i think i told you when you were here, kenya is just like russia except with better weather. i guess that’s why it’s not so difficult for me to hear about how these girls support themselves…it’s the exact same at home.

i meant to comment on your double standard entry about using the net access and not paying for it, but i think i’ll save it for an email. basically, don’t feel bad…if you really want to witness double standard-ism and mis-use of organisation resources, i’ll take you up to the UN and UNICEF headquarters, where can watch the mercedes with drivers line up in front of the very expensive private school waiting to collect UN kids to take them home to their 3000$ a month rented homes and play video games in the rec centre…all funded by the same people who encouraged western aid companies to stop giving money to africa because it was going into corrupt pockets.

and on a more amusing in a corrupt way note, remember the bandits that tried to block the road with stones? well i picked the smallest stone and just floored it, obviously damaging the undercarriage, but at least i made it home. so when we took it back to the rental agency to explain what happened, he said carjacking is not covered in the mandatory insurance i had to buy (although our personal insurance covers rentals), but if we wanted to give him 35k bob,he’d ‘take care of it with his own mechanic’.

ahhhhh, at least it’s never dull in kenya, eh?

The important thing about my double standards post was that I am aware of how it is systematic and endemic (including me). I don’t intend to change my behaviour re the net for it (I think my blog alone is worth that, but the important words in this sentense are **I think**).

Lydia. Erm. It was frustrating but also challenging to listen to that radio broadcast. No I can’t do anything about it not directly. In general any little good I do out here is supposed to help empower people: Im working within the enucation system. And it so happens that I am working with young women, many of whom are doing diplomas here at HRC with a view to going to University next. I gues the best I can hope is that while I cannot help any of **them**, if the college helps improve the lot of women in Kenya in general (in some small way at least) then I have an indirect contribution to make.

But I didnt (exactly) come here to help. I volunteered because I want to learn. And if anything I do here helps anyone, thats a bonus. But help or benefit are such relative terms, I just don’t want to make judgements about it.

And **I** do not know about rape in Rwanda.

Maybe ther is some way we can make our litle contribution to mutual awareness for these students?
**ERROR: Comment too long, brain meltdown**

Mark

without going into a long diatribe about how women are viewed here, its quite diverse among the tribes. there are a few tribes where women are the ‘ruling’ sex, but you find those mostly upcountry. in general, although polygamy is officially illegal, it’s common for men to have two or three wives and/or mistresses. most of the women know of the others and are just assumed to accept or even be friends. older women are generally treated with more respect than younger ones. because families are so large and usually live in the same house or bomas, home life is usually peaceful and they take care of each other very well. domestic violence happens here, but i don’t think it’s any more prevelant than anywhere else. what is disturbing though is a recent survey that 85% of the women polled felt they could not refuse sex with their spouse/partner, even if they knew he was HIV+. the new government is working hard to bring women into a more modern spotlight, but it’s going to take time. i come from a country where girls will still marry for a foreign passport just to get out of the country, and i’ve seen quite a lot of the same here. but as i said, it will take time for women to be fully considered equals, especially with the prevalance of disease, female cirucumcision, and a fierce refusal to let go of ancient tribal customs.

mark, i disagree that you can not help any of them.you have proved to be a white man that these girls can trust and learn from without a hidden agenda, and that alone will instill great confidence in themselves as women able to stand on their own two feet. and as i said to you before, if you can instill skills in just one of the girls who will pass it on to others, then you have made a huge direct contribution.

actually, i’m quite glad we didn’t make it to black cotton, because you’d have been really disappointed at the general behaviour of the muzungu men here. again, this is why i don’t go out much here, because it’s embarrassing for me to watch my male friends go out specifically for the purpose of finding the working girls at the best price.

the fee increase that kibaki is trying to put in is premature and frankly, quite stupid on his part. there are so many other problems left over from moi that need addressing, you’d assume that he’d leave education alone for awhile. just out of curiousity, what is the tuition at HRC?

have just seen this, am annoyed that they failed to mention that a lot of the under-funding comes from aid money going straight into the uni president’s pocket. also, there’s a uni in moscow called ‘the people’s friendship university’ that has sponsored full scholarships for africans and cubans for over 20 years. in fact, i don’t even think russians can get into that school. but very few of them return to africa after graduation.

hmmm. you’ve really got my brain going on the education thing now. :confused:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3565421.stm