My first impressions of Kenya, beyond the airport and Nairobi’s bustling streets, were of verdant hills devoted to growing tea and flowers. Nestled in this agricultural setting in the highlands near Limuru lies St. Paul’s University, where my group would be for a week.
We were attending a course at St. Paul’s taught by Professors John Blevins, Mimi Kiser, and Deb McFarland on Religion, Health, and Development. While the material and lectures were excellent, the best part of the course (besides the delicious meals!) was the group of Kenyan graduate students who took part. Hailing from all around Kenya and neighboring Tanzania, most held leadership roles in their churches and communities. It was incredibly inspiring to hear about their work and how devoted they were to bettering the material and spiritual conditions of their communities. The diverse perspectives of these men and women on faith, tradition, and progress were invaluable. Their warmth and optimism was infectious; their zest for life evident in the impromptu dance parties they started, complete with singing!
While they were deeply curious about our experiences as Americans, I am sure they had more to teach us than we them—although we did successfully convince a few to learn Ultimate Frisbee! When we return to St. Paul’s in July, I hope that my synthesis of what I learned in Kenya as well as my experiences as a student of Public Health will prove valuable to them.
For the next several weeks I will be working with the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK). We will work together to tell the story of faith-based organizations in Kenya’s health care landscape, paying particular attention to their work with HIV/AIDS.
CHAK is a major player in service provision in Kenya, but what makes it unique? What draws people to its facilities? What does it do best? What could it do better? I continue to be struck by the strong presence of religion and spirituality in day to day business.
Faith is everywhere; how can it bolster and be supported by Kenya’s development efforts? Hopefully, telling this story will not only help CHAK improve its services, but also help other organizations in Kenya grow and prosper.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Emily Griswold is an MPH Candidate 2014 in Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health