We're pretty settled in and past the halfway point of our stay in Nakuru. Sorry for so few posts. My phones been broken and finding/using internet can be a chore. Anywho new post:
Kenya finds itself in a very crucial place of its history. In 2008 violence marred the post election climate driving thousands from their homes and costing some their lives. Kenya has come a long way politically since then. In October 2010 they passed a rewritten and updated version of their constitution which greatly increased the individual rights and freedoms of the people. Since I was last here in 2010 many improvements have taken place. Roads that I travelled in 2010 that consisted mostly of broken concrete and dirt have recently been paved drastically decreasing the transit time to major cities. New buildings have been erected and are currently springing up everywhere. Wireless coverage is found everywhere and 3G data can be found in most populated areas. Sanitation is improving with squat toilets being replaced with washrooms with running water. Farmers have begun using drip irrigation to conserve water and large scale farms even use GPS assisted planting. This country is improving rapidly and the people play an active role.
Last Friday I went out into the community I work in with a Public Health and Safety Officer. We went to lumber yards and restuarants to check for permits and safety certificates as well as to check working conditions. When a place failed to meet minimum standards a formal citation was written and issued. Rechecks are done two weeks after the citation is issued. Their standards are high and closely resemble western ones especially for restaurants and bakeries. We had to close a restaurant because of poor sanitary conditions. In order to reopen the proprietor would need to install washrooms, raise the roof in the kitchen, and have some sort of running water. These are very expensive changes and at first I felt a bit frustrated with shutting this man down for lack of infrastructure. The office however explained to me that by being tough on one person it softly coerces others around to improve their conditions. Doing development this way allows for a more gradual adaption of new policies. While one person suffers others can learn from it and plan for these new improvements. If left to their own devices people would not spend money on improvements.
In the same way the clinic we work at is improving. The national government employs two of the clinic workers, a lab tech and the public health officer; the rest are employed by the local government. The federal employees are well versed in updated policies and procedures and have a certain air of professionalism about them. These are the individuals being used as examples for the other nurses and techs. They uphold high standards and aren't afraid to reprimand those who don't. Improvements in much of the public sector are happening top down. The national government is training the most able bodied individuals and sending them out to the provinces to be examples to everyone else.
Not surprsingly when on safari in Maasi Mara last weekend I had 3G data coverage. I tweeted a picture of a lion from the middle of a game reserve. It's tough in that area to get a cold drink or a hot shower but not wireless networks. The mobile infrastructure in Kenya has led to many new innovations, most notably MPESA. MPESA is a banking program that works through text messaging. With it people can transfer money between accounts, pay bills, give money to friends and family and even buy more phone credit. In 2011 an estimated 20% of Kenya's GDP was transferred through MPESA.
The improvements in Kenya are not going unnoticed in the international community. China and a host of European countries are investing heavily in the area. By 2016 the world bank estimates Kenya will be a middle income nation boosting it out of 'developing' status. What an awesome time for Kenya.
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