Reflecting Back on the experience...

Reflecting back, there were up’s and downs, and things that could have been done better.

First off, the construction plan was not organized, which was mainly my fault, and so the time in the shop was more of a headache and took longer than we had hoped for. There were frustrations with cultural differences that I did not really go into in this blog. The adaptation to the lower standard of living, and the frustrations as to why Kenyans would do things a certain way—for example, there are so many habits that just seem to make life more difficult rather than better, but it’s their way and they don’t know any better.

Gori, Sweety and Susan (Margaret's children) all approached me at some point during the visits and wanted to know what they need to do to visit me in America. You try looking someone in the eye and telling them, "There is no way in your life time you will ever be able to afford the trip to visit me. " (They can't even afford a bus ticket to Nairobi! Which means they have never seen a city in their life.) "And even if you did somehow find the money, America probably wouldn't let you in." How do you look a hopeful 15 yr old in the eye and tell them something like that? It made realize how different of a world I really live in from them. And it was a realization that wasn't easy to take in.

Africa is full of corruption on every level. Everyone is out for themselves; it is a day to day means of survival. They have no shame in asking AND demanding anything and everything from you; they all know they have nothing to lose. It was made clear to the volunteers at the beginning of the project that nothing will be free. If they want a discount on the battery, we will reduce the price for everyday they helped. Otherwise, they would pay full price, just as if they went to the village to get it. Even still, at the end,one man demanded he get a free battery. Another wanted the full discount even though he only showed up one day to volunteer. He said that he carried 14 bags of cement to site. Sorry budd, there were only 10 to begin with...and the children carried them up on bikes and mules.

That is only one example of the corruption and demands we experienced. Some of it is much worse, but, again, not appropriate to spell out on a public blog.


Furthermore, we take for granted how much education we really have. And I’m not just talking about reading, writing and arithmetic. I’m talking about education on life. Education on basic hygiene, for example, or when I saw the welder using nothing but a pair of sunglasses. In the US we know that’s asking to be blind. But that man doesn’t know any different. There was also the acceptance that our breakfast and dinner would be the same food everyday (and not particularly good either), and that our bowel movements would never would be, well, different, as long as we were in Kenya. The frustration of not being able to walk anywhere without people following you and trying to sell you something never went away— this trip has confirmed my decision to not become famous.

But there were good things too. First and for most—TUSKERRRRR!!! For it always made my day a little better.

There was the friendship and acquaintances made, and stronger respect for other cultures and for what I have back home. In the shop, I learned how to saw and drill using tools that went extinct 40 yrs ago, how many of you can say that?? I was able to get the satisfaction of designing, fabricating and constructing a project from start to finish. And of course, there were the adventures: bungi jumping, white water rafting the Nile river, and the safari (stay tuned and I’ll have entries on the post-windmill African experience).

The messages I want to pass on to others after this trip is
1. No matter how broke you think you are, you’re not. You can afford to take even $1 or $2 out of their paychecks to give to a charity—you wouldn’t even notice that. There are in America who are struggling and would notice a $1 difference, I don’t deny that. But if you’re sitting at your computer reading this, you’re probably not one of them.

2. If you do decide to give to a charity –research it! The Kenyan Gov’t, like the rest of Africa, is very corrupt, and the corruptness bleeds down to the poor—it’s survivial over there, and you really need to see where your money goes before you donate. (For example, you can find out what percent of profits go to the actually charity and what goes to overhead, if the overhead is over 15-20%, chances are it’s not a good organization to send your money.)

Also, giving to organizations that don’t just give, but improve is better. For example, the purpose of this project was to help the village help themselves. There are other groups that go and teach new irrigation methods and stay with them for months; long enough to see results and until they are confident the village is competent enough on the new method to let them on their own.

Our actions effect others, lets effect them positively.