Happy March Break for everyone at home. I am still working, as usual. Some more casual things about my life right now before I jump into what I've been doing with work. Currently Mzungu Mike and I have a verbal contract to not shave until we return home (or the day before). Since my facial hair is blond, Charles has begun to call me Jesus. Also I went overload on a meal last night and combined pizza with a burger to make a pizza-burger, it was one of the most delicious things I've had to date. My friend at this Internet Cafe has pink eye, and we're placing bets on who he is going to spread it to next. I was told about how one can go and buy a genie here in Mombasa, and although they are invisible, they will bring you wealth if you feed them and pay them tribute. I'm considering buying one so I can actually have an invisible friend for real. I hope he comes with either a bottle or an Aladdin lamp included.
Yesterday was the Career Fair, or Youth Education Forum. It consisted of over 450 youth, 8 speakers, and 5 or 6 businesses. Overall it was a success, though there were many faults, challenges we had to overcome, and lessons learned for everyone. Here is how the day went. I'll start with the challenges.
Kwacha Afrika and YCI arrived at 8 AM to set up chairs for the Forum which would start at 9. However, people did not actually show up until 8:50, with the majority walking in at 9:30-9:45. This meant we started an hour late, which screwed up our entire agenda, of which there were 2; one that was handed out to everyone that I was told to print by Emmy my boss, and a lone agenda that only the MC used that was completely different from the one that everyone else had. A few times, no one knew what was going on or what was next, so some things were thrown in like dances performed by youth and cutting out skits that had been scheduled.
The big failure came when lunchtime arrived. Mike and I had set up the tables for lunch in a very spacious area so that people could move around while lunch was served. However, others took the tables and placed them outside where there was a narrow catwalk where people could lin-up. Imagine a crowded, grumpy, and complaining 450 people demanding food. It took 2 hours to distribute, not to mention the food itself was late. As well, there was no water provided, so when eating spiced rice, or pilau, everyone was extremely parched. I had to deny so many people water, I felt terrible. Eventually it arrived, thank God. I also had a shouting match with a big man who was making a fuss over having to wait in line with everyone else. I told him to get in line with everyone else or go buy his own food. I wasn't about to let him go ahead of two mothers who had children (who they had brought to the forum) to feed.
The successes, on the other hand, were many. YCI and Kwacha Afrika achieved something they had never done before: a convention bringing together 8 speakers (including a fantastic official and orator from the Ministry of Labour) and 6 businesses from completely different sectors, half a thousand youth scattered throughout Mombasa with different backgrounds, levels of education, and areas of interest in one place to discuss the issues of youth unemployment. Through this, topics brought up were what employers wanted, what youth wanted, the concept of trade work over office jobs, and what youth could do to stay positive and build a better resume. As Emmy put it, "we achieved the impossible."
I know that many of you already know this, but for some it may be news. I am returning home early and cutting my trip by 5 weeks. I will not be going to Uganda, but returning to Canada once the Kenya project is over. There are a number of reasons for this, I will outline them to you here.
1) I feel that I've been ignoring my family over the last few years. After realizing from my time here that family is the most important thing to anyone, I believe I should come home early to spend more time with them and reconnect before I go away to university.
2)The people in Uganda do not need an unexperienced teenager trying to help when he has no idea how to teach English (I feel that I did not do an effiecient job of it in Zanzibar). Also, I will be making a hassle by having them put me up for a month.
3)By experiencing Uganda I would not be seeing anything unfamiliar to me. Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi have an extremely similar culture, language, and the same African mindset.
4)It's becoming very hard for me to operate normally here. The stress of living in a new and completely different culture from the one I am used to, as well as living with people who I have just met makes things harder on me. I get tired and frustrated faster, and less energetic with each passing day. Right now I strongly wish to return home, I can only imagine how much that feeling will be 8 weeks from now.5)Amy and I are celebrated our one-year anniversary on February 22nd. In the space of that one year, I have only been with her for a total of 4 months. Amy and I have an incredible relationship, and I know I want nothing more than to spend the remaining months before university with her instead of another month in Africa now that I've sorted out the priorities in my life.
So you can all look forward to seeing me earlier than you thought you would. I know that even though I've enjoyed my time here in Kenya far more than I did in Zanzibar, it is time for me to go home to the land of ice and snow (which I'm not looking forward to after acclimatizing to 33 degrees). I'm counting the days to when I can see you all again.
Best wishes,
Evan
PS- To Mom's Grade 6 Class on Monday March 1st I'm going to Mwakirunge with the funds and asking the headmaster what materials he wants for the school there, I'll include the details of the visit in the next blog. Thank you so much for fund-raising for that school, all of YCI and Kwacha Afrika are very proud of and extremely happy that you would do that for others!
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