Becoming part of the daily life in Kisii

In anthropological fieldwork we have this phase that famously goes under the name of ‘hanging around’. It means that the first (approximately) two weeks you become familiar with the community you are doing research on and they with you. You literally hang around, talk with people you encounter and engage in informal conversations. Open interviews and semi-structured interviews only follow later after building up rapport. However, this research is not anthropological and has a different pace. The aim of Participatory Action Research is to involve the whole community, which means you need to contact and interview a lot of people. The consequence is that you do not have the time to spend hours with every participant on a regular basis (as we usually do in anthropological research). However, the goal of  (traditional) anthropological research is different than that of PAR; in PAR we work towards a specific action plan that facilitates local solutions and that allows the community to generate their own process of tackling issues, while in anthropological research we mainly aim to gain rich data and a deep understanding of a certain issue, community, practice, etc. which can facilitate mutual understanding and respect between different actors and can reveal the underlying (hidden) dynamics that are at work. I am not a big fan of definitions, so what I wrote above is solely an attempt to point out differences. One of my personal goals during this research is to find out how to combine anthropological research with PAR, because I think they are both of great value and therefore can form a winning team. I am not the first one to reflect on this matter. Within my own Master programme I have read about scholars who urge for a public anthropology, and conducting PAR is seen by some as one of the ways forward. I have also found some promising literature that can hopefully give me new insights. Although we are always on the road, going from one place to another and meeting many different people, people do start recognizing us in town, crossing the street to come and say hello. It is always a good sign when that happens, it means you are somehow becoming part of the daily life. This week we had an interview with the former deputy mayor. When he mentioned his three names he explained that the second and third name identify him as a man from the Kisii tribe. He decided that I should have my own Kisii name and introduce myself as Sinde Nyamboke Moraa to other people. Nyamboke means sweet or honey, and Moraa is a big tree with beautiful flowers which offers shade in times of drought. I followed his advice and introduced myself a couple of times like that. People find it funny and sometimes ask me if I am married to a Kisii man. A nice ice breaker I would say.

National flag of Kenya

 

Other side of my custom made bracelet that mentions ‘Nyamboke’

 

The research team

Kisii centre

 

After the ‘chicken bus’ (Guatemala), now also the ‘chicken boda boda’?

Week 2 – Wiki 2

Back in the Field

The next days I went back in the field and attended my Swahili classes with renewed energy, though not feeling 100% yet. I felt lightheaded and my stomach started to protest. I tried to ignore it, since there is so much going on that I don’t want to miss out on. We are encountering so many interesting people in Kisii and the rural outskirts, every visit is an unforgettable experience. One day we interviewed for example J, the chef of a local eating place just a little outside of Kisii center. Entering this place, I became, for a second, overwhelmed by the heavy odor of the food, the heat and the flies buzzing around. Madame J. is deaf, but luckily the owner of the place knows sign language. During the interview she translated our questions and J’s answers into sign language. Although she could not hear nor speak, the interview went very well and J. was happy to cooperate.

