Back to Reality....

if you can finish that line, you win...... well nothing, i'm in Kenya, I could potentially give you a shout out, on my blog read by my family and a friend or two?

Anyways, I qm FINALLY back in Nairobi. safe and sound in my bed,

in fact bed time.

I promise a VERY long and detailed post about my rural adventures, and them some within the next day or so, and a security update from our program, which I'm sure a lot of you have been watching the news.

More updates to come soon.

Know i'm alive and well..... and showered.

don't forget to smile today!

Western Kenya

So I leave first thing tomorrow morning (5am WOMP) for rural Kenya! I'm living with a family for a home stay!

Updates to come when I return, I won't have any internet access until then!

don't forget to smile today!

I'm being safe i promise!

I know Kenya has been in the news a lot lately, I just want to let everyone know I am being safe I don't go to nightclubs or malls where foreigners hang out very often, and now won't be going at all.

The threats Kenya has been getting have been happening for years, it's just on higher alert because it is the first time the country has ever gone to war, remember Al Shaabab is a guerilla terrorist group, it isn't a country, in fact Kenya has the whole AU (African Union backing them up). Everyone on the program is taking extra cautions, however still going about our daily business. We live in a safe area, and we are careful when traveling!

We aren't too worried here because we are careful already, and will just be extra vigilant because of the US Embassy warning.

I love everyone, and know I am safe!

don't forget to smile today!

Just as I was about to write my conclusion...

This happened.... DOUBLE RAINBOW

Here's some food for thought...

Since I'm swamped with work, I thought (some of you) may find this interesting, it's a question I had to answer for a part of my final exam (Politics of Culture in Kenya). I also would love any feedback, or questions, or even arguments.

3. Is foreign aid good for Kenya?  What are the arguments for or against using pure capital to improve the quality of life for Kenyans?  Besides aid, what are some other solutions to Kenya’s underdevelopment?

            Foreign aid has been pouring into Africa since after the Second World War and the creation of the United Nations. Over the past 50 or so years billions of dollars have been invested in African countries to try to help reduce and eliminate poverty and the plethora of problems associated with it such as: diseases like HIV/AIDS, human rights, corruption, lack of food and water supplies. However, after years of aid money steadily coming into Kenya it is still a country with a surplus of poverty and problems. From petty and grand corruption, or inequality and disparity, or ethic clashes, or human rights violations and excessive crime rates, Nairobi itself is nicknamed “Ni-robbery.” Kenya continues to be a country submerged with deep seeded issues, even with foreign aid and money flowing into the national GDP. The timeline comparing the amount of foreign aid money pumped into Kenya corresponds with an increasing rate of poverty (Warah 14). Foreign aid in Kenya is not working; the current foreign aid in Kenya is not working.

The quality of life for the majority of the Kenyan population is below the poverty level. Within the past 40 years the number of slums in Kenya has almost quadrupled according to UN reports Warah cites in the introduction to her anthology, Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits (14). And according to Victoria Schlesinger’s contribution to the anthology, “at least 50 per cent of Kenya’s 35 million people live below the poverty line,” and a possible two million people infected with HIV/AIDS (Schlesinger 24). These are current statistics. Why are these numbers still staggering with years of foreign aid behind Kenya? Foreign aid has not only failed Kenya it has helped to perpetuate its instability, impermanence, and dependency of the country and its population. However, the idea to pull out foreign aid from countries like Kenya is taboo, “… the development industry is perhaps the only industry in the world where results… do not determine whether or not it will survive,” (Warah 9). The liberal constituency circulating among “developed” nations will not allow foreign aid to be cut off (Farrell).

Ideally, countries that can afford to give aid should feel an obligation to allocate a portion of their surplus funds to areas not as fortunate. However, the ultimate goal should be to create a state of being where foreign aid is no longer needed within that particular nation state. Many international organizations, non-profits, NGOs and the like are all in full support of helping nations like Kenya simply because Kenya is attractive to foreign aid donors. Large organizations like the United Nations (UN) have many programs and fund raising efforts to donate to Kenya, and they are not trying to perpetuate the state of poverty, in fact they believe they are doing the country good by supplying these aid funds and programs on the ground. Again this ideally should work however, the UN and other organizations are infiltrating a culture they don’t personally understand and are trying to implement their ideas of what is best.

