Discovering Life a World Away

We moved to Africa when I was 10 years old. Living cross culturally really changed my perspective on life and American culture. I can attest that culture shock is a very real phenomenon, as I definitely experienced my fair share of it when we moved to Africa and then again when we moved back to the U.S. years later. One cultural difference I noticed, was the Kenyans’ attitude towards time. There’s a saying there: “Americans have watches, Kenyans have time.” Another one goes: “haraka, haraka, hakuna baraka,” which in Kiswahili means “hurry, hurry brings no blessing.” And indeed Kenyans live by this principle. If you have a plumber who is supposed to come by noon, it’s not surprising if he actually comes by dinner or even another day. Additionally, if you were invited to a Kenyan home for lunch, you should not plan to do anything else the rest of the day. It can be very challenging to tone down our American mindset of hurry and schedules and embrace the flow of Kenyan life.

by Baty Newman Class of 2024

My impression is that many of the significant cultural differences between American and Kenyan society stem from the simplicity of life, but also from poverty. It is hard to explain just how much the lack of development and resources in Africa radically changes people’s way of life. Medical care was one of the resources in short supply. This is what brought us to Kenya. My parents are ophthalmologists and were there providing care to people in the region at Tenwek Mission Hospital. One of my greatest experiences during that time was getting to help my parents in surgery when we were on a surgical outreach in an even more remote part of the country. Witnessing the expressions on people’s faces when they could see for the first time in years was “eye opening” (pun intended). Beyond healthcare, almost any utility the average American enjoys is difficult to acquire in Africa. Think about water. Water seems like such a ubiquitous substance here, but in many parts of the world, including the region of Kenya where we lived, a person has to get their water from a river or well, then place whatever vessel they put it in on top of their head and carry it, potentially miles, to their house. The effort required to get basic necessities has toughened those people, but also instilled a sense of gratefulness for even the most basic provisions. A shining example of this truth was found in our housekeeper and nanny Mrs. Florence.

Florence had a hard life, even for a Kenyan. As mother of five, she would have struggled to keep them fed normally, but her situation was made even worse by the fact that she was a widow. The only way she could pay for her children’s food, clothes, and schooling was through money she made from selling her cow’s milk and nannying for missionaries. Perhaps one of my most distinct memories from Kenya is waking up one morning to the call that Florence’s cow had fallen into the river and died. She was devastated, as a young cow would cost as much as four months wages for Florence. Fortunately, a member of her church was able to donate a calf to her later, but it goes to show that seemingly innocuous commodities here are invaluable treasures in poorer places. Despite all these hardships, Mrs. Florence never stopped being an incredibly positive and happy person. Her smile would light up a room, and she wore it all the time. She would unhesitatingly credit her joy in her circumstances to her deep and abounding Christian faith.