Another remarkable afternoon was the visit with Lydia to a family that lives in the rural area of Kisii land. Since we have so many interviews going on, our team sometimes has to split up. Lydia had met the grandmother of the family before at a local market. On arrival her two sons were waiting for us at the foot of the hill where they live. We parked the car and continued the journey on foot. The compound of the family is surrounded by green pastures of tea plantations, exotic crops such as banana trees and sugarcane, and colorful vegetation. Everything grows wildely, it looks like a little paradise. People of Kisii are very proud of their region. They are blessed with fertile soil, and even when one has only a small plot, they are able to be self-sufficient when it comes to food. In a way it is fascinating when you know that although the two sons I just mentioned are currently unemployed their family is not suffering from hunger. Once we arrived at the compound they gave us first a little tour through the compound. Via little dirt roads we passed first the house of one of the sons. The houses of this compound are made out of mud and people and animals live very close to each other. After several ‘Karibu’s’ (welcome) and ‘Asante’s (thank you’s) the interview session started at the house of the grandmother. After the third interview, I had to go to the toilet. Most of the time I try to keep it up until we are back at the apartment because some toilets are, well, … you know what I mean. This time however, I had to pee so badly, I just could not concentrate anymore on the interview. So I asked grandmother if I could use the bathroom. She guided me outside and we walked for a couple of minutes towards another mud house of the compound. She designated a little mud cabin with a wooden door. The toilet was nothing more than a hole in the ground surrounded by leftover feces and little flies. Okay Sinde, you can do this, I was telling myself. I have been in similar situations before, however, it remains uncomfortable, especially when you are wearing pants that are not stretching enough to bend through your knees. So the pants had to go out without making them touch the floor. After the job was done, the pants had to go on again. While doing this, I was stepping away from that hell gate towards the back wall. When turning around I saw that the wall was covered with many flies and mosquitos. Disturbing them with a waving pant leg did not seem like a good idea. F*ck, I cannot step forwards nor backwards, I thought. Still, I managed. Thanks to previous yoga sessions on the matatu? 😉 When the interview sessions were finished I had a chat with the boys of the compound. They were very curious about female and male circumcision in my country. When I told them it is not common, they were especially intrigued by the idea that most men are not circumcised in Belgium/The Netherlands. They are convinced that not being circumcised influences a man in bad ways; it is not hygienic and reduces the sexual prestige of a man. In Kenya male circumcision is very normal and even encouraged by the government. Kenyan tribes that do not practice the circumcision of men are somehow looked down upon by other tribes. Interesting material, worthy of its own research.  

Little encounters

Week 2 – Wiki 2

Starting the new week with a headache and malaria

After spending a fantastic weekend in Kakamega, Monday came too soon and with a headache. The week before I left the Netherlands I had been extremely busy with days beginning at 5 am; starting shifts at work at 6 am, attending interview and intercultural communication training at 7Senses, finishing a final essay for the university, packing, emptying my room and moving stuff to Belgium,… and finally a long travel to Kisumu in the weekend. Once I arrived in Kenya I just dived into the research with enthusiasm. So after such intensive weeks, the headache came as no big surprise. That Monday I decided to stay in, to take it easy and write on my blog. I was not the only one feeling a bit weary. Lydia was also feeling unwell, and that night she came home from the hospital with the news that she has high levels of malaria. While this sounded scary to me, Lydia and Phyll acted very calm under it; ‘it is just a matter of taking some injections’. Before heading to Kenya I made a visit to the GGD where the doctor informed me that 1 out of 5 children in some African countries die because of malaria and not receiving proper treatment. Furthermore, Mrs. Okudo who picked me up at Kisumu airport also warned me that the malaria of Kisii, ‘highland malaria’, is one of the worst types. So I was surprised to find Phyll and Lydia somehow relaxed after receiving the news. Malaria is apparently part of life and in fact easy to treat. The real problem is that many people don’t have the access to this treatment. Nonetheless, that night I went on a mosquito crusade, and killed each and every one of them in our apartment.

Weekend – Mwishojuma

Saturday, The 6th of February, is known as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The Guardian has recently published an Opinion piece on FGM.

Weekend. Yihaaaa! Time for some road tripping! During research one gets to know a local community very well during the week and the country sights during the weekends. This weekend we went to Kakamega, a four hour drive from Kisii. It took us two matatu rides, of which the last one was not so comfortable though still an experience you just have to undergo. I am used to travelling in all kinds of haphazard vehicles in Latin Amerika, but the ones in Kenya are winning by far. Because there are too many people in a little van you fold your body in such a way that you take up as little space as possible. However, every now and then the matatu stops because people need to get out and others want to come in. That means you need to refold your body again to let them crawl in or out of the van, and after that the folding can start over again. Do that for two hours and you have had a good yoga exercise. Furthermore, the bumpy dusty roads do not really help on this matter, some roads are just in horrible conditions.