Kenya is attractive to foreign aid because it represents of the “real Africa.” Media propagates this thought through Public Service Announcements (PSAs), documentaries, and the exploitation of the worst. Photos of malnourished children, littered streets, statistics showing high crime rates and violence all which propose that Kenya is a dangerous place full of starving people and poor sanitation. While these may be true it creates this image of pity towards Kenya and other African cultures. Through these medias Kenya appears to need our help, eventually Kenyans believe they need our help, and the government keeps asking for help. This is how the responsibility of Kenya went from, “fathers of nations” to “lovers of nations,” (Wainaina 87). It is a continuous cycle where Kenya is now completely dependent on aid to function:

Late in 2005 we heard that people were starving to death in many places all over Kenya. Immediately, the government urged the donor community to help. And the donor community urged the world community to help. And we saw large sad eyes of many nameless people on the very verge of death; and caring spokespeople, all white and tanned, told the world: People are dying! (Wainaina 90).

While awareness and education of these horrible situations is valuable to promote compassion and understanding the pity is harmful. It allows for aid workers and donors to feel good about what their doing with ignorance for the actual outcome- the fact that there hasn’t been sustainable growth or advancement on a large scale. What is not shown are the bustling cities like Nairobi, the business opportunities, and innovative thinking coming from Kenya. Mobile banking came out of Kenya and it reshaped banking as the world knew it.

            Dambisa Moyo in her novel Dead Aid and Binyavanga Wainaina in her article “The Power of Love” both express their concerns of the economic impact of aid. They believe that looking at Kenya as a business venture, rather than a charity case, could provide sustainable means to pumping money into the economy from locals for locals (Wainaina 89). Kenyans need jobs, Kenya needs money however, and it needs a sustainable income so it no longer is dependent. Moyo and Wainaina argue they need a model like Chinese, “…the Chinese do not view Africa’s development as charity, but as a business opportunity” (Wainaina 89). Moyo also claims that the money currently being fed into government funds is only being redistributed within the government through political corruption. A concept Michela Wrong explores deeply in her novel, It’s Our Turn to Eat. This redistribution of government funds is also expanding the gap between the rich and the poor (Warah 9).

            This divide, specific to Kenya, comes from a history of a country founded on exclusion and an entitlement to everyone’s greedy share. Since independence there has been large tension between ethnic groups, “The Kikuyu knew in their hearts that they were doing unfairly well out of the Kenyatta presidency,” (Wrong 113). This was only followed by the Moi regime, which the Kikuyu tribe tried desperately to eradicate with the Gikuyu, Embu, Meru Assiciation (GEMA). These ethnic tensions provided a platform and an excuse to take funds that do not belong to them, “… those fortunate favours can always convince themselves their luck is somehow deserved,” (Wong 113). This corruption is a cause enough to stop the flow of aid capital to the Kenyan government. It is harming rather than helping, intensifying the gap between the wealthy and poor.

            Corruption is not the only problem with capital aid. The dependency on the international community provides many concerns as well. With corrupt politicians “eating” away at funds and the lack of civic education there are no funds to provide for basic public goods, which should be provided by governments. Instead Non-Profits and similar organizations provide private solutions for public problems. When the government could potentially create jobs and eliminate parts of the informal sector providing the universal basic goods that every citizen has a right to.

To reiterate, foreign aid is not helping. In fact it is adding to the struggles within Kenya and other African countries receiving it. However, aid is not a bad thing. The concept of helping others globally is inspiring. The concept of aid needs to be reformulated. Aid needs to be individualized and specialized through collaborations of people and cultures to work towards the goal of sustainable solutions to various problems. There is no global solution to poverty as the Millennium Promise claims to, “Doing all of it, all at once” (Warah, 30). If we want to see change you can’t just have a good-sounding idea, it need to be a well researched and studied. A solution that applies to individual people or cultures and is implemented by the people who it affects the most, not from foreigners as Jeffery Sachs did. Dumping capital into governments doesn’t do any good either, if anything it perpetuates greed and corruption as seen first hand in the Kenyan Government and the notion that people need this help; why can’t they do it themselves? Unfortunately, the media and programs like the MVP maintain this notion of pity and non-progress.

