Experience story: Roel Kramer, Nairobi, Kenya

Kenya, Nairobi, AIESEC Strathmore & UON

June the 5th, finally made up where to go because of too much interesting internship opportunities in different countries. Well, 2 weeks later I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya and the adventure could start!


I was going to work for Kuruka Maisha, an art school for street kids. I would help in daily operations, do some counselling and focus on marketing of the performances. And I would stay without any costs at the director of the organisation during the time of my internship. However, the day I arrived in the morning I was told he wasn't able to host me, so I was moving to another host “family” (one guy actually). It was a nice place, good location etc. But after a week he started asking for rent; €300 (which is enough money to rent your own house in Kenya). So again plans changed; I moved to the LC-house, living with 9 other international trainees. In the beginning we had some problems with running water; so sometimes showering meant throwing buckets of (cold) water over your head. Though everything got fixed after a while and it was really great living together with all those different nationalities, going on trips together, going for dinners, drinks, cinema, parties etc etc.


Then concerning my internship, there was a small problem. At the moment of my arrival the
organizational activity was around the level of zero. This was, as my director communicated, due to the fact that no money was transferred from the Belgian funder this month. But, it would arrive
anytime soon. So I started to think about all sorts of different projects I could start with. However, as time proceeded, my director kept telling me he expected to start lessons and projects again the next week. After three weeks I lost my patience, and went to search for other opportunities. Via some roommates and AIESEC UON I came into contact with the AHCP, which is an organization based in Kibera (the biggest slum). They had an entrepreneurship project, teaching young people about how to set up their own businesses. I really loved this project. 3 times I was teaching (sometimes together with other trainees, but most of the time alone) on marketing, finance, accounting, management etc. This was a wonderful experience, standing in front of a class of 13 students around my age and older. I really had the idea I could contribute a lot, since all the students seemed to learn a lot. There was a lot of interesting interaction with the students; they took me to their houses in the slum, invited me for a hike, showed me their current running business etc.

Then a bit about the social life in Kenya. Arriving at six in the morning in Kenya, the whole first day the people of AIESEC Strathmore showed me around in town. It was exhausting but very nice they took a whole day to show me around. The next day I would be taken to the project, but nobody came. I tried to call and text, but nobody showed up. Neither the next day. It was after 2 days that I took a matatu (bus) myself and met with somebody in town who could take me to my project. I can say that the AIESEC 'ers from Strathmore were not really very active and very much involved with the trainees (with a few exceptions there). 

Every Tuesday there were AIESEC drinks in a bar in town, including all LC's (there are 5 in Nairobi). Here I met a lot of AIESEC'ers from UON, also the LC where I ended up doing the project on entrepreneurship. These people were way more socially active and involved with the trainees. Actually from Strathmore they didn't even take care of me when I was telling about the lack of work at Kuruka Maisha, I had to take care of myself. Though I think that in Nairobi, no matter what LC you are, you can have a great time. If you are willing to take some effort to meet new people, it will be a lot of fun. Since there are a lot of trainees (in the summer there were over 30 I think) and also a lot of AIESEC'ers you can hang out with. 

So, if you would be thinking about going to Strathmore anyway, just do it if you think you're project is really cool.

Nairobi is quite developed, well the town is. You can find fast food chains (not McDonalds but some South-Africain chains!), you can go clubbing, go to cinemas, luxurious shopping malls etc. But also a lot of parts are not developed, like Kibera which is a slum with 1,4 million people. Here there is no (good) sanitation, no running water, a lot of HIV/ AIDS, sometimes no electricity, houses made of mud and wood, no garbage system. Although there is a lot of poverty, the people are so friendly and warm-hearted. Actually I really liked it working there and interacting with the people living there.

Nairobi is known to be really dangerous and unsafe. You should really take of yourself in town, that's true. Don't trust random people in the streets talking to you and trying to get something from you (if you want to ask for a street or something; approach someone yourself, don't let yourself be approached). Especially during the night you shouldn't walk alone, unless you're with locals. I expected to be robbed at least once, but it didn't happen!


There are quite a number of tourists in Kenya; a lot organized tours go on safaris and to the coast. It makes sense, since it's a really beautiful country with a lot of wild life, and at the coast beautiful beaches combined with an interesting (Arab) culture.

I learned a lot, especially adapting to the standards in the different country. I was meeting with a
person in town to go for drinks, she showed up an hour to late. Every Kenyan has a strong sense of religion from which the majority is Christian (you see texts like: God is able, Jesus is our bread even on buses). The traditional food is hard to get used to, unless you love beans, rice and ugali (a sticky starch sort of porridge). But you can also have really good food (and fruits!). Public transport is different; no time tables, no well maintained buses with fixed seats; but small vans with loud hiphop music ignoring any rule on the road.

I really loved my stay in Kenya. Though things didn't work out as I expected, I had a really great time.I met so many nice people, Kenyans as well as international trainees, had the idea I really contributed with my work, and also saw a lot of the country. To my opinion, most important of all is that you're not focusing too much on your expectations but that you're open to changes and are willing to make the experience the best yourself by taking initiatives.


Roel Kramer (Tilburg)




http://roelkramer.blogspot.com