Features
From Canada to Kenya and Back
Guelph student, Kenyan grad share thoughts on world view-broadening exchange experiences
BY TERESA PITMAN
When fourth-year international development student Whitney Radforth travelled to Kenya earlier this year, she had done her research and thought she knew what to expect. She was going to be teaching English and math to children in one of the largest slums in Africa, and she knew she'd be faced with poverty and government corruption on a level not seen in Canada.
And, yes, she did encounter the problems with sanitation, health care and living conditions she'd anticipated. But there were some surprises, too. Radforth says the biggest was the hopeful and positive outlook of most of the people she met.
“I thought people living in such poor conditions would feel down and discouraged with their situation, but that wasn't the case at all. And I found the people were very friendly and welcoming. There are fewer distractions there, so people talk to each other more and relate in a deeper way.”
Radforth spent the summer in Kenya, then returned to U of G in September. During her stay in Africa, she met Amos Gona, a recent university graduate in business and information technology from Kenya who has now come to Guelph to work for the Elliott Community for 18 months.
Both Radforth and Gona's work experiences were arranged through AIESEC, which is the largest student-run organization in the world, linking students and recent graduates to international work and volunteer opportunities.
Because Gona had never been outside Africa before coming here, much is new to him, including snow. “I'm looking forward to making a snowman or a snowwoman and throwing snowballs,” he says.
By February or March, he may be a little less enthusiastic about the joys of Canadian winters, but even if snow loses its appeal, Gona is finding lots to like about the Great White North. Coming from a developing country, he says he's been impressed by such things as efficient public transportation, the Canadian health-care system and the security of the country.
Both Gona and Radforth have high praise for AIESEC's work. “Through AIESEC, you get broader views of the world,” says Gona. “You have the opportunity to interact with people from different countries, to exchange views, to build networks. You build your understanding of different cultures.”
Radforth says she especially valued the support she received in Kenya.
“When you go on an exchange, you have the whole AIESEC chapter there helping you. You're not alone. And you're also not there with a bunch of other interns — your support is coming from locals, who really understand the community and the culture.”
Food, of course, is a big part of any culture. Radforth says of the Kenyan food she ate: “The food was good, but very basic. Ugali is one of the staples — it's a kind of cornmeal paste that is cooked like a pound cake and eaten with your hands. The fruit was so abundant there. I could pick it from the trees in the backyard, and there were street vendors everywhere selling it. We had mangoes, oranges, bananas, avocados, lemons — and the mangoes were the best in the world.”
Gona admits he misses the Kenyan foods he grew up with but says he's been able to find some ingredients and is doing some of his own cooking. “I did try a Big Mac once,” he says, but he found its taste didn't match the hype surrounding it.
When it comes to social differences between the two countries, Gona notes that divorce rates are very low in Kenya, much lower than in Canada.
“In Kenya, marriage is a long process,” he says. “The bride is taken from her family and given to her husband, and he has to pay the family a dowry. And some tribes — there are 42 different ones in Kenya — allow men to have more than one wife.”
Radforth adds that Kenyan people are generally more religious than Canadians.
“The church plays a bigger role in the lives of young people in Kenya than it does here,” she says. “Also, I think children really respect and abide by their parents' rules and wishes, more than in Canada.”
Gona and Radforth disagree about where the people are more friendly. She was impressed by how welcoming her Kenyan hosts were, but he insists the Canadians he's met here are friendlier than the people in Kenya.
Both agree, though, that the experience of working in another country has affected them profoundly.
“The priorities in my life have switched,” says Radforth. “I appreciate relationships on a deeper level, and I have a new understanding of what's important and what makes me happy.”
Gona sees this experience opening up new opportunities for his future. “I'm improving my skills and getting to know more people in my field.”
And how are Kenyans and Canadians alike? Radforth is quick to answer that one. “They all like to party the same way,” she laughs, then adds more seriously: “That's one thing I've learned from this experience. People are really all the same. We may look different, we may come from different backgrounds, but really we all have so much in common.”
For more information about the AIESEC program, visit www.aiesec.ca/en.