A Couple Weeks in Nairobi

A State of Badness

I recently stumbled on a report that ranks US states by “sinfulness”. How do you determine sinfulness? Well, according to WalletHub, you do it by looking at 54 indicators ranging from violent crimes, to gambling disorders, prostitution arrests, thefts per capita, excessive drinking, disconnected youth (not in school or not working), road rage, etc. As flawed as these metrics are, they are an interesting glimpse into life in America.

As someone who has lived outside the US for most of my life, there were some things that stood out to me in the report. My native state of Idaho can seem a bit lawless at times, yet it ranked 48^th least “sinful” overall out of 50 (surprisingly fewest number of thefts per capita in the country). Its neighbor, Wyoming, ranked on top at 50. Utah was ranked 44^th so, generally speaking, it appears that the Rocky Mountains bring out the best in people, so long as you stay out of Colorado which clocked in at a lowly 18. Nevada won the award for most “sinful”.

What I find interesting is that the traditional Bible Belt states in America didn’t fare very well according to these metrics. In fact, all eleven ended up in the top 22 most “sinful”. There would be a lot to unpack in that interesting little irony but I will hold off – only say that these states make up the heart of Trump country.

* * *

I have had a full couple of weeks in Nairobi, but it is soon coming to an end as I will be returning to Mogadishu on the weekend. There have been school events, dinners with friends, etc. as well as just some good times at home with the family. Time is flying by and I try not to take these times for granted. 

Artists at work

 

This year's finished products

One school event was the recognition of the Model UN representatives from the French school. The evening featured the ambassadors of both France and Morocco. Kinaya was among the honorees and their school finished number one of the 65 or so schools who participated. Lovely little nerds.

The French ambassador with Kinaya's photo on the backdrop slideshow

 

The baby whisperer. Haven't lost my touch.

* * *

Transition

The news is out now that I will be leaving my current job later this year. It’s a combination of term limits established by my employer and my need to step away from a career that has been wonderfully fulfilling yet terribly draining on many levels. I had been planning on stepping down a year from July, but the term limits thing will bump it up a few months to the end of September. The more I have thought about it, the more I think September is the better alternative.

I have been with the same organization for almost 20 years – all in East Africa and often in some not-so-nice places (some that would rank high on an African sinful list). It’s a mix of apprehension and excitement to think of moving on, but overall it feels like the right thing to do. I have been in some discussions about possible career options from October onward, but I would relish an opportunity to take some time off. I haven’t had time off since before I was in high school and I feel like it's time for a break. The one thing that my family has decided is that they want to stay in Nairobi at least until the girls finish secondary school – roughly five more years. Though I’m indifferent about the idea of staying in Kenya, there are far worse places to live.

Mogadishu

I’m back in Mogadishu. When I was preparing to travel, it felt like I’d been away for a while. Now that I’m back, it sort of feels like I never left. Once I get settled back into my routines, it all seems quite normal – at least as normal as this sort of life can be.

I had a nice couple of weeks in Nairobi before coming. I attended two different farewell parties for high-level UN friends who are moving to new countries: one to the Congo and the other to China. Sad for them to go, but that’s the nature of this work. I’ve moved far less than most who have done this work for over twenty years, so our family has been less disrupted. I have fortunately had more choice over such decisions than some.

* * *

One regret about this blog over the years is that I often don’t discuss what is happening in the world at the time I’m writing. The entries tend to be a focus on what specifically I’m doing at that point in time. But in retrospect, couching these events in a changing world could have added some color to the accounts. It can still be done, just not as well as if I had done it at the time.

* * *

Perfect Storm

Case in point. An obvious current event that is impacting my work is the war in the Gulf. There are many ways in which this is impacting us, most notably the impact on fuel prices and commodities. This additional cost is undermining aid delivery and creating huge burdens on Somali citizens. About 90% of food in the country is imported. Depending on how long this war lasts, the potential impact could be devastating.

