Kenya: Week 6 Pre-Service Training
The week started pretty slow with Peace Corps training on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday we saw bats in the tree which was pretty fitting for it being Halloween the next day. The morning consisted of education training and language class followed by lunch at a local hoteli (restaurant). The hoteli had chapati and dengu (green lentil soup) and it was delicious. We ended the day with Peace Corps specific training and then we had time to go home to pack for our week of On-the-Job Training (OJT) at our 2-year site. On Tuesday, Halloween, we moved from our host family villages to the training hub. We had meetings all day and stayed at the training center for the night.
Wednesday was more exciting because we got to meet our OJT host families in the morning. Our 2-year sites are in different counties in Western Kenya, so our OJT host families came to the hub to meet us and get training all in one place. My host father’s name is Charles and he was the host family representative that traveled here to meet me and receive training. We were able to spend an hour getting to know each other before it was time for us to have chai and meet our supervisors. My supervisor is the principal at my school that I’ll be working at for the next 2 years and his name is Richard. He and I completed training sessions together for the rest of the day to get to know each other better and understand how I will fit into the current school dynamics. The host families, supervisors, and PCTs went our separate ways at the end of the day. A few of us ended the day with a yoga session and many people got their hair cut before dinner. Before the day ended, I called my dad because it was his birthday 😊
On Thursday morning, I met up with my supervisor so we could walk about 15 minutes to the nearest matatu stand so we could travel to our site together. I am going to my 2-year site for one week to get my bearings, see my house, and meet important school and community members. We first had to ride this matatu to Kisumu Main Stage then find a new matatu that would take us to our site. The ride took about three hours. We passed the school we work at and the local main market and were dropped off soon after. From this point on the main road, we could see the lake which is exciting that I will be living so close to the lake for the next 2 years. It was a quick walk from this drop off point to Charles’ house. When we arrived, I met the entire family along with one of the local pastors who will be one of my neighbors when I permanently move to the community in December.
Charles has 4 sons and 2 daughters. His family belongs to the Luo tribe. One common practice for this tribe is that when a son is born, the parents build that son a house on their land for that son and his family to live in when he is ready. Because of this, Charles has 4 additional houses on his land and most of his family living close by. This is why I had the privilege of meeting most of his family. I met mama Doreen; Benjamin and Maurine and their children, John and Charles; Paul and Millicent and their children, Malia and Natalia; Beatrice and her children, Ashley, Norah, and Joshua; and Sophy’s son, Reagan. I also met the two cows and the many sheep and baby sheep that are also living on the compound.
We ate lunch together and then Charles, Richard, and the local pastor walked with me to my 2-year site home. They went full dad-mode at my home making sure everything was good-to-go and making lists of what needs to be done before I come back in December. I should be able to use a bike in this community which is awesome and will be helpful in getting me to and from school and the market. We then walked from my home into town and met people at the local police station to inform them of who I am and what I’m doing in the community. While in town, we walked through the market because it was Thursday, a market day, and we ran into two of Charles’ friends, Cosmas and Samuel, who also happen to be board members at my school. One of Cosmas’ daughters, Rosie, owns a hoteli in town so we went there to have a soda and chat. I learned from Cosmas that he was actually taught by a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1969 while he was in secondary school, so I am in the process of trying to connect him with that PCV. Both Cosmas and Charles are retired school teachers and Samuel is a local business man so I am very happy they are board members at my school and helpful contacts I have already made in my community. Charles and I walked home and we had chapati and dengu for dinner with mama Doreen and Reagan. Other family members came over after dinner and we spent a few hours chatting before calling it a night.
On Friday, we ate breakfast as a family and then Charles walked with me to school. The walk is beautiful because you can see the lake the entire time. Apparently, hippos sometimes come out of the lake onto the shore at night. Charles dropped me off and went to his paint shop in the market for the day (one of his many businesses he works on in his retirement). At school, I saw all of the buildings and met all of the staff that was there. I completed a lot of Peace Corps paperwork because the form 4 students and their teachers were preparing for their upcoming exams and I didn’t want to disturb them any more than I needed to. Once I was done with my work, Richard and I walked to Charles’ paint shop and I spent the rest of my afternoon there with him. We drank soda and ate snacks and talked to all of his amazingly talented friends that came by. On the walk home, I met up with Maurine and we saw a dead black mamba on the road. For dinner, I helped Reagan prepare dinner. We made fish, greens, and ugali and it was delicious.
On Saturday, we had another family breakfast and then Reagan walked me to the main road so I could catch a matatu to the next town over to meet Richard for a wedding of a school colleague. When I got to town, we had a soda and then attended the wedding. I stayed for about 4 hours and in this time the activity that took place was the entrance of guests and the wedding party. I left before the ceremony and reception because I had to go back home, but I am sure the party continued. It was not uncommon for me to leave during the middle of the wedding because people often leave and come back after grabbing a snack or drink from the market. I went back into town to see the supermarket so I could analyze what all they had so I knew what I could furnish my house with when I come back in December. I also purchased a “girl lunch” of an ice cream bar, tea cake, and chocolate bar. After lunch, I met a language tutor that Richard had set up for me which is amazing. We are required to keep a language tutor throughout our 2-year service and this was a good task to have completed. I then boarded the matatu to get back home and arrived safely. Back at home, mama Doreen had lunch ready for me and then the family had a surprise for me. One of their cows had given birth to a baby girl calf and they had named it Hannah. After going to meet Hannah the calf, Reagan and I went on a nature walk then came back to help with dinner. At dinner, we called my mom and dad on WhatsApp video so they were able to meet my host family which was a lot of fun.
On Sunday, I helped make the family breakfast and my job was to make the chai and boiled eggs (I was successful). Reagan and I did the dishes and then we went to church around 10:15. The church service has a translator which is nice because I could understand most of the service. I was introduced during the guest introduction time of the service. I then went up to the front to further explain who I was and what I was doing. The congregation was so happy that I used Luo and Kiswahili to say my introduction. After church, we came home and ate lunch and I worked on Peace Corps OJT paperwork. I then taught the family how to make knotted friendship bracelets. Everyone did such a great job. We relaxed the rest of the day which was a nice way to end the week.
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