Nairobi

You may have picked up on my travel to study ratio. It hasn’t been exactly even, as it were. This has been partly due to Rotary’s encouragement to learn outside the classroom as much as inside it. But it’s mostly due to the utter lack of organized, productive class time at the University of Dar es Salaam.

Two weeks ago, just as I departed for my Uganda/Rwanda trip, the Tanzanian undergraduate students went on strike. They were protesting the opaque system of federal loan disbursement and demanding 100% tuition coverage. Strikes in the United States usually consist of a few picket lines, chants, and the occasional scab. This strike, however, was a bit more “eventful.” Students who were not participating were dragged out of their dorm rooms and out of buses by angry protestors. Student leaders held booming rallies in lecture halls. International students were advised to be nowhere near campus. The entire campus erupted. It lasted three days. And the university’s bylaws state that classes be suspended after any strike lasting at least 3 days.

I came to learn that all local students were evicted from campus, classes were suspended indefinitely, and only foreign and graduate students would be taught. So now, after only 4 weeks of actual class time, I am preparing for finals next week. Finals, mind you, in a classroom with only foreign students.

Needless to say, this is not ideal. So Kris and I used the helter skelter class schedule to duck out of Dar once again and head to Nairobi, capital of Kenya, for some Rotarizing.

We had the good fortune of meeting some amazingly generous, hospitable, and fun people there. After attending our first Rotary meeting, we were escorted by some very kind Rotarians to all the very touristy and non-so-touristy attractions of Nairobi.

Feeding giraffes

Babysitting

Eating at Carnivore

Visiting the baby elephant orphanage

Attending a 1-year-old’s birthday party

Feeding ostriches

Enjoying a home cooked meal with a Rotary family

Easily the most enjoyable part of the 5-day trip was my visit to the Emmanuel Center. It’s a drug rehabilitation program for young boys, ages 7 to 20, who were taken off the streets and put on the right path. The founder and director is a 27-year-old Rotarian. Dan Nduati is a rehabilitated drug addict himself and took on this ambitious vision when he was 21-years-old. He’s now responsible for hundreds of transformations.

The center houses 40 boys (several of whom have HIV/AIDS), puts them in school, enforces strict discipline, and turns out charming, enterprising success stories. It was hard not to fall in love with these boys.

The season of charity is upon us and I’ll use this post to pull on your heartstrings a bit. These boys need clothes, books, school supplies, toiletries, bedding… really anything and everything they would need to survive and succeed in daily life. And, since sending things to Kenya is a bit expensive, they’d also gladly accept monetary donations as well. These boys are so ambitious and hopeful, especially charged with the success of their hero, President-elect Barack Obama.

If you can, send money through the following contact:

Afretech Aid Society
7693 Garfield Dr.
Delta, B.C.
Canada V4C 4E6
afretech@dccnet.com
www.afretech.org
(1) 604.594.9154

Donations are received by Afretech either by check (made out to Afretech Aid Society with 'for ebrc' in the note line) or online via Canada Helps.

If you prefer to send items, send them to the following address:

c/o Daniel Nduati
PO Box 345 - 00502
Karen, Kenya

Also, if you have any ideas on fundraising at home, in your Rotary clubs, in your circle of friends, or whatever, please send me an email at jinna.yun@gmail.com. There is no telling how big an impact can come from something little you do.