Feature

Crouching over a cardboard box, Geoffrey Soyiantet peels back the strip of transparent tape that seals its top.

Soyiantet pops open the box, then stares at its contents. He smiles warmly, as if he had just opened a carton full of newly discovered treasure.

In a sense, he has. The box contains hundreds of white corn seeds, a staple of countless farms and gardens in Soyiantet’s native Kenya.

“Look at this,” he says as he scoops up a handful of seeds and shows them off to a visitor.

A few months ago, Soyiantet and fellow members of Vitendo4Africa, a social and economic support group for African immigrants in the St. Louis region, had envisioned planting the white corn, along with tomatoes, onions and other crops, in the eleven-acre plot of land behind Christ Covenant Church in Florissant.

But now on this warm and breezy day in April, Zith a cotton\ filament of clouGs Grifting la]il\ across a deep blue sky — a perfect day for working in a garGen ȃ the fielG remains unploZeG. 7he onl\ things growing in it are grass and weeds, yellowtippeG floZers tin\ sapling trees the Zisp\ remnants of last year’s onion crop.

The COVID-19 pandemic has kept Vitendo4Africa members from working in their Shamba ya Kijiji (Swahili for “community garden”), because of the area’s lockdown orders and fears of spreading the virus.

The fact that such a beautiful day in the garden is being wasted rankles Pastor Paul Macharia, the church leader, who stands a few feet away, gazing Zistfull\ at the fielG.

“It is a punishment,” Macharia says.

The garden, which was started last year in collaboration with the Saint Louis Zoo, was a source of fresh, organic food. But it also became a popular cultural touchstone for the St. Louis region’s thriving African immigrant community, as well as a nexus for the homesick and a refuge from the stress and conflicts of an $merican culture so Gifferent from the one in which they had grown up.

“Coronavirus is keeping everybody away from the garden,” says Soyiantet, Vitendo4Africa’s founder and executive director. “We use it as a social way to connect and get together. For the older people, they

Continued on pg 12

COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders have mostly kept African immigrants away from their garden, but they’re still optimistic about a partnership with the Saint Louis Zoo. | TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

GROWING Continued from pg 11

use it as a therapeutic Za\ to sta\ connecteG.” %ecause of the locNGoZn orGers anG steep jobs losses resulting from it ever\one is ZorrieG especiall\ the chilGren he sa\s.

Ȋ7he\ are reall\ stresseG out anG ZorrieG about their frienGs” 6o\iantet sa\s. Ȋ7he\ canȇt go to 0c'onalGȇs ... or >go@ for a biNe >riGe together@.” 7he stress of so man\ hours insiGe for \oung people is e[acerbateG b\ Zhat the\ see on 79 anG social meGia sa\s 3astor 0acharia a native .en\an Zho moveG to the 8niteG 6tates in the earl\ s to stuG\ at 0ar\ville 8niversit\ anG Zho toGa\ leaGs 6t. /ouisȇ rapiGl\ groZing $frican immigrant communit\.

Ȋ7he\ see the neZs” 0acharia sa\s. Ȋ6o man\ people G\ing anG being burieG. (speciall\ in 1eZ <orN or :ashington 6tate or ,tal\. ... 2ne thing the\ Gonȇt unGerstanG is Zh\ it happeneG all of a suGGen. ,t Zas 2. but noZ all of a suGGen people are locNeG in their homes. :here Zas this before"” 7he current panGemic coupleG Zith an unpreceGenteGl\ ferocious economic GoZnturn poses big challenges for ever\one. %ut those problems are the latest in a litan\ of challenges the members of 9itenGo$frica have alreaG\ been Gealing Zith from unGerstanGing $merican (nglish to finGing jobs anG creGit anG a place to sta\ to Gealing Zith cultural conflicts betZeen immigrant parents anG chilGren Zho Zish to aGapt rapiGl\ to the $merican Za\ of life. $nG then of course there is the an[iet\ of life unGer a presiGent Zho uses his position in the :hite +ouse as a megaphone to broaGcast a constant stream of antiimmigrant policies anG invective. 2n top of all that 9itenGo$frica members noZ Zorr\ about the fate of their collaboration Zith the 6aint /ouis =oo on its 1orth &ampus project a acre site in 6panish /aNe near the confluence of the 0issouri anG 0ississippi rivers. 7he 6aint /ouis =oo $ssociation useG private Gonations to bu\ the 1orth &ampus site from the 8niteG $ssociation of 3lumbers 3ipefitters /ocal . ,n 1ovember  6t. /ouis &ount\ voters passeG 3roposition = to help funG

