My Kenyan Experience - Nate Kado
I am a student from the University of Minnesota and I spent eight
months studying abroad in Kenya. For four of those months, I worked part-time
with the Kibera Girls’ Soccer Academy (KGSA). I will admit that I was
apprehensive when my university assigned me to work in Kibera, one of the
largest slums in Sub-Saharan Africa. Friends in Kenya told me it could be a
rough place. But they did say it was uniquely beautiful. I was intrigued. I
decided to rest my anxieties and take my work assignment at KGSA.
My university supervisor led me to KGSA for my first day on a hot
afternoon in the dry season. We walked down the newly tarmacked roads in
Kibera’s Makina District and made our way past the tin roof shacks and fruit
vendors. After bounding over a few exposed sewer ways, we rounded the corner
and walked into KGSA’s compound. When we entered, I knew I was in the right
place. I could feel the school’s warmth upon first step.
I heard a bell. It was lunch time. Students sprinted back and
forth out of classrooms to grab their lunches. Following the students’ pace, we
moved quickly across the grounds. We made our way into a room where my
soon-to-be KGSA supervisor sat. The three of us, my university supervisor, KGSA
supervisor, and I engaged in small talk. After some discussion, it was agreed
that I would start teaching that day. My university supervisor left and my KGSA
supervisor brought me to the form 3 classroom (11th grade). He told me to
teach for the hour. I taught the class and fielded questions for an hour about
America, my experience in Kenya, and the state of Kibera. The students asked a
variety of questions. My favorite question was, “What do Americans think of Kenyans?”
The day sped by and soon it was time for after school clubs. I
decided to shadow the debate club. Students brought out chairs from the
classrooms and placed them on the open grounds beneath the basketball hoop. The
chairs were placed in two groups, facing each other, about 20 seats on each
side for a total of 40. One group represented the affirmative and the other the
negative. Madame Shaquila, a KGSA instructor, facilitated the debate as the
students discussed whether or not Africa should have a joint, continent-wide
military. The students debated passionately and both sides made fair points. I
was split on deciding the winner.
 |
Besides shadowing debates, during the course of my four months, I
also helped manage the school’s cyber cafe. Kibera residents visited the cafe
to browse the internet, scan documents, and make small talk. I thought
establishing the cafe was a smart move by KGSA. It helped the organization tap
into other revenue streams to fund the school - and business was good. Additionally,
it provided employment and professional development opportunities for students
and graduates. This was particularly important considering the high level of
joblessness in Kibera.
Midway through my time with KGSA, the students wanted a chance to
learn a romance language, so I stepped in and taught rudimentary Spanish to
forms 2-4 (10th-12th grade students). While teaching form 3, one of my students
surprised me. She was already teaching herself Spanish, for fun. (She was not
half bad). Her intellectual curiosity and resourcefulness were admirable. As a
whole, my students were quick reads. I was impressed and they really made my
job easy.
After working with KGSA for four months, it was time for me to
leave and fly back to the US for graduation. It was bittersweet. My students
were inspiring and KGSA as a whole was inspiring. It empowered students and
gave them an opportunity to further their education and, though it sounds cliché,
pursue their dreams. I was thankful to be a part of KGSA and left Kibera with a
feeling of accomplishment, and the thought that I possibly made a difference.
