Change proposes constancy. I’ve started and restarted this post more times than I can count, but I’ve realized that there is no perfect way to reflect on this summer. There is no perfect way to describe the meaningful and transformative experiences this fellowship has afforded me. There is no perfect way to start or finish a blog post, so I will solely worry about being authentic. If I accomplish that, I think this post will be something I’m proud of. Disclaimer aside, this summer truly has been transformative, but in ways different than I expected. I thought I would have more inclinations to write while I was abroad, but I rarely found myself wanting to remove myself from the present to reflect. I also didn’t feel that if I were to articulate those reflections that I would feel confident enough to post a blog about them. But now I finally do. I think reflection is a very healthy thing—crucial to self-growth, which is why I’ve been journaling at least a few sentences each day since my first year of college. But for some reason, during the eight weeks I was in the field I felt like I wanted to take the experiences as they came and worry about how they were affecting me and how I would write about them later. Alas, my journal entries were short, and I waited to piece them and my learnings together. Later has arrived, and I finally feel like I’ve cultivated the mindset to write freely and without worry, knowing I can always go back and edit later. Explaining my experience in East Africa this summer to friends, family, and professors has helped me to process the experience and has cemented many bright, many intense, and a few pivotal moments in my memory. I feel like a stronger, more secure, and yet more vulnerable person because of my experience this summer. The above phrase “change proposes constancy” confirms that we are often uncertain of our path(s) in life. Throughout my life and most of college, I have sought constancy. I seek security (friend security, GPA security, job security, to name a few). And despite the insurmountable amount of desperation I have sent out into the ether, the universe returns security to me in very sparing doses. This summer was the first time in a while where I fully let go of seeking security, knowing that ambiguity was going to be fully unavoidable. I couldn’t be happier that I did. This summer has taught me how I react to change. I now more fully know how many times our itinerary can change without stressing too much, trusting that it will all work out. I now more fully know that even though I lack business skills, critical thinking and interdisciplinary thinking skills I have learned from being an Environmental Studies major are just as valuable to conducting action research and developing recommendations for a social enterprise like LivelyHoods. I now more fully know how many hours I can spend on speed-bump ridden highways travelling to different branches of LivelyHoods before unraveling. I now more fully know how to communicate with people from different cultures and backgrounds from my own. And I now more fully know how powerful that knowledge is! There have been a myriad of ways I’ve responded to these changes, but also a myriad of ways I haven’t had to change. “Change proposes constancy” insists that by experiencing the wild swings of your life, you’ll start to appreciate what has not shifted. For example, no matter what kind of situation I was involved in, my research partner Richie and other fellows we were with (Emma, Amanda, Emily, Griffin, Beshoy, Quinn, and Ali (each at different stops throughout our journey across East Africa)) were faithful supporters of mine at one point or another, as well as my parents from all the way back in Colorado; and that’s a solid truth I can rally behind. This has carried forth to be a life lesson: no matter what shakes my reality, I have remained fundamentally attached to push forward. No matter how much I grow away from home, I still grow closer to my parents and those who support me. And how much security can be gleaned from these statements! Now, to get into more specific accounts of my experiences this summer: Week 1: We ran into some flight issues as to be expected with international travel and arrived in Kenya a full day later than planned. Fortunately LivelyHoods was flexible and we worked with them to quickly readjust our schedule. Our first day in Nairobi we got acclimated to our new surroundings and attempted to adjust to the 10 hour time change. The following days involved meeting and interviewing the leadership team at Livelyhoods headquarters in Kawangware slum, sitting in on a new sales agent training, and accompanying new agents on their first time marketing in the field. Over the weekend we visited a baby elephant orphanage, a giraffe center supported by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, and went on a safari through Nairobi National Park! Week 2: My favorite part about this week was our interview with a veteran sales agent, Rachel. She’s been working with Livelyhoods for four years and is one of the company’s top-performing agents. But as you may have guessed, it didn’t start out easy. She only sold one cookstove in her first two months; she explained how difficult it was for her just to approach people and look them in the eye at the time. She was persistent though, and soon enough she became comfortable approaching and talking to people, and her sales slowly started improving. Four years later and not only is she able to afford everything she needs day to day, she’s also able to save a portion of her income each month and hopes to one day start her own cosmetics business. Week 3: This week was quite the travel week. We drove 4-10 hours each day visiting different branches of LivelyHoods throughout Kenya, often in remote areas. The view of the Great Rift Valley we got on our way to a branch visit in Kisii was a pocket of exhilaration amidst many otherwise flat and mundane miles on the road (remedied by rereading some Harry Potter books). It was always worth it when we arrived at the branches, though—listening to tactics branch managers use to improve the branch’s cohesiveness and sales and hearing stories from many of the sales agents was inspiring. When we returned for the weekend, we headed to the Kenyatta International Convention Center to get a 360° view of Nairobi.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm a senior Environmental Studies major at Santa Clara University from Castle Rock, CO who's passionate about social and environmental justice. I enjoy cooking vegan food, climbing 14ers, reading, and learning to surf! ArchivesCategories |