In Kakamega we headed first to Kakamega forest together with Phyll’s cousin. In the evening he drove us to the compound of their family which is located in the rural area of Kakamega, near the sugarcane fields. The compound exists of several small houses positioned in a circle more or less. In every house some family members live. We were very well received and invited for some delicious Chapati. At one point I had to cross the compound from one house to another in a pitch dark night sky. Later I found out I almost stepped on some of the graves in the middle of the compound. Ancestors are buried in there. Like this they are never far away nor they become forgotten. Initially, I found it a scary thought to have a grave in your yard, but the way they explained it to me it definitely makes sense. The next day we had a lovely Sunday morning breakfast in town with Phyll and her two cousins and before heading back to Kisii. We took a stroll in the park where we met some street children high on glue. Phyll got into a conversation with them and took them to a place nearby where she ordered them some food. After that, it was yoga time again! Kwaheri, goodbye!

Kakamega Forest

 

Meeting Phyll her family

 

Chapati

 

Friday -Ijumaa

Today we set out on the road again towards the sub region of Nyamira County. I like it to be on the road; it is a great opportunity to enjoy the scenery, to reflect and take a little time-out, to take it all in. We went to a secondary school and conducted an interview with one of the teachers. During the interview a spider was crawling on my hand. I shook it of but did not see where it went to. I have like a huge phobia for spiders, so during the whole interview I did not dare to move an inch!

In the afternoon it was time again for my Swahili class, and after that time to relax. The spirit of the weekend officially arrived. In the evening P. invited Phyll and me for dinner in Bridge Camp near the center of Kisii. Bridge camp consists of a bar, a chicken run, an open kitchen and several patios where you can enjoy your food. Before taking a seat: pick your kuku (hen). They slaughter it for you and serve it to you within an hour. Fresher than this does not exist! Every part of the chicken is served, including its intestines and legs, which I kindly passed to Phyll. Who knows next time! During the night more people joined our table and the spirits got lighter, and I even got a proposal (It was decided that Phyll will be my maid of honor at my Kisii wedding). A better closure of the work week does not exist I guess 😉

Thursday -Alhamisi

Thursday has been the most intensive day until now! We went back to the sub location we had visited on Tuesday. The sub chief allowed us to take ten interviews with locals in his office. We split into two groups, each in a corner of the office, and started interviewing the participants. I sat next to Lydia. All interviews were conducted in Swahili and Lydia translated everything for me. The participants were very open and willing to share intimate details. They have been through many hardships, but still showed no signs of defeat. One consequence of female circumcision is for example the loss of sexual appetite. One woman claimed she would rather fight and get beaten by her husband than to have sexual intercourse. Stories like this are sometimes hard to grasp. This anecdote is not to depict men as perpetrators. The matter is more complex, today even when their man does not support female genital mutilation (FGM), some women go to great lengths in order to get their daughters cut (this is how people mainly refer to it). Throughout this research the complex dynamics will become visible and I hope to share them with you.

In the afternoon I was able to experience a truly grateful moment. We went to a primary school outside of the center of Kisii to interview the principal. The school was only recently set up and is still in the process of adjusting the classrooms and so on. Although with little means, you could see how the teachers do their very best to transform it into an instructive environment. Before the interview a giant surprise was awaiting us. The principal had practiced with all children (ages 3-8) some songs and dances that they performed for us. I was filled with awe by the energy they displayed and the discipline they demonstrated. I witnessed the hope and dreams of youngsters for a bright(er) future. After this it was time to get back to work and we conducted an interview with the principal in her house nearby the school. I always find it a special event when people invite you into their house; when crossing the doorstep you literally step into someone’s life and privacy. I see it as a sign of trust towards me, a stranger after all. After such a long day Maina took us to Buddy’s, the local bar I mentioned before. Time for a Tusker! ‘When you open a bottle of Tusker you are joining the world in celebrating one of Africa’s great original beers’, can’t say no to that!

