"Money, money, money - it's a rich man's world!" My daughter has been caught up in the Mama Mia craze and that song has been constantly played in our home over the past few weeks, and it got me thinking about our trip to Kenya and the need to be prepared and do your homework before travelling abroad.
Once again, it was on advice from our friends Bill and Ronnie that cash is the method of payment in Kenya. We had been about to purchase travellers cheques but learned it is difficult to get them cashed. Most people in Kenya do not have bank accounts and so cannot get reimbursement if they cashed a travellers cheque. Likewise, credit cards are only of value in big hotels. Even businesses in Kenya operate on a cash basis. When we made a large purchase at KickStart we thought we could pay with our credit card but that was not the case, they asked for cash. That necessitated a trip to the ATM. The staff at KickStart told us not to use the closest ATM but gave directions to an ATM a little further away but which was more secure and safe.
Prior to our trip we put money in two accounts at different banks so that we could access the funds we might need as each account has a daily limit. Since we knew we would be making large purchases we could not afford to wait for a day to get the necessary funds. You must also remember that you need a 4 digit access code. We also learned that not all ATM's are the same. Always visit an ATM during daylight hours and make sure it is safe. We chose Barclay Bank as they have security guards on duty.
We used a money belt to protect our cash and passports. Remember that you are travelling in a foreign land and it only makes sense to keep your funds close at hand. A friend stowed her wallet in her backpack and found while walking that her backpack was being opened. She turned quickly and lucky for her, her wallet was intact but she learned to be more vigilent. Also don't carry large amounts of cash at a time. It is important to remember that you are travelling in a country where people think all Westerners are rich and that when people are so poor, living on $1 per day, there are some who will do whatever it takes to feed their families.
Having said that, not everyone will take advantage of a situation regarding money. When we were in Wongonyi Village, unbeknownst to him, Peter left some cash in his pants pocket. The pants were taken
to be washed. That night when we came home the money was presented to him - faith in the human spirit of honesty.
Our advice - make sure you have accessible cash in your bank accounts at home, and use safe and secure bank machines in daylight hours. By using caution coupled with a little common sense, you can enjoy a safe and secure work experience in Kenya.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
5 Tips to Consider When Planning your Trip
For many people Africa is a magical place full of mystery and adventure. I have always had a fascination with the dark continent since childhood and as we prepared for our recent trip, I was filled with excitement. But I was not going to Kenya as a tourist but as a partner with Ronnie in helping him achieve his dream, so it was important that our family fit in to African life. Prior to travelling we asked Ronnie for suggestions on making those we were to meet feel comfortable with us and we with them. Here are 5 tips we used successfully.
1. It is important to have cultural sensitivity - as a volunteer, business person or organization leader you are not staying on the fringes but actually interacting with the Kenyan people in an advisory capacity. Except in the large centres like Nairobi, women in rural villages do not wear pants. Women should take skirts to wear or if you feel you must wear pants, purchase a Kanga (a rectangular piece of fabric) that you tie around your waist like a skirt. It is important to show your respect for their customs.
2. Don't impose your values - remember you are entering another culture. Meal times and food will not be the same as what you have at home (sweet potatoes are served for breakfast and you may get the same meal twice in one day) but smile and be happy. Many of the people who are entertaining you are serving you the best meal they can present and afford. The same goes for appointments - African time and business practices do not have the same hurried pace we have here - be patient.
3. Be conscious of the African perception of Westerners. Most Africans think that everyone from the West is wealthy. We were constantly telling the villagers we work with how long we had saved before being able to visit them. Ronnie says, "In African culture a visitor is a big deal. People will just want to be with you - you will have to have some understanding as Africans have preconceived thoughts of Westerners. You may be harassed by villagers for loans and food, it happens routinely." We did find that on our last night in the village we were approached with some pretty serious and expensive requests but as we are only the facilitators for our donors, we told villagers we would take back their requests for consideration.
4. Take time to learn even a few key phrases in Swahili. Although most people we met did speak some English, a few words spoken in Swahili shows that you cared enough to relate to them on their terms. We found that it certainly endeared the people to us and elicited big smiles as we struggled with pronounciation. Simple phrases like hello, goodbye, please and thank you are quick to learn. Another helpful tip to know is the Kenyan greeting - we called it "the secret handshake". Upon meeting someone you grasp the person's hand as in a normal handshake, then move the hand slightly to grasp the thumb and then return the grasp of the normal handshake. People we met were always surprised and happy to see we knew the common greeting.
5. Finally - take some gifts with you to hand out. The gifts need not be big or cumbersome, just something simple to show your appreciation of their hospitality. We took with us pins we obtained from our town, and both provincial and federal members of Parliament; small toys (like beany babies) along with pencils, pens and notebooks for children; head scarves or bandanas for the women and baseballs caps and multitools for the men. They may seem like small items to us but were very much appreciated. We always kept a few tucked into our bags when we went out as we never knew who we might meet and the hospitality they would afford us.