It’s hard to overstate how important the North Campus project is to the Vitendo4Africa members, who have been helping with the design as well as execution.

repairs to the ]oo in )orest 3arN anG to operate the 1orth &ampus. :hile a construction Gate hasnȇt been set the ]oo hopes to open the parN over the ne[t five \ears accorGing to the ]oo Zebsite. 2nce completeG the ambitious project ZoulG alloZ visitors to replicate an $frican safari Zhere tourists in -eeps coulG be surrounGeG b\ a group of curious giraffes. $ conservation anG animal science center planneG for the site ZoulG help the ]oo manage enGangereG animal populations. %ut of course those plans Zere sNetcheG before the Zorst panGemic anG financial crisis in a centur\ hit the 6t. /ouis area ȃ a vicious onetZo Zallop thatȇs raising big Tuestions about the projectȇs timetable among 9itenGo$frica members. ,tȇs harG to overstate hoZ important the 1orth &ampus project is to 9itenGo$frica members Zho have been helping Zith Gesign anG e[ecution as Zell as outreach to the communities surrounGing it. 7he project stanGs as a s\mbol of their future Zhile also serving as a poZerful tether to their past accorGing to 0acharia. ,t ZoulG alloZ \oung people in the area to Ȋhave opportunities for the outGoors” 0acharia sa\s Ȋopportunities to learn. 2pportunities to Go camping. 2pportunities to interact Zith ZilGlife. 0ost important is the mentorship aspect. %ecause Ze Zant to leave this legac\ to our chilGren. ... 6o Zhen \ou become a gooG neighbor the opportunities are there. 7hat is our hope.” %ill\ %rennan a ]oo spoNesman sa\s ]oo oɚcials are still

Normally, this would be planting season at the garden. | TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

Pastor Paul Macharia (le) and Georey Soyiantet at the garden. | TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

finali]ing plans for the site anG that the\ e[pect to finish construction sometime Zithin the ne[t five to si[ \ears. %ut %rennan acNnoZleGges the &29,' panGemic anG accompan\ing economic GoZnturn coulG pose obstacles to that timetable.

Ȋ7he safe ansZer is , thinN it coulG ver\ Zell set us bacN a bit but Ze Gonȇt NnoZ” he sa\s. Ȋ:eȇre still GeGicateG to getting the 1orth &ampus rocNinȇ anG rollinȇ as soon as possible.” )or his part 6o\iantet remains hopeful about the project as Zell as the future in general.

Ȋ:e can alZa\s reference Zhatȇs happeneG in the past” he sa\s. Ȋ$nG that gives us hope that Ze can come out of Giɚcult times. 'iɚcult challenges in the past even this one Zeȇll be able to get out of anG overcome it.”

Ifirst met 6o\iantet last 2ctober. $t the time , Zas intrigueG b\ 9itenGo$fricaȇs collaboration Zith the 6aint /ouis =oo a partnership unliNe an\ other in the 8niteG 6tates. , ZanteG to learn more. %ut , Zas also seeNing something else a reason to feel hopeful about the future. )or man\ \ears a certain self pit\ing sourness a shift toZarG resentment anG pessimism haG grippeG man\ parts of the nation ȃ places Zhere the $merican 'ream haG been hijacNeG b\ something GarN anG ugl\. $nG it Zas getting unGer m\ sNin. 7ruth is people in large sZaths of the 8niteG 6tates especiall\ in rural 0issouri anG elseZhere haG given up on the $merican 'ream. /ots of booNs anG articles offereG plent\ of e[planations the Gecline of organi]eG &hristianit\ the seemingl\ unstoppable loss of millions of factor\ anG farm jobs soaring rates of income ineTualit\ GoZnZarG mobilit\ for tZo generations of $mericans the fact that the 8niteG 6tatesȇ Zhite majorit\ is rapiGl\ shrinNing anG that Zithin less than a generation $merica Zill be a majorit\minorit\ nation after  \ears or so of unTuestioneG Zhite Gominance. :hatever the cause $mericans are G\ing in Groves from this Zave of pessimism. $  report b\ the &ommonZealth )unG founG that the socalleG ȊGeaths of Gespair” ȃ suiciGe alcoholism anG Grug aGGiction ȃ Zere soaring especiall\ in the states that voteG for 'onalG 7rump in . 7rump of course haG campaigneG on a platform of racist populism anG harsh antiimmigration measures. 2nce in the :hite +ouse he TuicNl\ surrounGeG himself Zith nativist e[- tremists such as 6tephen 0iller Zho maGe no secret of his Gesire to slash the number of GarN sNinneG immigrants coming to $merica. , Zas curious to see hoZ 6t. /ouisȇ $frican communit\ Zas holGing up hoZ a group of men Zomen anG chilGren Zho haG come to $merica propelleG b\ hope after surviving the horrors of Zar genociGe plague anG hunger Zere Going after more than three \ears of 7rumpȇs racist invective. %ut , also ZanteG to Giscover the Ne\ to their resilience. 6o\iantet Zhen Ze talNeG refuseG to sugarcoat an\thing for me. /ife Zas getting tougher he tolG me in 2ctober.

