Clean Water For All

As my time in Nairobi comes to a close, I’d like to remind everyone who’s traveling abroad (and at major cities at home) to always be careful.  In three days I had two close calls here in Nairobi.  First, a few days ago, someone tried to steal my watch while I was in a car.  I was in traffic with the window rolled down, and a guy reached in and tried to yank my watch right off my wrist.  Fortunately, he didn’t get the watch, though he did break the strap.

President Kibaki's motorcade

Then today I was at a Madaraka Day (Independence Day) celebration at the Nyayo National Stadium with another volunteer and a Kenyan.  Halfway through, the Kenyan insisted that we get up and leave.  Apparently he noticed a group of six men who had gathered around us and were studying us quite intently.  Eventually, he saw one of the guys take something resembling a knife out of his bag and he gave it to the person next to us, who slipped it in his sock.  That’s when we decided it was best to get out of there.  Unfortunately, out of respect to the president, the police lock everyone inside the stadium until after the event is over.  It was like a mosh pit as we waited by the locked gate with the couple hundred other people trying to leave.  We were lucky to eventually get out of there with our cameras, wallets, and non-punctured skin.  The event was interesting, but more stressful than I needed at this point in the trip.

Is that a bazooka?

I’m getting ready to head out to Cairo and then Istanbul for a bit, but I will continue to post updates on the two water projects plus any interesting travel stories, so be sure to check back in regularly.  I’ll also continue to post various travel pictures from the rest of the trip.

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In yesterday’s post I discussed how Emmanuel, a member of the Maasai tribe, received 24 cows at two Maasai rituals.  He’s now using some of those cows to buy land, but he told me that he first used some of those cows to finish paying for high school.  Without them, he said he never would have been able to complete high school and go to college.

The reason his parents couldn’t pay the school fees is that Emmanuel is just one of 43 brothers and sisters!  His father had four wives and had around ten children with each wife.  His siblings range from just babies to 44 years old.  Emmanuel explained that there were three main reasons for the massive family size.

Emmanuel and Lilly

First, the Maasai have always been a nomadic people, moving with their herds to find grazing land.  As the herds get large, they must be split up, and people prefer to entrust their cattle to family.  Second, children are often thought of as a retirement account.  When you’re too old to work, your children will provide for you.  As many children die young, having many children ensures that some will be around to support you.  Lastly, the Maasai tribe is largely patriarchal, and the men simply enjoyed having multiple wives.

Emmanuel tells me that this custom is starting to change as education and women’s empowerment programs start to take hold.  Emmanuel, for example, has just one wife and four children.  Also, the Kenyan government has been encouraging the Maasai to settle and stop their nomadic ways, which reduces the need for a larger family.

Emmanuel's home

It’s my opinion that large family sizes contribute to many of the problems in Kenya, and family planning education is a critical component for things turning around here.  It’s not at all uncommon for people to have 6-10 children in the villages or slums.  I discussed this with a group in Kibera who basically said that when a husband and wife are both unemployed, they procreate just to have something to do.  Unfortunately, this just perpetuates the trend of having too few resources for too many people.  I have heard a lot of younger (and often educated) people tell me they’re only going to have one or two children, which I find encouraging.  I firmly believe that education is the key in Kenya.  It’s the key to improved employment, less disease, and an overall higher quality of life.

Lastly, I want to thank Emmanuel for sharing these fascinating stories with me and allowing me to share them on my blog.  Tune in tomorrow for an update on the Kibera water kiosk project.

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