 Aid is necessary in a form of sharing knowledge and ideas, we are a globalized generation and the world is our home. But the world is also diverse we need to understand, accept that and allow for a flow of knowledge to spread appropriately. An innovative way to aid should be imposed to empower those who are lacking or who are in need. A form of collaboration, not an outpouring of money or installation of our (our being the "western world") ideas and taking over insisting we have the “right” way to do things. 

Works Cited

Farrell, Lynsey. "The Myth of Development." Politics of Culture In Kenya: Week Seven.

Nairobi. 11 Oct. 2011. Lecture.

Kenyans for Kenya. Web. <http://www.kenyans4kenya.co.ke/>.

Schlesinger, Victoria. "Journey To Nowhere." Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits: an

Anthology. Ed. Rasna Warah. Central Milton Keynes: AuthorHouse, 2008. 23-44. Print.

Wainaina, Binyavanga. "The Power of Love." Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits: an

Anthology. Ed. Rasna Warah. Central Milton Keynes: AuthorHouse, 2008. 87-91.

Print.

Warah, Rasna. "The Development Myth." Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits: an

Anthology. By Rasna Warah. Central Milton Keynes: AuthorHouse, 2008. 3-20.

Print.

Wrong, Michela. It's Our Turn To Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower. New

York: Harper, 2009. Print.

don't forget to smile today!

One more thing...

A quick blurb on my personal opinion/observations on government, media, and social progress... or rather a rant on a little bit of everything...

I've been following the news pretty closely, and well nothing has gotten me very excited for the future.

1. US deployed "advisers" or troops (?) into Uganda after the LRA
2. Kenya declared a right to protect it's boarder and sent in military to Somalia after the AL-Queda linked group Al-Shaabab (http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kenya+declares+war+on+Al+Shaabab/-/1056/1255736/-/kl4knaz/-/index.html)
3. The alleged attack on the Saudi Arabia ambassador in the US and the White House reaction/statements on Iran
4. Occupy protests have been expanding both peacefully and violently around the world.

First a quick PLEASE DON'T WORRY:
...don't worry about Somalia, I am far away form the border, and the fighting is in Somalia NOT in Kenya. I am safe where I live and I take the precautions seriously about being here. Obviously there is a risk- I am a foreigner in Kenya, but we have a class on the culture here for a reason and strict guidelines to keep us safe. I also have a huge network of people here not only through AU but through connections I've made to make sure I am well informed and safe.

Now these are not comments on the specific events listed above, those are just some of the topics I have been discussing, but rather I'm discussing how I'm taking in all of the news being poured out from every outlet available... online, in print, and in person. We are a generation receiving infinite information faster than anyone can possibly process any of it. And here is my reaction:

My confidence in Obama as a president is being questioned, this coming Presidential election is the first I will be able to vote in, and seeing the system here in Kenya I believe civic education is more important than anything. Based off of that I have been trying to educate myself as much as possible on issues in the US.  I am not by any means am I saying I am supporting any conservative ideals, and I am 100% born, raised and I have now chosen to uphold liberal ideals. However, I am finally educating myself on various problems as well as solutions (not that I haven't before, but I just took what I read as transparent facts), and who stands for what, and well hell I'm forming my own opinion, WHATT!? Crazy, I am aware.

I've come to discover that the media isn't the best source for news, the news I'm looking for. It's actually the people. By "the people" I literally mean citizens of the world (yes, I'm spreading my new found knowledge to the world via a blog- how cliche, again, I am aware). I've become more addicted to twitter, social media sites, and general discussion more than ever. And not for facts, but for opinions, photos, and updates. Facts are pretty damn subjective as I have come to learn in Kenya (Example A: did you know that eating Watermelon seeds can guarantee men to have a son? -from an actual published newspaper), and the only thing I have to compare it to are the American systems... and well I have definitely started questioning that. News sources I used to follow frequently I've almost given up on. I'm looking for real updates, no more numbers or statistics, because well unless I research it on my own, how am I supposed to know who is skewing what, or outright lying? The world is too interconnected, we are a globalized community of human beings- thanks to technology and other international advancements- whether we like it or not. And everyone has different opinions, facts, problems and solutions. The question isn't how can we consider everyone, but how can we not consider everyone?

I'm only touching on my frenzy of thoughts, opinions, and ideas here (trust me there is a lot more where this has come from), but I figured since I have a substantial base of readers following, especially those close to me, why not share them?

