Making Ends Meet

We are still learning a lot about the socioeconomic levels in Kenya. Like many aspects of figuring out the country we now call home, we are collecting bits and pieces of information, facts, and experiences . . .

The cost of living in Kenya is about ⅔ the cost of living in the US. Some goods and services are significantly less expensive. For example, twice weekly laundry service costs us about $20.00/month. A car wash - hand wash, polished inside and out - can run between $2.00 and $4.00. Other goods and services are very expensive - by US standards, making them relatively exorbitant. Electronic good of any sort are pricey. Electricity is really expensive - so much so that all fans, lights, and especially air conditioning, is turned off when not in immediate use. There is a very small segment of the population that is extremely wealthy. Think range rovers, Mercedes Benz, and sending your kid to boarding school in Switzerland . . . The rumor is that most of this money is the fruits of corruption. Although the cost of living is roughly ⅔ of that in the US, a majority of Kenyan salaries are way below ⅔ of comparable US salaries.  For example a successful attorney working in Nairobi makes about 3,500,000 Kenyan Shillings (KSH) a year. That’s roughly $35,000.00. Many Hopes is opening a justice center to further their advocacy work for children, and the newly hired director, who is a lawyer, will make 1,800,000 KSH/year ($18,000). The director of the girls’ home, a psychologist, makes 1,200,000 KSH/year ($12,000). The average teaching salary is around 1.020,000 KSH ($10,200.00) per year.   The housekeeping staff at our apartment complex make 12,000 KSH/month ($120.00).

Just under 50% of the population in Kenya lives below the poverty level. We see on a daily basis what this means. A majority of employed Kenyans work more than 12 hours a day and  travelling more than an hour (on foot or by public transportation) to get to and from work is a norm. Many have had to leave their children or families behind to find work elsewhere. As we mentioned before there is a significant  number of self-employed Kenyans. The beach along the resorts is populated by entrepreneurs trying to hustle any way they can to feed their families. It’s impossible to drive through downtown Mombasa without beggars standing in front of your car or reaching through the window asking for money. Also, in Nairobi, in the evening, the atmosphere is heavy with ashy smoke. This comes from the large rubbish dump right outside the city. The “Still” boys start the fires for heat and to cook food that they have scavenged from the dump. “Still” boys are orphaned and homeless and survive any way they can.

There is a part of the economic culture to which we can’t imagine (and are determined not to ) becoming insensitive. Despite prostitution being illegal in Kenya. There is a robust “sexual tourism” market in the region in which we live. There are several resorts in our area, a cafe which caters to expats, and discos and clubs that line the main thoroughfare through Mtwapa where prostitution is thriving.  Young (14-20 yr. old) women prostitute themselves to older (70yr.+) European men (primarily German and Italians). We’ve also seen Kenyan men with older European women. Sometimes it is for a night, and sometimes they enter a longer term arrangement. We find ourselves asking repeatedly “Why?”. The answer we hear over and over again is that some see this as their only opportunity to overcome dire economic circumstances. Others do it because it’s an easier path than working long days for little pay.

As unsettling as all of this is to witness, take in, and accept, we take great heart that our school’s mission is not only to perhaps open up the doors of opportunity for our students but to also help raise a generation of Kenyans with a social justice orientation and a desire to make change.

A culinary experience in Nairobi . . .

Randy attended a marketing meeting in Nairobi this week. One notices immediately the obvious differences between Mombasa and Nairobi. When Randy stepped off the airplane he immediately noticed the balmy 75 degree temperatures (instead of the 95 plus in Coastal Kenya). In general, Nairobi appears to be much more sophisticated - architecturally and sartorially. Randy felt right at home in his blue blazer and his yellow pocket square. It seemed similar to the difference between San Francisco and LA. The pace of life in Nairobi is clearly much more frenetic and intense  than that in laid back coastal Mombasa.

The meeting was at a restaurant that specializes in Nyama Choma (Swahili for roast meat), Kenya’s unofficial national dish. The platter that arrived at the table was filled with various roasted meat - primarily goat. The meat was accompanied by ugali - milled maize flour made into a porridge or dough. It’s a staple in the Kenyan diet. Not Randy’s favorite. There was much food for thought in which Randy engaged - but very little roasted meat or ugali crossed his lips. An interesting cultural fact is that the waiter would not serve anyone at the table until he was sure every person had washed their hands at the large sink in the middle of the restaurant.

A game of Pictionary to celebrate the start of vacation!

On the homefront . . . The director of the girls’ home went on a three month leave to complete a practicum for her master’s degree in psychology. Susie is DC until early May. Randy is filling in for the home director and working with the girls on their homework. This week marks the beginning of school vacation which last the month of April. Randy is putting together some vacation activities for the girls. All of the girls and young women are home this month. Randy is hosting all of the girls, the house mothers, and visitors  (60 people) after church on Sunday for pizza and an afternoon at the beach.