A Visit to Kenya, East Africa

A Visit to Kenya, East Africa

A Visit to Kenya,
East Africa
by Ed Cohen
From the Editor:
Ed Cohen is a member of the Indianapolis Chapter of the NFB of Indiana. The
following story of his trip to Kenya and his activities on behalf of blind
people there appeared in the Winter, 2000, issue of the Hoosier Federationist,
the publication of the NFB of Indiana. Here it is:
Little did I realize
when our daughter Angela announced her desire to be a Peace Corps volunteer
in sub-Saharan Africa how much impact it would have on me and, indeed, on
Africa. Less than a month after she graduated from the University of Kentucky
with a degree in Forestry, she left for her two-year assignment in Kenya,
East Africa.
During her first year
there my wife Karen and I decided to visit her. After all, how often do you
have a chance to visit one of your children and go to Africa at the same time?
Angela lives in a little
wooden house outside Bomet, a small town in western Kenya not far from the
Masaii Mara National Game Preserve. She lives much like her neighbors, who
have no electricity, telephone, or running water. Her bathroom is a mere twenty
steps from her side door. Yes, it is in a lovely location, but our only communication
with her is by the post--what we call the mail. It takes about two weeks for
a letter to arrive. E-mail and phone calls are a welcome treat but a rare
luxury.
As we discussed our possible
plans, I asked Angela if she ever saw blind people in her area. She said that
she had not but would do some investigating. While asking around, she learned
that the Kenyan Union of the Blind had a chapter in her area. When she spoke
to them, they said that they would be pleased to meet a blind person from
America. This had the possibility of turning into a great opportunity.
I contacted our state
president, Ron Brown, and discussed the idea of taking canes and Braille materials
with me on the trip. We also agreed that we should make sure that we left
behind the idea of making canes using local materials. He was all for it,
so we began to put ideas together.
At our next monthly meeting
members of the Indianapolis chapter enthusiastically supported the idea and
offered to pitch in with various donations of canes, slates and styluses,
and Braille-teaching books. The state affiliate donated a dozen NFB folding
canes and twenty extra tips. Rounding out the package were spare bungee cord,
Kernel books, the book on Dr. Jernigan's life, and a muffin tin with six tennis
balls. The last item was a great Braille teaching aid I had seen at a NOPBC
[National Organization of Parents of Blind Children] meeting at our last state
convention.
We knew that the Kenyans
would need training in the use of their new canes. Though I use a long white
cane, I am not an O&M [orientation and mobility] instructor. However,
our Indianapolis chapter is fortunate to have Ron Brown and Mike Neese as
members. They are recent graduates of the Louisiana Tech master's degree program
in Orientation and Mobility in cooperation with the Louisiana Center for the
Blind. With their help I felt prepared to impart the basics the Kenyans would
need to know to get them started.
The day before Halloween
we bid farewell to the USA and began our adventure. After nine hours of flying,
we landed in Amsterdam. Here we spent two wonderful days exploring the city
on foot and by canal boat. The long stopover helped us adjust to the many
time zone changes and gave us a splendid peek at a European city, our first
taste, but hopefully not our last.
After another eight-hour
flight we arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. At last we were with Angela, whom we
had not seen in one-and-a-half years. The first week we went on a safari,
which is Swahili for "trip." With the skillful aid of a Kenyan driver/guide
we had the pleasure of traveling to four different game parks. Throughout
our safari we were amazed and delighted with Kenya and its wildlife. Being
close to and seeing such creatures as elephants, lions, and buffalo in their
natural setting was a thrill of a lifetime.
At the end of the safari
we moved into the second week and phase of our trip. We rented a small jeep,
and Angela drove us to her home. Living in America, we don't realize how different
our life is from that of the rest of the world. Good roads, directional signs,
and reasonable drivers are not something Kenya is over-burdened with. We also
learned it is possible to be comfortable without all the modern conveniences
that we all take for granted. For example, we learned how little water you
actually need to brush your teeth or even to wash your body when you have
to boil all the water first.
The morning came when
we were to meet with the local blind group. Even though I had a plan and am
comfortable speaking in front of groups and Angela had prepared us for various
possibilities, I did have some butterflies.
We drove into Bomet and
down the dirt road that led to collections of one-story, concrete-block municipal
buildings. We pulled up to one where a number of people were milling around.
We three carried our packs, bags, and boxes into the long room and began to
organize and spread everything out.
Soon we met Ruth, who
provides various services to the handicapped in this area. We learned that,
for the purpose of receiving services, the blind were combined with all others
with any sort of disability.
We were also introduced
to Wilson Kipkururi. Wilson is the chairman of the Bomet Chapter of the Kenyan
Union of the Blind. We learned that his area includes a number of other towns
and local chapters. He informed us that officers of several of those chapters
were present and would later get a chance to speak.
As the time to begin
approached, the horseshoe-shaped table was filled with over a dozen men and
women. The men were all in suits or sport coats while the women were in brightly