Wednesday – Jumatana

A boda boda ride in the early morning sun brought us to the council of elders (below chief) where we conducted another interview, luckily in English this time. Next we travelled to another sub region of Kisii where we were able to talk with the chief and sub chief. Once again, basic office with some tables and chairs, and a handwritten poster mentioning the members of the council and their phone number. On our way back Maina directed my attention to some bushes which appear to be (black) tea bushes. Somehow weird, drinking tea almost every day, I never wondered how tea grows and is processed. Maina promised to take me to a tea factory soon. In the afternoon it was time for my first Swahili class: Napenda Kenya, I like Kenya! Swahili is not that difficult. You pronounce the words as how they are written. After class Phyll and I went to Nakumatt, a supermarket nearby our house where you can find everything; electronics, food, clothing, and so on. It reminds me a bit of a Wall-mart or Makro. In a way it is amazing to find all these (expensive) products while the town itself looks a bit impoverished (the roads for example are not maintained and full of giant holes). Nakumatt is a chain store owned by an Indian family that lives in Nairobi. This allows me to say something on the ethnic and religious composition of Kisii. Although a minority, occasionally I encounter Indians in the streets. Kenya is a former British colony and the British government used to ‘import’ people from India into Kenya in order to help build railways. Next to the Indians, there is a minority of African Muslims easy to recognize by the way they are dressed. Furthermore, close to our apartment is a mosque, waking me up every day with morning prayer at 5am. Most of Kisii inhabitants are Africans belonging to a Christian church. Right next to our apartment is an Evangelical church holding services every day. I love it when they start worshipping and gospel songs fill our apartment (it reminds me of my research among Evangelicals in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, last year). Finally, from what I have heard there lives one American Mzungu in Kisii, who owns Buddy’s, a local bar. So far I have not yet spotted him!

Tuesday – Jumanne

Currently Phyll, Lydia and me are staying in a lovely well equipped apartment in the center of Kisii. Maina has his own place in town. Having modest expectations about the facility I was kind of surprised to encounter Wi-Fi, running hot and cold water, a television, … Nonetheless, it is expensive, and that is why we will be moving to another place by the middle of February. Today Phyll showed me the new accommodation which is situated a little bit outside of the center. We took a boda boda, and oh my, how do I love to sit on the back of a motorbike enjoying the scenery and feeling the wind through my hair! Our new place is a modest yet cozy apartment on the top floor of an eye clinic. It normally accommodates foreign students doing an internship at the clinic. The eye clinic was recently established with the help of funding from abroad. J., the director of the clinic, showed us around with pride. I was impressed and even emotionally touched with what I saw. Although it does not resemble the image of a clinic in our Western minds, this clinic is very well organized, clean and well equipped. In the clinic they also receive people who have no insurance or means to make payment. Apparently, employees even set out to the far outskirts of town to look for people who have severe eye problems and have no means to travel to the clinic. Eye doctors operate on them and hospitalize them for three days in order to recuperate. It felt good to see how money from abroad is for once well spent and not pocketed by someone along the way money gets to travel. The eye clinic is situated in a valley surrounded by green pastures. From the top floor we have an amazing view of Kisii town. I think I will like it here!

In the afternoon we travelled by boda boda and matatu to a sub region of Kisii, where we met the sub chief. Kenya has a strict political hierarchy. Chiefs and sub chiefs operate on the level of the devolved government within a county. I learned that you need to respect this hierarchy in order to let things run smoothly. One cannot just enter a sub location and conduct interviews. You first meet and talk to the (sub) chief. After this you (hopefully) gain approval to talk to the members of the community. My fellow research partners are well aware of these customs since they have been born and raised in Kenya, so I follow them on this matter. The interview done by Phyll with the sub chief was mainly in Swahili. Although I could not understand much of it, it was quite an experience to be there. The office of the sub chief is basically a square room with walls made of mud. In the center there stands one wooden table and some chairs. That’s it! While Kisii has urban features, the sub regions mainly exist out of simple wooden or mud houses and dusty roads.