We have also had significant tensions around the country, some if it related to Al-Shebab but a lot of it is clan related. We’re also working in a context that has experienced dramatic funding reductions over the past year. And all of this is playing out amidst an unfolding severe drought. It’s a perfect storm that is causing tremendous suffering and loss of life. 

Dinner out with the team

 

* * *

Cognitive Dissonance

Last week and this week I have attended several meetings and conferences. I get the impression that many here, Somalis and foreigners, live in a make-believe world where they are intentionally or unintentionally oblivious to realities on the ground. For some Somalis, like people in many other countries, there is a desire (or need) to disregard uncomfortable realities. Everyone does this to a certain degree. Maybe we know that the train is heading in the wrong direction, but we’re content to sit in the dining car and enjoy the view. We don’t want to think about things that make us feel uncomfortable.

Lots of meetings

For foreigners, part of the disconnect about the situation in this country may be caused simply by ignorance given that many are unable to leave the “green zone” for security reasons. Their understanding of the context is shaped by limited contact with the realities on the ground. For others in the international community, it can be willful ignorance. For example, a skewed perception that the security situation is worse than it really is can be convenient. It can mean people don’t need to leave the comfort of their office to go get dusty visiting a remote village. It also results in huge investments in an organization’s security apparatus beyond what is justified. It can also foster the disconnect mentioned above. 

 

And I sometimes make the news...

More Disconnect

Our team also has lots of discussions about corruption and illicit behavior, but there seems to be little real effort in dealing with it or even clarifying what it is. I was speaking with a colleague yesterday about this disconnect. She was talking about how Somalis define some behavior as normal within the culture when the same behavior would be unacceptable in other contexts and according to humanitarian standards. For example, it’s known that some bribery, manipulating tender a tender process, domestic violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, etc. are viewed by many Somalis as normal behavior, including by many who are doing humanitarian work. Yet we sit in large gatherings and assume that we are all on the same page. Somalis have grown accustomed to this disconnect and much of the international community is oblivious to it. Or it suits them to pretend that it doesn’t exist. 

Mental Health

Should be a tourist destination

 

I did find some time to get out and go for a run and swim in the "green zone" under the watchful eyes in the guard towers. It's super hot and humid, but it was good to get out and think about something besides work. When I'm here over a weekend, it's easier to find the time to do this. 

Colorful fish swimming around me

 

Idaho

St. Paul

Our departure from Louisville was frightfully early. That’s a good thing and a bad thing. The later in the day you travel, the less chance you have of being inflicted by delays. Plus, it allows you to arrive at your destination earlier. The downside, of course, is getting up and out the door by 4am.

We had a 4-hour plus layover in Minneapolis which we had planned to take advantage of by visiting our friend Cathy in St. Paul. She lives about ten minutes from the airport and we thought it would be nice to stop in and see her. It worked out amazingly well as she picked us up, took us to her house and made coffee and a wonderful breakfast. It was short, but it was well worth the hassle of going out through security and making your way back in. Security lines can be punishingly long, particularly during a partial government shutdown, but it wasn’t the case on this day.

Boise

We arrived in Boise in the afternoon. My sister was there to retrieve us and the Idaho leg of our journey began.

First priority was to go to storage and retrieve our winter gear. As the girls have been growing, keeping them in cold weather clothing of the right size has always been a challenge. With one daughter coming closer to her maximum height, it’s going to make things slightly easier.

pizza to go, but maybe a quick glass of wine while we wait

We had a couple of days to run errands and hang out with family. On Sunday we picked up my mom and took her to church and lunch. She seemed to be doing visibly better than when I saw her in November. The girls for the first time no longer have grandfathers, which is sad. But we’re happy that they were able to know them both, even while growing up on another continent. 

lunch with mom

The Mountains

On Monday, we headed to the mountains. We got an early start so that we would be able to stop by our storage at our New Meadows property (mostly for ski gear) and then meet my brother for lunch in McCall. There was snow but not as much as you would normally expect this time of year. I’ll take what I can get.

