Habari! Jina langu ni Chelangat!
(Hi! My name is Chelangat – my Kipsigis
name)
It has been almost a month since my intern
partner Michelle and I have arrived in Kenya, and 2 months since the internship
first started. For some reason, I was reminded of when I got accepted for the internship, in Luke 5,
where Simon Peter is called by Jesus to follow Him. I am sitting in a boat,
trying to fish, and waiting. That describes exactly how I feel overall on this
internship. In other words, I have been trying to figure out what direction to
take, and how to process all the information and experiences I have been going
through – into something meaningful. Jesus has already called me, but to what? And
where? And how? I have so many questions.
I have been living with a host family in
the village of Siongiroi for almost a month now, although we go back to the
hospital compound sometimes for meetings with the rest of the team. Siongiroi
is a town, that is part of Bomet County, but the section we live in is called
Reberwet. I myself get kind of confused with all the different groups of areas.
Even the staff need the assistance of the villagers to find the different homes
of the BSF beneficiaries, as there are barely any signs that show you where to
go. It has been a privilege to shadow the staff on the Biosand Filter Program
team and to visit beneficiaries’ homes. Days move slowly, but there is
something to be said about being immersed in the land and in a different
culture, trying to adapt and to learn from them. There are various challenges
we experience on the field. There are the super bumpy roads, the matatus
(taxis) and boda bodas (motorcycles) which are the public means of
transportation – all overcrowded and dangerous. There are the long distances to
be walked. Rainy season is coming soon which will affect work. Different
technical aspects of the Biosand Filters also have affected the way they
function and work for the beneficiaries, and how we go about constructing and
installing them. There are challenges with trying to implement water and
hygiene training in a way that helps people to understand and to be motivated
to change.
Behaviour change is one of the biggest
obstacles on the field, as changing your way of living is something that doesn’t
happen overnight. You may think in a prideful manner that people should be
grateful for the BSF and would automatically do the ‘right’ thing – such as implementing the
different structures that are requirements for buying a BSF (subsidized cost):
pit latrine, garbage pit, hanging wire, dish drying rack. However, people over
generations have been surviving even without clean water, and sometimes, they
have other concerns to think about such as their livestock and farms which
provide a source of income and food for them, or being a part of their
community in the way they practice traditions or hold certain beliefs about
water. Even as I think about Canada and China – the two cultures I am connected
with, there are things that we do because others do them, and there are beliefs
that are part of the culture.
It has nothing to do with one being better or more civilized (I have heard some local Kenyans share such a thought with me and it makes me sad) – but with improving the health of the people and of the future generation. My hope is that as we’re continuing on with the BSF Program, that we’re empowering the people to take responsibility for their health, and to also learn about the love of Christ as we share with them. I also hope to continue to learn amazing things about life from the community here – things about life that in Canada we have forgotten about.
It has nothing to do with one being better or more civilized (I have heard some local Kenyans share such a thought with me and it makes me sad) – but with improving the health of the people and of the future generation. My hope is that as we’re continuing on with the BSF Program, that we’re empowering the people to take responsibility for their health, and to also learn about the love of Christ as we share with them. I also hope to continue to learn amazing things about life from the community here – things about life that in Canada we have forgotten about.
Our hosts have such open hearts and I have
learned a lot from being with them - Musa, the man of the house, his wife
Florence, and baby son Kiprono, or Abraham. They do not
speak English, but the language of love crosses barriers. Michelle and I are
struggling to learn Kiswahili and are progressing slowly. We learned from his
sons that Musa used to work under a white man – a colonialist, essentially as a
slave, cooking for him for 20 years. Kenyans were not allowed to learn and
speak the English language, and were oppressed. Yet the very man who suffered
injustice at the hands of wazungus (white people) has opened his home and heart
up to us. Even though I am Asian, I am still referred to as white. The concept
of neighbours is so real here, and when we tried to explain to people that in
Canada we don’t always know our neighbours – that was a real shock. As you
really think about it, it doesn’t make much sense. For instance, one of Musa’s
daughters recently passed away. Many church members and neighbours came to
spend time praying and grieving along with the family and us. His sons also came from
far away to be with him. The family takes care of us as they would their own
children, and we are referred to as Musa’s daughters and Kiprono’s sisters.
God has been teaching me a lot about His
character, especially about patience. Patience in waiting for people (something
known as ‘Africa time’ is true), waiting for our water to be filtered (we use
the BSF!) and waiting for answers about what will happen next. It hasn’t been
perfect, and there are times I wake up thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’ It’s
not that I don’t like it here. The truth however, is that I am not an avid
traveller, and I crave security and being close to those I love. Adventure,
exotic places, and thrills don’t appeal to me at all. I also still struggle with the same anxiety and panic attacks I wrote of last time.
But as the day goes on, God always, always
shows me His love in a small way. It is those little daily things that God has
shown me that speaks to me the most here. It isn’t because I am in Africa, but
it is because God is everywhere and He has created everything. I am learning to
see that the people I interact with are not just ‘Kenyans’ but are my friends,
my colleagues, my brothers and sisters in Christ. One day we will be with
Christ together and it will not make much difference where we are from.
It’s not the poverty, the inefficiency, the
dangerous roads, the malaria, or any of the great need – all of which is what
constitutes the main image of what people think of about Africa. In fact, the words, 'the poor' and 'poverty' barely cross my mind here. Yes, the standard of living is different. But no, people are not defined by their economic or social situations.
Rather, it is in the
joyful laugh of my brother Kiprono as he tries to walk. In the cool breeze and
the crunch of the dry grass as I walk to another household. The tones I hear of
the Kipsigis language as I observe people speaking to each other. The grips of
the hands that you will always shake whenever you greet anyone. The feeling of
water going down my throat, knowing it is providing me the nourishment for the
day, that it has gone through a whole filtering process to become clean.
Having
to wait or work for most daily things is such a paradigm shift from the instant
gratification society that I come from. It is humbling, and makes me aware of
how much trust I see the people here putting in God and in their relationships
with each other.
More than just learning about career skills
and what it is like being in international development on the field - I am
learning to truly experience the simple things in life. I am aware that I live
a different lifestyle from many here and sometimes I am challenged by that –
how wasteful I am and how much choice (too much) I have in North America. Sometimes
I start to feel really guilty, and I am tempted to throw everything away and
try to be ‘radical’. But rather than pretend to be whom I am not, I hope and
pray that God would work within me to change me from the inside out, so that my
actions will stem from the heart, and that my change would not be for the sake
of just doing but out of love.
If you joined me on this internship, on the
surface it doesn't seem like much is happening. But to me, I see and experience
so many things that sometimes I become overwhelmed. The more I learn and observe,
the more questions I have. I want to do things, I want to change things – and make
a difference. In essence, I want to feel useful and like I have a purpose. Yet
I remember in Calgary in our training we were reminded to take a posture of learning,
and humility. I am here as a learner. The experts are the locals. I am but
another young Canadian full of eagerness but needing to grow in experience and
wisdom. And I know I have a purpose in Christ, whatever it may be.
Perhaps Simon Peter when stepping out of
the boat to follow Christ – didn’t understand what ‘fishing for men’ really
meant, and yet still trusted and did so. Please pray for me and the rest of the
interns here that we would take that step of faith. That we would focus our
eyes on Christ and seek to find Him in this new home called Kenya.
Looking forward to continue sharing with you
all.
Mungu akubariki. (God bless you)
Love,
Ying
