Hi, my name is Bailey! I am a student at American University and I just finished the most incredible year of my life living, working, and studying in Kenya and India.
I spent my first semester in Kenya where I studied sustainable development, geographies of gender and development, Swahili, and the social and political history of Kenya. Alongside my studies, I spent my time interning with the most incredible organization called Heshima Kenya. They specialize in identifying and protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth, especially girls and young women. They provide resources for long-term support so that these young women and their children can become catalysts for strengthening networks and creating sustainable change locally and globally. I spent most of my time in Nairobi but was able to travel throughout the country to the plains of the Masai Mara to the shores of Lake Victoria where I stayed with a rural family for a week, to the peaks of Mount Kenya and the summit of Mount Longmont.
In my second semester I traveled to India, where I studied public health alongside masters students at Manipal University in Southern India. I spent the semester engaging with Indian students, exploring Indian culture, and learning hands-on about the public health practices in the developing world. In my free time I explored the country by train, plane, boat, bus, and car. I traversed Southern India visiting towns, villages, and cities along the way and then later traveled about Northern India with two friends, having the adventure of a lifetime.
The blog name, Hakurry Matata, is a mix between the Swahili phrase Hakuna Matata, which roughly translates to "no worries," and curry, one of the most important elements of Indian cuisine and culture. The name Hakurry Matata is a funny (but also a semi-serious) attempt at combining elements from both of these amazing places.
It was an amazing journey filled with new people, places, and experiences. Look back at my blog to read about my incredible adventures!
I spent my first semester in Kenya where I studied sustainable development, geographies of gender and development, Swahili, and the social and political history of Kenya. Alongside my studies, I spent my time interning with the most incredible organization called Heshima Kenya. They specialize in identifying and protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth, especially girls and young women. They provide resources for long-term support so that these young women and their children can become catalysts for strengthening networks and creating sustainable change locally and globally. I spent most of my time in Nairobi but was able to travel throughout the country to the plains of the Masai Mara to the shores of Lake Victoria where I stayed with a rural family for a week, to the peaks of Mount Kenya and the summit of Mount Longmont.
In my second semester I traveled to India, where I studied public health alongside masters students at Manipal University in Southern India. I spent the semester engaging with Indian students, exploring Indian culture, and learning hands-on about the public health practices in the developing world. In my free time I explored the country by train, plane, boat, bus, and car. I traversed Southern India visiting towns, villages, and cities along the way and then later traveled about Northern India with two friends, having the adventure of a lifetime.
The blog name, Hakurry Matata, is a mix between the Swahili phrase Hakuna Matata, which roughly translates to "no worries," and curry, one of the most important elements of Indian cuisine and culture. The name Hakurry Matata is a funny (but also a semi-serious) attempt at combining elements from both of these amazing places.
It was an amazing journey filled with new people, places, and experiences. Look back at my blog to read about my incredible adventures!
"Those who wander are not always lost" -- J.R. Tolkien