Disclaimer #1: By no means am I saying I know what is best, but I am saying I am trying to learn... and learn to ask more about everything.

Disclaimer #2: this was spurred by the non-stop (literally) stimulating discussion among myself and those around me in Kenya, because... well... you can't take in any information here without questioning it or wanting to know more. So we all compare it to what we know- America.

Well, so much for "one more thing" seems I had more to say than I realized.

So there you have it. A little bit of my own critical thinking out on the inter-webs.

It's been a while.

First, apologies for not updating for a few weeks, I've been pretty busy.

Coming up this week I have two midterms for my USIU classes, a Kiswahili midterm, my take home final exam due as well as my research paper and presentation for my Politics of Culture in Kenya class.

I've been running around doing interviews, doing research, plus working, volunteering and going to classes.

I've had a chance to interview some really amazing people like an art professor, an employee of Kenya's first creative writing publisher, a local public school teacher, among others. In fact yesterday my co-worker Lillian invited me to her sisters home to interview her, a school teacher for a local slum area, I walked into their home and was immediately given chai (local tea) and a huge plate for lunch, which was beyond delicious. They have their own garden and chickens. The kids (5 boys) all came home while I was there and all looked very confused asking why a "mzungu" was in their home. Lillian introduced me as "rafiki yangu" or "my friend."

On top of my work I have been busy emailing back and fourth with AU trying to get approval to stay a second semester, which is quite frustrating. But hopefully I will have conformation by the end of next week.

Although I haven't been posting on my blog I have had the opportunity to talk to a lot of different people from home, my family, and friends (both in DC and NJ) which has been great. Although the more I talk with people back home the more I miss everybody. Don't get me wrong everything is still beyond fantastic here, I love my work (I'm actually holding a team building workshop in November for the Hospital Project Team) and my volunteering with the Saturday class, I've been put in charge of the advanced acrobats- which let me tell you is hilarious, they love when I try and speak Sheng or Kiswahili.

I've also been socializing more with locals, including my co-workers, and peers at USIU which has been great instead of wandering around with the AU group.

The power keeps going out, it's become sort of a daily routine, which I don't mind- except I have SO MUCH WORK to get done, so i sit outside (the hallways are all outside) by the outlets connected to the generator to charge my laptop. Also I haven't taken a heated shower since last week because the water pressure/ hot water has been out- #thisisafrica

Hopefully the power will return later today and I can take that much needed hot shower.

Alright, it's time for me to get back to work. I probably won't have much time to update this week, and the following week is Rural week- no running water or constant electricity (aka I won't have my laptop). So expect a LONG update after then, because well, living in Rural Kenya in a home stay. It will be very different than my apartment with my roomies. I can't wait for it actually.

Also please feel free to email me (you can get my email from my parents) or send me a facebook messages if you want to chat before I leave for Rural Week (I always love to chat with people from back home) if you want a brief update! Especially with the Occupy Wall Street protests- I have to admit I am spending way too much time on Twitter readings articles from around the world and am trying to gather people's opinions and stories.


Until then, don't forget to smile today!

Sunday comes first, then Monday.

Sunday overview:

Up at 8am for an hour bus ride with the group out to Nairobi National Park: me and Belle

Went on an AWESOME hike along the river, through the park (PS there are all kinds of animals, again I'm in Africa, so yes, awesome). 

We then stopped in another Maasai Village, this time we got to do the traditional dances:

And went inside a traditional manyatta: a hut made (extremely well) by the wife (in this case the 1st wife) out of sticks and cow manure: here I am stepping out of one.

We continued our hike, and then we came to this: PS that is me + 4 friends crossing

And almost there:

 AND WE MADE IT. but wait we had to cross back over to return.

We crossed the Bridge to go to the Kitengela Glass Factory, which takes recycled glass form the city to produce all sorts of cool stuff, like this:

Afterwards went to this beautiful lodge, overlooking the River in the park with a pool that we spent the afternoon relaxing and swimming around in. It was such a fantastic day with the hike, the little adventure, the glass factory, and the pool!

MONDAY:

boring day of classes at USIU, my IO teacher got stuck in traffic and was a no show, and I had a presentation on the Renaissance, our group had 15 minutes to go over an entire period in art history, and another 5 to cover the next 400 years leading up to Impressionism, of course we owned it- thank you KPS, well thank you Ms. Goss for all of that knowledge, as well as my 100 level course at AU. 

