Learning Swahili

After being in Nairobi for a full week now, I’ve come to realize that while Swahili is certainly not necessary for everyday life here (at least downtown), it is definitely appreciated. You should see the grins people get when you greet them in Swahili, especially when you get beyond just ‘jambo’ (the formal word for ‘hello’). I haven’t been nearly as good as Chris has about learning the language, but here are some of the useful phrases I’ve picked up.

Jambo ­– This word means ‘hello’, and I think it marks you as a foreigner a little bit, because it’s very formal and maybe a bit old fashioned. Still, with people in authority, it seems like a good word to use.

Sasa – Literally, this word means ‘now’, but it’s also used a very casual greeting among friends. I don’t really use this one, as I’m rarely that casual even in English, but it’s definitely useful to know!

Habari asabuhi – Good morning!

Habari mchana – Good afternoon!

Habari yako?– How are you?

Nzuri – Fine

Asante (sana) ­– Thank you (very much)

Kwaheri (ni) – Goodbye (to more than one person)

This is pretty much the extent of the conversations we have in Swahili these days…. ‘Hi, how are you?” “Good, thank you, how are you?” “Fine!” Not exactly riveting conversation, but a good starting point.

I’ve also discovered that the Disney movie the Lion King is full of dribs and drabs of Swahili. Rafiki (like the wise old baboon!) means ‘friend’, and hakuna matata really does mean ‘no problems’. When planning our safari, our potential guide told us we could see simba (lions)!

Other useful phrases:

Tafadhali – Please

Samahani  - Excuse me/sorry (a must-have piece of vocabulary for any Canadian!)

Kwa afyi yako – Cheers! (This one I might not have exactly right… I learned it the other night from a friend, but didn’t write it down, and the internet is not being helpful with this piece of casual vocabulary.)

So obviously, I am no master of Swahili yet. I’m learning one or two key phrases every day, and hopefully by the end of my time here, I’ll be able to have a miniature conversation that goes slightly more in depth than ‘hi, how are you?’

One more thing: I’ve heard the phrase Karibu Kenya (pronounced ‘kah-REE-boo’, not ‘caribou’ like the Canadian animal) more times than I can count… it means ‘welcome to Kenya.’ 

Karibu Kenya! Asante sana!

Nairobi: First Impressions

I've been in Nairobi for almost a week now, and I'm just starting to settle in and get a sense for the rhythm of the city. Chris and I, this year's MBA interns for the Sauder Africa Initiative, arrived in Kenya two weeks before the rest of the team to get everything organized and do some primary research for how the program is going to develop in the future.

The guesthouse where we're staying is lovely. It's run by Seventh Day Adventists, which means all meals are vegetarian and caffeine-free, but breakfast is included and dinner is cheap. The rooms are small but cozy (at least based on my budget-conscious travel experience to date) and they're equipped with mosquito nets. (Despite the fact that I was told it is not mosquito season and Nairobi is not supposed to be a malaria zone, I had a minor freakout on the first day when I fell asleep at dusk with the windows open and forgot to put down my mosquito net... I awoke with about 7 mosquito bites on my face and was paranoid about getting malaria. Luckily, no malaria yet!) I've also encountered tiny lizards wandering through the halls of the guest house at night!

It's impossible to talk about Nairobi without talking about the traffic that surrounds us. Cars are everywhere on the road, most of them rather old and spewing black smoke, and traffic lights seem to be more a suggestion than a rule. Being a pedestrian is a constant adventure - locals seem to develop a sixth sense for when it's safe to cross the road. I think Chris is developing this sense too, but my survival instinct seems to be lacking... I have absolutely no idea what the cars are doing and have narrowly avoided cars many a time. Luckily, drivers here seem unwilling to actually hit pedestrians... a contrast from Shanghai, New York, or Montreal, where they really don't care what you're doing.

So far, I've only seen downtown Nairobi, which is an interesting mix of businesses, shops, parks, and MPesa distributors EVERYWHERE. (I'll write more about MPesa later... it's a fascinating invention!) Once we actually get into Kibera and Mathare, the slums where we'll be teaching, I'm sure the experience will be different.

We have met so many people here - many of them amazing, friendly, ambitious people, and a few whose motives were definitely questionable. The people who work at the guest house are amazing, and our guides Fred and Val have definitely taken good care of us (specifically of me!) and made sure that our transition into Nairobi life is as seamless as possible.

I've recently discovered that the dress code of Nairobi is far more conservative than I'd expected. It's been 20-25 degrees every day, and it's not like I'm running around in mini skirts and tank tops or anything, but showing bare shoulders definitely gets me a lot more attention than I'm used to at home... At first I thought people were just looking at me because I was a foreigner (which is partially true, especially because my mixed Chinese-Canadian heritage makes me a confusing sort of foreigner to place), but putting my sweater on definitely reduces the stares that I get. No more sleeveless dresses for me!

I'll be in Nairobi for five and a half more weeks, and I'm sure I'll have many adventures and stories to share!

Kwaheri ni! (That's Swahili for 'goodbye')

"The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working"

I have to say that all this foreign aid and third world development stuff is still pretty new to me. I have to admit that I wasn't as well aware of what was happening around the world until I joined Sauder Africa Initiative. Perhaps I was still young and thought I had limited abilities to help, or purely just because I didn't even know what was happening outside of where I live. When speaking about foreign aid, the first thing I do think of, however, are donations. But after reading "The Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working," I have a different view on foreign aid.

The book is excellent for readers who want to understand more about the problems in Africa, how to help, and also a glimpse into the cultures and values of Africans. Robert Calderisi is a Canadian author, who has over thirty years of experience working with international developments, mostly in Africa and with the World Bank. The book is organized into three parts: historical influences, personal stories revolving Africa, and lastly ten recommendations on how to help Africa.

It's interesting how I always thought that any sort of foreign aid would help countries suffering poverty. I guess I was too naive to believe so. At points in the book, Calderisi makes me question if he is telling us to completely stop helping the African people. But through his personal stories, one can tell that he is truly passionate about helping. However, he does have a very different perspective than many other advocates. He argues that people like us, who are international donors, should not just be giving donations without understanding who it is going towards. We need to understand that most of the money is just going towards the government and rulers of Africa, with many being corrupted. He states that most of the African countries are still being ruled by these corrupted leaders, and therefore, we need to aid them in a a way where we aren't just be giving the people our money. Calderisi also reminds us that although the ordinary Africans are in a world of "pride, anger, poverty, and self-pity," they still possess the talents, resources, and traditions. They are such intelligent people with abilities to grow, yet they are blocked by the "so-called leaders."

After reading the book, it has triggered my thoughts on this issue. How come it seems like there are so many organizations helping developing countries, yet it seems like change is moving so slow? It seems as though nothing much as changed. Perhaps Calderisi is correct. Perhaps we are sending our money to the wrong people. Perhaps we need to rethink out ways of providing foreign aid. I'm not saying that we should not provide aid, but that we should truly understand how the money will help these people, and how the money will reach them. This is one thing that I admire about the Sauder Africa Initiative. I know that we aren't just giving out the money we fundraise, but instead, we are using the money to provide them with materials, and a place to gain knowledge - something that they can keep for a lifetime. We are investing our money into people whom we believe have the right mindset and will be able to improve their lives and their communities.