Start reading from the blog post titled "Rural Week!" below
This morning, I talked with my host mom while I drank my morning chai and nibbled on some groundnuts (peanuts). I then helped oil and dress the girls for school before tidying the house until Angie arrived for her community health survey. We dropped of chai for the girls on the way to do the survey and then trekked through some fields to get to the first house. Angie asked the questions as Caroline translated. As a public health student, it was really interesting to get to sit in on this. We learned about their sanitation habits, how they prepare food, looked at their latrines, asked about illnesses and deaths in the family, etc. In each household we visited there were many family members who had been sick in the past two weeks, at least two of which (per house) were with malaria (good thing I already have a ton of mosquito bites…).
After the surveys, we headed back home where Caroline showed me how to cook the fish we would have for lunch. When it was ready, I was served a whole fish on a plate. After a brief moment of panic, I called down and decided I would just watch how everyone else went about eating it. That was a nice idea in theory, but it turns out I was the only one served fish… so I dug in! Eventually, and with a hint from Caroline, I figured out how to pick the meat off the bones and it actually ended up being pretty good! (especially coming from someone who is not typically a fan of fish). I ate the whole thing but skipped most of the head. Apparently Velma loves the heads, so I let her finish it. In the afternoon I bathed, played with the girls, watched Caroline do her hair, showed her how to use my camera, and looked at her photo album. Allie and her father came over to visit again and as we were all chatting Maddi and her host sisters walked by on the way to the market and stopped to visit. At the market we ran into more Mzungu and many of Caroline’s friends/acquaintances. By the time we actually got around to shopping it was already dark. We picked up some sukumuwiki and bread.
While cooking, we heard loud noises coming from outside. My mom took me out and explained that it was people trying to ward off the devil and other bad spirits. People across the village banged on pots and pans and yelled into the night air. The sound traveled closer and closer to us as it spread from house to house. Mary explained that it was kind of like a certain type of wind that was thought to carry these bad spirits and it would travel until it hit the river, where it would stop. I asked how often this happened and she responded that it was at least once a year. I was excited that we got to be here to witness this practice and learn more about some of the more traditional beliefs of the community.
For dinner I was served another entire fish along with ugali and sukumuwiki. Following dinner, Mary called me over to tell me more stories. She talked about how many people in the village don’t believe the cause of illness is germs, bacteria, or viruses, but rather is caused by things such as the evil eye (when a witch looks at you badly), curses, magicians, etc. People would see other magicians or use herbs and roots and such to cure themselves rather than using medicine or visiting a clinic. She noted that this was still a widespread practice, even among Christians and those who were fairly educated. We discussed the topic more before moving on to the lack of jobs in Kenya, women’s work, things in America, etc. Mary also said she liked me better than the last girl they hosted because I would try/eat everything they made for me. That just goes to show how much it pays off to be flexible and completely immerse yourself in the cultures you are learning about and living in.
After the surveys, we headed back home where Caroline showed me how to cook the fish we would have for lunch. When it was ready, I was served a whole fish on a plate. After a brief moment of panic, I called down and decided I would just watch how everyone else went about eating it. That was a nice idea in theory, but it turns out I was the only one served fish… so I dug in! Eventually, and with a hint from Caroline, I figured out how to pick the meat off the bones and it actually ended up being pretty good! (especially coming from someone who is not typically a fan of fish). I ate the whole thing but skipped most of the head. Apparently Velma loves the heads, so I let her finish it. In the afternoon I bathed, played with the girls, watched Caroline do her hair, showed her how to use my camera, and looked at her photo album. Allie and her father came over to visit again and as we were all chatting Maddi and her host sisters walked by on the way to the market and stopped to visit. At the market we ran into more Mzungu and many of Caroline’s friends/acquaintances. By the time we actually got around to shopping it was already dark. We picked up some sukumuwiki and bread.
While cooking, we heard loud noises coming from outside. My mom took me out and explained that it was people trying to ward off the devil and other bad spirits. People across the village banged on pots and pans and yelled into the night air. The sound traveled closer and closer to us as it spread from house to house. Mary explained that it was kind of like a certain type of wind that was thought to carry these bad spirits and it would travel until it hit the river, where it would stop. I asked how often this happened and she responded that it was at least once a year. I was excited that we got to be here to witness this practice and learn more about some of the more traditional beliefs of the community.
For dinner I was served another entire fish along with ugali and sukumuwiki. Following dinner, Mary called me over to tell me more stories. She talked about how many people in the village don’t believe the cause of illness is germs, bacteria, or viruses, but rather is caused by things such as the evil eye (when a witch looks at you badly), curses, magicians, etc. People would see other magicians or use herbs and roots and such to cure themselves rather than using medicine or visiting a clinic. She noted that this was still a widespread practice, even among Christians and those who were fairly educated. We discussed the topic more before moving on to the lack of jobs in Kenya, women’s work, things in America, etc. Mary also said she liked me better than the last girl they hosted because I would try/eat everything they made for me. That just goes to show how much it pays off to be flexible and completely immerse yourself in the cultures you are learning about and living in.