TODAY... aka Tuesday:

Instead of typing all of this out I'm actually just going to copy and paste a paper I handed in today, our first "Critical Incident." Let me just tell you the assignment was to pick an incident that challenged your cross-cultural skills and understanding. For todays post I'm going to just give you my response, (with a few details added in and names taken out for privacy):

         This morning I woke up realizing I didn’t think I had truly had a critical incident that affected me so strongly as to contemplate later. Then today I decided to meet up with the Sarakasi Hospital Project at Kenyatta National Hospital and that changed. I have now been to the hospital with the Project team three different times, in three different wards: pediatric caner, pediatrics burn (after the Sinai Pipe Explosion), and pediatric fractures & operations. Each visit became more fun with the next and made me recognize the value of working on the hospital project with these extraordinary people. That’s why I keep going back. Today was different, although it confirmed I couldn’t be working with better people and for a fantastic cause.

This afternoon, Tuesday October 4^th 2011, I (of course) had a great time drawing and coloring with the kids, watching the team tell stories and singing with the kids who were all laughing and smiling. Afterwards I____, the team member who has basically taken me under his wing and had been showing me around, asked me to grab a smoothie. I jumped at the opportunity to interview him for my research paper. After asking him a few questions relating to art and why they use as a section of the Hospital Project I eventually inquired how and why he is working for it? He joked around about a cool poster he saw in his usual theatrical story telling voice but he suddenly got serious for the first time since I had met him and he said, “I didn’t find Sarakasi, Sarakasi found me.” I know this sounds disastrously cliché but I swear it is exactly how it happened.

I’m going to back track a little bit and talk about my afternoon at the hospital. We walked into the pediatrics cancer ward and they had a great recreation type room painted in rainbows with pink curtains and a flat screen TV with a DVD player. The team began by telling a story as I helped two others set up the paper and sharpen the colored pencils for the kids. I then got to play and draw with the kids, or help them with their drawings. I also took a majority of the time observing what the team was doing and how they were working to help my brainstorm new projects to do with the kids because Ferny (head of the Hospital Project) asked me to. Most of the children were either drawing or chatting with each other; I noticed I_ had been talking with one boy in a wheelchair who had not wanted to draw over by the TV.

I went over and introduced myself and came to find that the boy spoke English fairly well, much better than a lot of the young kids who live in the hospital. His name is J_ and I_ informed me J_ often asks about America and says how he wants to go there one day. I_ encouraged J_ to ask me questions, but he was too shy and didn’t say too much. Following our meeting and after trying to convince everyone that I_ was my brother (most kids would laugh and yell that I was a mzungu- the Kiswahili word used for foreigner, or more distinctly white person), I went over and continued to draw with the younger kids. During the last few minutes we were in the pediatric cancer wing J_ would ask I_ a question to rely to me because he was shy to ask on his own. We packed up and I was disappointed we had to leave because I love seeing the kids laugh and enjoy themselves in the dully-lit hallways, mostly blue painted cement walls, and squeaky floors.

To get home I_ and I take the same bus back into town and we got to talk about my research project on the arts in Kenya (just an FYI I am looking at private vs public art education or lack there of, and concepts of art is the western world vs nairobi via international schools in kenya). I asked if I could interview him and he suggested we grab ice cream in town. When we went to the upper level of the fast food corner by the Hilton hotel (in downtown Nairobi center) we sat and began to chat with our milkshakes (this scene overlooks a busy bus stop-used by locals, as well as a popular travel destination for foreigners). He eventually claimed, “this is my thinking place,” explaining that working at Sarakasi for the Hospital Project takes a lot out of a person and eventually explained to me why.

J_, the shy boy from the hospital, had celebrated his eighteenth birthday with I_ this past weekend, who went because he has become close (as I_ described by crossing his fingers) with J_ since he started working there over three years ago. J_ has been in Kenyatta National Hospital for seven years, and I_ continued to explain J_ family can’t afford to visit him from their home in (a slum) and maybe make it to see him once a month.

