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.

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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.

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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.

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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

 

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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