So, today is our marketing survey day. We split into two groups with the intensive-four - the first group is made up of Canto (African youth), Steve (African youth), Alia and Me, and the other is made up of Quin (African youth), Frank (African youth), Patrick (African youth), Eiston, Sarah and Nancy.
As we walked around Kibera slum, many people were staring at us and the children kept on calling us "Mazungu", meaning white people. I find it very funny because neither Alia nor I are anywhere near being "white". The children kept on wanting to touch me and gave me their hands, and they were so happy when I shook hands with them. Their genuine smiles always touch my heart.
The slum is hot and there is no running water. The trenches are filled with muddy water in which people wash their food with. I saw people boiling beef intestines, selling fish heads and bones, flies everywhere, and goats eating garbage. There were many dogs lying around too. Yesterday I saw a dog being surrounded by garbage and flies and I asked James, this African youth if it was dead. He said it was not, but Brit told me today that he was just being nice and the dog was actually dead. Interestingly, we saw some bathroom stalls and a water tank that's painted "Donated by Constant Gardener".
Now comes the real experience. As Canto and Steve went around to interview people, Alia and I were just standing around the corner. This old man, around 60 years old dressed in Massai costume, came to me and Alia and started shaking our hands. This was not unusual as I felt like the entire community is shaking our hands, especially with Canto around, since he is a football player everybody knows him. Anyway, this old man took my hand and asked me to wrap my hand around his walking stick, so did Alia and three other people. He then chanted and put the tip of his tongue on his walking stick. I think one of the people saw that I was quite frightened and told me that this is a spiritual ceremony and that settled my mind a little.
And then, he would not let me and Alia go. He then proceeded to kiss Alia on each side of her neck. I saw Alia cringe and I got really scared because Alia is always so calm and poised and know exactly what's happening. She being scared really freaked me out. And guess what, obviously the man came and kiss me too and I got really scared.
And then, he took his ID card out and asked me to hold it and bless him telling him that God will give him everything. I did as he wanted me to, but I felt really sour at that moment because I did not feel right to tell someone that God will bless him. This is not only because I am not religious in the first place, but I feel very weird that people here look upon me so highly because I have paler skin, but nowhere near what a real "Mazungu" looks like, not like I feel that real Mazungu should have any privilege just being the race that he/she may be.
By this time, there were more than a dozen people who surrounded us. At this time Steve and Canto were still oblivious as to what is happening. When Canto finally finished and came to our rescue and told the man to go away, I was really quite shaken, although with a smile on my face. He let me know that the man was a little crazy.
I feel that although people in Kibera live in poverty, there is a great sense of community. I do not even know the names of my neighbours, what a shame. In the stuffy classroom packed with 20 and more people, the youths never show any signs of slight discomfort, sponging up every single detail that we say. I feel ashamed that we complain about 8:30am classes and fall asleep to blame that our professors are too boring. There is no excuse to do bad in anything having the privilege to live in the developed world.
Posted by Josephine Wong
No comments:
Post a Comment