Brother can you spare a Shilling

I have yet to meet a rich Kenyan. I know that they exist because I have read about them in the newspapers. In addition, I’ve seen some very impressive homes on my runs through mlimani, the wealthy neighborhood in Kisumu. However, for the most part it seems that people are either dirt poor or just-getting-by poor. I find it interesting to note what the “average” Kenyan is able to afford and what his limitations are. The following, based mostly on people I know working at TICH, are a few examples:

- Very few people own cars. Those with cars surely must include them in their prayers as many have a precarious life expectancy and would certainly struggle to pass AirCare. Interestingly, I do see a number of new SUV-type vehicles on the road, driven mostly by NGOs (non-governmental organizations).

- I’ve yet to see someone actually fill their gas tank when buying fuel. Gas costs in Kenya are slightly higher than in Canada and people tend to put in the equivalent of $3 to $5 at a time. Twice when taking evening taxi rides with Julius (my regular driver; I have his cell number recorded in my phone) I’ve had to pay my fare while we were in-progress so that he could buy gas to get me home (I only live about one mile from the town centre).

- About 10% of TICH’s employees are paid in cash because they don’t have bank accounts. The bank service charges are high and the employees don’t earn enough to save.

- Many employers, including TICH, provide salary advances and short-term loans to their employees. This is because there are few borrowing alternatives available to individuals. Bank interest rates are high (TICH is paying 19% on a secured loan) and credit cards are rare. The loan amounts are not large (I’ve seen it range from the equivalent of $15 to $500) and are required for a variety of reasons, i.e. to travel to a relative’s funeral, to pay for a child’s school fees, or to cover home move costs. My co-worker Bernard tells me that some of the best employers even provide loan facilities for vehicles and houses.

Despite the many problems faced by people here, they seem to be happier than people in western countries. It seems like the philosophy here is to enjoy today and not worry about tomorrow. This philosophy helps in understanding their good spirits and also provides some insight into why they are challenged in overcoming their problems.

Holidays approaching

Readers of my web-log (Mom & Dad and the other two of you) should note that this will likely be my last update until I return from holidays (wildlife safari to three national parks and a Mount Kenya hike) in early July. It will be great to explore some different parts of Kenya and it will hopefully provide me with some fresh material for future stories.