I am listening intently and simultaneously overwhelmed by all of this information, which only continues. J_ has watched so many other kids, and friends die, so much he says he can’t take it anymore but still he tries to explain to the younger children how to talk about their friends and try to handle deaths as they start to see them- thanks to I_ just taking a few extra moments to talk with and visit him. I_ gave me an example of what he came to this place to think about by repeating a question J_ asked him recently, “who will talk about me when I die?” After hearing that question, and about his family who either doesn’t show up or can’t afford to visit, how he misses his siblings, I thought I would break down right there in the center of Nairobi. I asked a few questions more about how the team deals with these heartbreaking stories, or deaths of children they’ve worked with, to get no real response other than they try to talk with each other for support. I then realized I wanted to get home just to cry and to think. And I did just that.

I wouldn’t say this was an incident where I was confused or embarrassed by a cross-cultural interpretation or misunderstanding; however, it was the first time I truly saw and certainly understood the plethora of problems in Nairobi, and all over, but specifically Nairobi. Not to say I hadn’t seen and realized the trash everywhere, the children begging in the streets, the general lack of order with most things. I knew I was coming to a developing country, well that’s why I came here. But I hadn’t connected these disastrous problems with individual people and how it dramatically affects their everyday life. It wasn’t personal until today.

These tribulations don’t only reach the dozens of children I see playfully running around all floors or stuck in bed at Kenyatta National Hospital, it affects populations. Today I came to this realization that I wasn’t in this fantasy world where I wanted to contribute my ideas and thoughts to and learn from these experiences I was having (and reading and studying about). I now recognize these issues don’t just need to be addressed they need to be corrected. Obviously no one person can tackle that, but working with this incredible project with these talented and enthusiastic people really touched me. This group of “youths” from Nairobi (although from diverse backgrounds) comes together for the purpose of making a difference the best way they can and they love it. They entertain and make these conditions bearable by lightening up the children, parents, nurses, doctors, maintenance staff as well as their own days. Today was the hardest day I have had so far in Nairobi, however, I learned so much and I can expect so many more rough days ahead, as well as great ones, and I honestly cannot wait.

don't forget to smile today!

on the mend!

So I'm definitely much better than I was earlier this week, the medicine is working yay!

But I've been completely taking it easy, sleeping 10+ hours a night and relaxing, actually taking some down time (shocking I know).

My schedule is definitely set, I woke up this morning (Saturday) at 8am! I got to talk to some friend in DC which was great :) andddd got SO MUCH work done. I caught up on the Kiswahili notes I missed, I did my whole art presentation that I have on Monday, starting reading this book we have to have finished: It's Our Turn to Eat -- which is actually really a great book all about the corruption in Kenya (although we had to buy the book before we got here because it's not really sold anywhere in Kenya, shockingly enough).

Now I'm starting to get research done for my paper about the arts and Kenya's youth!

I also (guiltily) am trying to make some plans for when I'm home in December, I'm definitely trying to go to a dubstep show or two while I'm back, since all of my friends are posting all over facebook about these incredible shows they're experiencing.

Tomorrow we are hiking in Nairobi National Park and get to the glass making factory, which should be pretty cool so I'm excited for that. I just have to make sure I get a good nights rest before hand.

Next week starts up my busy busy schedule again with classes, work, volunteering, and of course homework- I'm still in school (which I keep forgetting).

Also hopefully I will be here for the Spring Semester!!! I've already talked with our program director, my parents, and friends, now I just have to convince AU, but luckily I realized I do have the time to be here for another semester and still graduate on time (I just don't technically have the credits that AU wants me to have to stay) so that will be a little bit of a battle, but I'm sure I can convince them seeing as I already did for this semester, and plus I already have a plan for the rest of my stay at AU.

I keep forgetting I'm already a Junior in college, what the hell? And if I stay for the spring I won't return to AU until I'M A SENIOR which really blows my mind.

I also had the epiphany last night that well... this is Africa. I'm actually studying and working in Africa... hell in Kenya... in Nairobi. Who does that?

Apparently I do, and I"m surrounded by a bunch of other people who do to. There is a reason we are all here and not in Spain or Italy or London. And don't get me wrong all of those places must be an absolute INCREDIBLE experience, a ton of my friends are currently in all of those places abroad and absolutely loving life. But, I am working in Africa, at age 20, what an incredible opportunity I'm taking advantage of with all of these incredible people.  And I think it finally just really kicked in, over a month into my stay here.

don't forget to smile today!