The people at Azadi, my community partner, are so welcoming. Every Monday, the one day the whole team meets at the resource center, they greet us with warm hugs, and we spend the first hour or so settling in and chatting over breakfast. On the day I arrived, one of the members gave me a Swahili name: Zuri, which I later learned means “beautiful.” We also begin every meeting with a round of check-ins. Before coming here, asking “How are you?” always felt like a formality, and answering “Good” was just my automatic response. But it’s been refreshing to see how much the team values honestly sharing how you feel, especially if you’re not doing the best, and expressing when you need time to rest and recover. The resource center – where meetings, wellbeing activities, and other programming take place – is an actual house, which feels fitting since the space is meant to feel like home. We eat meals together, collaborate on our work together, and engage in fun activities together. Everyone in the Azadi community, from the staff to the members, treats one another like family.
That sense of community has been especially grounding as I adjusted to a completely different pace of life. Although I’ve appreciated the break from Rice’s fast-paced grind and the typical 9-to-5 routine, the lack of structure most days was definitely an adjustment. I found myself getting anxious whenever I had too much spare time and didn’t know what to do with myself, especially during my first two weeks before my travel buddy arrived. But I’ve learned to use the spare time to my advantage and explore everything Nairobi had to offer. Some days I’d check out a café, thrift clothes, or take a stroll in the forest near where I live (it’s so lush and green here, which is something I’ll certainly miss when I return to the stretches of cement in Houston).
Karura Forest
There were also some moments that reminded me of Sri Lanka, the country where my parents immigrated from. For one, chapatis and samosas are popular snacks here in Kenya as well. The fruit stalls (fruits from here are tastier and cheaper compared to those at the grocery store!), markets selling hand-crafted items, and the overall atmosphere brought back memories of summers spent in Sri Lanka when I was younger. The auto rickshaws (known locally as tuktuks) were also a familiar sight. These three-wheeled vehicles are especially popular in the coast, and we rode one during an Uber trip. They have some other fun means of transportation as well, including boda bodas, which are motorcycle taxis… They’re exhilarating if you enjoy an adrenaline rush! But the most distinctively Kenyan form of transport has to be the matatus. These buses are covered in colorful graffiti, and no matter the time of day, they’re blasting upbeat music and flashing vibrant lights inside!
Matatu!
It’s been eye-opening to see how some everyday activities, ones you usually don’t think twice about, can turn into wild adventures in a foreign country. Take crossing the road, for instance. In Houston, it’s simple: wait at a crosswalk, then go when the light changes. But in Kenya, there aren’t really any crosswalks, pedestrian signals, or even traffic lights. Especially during rush hour, crossing the street becomes a feat. Driving seems like a whole other thing too… Even though the lanes are marked, they’re often treated more like suggestions (I still trust these drivers more than Houston drivers 😅)
Exploring the city also meant navigating some cultural and language barriers. While everyone at work could communicate in English, the preferred language was Swahili. In other words, whenever the team would talk casually among themselves, it was always in Swahili. Sometimes this made it challenging to join in on conversations, but it’s pushed me to take more initiative in starting conversations and learning a few words in Swahili as well! One that I’d become familiar with early on was “mzungu”, which is the Swahili word for foreigner.
One of the most rewarding parts of being here has been forming friendships with locals! We made a good friend here who’s been taking us around the city and introducing us to places we would’ve never found on our own. One morning, we visited Gikomba market, a massive and chaotic open-air market with vendors selling second-hand clothing imported from the U.S. and countries in Europe, which are now being sold for as little as 100 shillings (equivalent to around 75 cents). At the market, we didn’t come across a single other foreigner, which made it feel like a true hidden gem. It was definitely hectic and overwhelming at first, with narrow aisles packed with people, and vendors occasionally tapping us on the shoulder or calling out to get our attention, but I’m glad I got to experience the mitumba business, which is a major source of both employment and affordable clothing. Our local friend also introduced us to some foods I’ve never tried before. One was mabuyu, a street snack made from baobab seeds coated in sugar, spices, and coloring. A small bag costs just 10 shillings (less than 10 cents) and she showed us the proper way to eat it: let the coating dissolve in your mouth, then spit out the seed. I also tried some new tropical fruits like granadilla, which is similar to passionfruit, and super delicious.
Mabuyu, a street snack found in Kenya!
As I’m writing this, I still have a few weeks left to go in Kenya, and I’m excited for what awaits!