one stretch of road, not containing all three. Affiliated only in their religious roots, most projects were built from private funding and gained popularity through community support. Now, Kenya claims a Christian majority with billboards, sign posts and even baptized names, reflecting these biblical bonds.
But the greatest tangible effect of Christianity, in my opinion, is seen in the youth! Education is paramount (with an 85% literacy rate) and is due, in large part, to those missionaries who established institutions. Kenyans have learned the importance of education and will stop at nothing to provide this gift of knowledge to their children. As one woman put it, “When you see a child in school, know their parents are working very hard," Not "hard" in the payment of tuition necessarily, but in recovering the money their child could have made in the fields.
And a final observation, Kenyans walk EVERYWHERE! I have never seen so many people walking up and down highways, alleyways and busy city streets in my entire life. The reasoning, I suppose, could be summed up like this, “We have mouths to feed and bills to pay, walking is the only thing free”.
So there you have them. My first impressions of this great nation. Kenya welcomed me and I welcome Kenya!
First and foremost, Kenyans are unbelievably FRIENDLY! Singing a jovial, “Jambo” (“Hello”) from across the street or simply offering directions, every action is done with a smile and kind heart.
Kenyans also love to talk…especially about Kenya! Stuck between traditional tribal affiliations (over 50 different tribes still exist in Kenya today) and an emerging nationalistic pride, Kenya’s identity has yet to be defined. A persistent societal divide that keeps politics, religion and economics on the lips of locals and in the ears of all those who travel here.
As for lifestyle, Kenyans embrace a casual, “Hakuna Matata”, attitude - laughter being their favorite pastime. A stress free pace of life that is both refreshing and desirous until, that is, you need something quickly. Try rushing a Kenyan and you will be met with a displeased eye roll and slower work pace then before. Relax, take it easy, you’re not going anywhere for a while.
Other initial observations stem from Kenya’s British colonial past. Namely, religion. Christian churches, missionaries and schools have sprung up everywhere and you would be hard pressed to find one stretch of road, not containing all three. Affiliated only in their religious roots, most projects were built from private funding and gained popularity through community support. Now, Kenya claims a Christian majority with billboards, sign posts and even baptized names, reflecting these biblical bonds.
But the greatest tangible effect of Christianity, in my opinion, is seen in the youth! Education is paramount (with an 85% literacy rate) and is due, in large part, to those missionaries who established institutions. Kenyans have learned the importance of education and will stop at nothing to provide this gift of knowledge to their children. As one woman put it, “When you see a child in school, know their parents are working very hard," Not "hard" in the payment of tuition necessarily, but in recovering the money their child could have made in the fields.
And a final observation, Kenyans walk EVERYWHERE! I have never seen so many people walking up and down highways, alleyways and busy city streets in my entire life. The reasoning, I suppose, could be summed up like this, “We have mouths to feed and bills to pay, walking is the only thing free”.
So there you have them. My first impressions of this great nation. Kenya welcomed me and I welcome Kenya!