We would stay at my sister’s condo which would allow us a convenient starting point for skiing the next day. It’s rare during the holidays to spend an evening with just the four of us. It’s not something you want to do too much since you’ve traveled all this way to see family, but it was actually sort of nice just to take a pause before the socially active vacation home stretch.

 

Skiing

One of the highlights of my year is heading out into the cold, strapping on my skis and flying down a mountain at breakneck speed. I’m well aware that none of that is appealing to most people. As a husband and father, I need to accept that my family may, or may not, ever feel the same way. There are so many things that can make skiing/snowboarding off-putting. The cold. The expense. The steep learning curve. The physical exertion. I’m well aware that it’s not for everyone.

Also, not only did the three ladies in my family grow up on other continents, they didn’t grow up doing this sort of thing. Coming to the US and skiing once per year (if that), it can mean that one lingers on the lower end of that steep learning curve where it is simply not fun.

I will say that the girls both seem to have embraced the sport in spite of these challenges and it is my hope that someday we’ll have the opportunity to devote a longer period of time to where they can move farther up that learning curve. As it turned out, we would yet again have just a single day on the mountain.

the top of Brundage Mountain

Fortunately, the weather was beautiful. The first chairlift ride to the top, taking in the view of seemingly endless snow-capped mountains, felt worth all the effort to get there. However, once the viewing and selfies were done, it was time to put our legs to the test.

The first run is always a challenge, particularly for once-a-year skiers. But throughout the day, as the snow softened and as the skills came back, the gang appeared to embrace the experience. By early afternoon the gang was spent, and we decided that I would take a break from ski instruction and carve up the mountain at my own pace before heading to my other sisters for the afternoon/evening.

My sister and brother-in-law have a wonderful log home on the side of a hill. The latter is a master when it comes to preparing steaks and hanging out there is one of my highlights. My brother was able to join us which added to the fun.

another mountain selfie

The next morning, I had intended on heading up to the mountain for at least a half-day of skiing before returning to Boise in the afternoon. But morning rain (snowing on the mountain) and the reluctance of others encouraged me to opt out and hang out with the gang. I ended up having a cozy morning sipping coffee with the family and resting my knees. I think it was a wise decision given that there was very little visibility on the mountain and time with family is precious. As I guessed, the following day would be the epic ski day with the fresh snow and sun. I, unfortunately, would be long gone by then. 

the best steaks

 

Back to Boise

Upon arriving in Boise that evening, we had a wonderful family gathering at my sister’s. My mom was able to come as well as my aunt and uncle. It’s been a while since I’ve had some one-on-one time with my uncle and it was so nice to catch up with him. I have always felt a special bond with him and not only because I was named after him. As a kid, I spent more time fishing with him than I did my father. Living overseas makes it hard to maintain close relationships with people, but with some you can pick up right where you left off – even if you haven’t seen each other for some time.

It was a nice evening for my daughters as well. They haven’t had the easiest time with my family given that they are sort of between generations. Their cousins are a half-generation older than they are and the cousins’ children are a half-generation younger. As such, they haven’t had a lot of peers to hang out with. This time, however, now that they are a bit more grown up, they seemed to connect more naturally with the cousins. It’s a different kind of connection than you have with aunts, uncles and grandparents.

a pair of Rich's

On Friday, it was time to head to the airport. The past few years we have targeted a Saturday evening arrival in Nairobi rather than pushing it to Sunday. It gives you a day to start getting over jet lag and mentally regroup before heading back to work/school on Monday.

We missed some epic rains in Nairobi on Friday evening. Many were saying it was unlike anything they’d ever seen. There were dozens of recorded deaths from the flooding and there was apparently chaos around the city and surrounding areas. By the time we arrived, you could see evidence of the flooding, but the worst was over. Back to the grind.