Monday – Jumatatu

Mzungu! Yes, that is me! I am the only Mzungu (white person) in town. This is the first time in my life I encounter such a situation. Little childrens’ eyes first grow with amazement, like they have seen a ghost, followed by a big smile and a waving hand. Adults shout Mzungu Mzungu, and then life continues. Life in Kisii is extremely vibrant. The streets are packed with market people, boda bodas (motorcycles), matatus (vans), and individuals always in a hurry going somewhere, reminding me of a colony of ants, all under a scorching sun. Phyll is an excellent guide, pointing out the do’s and don’ts in order to fit in.

Kisii Town

Phyll told me that many people she had met in the past weeks were eager to meet ‘the student’ aka the Mzungu. The same goes for P., an aspiring politician. P., who is in his late forties, is a very talkative man. That same day we conducted an interview with him over lunch. My first African dish: Ugali (made of white flour) with nyama choma (roast meat). We ate with our hands, as Lydia would say: ‘Food makes sense when eating with your hands’.

Ugali na nyoma choma

 

During the interview I was surprised how open P. would speak about female circumcision and sexuality. This was not a unique case, over the week, all the participants showed no reservations when talking about these topics. Entering the field, I assumed people would be secretive about it, as if it were a taboo. However, female circumcision has been for a long time (it predates the rise of Christianity and Islam (Livaha 2012: 5)) part of a woman’s life. It used to be a celebration -when a girl was circumcised, through this rite of passage she entered the world of adulthood. Nothing to be ashamed of, in contrary, it is a necessity in order to fulfill your social role as a woman in the community. However, the debate on female rights worldwide, has depicted female circumcision as a harmful crime against women. There exist four types of circumcision. The most severe is infibulation, requiring the removal or scrapping of the labia majora which is the ‘two rounded folds of tissue that control the external boundaries of the vulva’, and removal of the labia minora. Immediately following infibulation, the wounds are sewn together by the operator, leaving a small opening the size of a fingertip for urination and menstruation. Infibulation is the surgery that has the most significant risks and hazards during and after surgery (Livaha 2012: 5). Nowadays in Kenya, several laws and penalties that outlaw the practice exist. However, in some areas the practice continues, mainly undercover in order to avoid punishment. In this research project we want to address the gap between law and practice, consulting the community and give them the opportunity to voice their opinion on the way forward. It seems that the laws made in Nairobi (the capital) not always have the desired effect on people in faraway rural communities.

“Eradicating Female Circumcision – Changing a Harmful Social Norm Through the Women’s Convention,” Chapter in The Women’s Convention Turned 30: Achievements, Setbacks and Prospects, Westendorp (ed.), pp. 279-302, (Intersentia, October 2012)

Female Rights Challenge, Kenya

When I arrived at Nairobi airport, I met this Kenyan lady traveling from Burundi. We had a cheerful conversation while waiting for the shuttle that would bring us to another terminal for our connecting flight to Kisumu. One would not have imagined she was on her way to a funeral. However, the moment we walked through the exit after collecting our luggage at Kisumu airport, she burst out in tears after seeing her relatives who were waiting for her. While waving her right arm in a brute manner in the air, the crying changed into high pitched cries and shouting. She was about to fall on the floor several times, and her relatives had to carry her out of the airport. It seemed as though suddenly, she was hit by immense grief. My first impression was a fact.

For the next two months I will participate in the Female Rights Challenge in the town of Kisii in western part Kenya, Nyanza Province. By means of Participatory Action Research our aim is to close the gap between law and practice concerning female circumcision in Kenya. Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an alternative to traditional development cooperation – it is designed specifically to facilitate local solutions, to leave behind (western) preconceptions, and allow the community to generate their own process of tackling issues. Phyllis (Phyll), raised in Kenya and currently lecturer at Erasmus University College Rotterdam, guides this project in cooperation with Utrecht based research academy named 7Senses. Together with two local researchers, Lydia Mukami and Francis Maina, we form a research team of four persons in total. Lydia is a human rights defender concerned with land rights and active in Mwea Tebere. Maina is a businessman in Kisii town. While the three of them are already in the field since the beginning of January, I arrived on the first of February.

The first week was intensive, and somehow it feels like I already have been in Kenya for ages. For my first week blog, let me take you to the village of Kisii on a day to day basis.