Final Intercultural Trip to the Kenyan Coast!

The ISK seniors went on an intercultural trip to the Kenyan coast on the 28^th of January to the 1^st of February. The trip incorporated all aspects of CAS, as we were able to take part in activities that involved action, creativity, and service to the local community. On the first day of the trip, we had the opportunity to interact with the culture at the coast by learning about coconut processing. I learned that the coconut is very important to the community as it can be used for many purposes. Besides being used as a food source, various parts of the coconut can also be used to clean shoes, make oil for cooking, make coconut “milk”, feed chickens, and make wigs! I did not know about the majority of these uses before the first day of the trip, and was very surprised that a coconut can be so useful to the community. I felt slightly guilty after learning about all this, as I only eat the “meat” of the coconut and throw the rest of the fruit away, whereas the coastal community cherishes every part of the fruit and does not waste any of it.

On the first day of the trip, we also learned how to make makuti, which is used as roofing. Each of us got the opportunity to make a piece of makuti, and although it was tedious work, I had a lot of fun doing it. I realized how I, as a member of western society, can often take things for granted that are very useful to people who are living in poverty. I began to understand how much rural Kenyan communities rely on plants such as the makuti plant. Without it, they would not be able to create roofs for their houses.

The second day of the trip was the most enjoyable for me. It was my first time scuba diving in the ocean! I, along with several other unlicensed students, were shown the basics of scuba diving on a boat ride to Kisite Marine Park, were geared up, and then allowed to scuba dive. At first, I was slightly frightened, and was picturing everything that could possibly go wrong in my head. However, I was also very excited, and all of my fears vanished the second that I went underwater and began to concentrate on the amazing marine life. I was most impressed by the blue stingray that I saw, and was thrilled that I could go so close to it. I was also impressed by the coral, and appreciated its beauty for the first time. This experience allowed me to see firsthand how devastating pollution can be to marine life, and how immediate action needs to be taken to save coral reefs. I am now determined to become a licensed scuba diver!

The third day of the trip was the most challenging one, yet the most rewarding. We spent the majority of the morning helping to build the foundation for a dispensary at the hospital near the camp that we were staying at. We did this under the scorching sun, which made the work that much more sweat inducing! I spent the majority of the time shoveling the dirt that was removed from the site into wheelbarrows, and therefore, this day greatly resembled a Habitat for Humanity build for me. I was very happy that I could play a role in building this dispensary, as the lady who owned the hospital told us that she does not receive a lot of help from the Kenyan government, and appreciated volunteers like us who were willing to help out. Building a dispensary was especially meaningful for me as I want to be a doctor in the future, and I felt privileged to be able to help Kenyans get access to healthcare. In the afternoon, I worked in a tree farm, and although the work associated with this was not nearly as challenging, I learnt a lot about how used bottles and sand alone can be used to create an entire tree farm!

The fourth day of the trip was a beach day. We started the day by doing a beach clean up, and I was shocked by some of the things that I found, including a used needle attached to a syringe. In just half an hour, we managed to fill up 4 large trash bags by cleaning a 100-meter strip of the beach. This made me realize just how much littering occurs at the beach, and I was angered by this. We then used the flip flops that we had collected from the beach clean up to make bracelets, juggling balls, key chains, etc. It was great to see people putting these used flip-flops to use in creative ways, and reducing the amount of litter on the beach as a result. We spent the rest of the day hanging out with friends on the beach, and we had a great time!

On Friday, we departed for Nairobi. I had mixed emotions about this, because on the one hand, I missed sleeping in my own bed, but on the other hand, I did not want to leave the place that had given me such great experiences and memories. This IC trip definitely taught me a great deal about the culture at the coast, and I am happy that I had the opportunity to interact with it and experience it fully!