Travelling to Kenya on a vegan diet is not very difficult due to the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables cultivated locally. I loved their fresh kale, and especially their avocados as they are very different than the type we get in Ontario. However, at the time, I also did not consume a lot of carbohydrates on a regular basis because of my body building preferences. This was a difficult aspect to accommodate for on my travels.
I stayed in Nakuru, Kenya, 4 hours by car from the capital, Nairobi. My host family was very kind and lived in a shared communal village with 4 other families. Since my host family was from a collectivistic culture, they believe in welcoming guests with the best food possible. To them, the best foods are very carbohydrate-dense foods that were locally available and suited their needs. These foods included chapati, ugali, githeri, mashed potatoes, and rice. Many Kenyans must walk a good distance and sometimes not knowing when their next meal is, they would need to eat their fill of calories, mainly coming from the carb-dense foods that they consume. It was thus difficult for me to explain that my food preferences did not include these carb-rich foods. It was difficult picking my words as I did not want to offend my hospitable host family, nor did I want them to feel like they offended me by offering me the "wrong" type of food. Eventually, I managed to come to a compromise in that I would sit at the dinner table with them and would try ethnic Kenyan foods in small variations. However, I would prepare my own meals in advance and bring them to eat at the table. This way, I am demonstrating respect for the family and their values but also staying true to my own needs. In the classroom, I think this is a good lesson learned as I cannot always agree to whatever my students ask. A compromise can be the best way to problem solve and I think if I find the reason behind their suggestion or request, I can accommodate their wishes more easily as opposed to refusing on the spot. For example, if a student asks that she be excused from writing the next test, her reasoning can stem from a variety of factors. Perhaps she is observing a religious holiday and need to be away for that day, or that the test content is against her beliefs (eg. evolution), or maybe just that she has many other tests that same day and would like it moved to a different day. If I can find the reason, I accommodate her so I can fulfill my duties as a teacher while still respecting my student. I can also see this translating into parenting methods as no one wants a parent who always refuses every demand of the child. As with everything in life, there must be a fine balance between what you want and what others want. I believe that there should always be a way to please everyone....even this US election.
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As an avid nature and animal lover, the landscapes and safari in Kenya did not disappoint. The crater, Masai tribe, and just the cows or palm trees on the side of the road as I walk to work, I have to remind myself that big Nakuru is a city, just like Mississauga. I grew up in Mississauga and frequented the wetlands and conservation areas nearby growing up. I loved the fresh scent of nature as just by being in its presence allows me to be in a better mood. I think this helps me encapsulate the visions of David Suzuki SS as my home school as it too is surrounded by lakes and wildlife. Having these natural places in the vicinity allows ease of field trip planning and inspiration.
It's important to remember the importance of outdoor education in our daily lives, especially now confined to the comforts of home due to COVID-19. I don't know any child who wouldn't want to go outdoors and it's added bonus if I can incorporate it seamlessly into my daily lessons. My couple of days spent at Renlé's school tore at my heart from the inside. This private school had a couple of classes, each with children with ages ranging from 3-12 years old. The preconceived bias I had carried over from the Western culture surfaced here as I could not imagine what a huge developmental difference this would be. In Ontario, some parents dislike the split classrooms composed of 2 grades. A 3-year-old child and a 12-year-old have massive development differences and capabilities. Still, the children enjoyed themselves and school was typically viewed as a positive place for learning.
During art time, I remember my time spent with a class of 50 students who were sharing one box of pencil crayons. Each pair got one colour to colour with and it was then I saw my own education as an extremely privileged experience. From my experiences at Renlé's, I learned never to judge or bring biases constructed in a different culture to a new culture. Kenyan children pride relationships and doing activities with others, unlike the western children where independence is often highly valued. Thus, activities such as colouring by oneself where one child has a huge array of colours to choose from is often seen in Canada. This suits our own cultural norms and values just like how in Kenya, children engage in group games and activities that pertain to their own cultural norms. Education is culturally unique and used to perpetuate societal beliefs and values after all. Keeping in mind Kenya's collectivistic culture, I thought of ways I can engage these children and teach them through a Kenyan perspective. Despite a language barrier, I was still able to teach the children some games Canadian children play such as "What Time is it Mr. Wolf?" and "Bird, Bird, Flamingo" adapted from "Duck, Duck, Goose," in Canada. It is important to remember that although education is culturally specific, what is universal is the vivid imagination that a child can have and that playing is a form of learning. Just by guiding them through an activity is a great way to play and learn. Creativity is innate, it just needs a medium to express itself. In the classroom, especially in a place like Ontario where diversity is so common and learning styles are rarely the same, I must be careful of my word choices and actions as they can surface from preconceived biases stemming from my own upbringing. There will be ELLs in my class, just like there will be immigrants and those who do not agree with me or had similar upbringings. This is okay and I even welcome this as everyone is unique and it's because of this diversity that planet Earth is so interesting and well advanced in our day and age. I express my sincerest gratitude to Renlé's school for allowing me to shadow and assist them in their daily schooling. I will use this experience and knowledge that I obtained in my classroom to allow my students to become globally competent individuals in the world that we live in today. Renlé's is a private school in Nakuru, Kenya that I had the privilege to observe and student teach in for a few days. The original intention was to shadow doctors and nurses at Lanet Health Center, but this tangent ended up being one of my favourite stops along my journey.
It is no surprise that Kenya is very different than Canada. However, I found the towns and big cities to resemble parts of rural China and even busy parts of downtown Toronto. I also enjoyed commuting to "work" every single day. Though the use of Matatus (mini buses) and taxis were common, I loved walking through the mountains crossing the 6 way "highway" on the way to work each morning. It was in Kenya that I found that my preconceived biases surfaced and that I cannot bring Western bias into a new experience (see "Renlé's School" post under "Kenyan Adventures"). For instance, while working at the health center, I encountered families who could not afford to pay for medication to ease a loved-one's pain. I encountered one lady who was not fortunate enough to receive education past grade 4 and was married at a very young age. In Canada, people believe in marriage by freedom of choice and arranged marriages are not often seen. There is also free health care and basic drug benefit plans to Ontarians which make the scenes even more difficult to bear. However, this is from my biased Western perspective and I learned that I must try to see the world from a different light. I must put away my biases and think from the minds of a Kenyan who priorities feeding an entire family over medication for one person. This is the collectivistic society that they live in, and one that I quite envy. Neighbours greet each other in the mornings and help each other collect eggs. Housing is shared between families and young ones are looked after by the elderly, collectively so the adults can go and earn money for the household. The most important thing is that everyone is very happy. I would even argue that they are much happier than those back home who worry about paying bills, worry about impressions, and worry for their future. That's not to say that Kenyans don't worry about their futures, but I think the community aspect brings a sense of assurance to these families. I hope I can provide a sense of community within my own classroom for my students to bounce ideas off of each other and as a way to support one another, as school is not just about the knowledge that one receives, but also about the relationships that are formed and the soft skills that are gained. |
AuthorJambo from Kenya! Thanks for taking the time to read about my journey. I hope you can take something from my experiences and share yours in return. Don't be shy! ArchivesCategories |