Challenging, humbling and inspiring

If I could squeeze my experiences this summer into a triangle, you would find one of the following labels (challenging, humbling, inspiring) at each of the three equally significant pinnacles. The triangle is not only symbolic in the sense that the contents of each label are intertwined, denouncing inherent existence, but that my experiences were pointedly extreme at times.

As a member of the Mombasa Fire Brigade team, we were challenged with a municipal strike commencing on our arrival. That meant no less than handcuffing us in terms of collaboration with the fire brigade, but provided us the opportunity to act freely as external consultants and focus our efforts where we felt they would have the largest impact. Now, in my experience we tend to evaluate success according to the relationship between objective and tangible results. If I am correct in this assumption, than it would appear that we were rather unsuccessful at the Mombasa Fire Brigade.

Our project objective was to devise a marketing plan and raise awareness among the local population of the existence and capabilities of the Fire Brigade. The tangible results are the creation of a new logo and the printing and distribution of 500 stickers throughout Mombasa County. According to a usual evaluation it will likely appear that we score quite low on the success scale. But, as biased as I may be, I would say that a conventional evaluation would overlook the many successes we had.

For example: we worked very closely with Mr. Jackson Mjape, a firefighter and paramedic whom we would never had met had it not been for the Mombasa Fire Brigade. During a drawn out meeting in his office at the fire brigade, he briefly mentioned his passion to help the local population by building and operating an orphanage in his nearby village of Likoni. Although it was not part of our objective, we saw potential in his idea and met with him on various occasions to guide and advise him towards realizing his goal. By simply combining our experience and knowledge with his vision we were able to help him go from a grassy plot of land to professional blueprints and applying for permits, licenses, and other documents from the local authorities. It was completely outside of the scope of the fire brigade, but significantly impacted one individual with the vision to help his community.

I could share a number of similar stories, such as the development of the Coast Aquatic Rescue Team with Mr. Salim, but I fear they would come across as rather redundant and may be difficult to fully grasp as they all occur in a different world called Kenya.

On another note, I would like to share how I was inspired and humbled by my experience. Growing up in a very western world it is quite normal for me to feel at home in an individualistic and capitalistic environment where equality is taken for granted and planning for the future takes the front seat in nearly every daily decision. That does not denounce the growing importance of instant gratification and living in the moment, but rather addresses the long-term orientation that seems to cloud our vision for taking action and making a difference while we are still capable of doing so.

In Kenya, however, the collectivistic environment is still intact, but lack of education and ongoing corruption deprives the population of social equality and paints capitalism as a picture of sunshine and laughter. What I mean is they place our way of life and prosperity in the same box, which is far from reality if I simply look at the way our linear economy treats the world. In relation to us they are very short-term oriented, which means planning does not take a front seat, and for good reason since they do not have much of a future as we maintain possession of it by exploiting commodities and labor, only to specify two.

I find this not only humbling, but also inspirational. My experience has emphasized the importance of returning the future that we have for so long been in possession of by overcoming challenges existing today, in the here and now, and empowering the population to progress as a community and not as individuals. To not follow in our footsteps to ultimate self-destruction, but to grow as one with the natural world as the stewards we were instructed to be. 

In short, I had an amazing time in Kenya this summer and hope that you take my experiences and insights simply as my opinion, as far from fact or fiction as you deem it to be.

(written by Mike)