colored dresses. The one obviously missing item was their long white canes.
At last the program began.
This part of Kenya is
populated by members of the Kipsigi tribe. They of course speak Kipsigi, which
I do not. Therefore, a translator was an integral part of the program for
the next three hours. After Karen, Angela, and I were introduced, I was given
the floor. I began by explaining that I brought greetings from the President
of the National Federation of the Blind of Indiana. Indiana, I mentioned,
was a state near the center of the United States. I then read a letter I had
brought from our state president. It was well received, which I took as a
good omen for the rest of the program.
After this the pace
picked up a bit. About nine of the twelve people present were blind--about
half totally. The others were here on behalf of a blind person. They had heard
that canes were going to be distributed at the program and seemed excited
at the prospect. We had purchased canes in three different lengths, so we
had to match them as best we could with those who were to receive them. With
much explanation and assistance, we passed out the canes. Try to imagine a
dozen blind people standing in a row and opening their folding canes for the
very first time. The look of joy on their faces was a wonderful sight, not
to mention the gasps and laughter as the canes came tumbling open on their
own.
The second part of the
program was devoted to presenting the basics of using their long white canes.
With help from all of those present who were not receiving a cane, and much
one-on-one assistance, we managed a couple of turns around the room. The group
of onlookers staring in from the open front door let me know that a dozen
blind people moving in a circle, using their newly acquired long-white-cane
skills, was a rare sight in these parts. Yet the broad grins on some of the
faces of those using their canes told me it was an important and special moment.
Once everyone returned
to their seats, we moved on to the third and final portion of my part of the
program--the making of canes. During our planning we had recognized that I
could not bring enough canes or even tips to meet their needs. The Kenyans
should and would have to make more canes using local materials. A cane designed
and built by Kenyans specifically for their unique conditions would be a key
to their continuing to make progress.
All this is not to say
that no one in attendance that day already had a cane. A couple of locally
made canes were present. One was a stick, curved at the top into a "U"
that came up to the short man's belt. They found my term for it, the "navel-stick"
very funny once the translator got finished with it. I can't help wondering
what he actually called it. The other cane was carried by a tall man. It came
up to his ear and was as big around as my wrist. I commented that it was more
a weapon than a cane. After the translation of my comment it seemed, based
upon the nods and laughter, that many agreed with my assessment.
I urged people to examine
the metal tips and screws that I had brought as repair parts or as a starting
point. If makers used locally available bamboo and other woody materials,
canes that were light, strong, inexpensive, and attractive could be fashioned
to the exact needs of the user. Pointing out the possibility that blind people
elsewhere in Kenya might want canes that they could produce and sell caused
a ripple of interest that I hope may blossom.
The program closed with
Wilson's speaking and asking many people present to speak as well. Speaker
after speaker expressed deep gratitude for our donation of resources and time.
I learned that there are approximately 200,000 blind Kenyans. Rehabilitation
and training services are few and far between. I also learned that our dozen
canes alone represented a significant monetary donation when calculated in
Kenyan shillings, the local currency.
The most heartening comments
were made by Wilson. All Federationists would be pleased to hear that in this
small town in western Kenya the blind believe that with proper training and
opportunity they can lead self-reliant, productive lives.
I walked out of that
building with the profound feeling that many lives had been touched that day.
Far more than the transfer of some canes and training had taken place. The
outpouring of gratitude and well wishes to the NFB could be felt in the air.
We had touched each other through our common desire for the advancement of
opportunities for the blind.
For ten more days we
continued to soak in the sights, sounds, and smells of Kenya. Yet throughout
that time my mind kept turning back to the men and women I had met in that
small concrete-block building that day. Our visit with Angela continued for
another week and a half; the last week was spent on the coast near Mombasa.
It gave us a chance to relax and think.
I am now back home in
Indianapolis, and the demands of work and family again arise to occupy my
mind and time. Yet I think about and wonder what is happening to the blind
Kenyans I met. What sort of life will they have? Was our meeting worth the
effort? Would our donations result in any positive changes in their lives?

During Angela's remaining
time in Kenya she will monitor the group and report back on what impact we
had. Even after she leaves, the address on the letter from Ron that we left
will be a link to us. I sincerely hope that from this small event greater
things can occur. Only time will tell. I feel a link was established between
our two worlds. They now know that there are people on the other side of the
planet who care for them and wish them success.
On those long white canes
we placed small stickers stating that they came from the NFB of Indiana. We
can all share in the knowledge that a small part of the NFB was planted in
the small Kenyan town of Bomet that day.