1. It is important to have cultural sensitivity - as a volunteer, business person or organization leader you are not staying on the fringes but actually interacting with the Kenyan people in an advisory capacity. Except in the large centres like Nairobi, women in rural villages do not wear pants. Women should take skirts to wear or if you feel you must wear pants, purchase a Kanga (a rectangular piece of fabric) that you tie around your waist like a skirt. It is important to show your respect for their customs.
2. Don't impose your values - remember you are entering another culture. Meal times and food will not be the same as what you have at home (sweet potatoes are served for breakfast and you may get the same meal twice in one day) but smile and be happy. Many of the people who are entertaining you are serving you the best meal they can present and afford. The same goes for appointments - African time and business practices do not have the same hurried pace we have here - be patient.
3. Be conscious of the African perception of Westerners. Most Africans think that everyone from the West is wealthy. We were constantly telling the villagers we work with how long we had saved before being able to visit them. Ronnie says, "In African culture a visitor is a big deal. People will just want to be with you - you will have to have some understanding as Africans have preconceived thoughts of Westerners. You may be harassed by villagers for loans and food, it happens routinely." We did find that on our last night in the village we were approached with some pretty serious and expensive requests but as we are only the facilitators for our donors, we told villagers we would take back their requests for consideration.
4. Take time to learn even a few key phrases in Swahili. Although most people we met did speak some English, a few words spoken in Swahili shows that you cared enough to relate to them on their terms. We found that it certainly endeared the people to us and elicited big smiles as we struggled with pronounciation. Simple phrases like hello, goodbye, please and thank you are quick to learn. Another helpful tip to know is the Kenyan greeting - we called it "the secret handshake". Upon meeting someone you grasp the person's hand as in a normal handshake, then move the hand slightly to grasp the thumb and then return the grasp of the normal handshake. People we met were always surprised and happy to see we knew the common greeting.
5. Finally - take some gifts with you to hand out. The gifts need not be big or cumbersome, just something simple to show your appreciation of their hospitality. We took with us pins we obtained from our town, and both provincial and federal members of Parliament; small toys (like beany babies) along with pencils, pens and notebooks for children; head scarves or bandanas for the women and baseballs caps and multitools for the men. They may seem like small items to us but were very much appreciated. We always kept a few tucked into our bags when we went out as we never knew who we might meet and the hospitality they would afford us.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Learning Swahili
Having been a host family for Canada World Youth, we have gained an appreciation for being sensitive when travelling or living with other cultures. Before our trip to Kenya, our friend Bill loaned us a copy of the Lonely Planet phrasebook for Swahili. Upon our return home, a copy of this phrasebook has been added to our library which I use to look up a few words each day to add to my vocabularly before our next trip. It's small size makes it handy for carrying in a pocket or purse and it's certainly worth the $10 sticker price.
I have also downloaded a Swahili program from http://www.byki.com/ which I visit on a daily basis spending up to half an hour repeating words. This nice thing about a program like this is that you can hear the actual pronounciations and you can even slow down the speech to catch those tricky phrases.
We also purchased a copy of the Rosetta Stone in Swahili from e-Bay. It too is great as it breaks the language down into units which you can repeat as opften as you need before moving on. It also offers may different styles of learning.
Although we found that most people we met in Kenya spoke English, there were a few of the older folks who did not and we want to be able to communicate with them more next visit. We also learned that Swahili does have regional dialects. Our friend Sera, who grew up on the outskirts of Nairobi, was unable to translate some discussions in Wongonyi Village as the residents were speaking the Taita dialect.
I know that the Kenyans we met appreciated the fact that we tried to speak what little Swahili we knew. As well, when Peter made speeches at the various groups we met, he would have Sera translate a few sentences in Swahili. Our attempts at the local language, always brought smiles and giggles from those on the receiving end.
For those volunteering or working in Kenya, learning the local language will help you to feel more comfortable with those you encounter.
I have also downloaded a Swahili program from http://www.byki.com/ which I visit on a daily basis spending up to half an hour repeating words. This nice thing about a program like this is that you can hear the actual pronounciations and you can even slow down the speech to catch those tricky phrases.
We also purchased a copy of the Rosetta Stone in Swahili from e-Bay. It too is great as it breaks the language down into units which you can repeat as opften as you need before moving on. It also offers may different styles of learning.
Although we found that most people we met in Kenya spoke English, there were a few of the older folks who did not and we want to be able to communicate with them more next visit. We also learned that Swahili does have regional dialects. Our friend Sera, who grew up on the outskirts of Nairobi, was unable to translate some discussions in Wongonyi Village as the residents were speaking the Taita dialect.
I know that the Kenyans we met appreciated the fact that we tried to speak what little Swahili we knew. As well, when Peter made speeches at the various groups we met, he would have Sera translate a few sentences in Swahili. Our attempts at the local language, always brought smiles and giggles from those on the receiving end.
For those volunteering or working in Kenya, learning the local language will help you to feel more comfortable with those you encounter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)