Ȋ,tȇs reall\ scar\” 6o\iantet saiG of 7rumpȇs antiimmigrant rhetoric. Ȋ<ou Gonȇt NnoZ Zho Zill taNe his ZorGs seriousl\. ... %ecause of that a lot of those in the $frican communit\ live Zith a lot of fear. 7he\ thinN Ȇ, Gonȇt NnoZ Zho to trust noZ.ȇ” :hen , first spoNe to 6o\iantet the 7rump aGministration haG just Gramaticall\ slasheG the number of refugees anG immigrants alloZeG to come into the 8niteG 6tates. $nG more Geep cuts in immigration floZs Zere e[pecteG Gealing a severe bloZ to families alreaG\ over here hoping to reunif\ Zith loveG ones bacN in $frica.

Ȋ7he\ receiveG the loZest num

ber in their histor\ in this area” 6o\iantet saiG. )lash forZarG si[ months. ,t is late $pril Zhen , meet 6o\- iantet anG other 9itenGo$frica members at their garGen. 2n the car Grive there , hear on the raGio neZs stor\ after neZs stor\ about the brutal turn the econom\ is taNing plus the GeaGl\ toll of the panGemic. 2n the same Ga\ that , meet these communit\ members 7rump announces a Ga\ ban on immigrants seeNing green carGs for permanent resiGenc\. 7rump justifies it as part of an effort to protect $mericans seeNing to regain jobs lost because of the coronavirus panGemic. &ritics hoZever slam 7rumpȇs neZ polic\ fla\ing it as part of a partisan campaign to Gistract from his aGministrationȇs sloZ anG chaotic response to the panGemic. 2ne thing is clear 1ativeborn $mericans are heaGing toZarG a neZ normal of economic harGship anG fear. $nG the\ might learn a thing or tZo about getting through this crisis from someone liNe -esil Ȋ-esse” .imani Zho immigrateG from .en\a in . .imani is alreaG\ feeling the heat from the economic GoZnturn. +e oZns a trucNing compan\ that has lost  percent of its business in recent ZeeNs because of the fastGeveloping recession he sa\s. %ut .imani still hangs on to hope. +e alreaG\ NnoZs he Zill get through an\ setbacNs in the 8niteG 6tates. $fter all heȇs surviveG much Zorse bacN home in .en\a.

Continued on pg 15

e hardships of the COVID-19 lockdown has been stressful, but members of the group say they have been through worse and are hopeful about the future. | TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

GROWING Continued from pg 13

“The good part is that, based on how we were brought up, and the challenges that we had gone through before, let me say, it’s and opportunity,” he says. “It’s like, if you were used to lifting 150 pounds every day, up and down, and then somebody comes and gives you 80 pounds, as a punishment. It’s really a kick to you. ... Just prepare for hardship. And when the hardship is over, use whatever is at your disposal and move forward.”

Vitendo4Africa member David Githinji says his community has learned to survive by living “in our little cocoons. We became our brother’s keeper. You pass the difficult times.”

He adds, “The past President Obama has given us a lot of hope, and that little hope is keeping us going.”

Vitendo4Africa is the Swahili word for “actions.”

When Soyiantet launched Vitendo4Africa 4 Africa in 2010, he wanted to communicate that the group would be constantly on the move.

“We focused on the need for the African community so that we can connect them with different resources,” he says.

Soyiantet, 45, grew up on a farm in rural Kenya and graduated with a degree in economics from Kenyatta University in Nairobi in 2004. Now married with three kids, Soyiantent arrived in the United States the same year he graduated after obtaining a visa through the Diversity Immigrant Visa, or “lottery,” program.

He spent the next four years supporting himself as a dishwasher while working on a business degree from Lindenwood University. During this time frame — from 2012 to 2017 — the number of African immigrants in the St. Louis area surged, reaching more than 20,000, with the great majority settling in north St. Louis County.

One of the biggest challenges the African immigrants face centers on how they raise their children, Soyiantet explains.

“The parents come from a different environment. We want to bring them up the way we were brought up,” Soyiantet says. “That brings up a lot of conflicts between the parents and the kids, especially the teenagers.”

Because they are so eager to assimilate, the children of immigrants “are quick to forget the

The community has learned how to survive. “We became our brother’s keeper. You pass the difficult times,” Vitendo4Africa member David Ginthinji says.

African culture,” he says. “They feel the African culture is a primitive way of life, and they want to adapt to the American way of life, which the parents aren’t ready to adapt to.”

Another feature of American life that is hard to adapt to is its culture of gun violence, Soyiantet notes.

“It’s really traumatizing to most,” he says. “You run away from violence thinking you were going to a safer environment. Now when you hear about all the gun violence, the school shootings, that is really traumatizing. ... Everybody owning a gun, it’s something we’re not used to. And it’s also very scary just to see somebody carrying a gun.”

Meanwhile, as Vitendo4Africa 4 Africa was hitting its stride, a powerful anti-immigrant animus was building across much of the United States, especially in parts of the country that do not regularly encounter many immigrants, according to Anna Crosslin, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis.

Such a backlash against immigratiion is especially counterproductive considering that the United States is losing population among native-born residents due to plummeting birth rates and aging.

“So the only way we build population to what it’s been is by having enough people to fill jobs that are here, particularly skilled jobs,” Crosslin says. “Building population is really important, and we’re not managing to replace the loss right now in population, particularly in our city and county.”

It’s not just the job skills that immigrants bring, Crosslin adds.

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Macharia says the Saint Louis Zoo’s planned North Campus oers a lot of opportunities for immigrants and their children, and he’s eager to move forward. | TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

GROWING Continued from pg 15

“Immigrants are enormously resilient in many ways,” she says. “They take that resilience and turn that into entrepreneurship. And so, if we are to continue to create the businesses that are important ... then we need to have robust immigration programs.”

So why the backlash against immigrants in a nation built by immigrants?

Crosslin answers the question by pointing to a fear that has developed among many Americans that immigration poses a threat to something basic about the hope of America.

People who fear immigrants worry “that the essential hope of America is in jeopardy because there are too many people who are coming who are not like the people who are already here.”

A profound shift has happened in rural parts of the country, according to Crosslin.

“Their optimism died,” she says. “And when that optimism died, they looked around at that point, and then looked at immigrants and said, ‘Oh, my God, immigrants are doing real well. What’s happening? Why are they getting ahead and we’re not?’ They got sold a bill of goods along the way because they lost their optimism, because they lost their work, because the companies went overseas. They couldn’t blame the corporations, so instead they blamed the immigrants because the immigrants, they thought, at least they were foreign-born.”

But, truth be told, the immigrants coming to the United States, even while they might look different from native-born white Americans on the outside, “share many of the common values and beliefs that America is based on and is really part of their psyche,” Crosslin says.

“This is about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” she continues. “The very essence of what we as Americans are supposed to be and believe in. These are exactly the types of things immigrants believe in, regardless of the country from which they hail.”

Back at the garden, Soyiantet considers the many good things that will soon be growing there. A garden is a symbol the world over of hope, of resilience, of a bond

Georey Soyiatet is hopeful about the garden and the future in general. | TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS

between humans and nature to nurture life.

Above all, it is a contract with the future, and — in a time of pandemic and economic crisis — a declaration about the present.

“The fact is that tough times don’t last,” Soyiantet says. “They last for a short time, and we’ll get back to our normal life. It gives us hope that, yes, things will not be bad forever.” n