Work.

As I am coming up on my halfway point in Kenya, I figured it was a good time to reflect on my international internship and evaluate the progress of my position within The National Commission.

            Before traveling to Kenya, I had no idea the KNCHR was as developed and progressive as it is. KNCHR is a model for other national human rights institutions throughout Africa. We are doing things right and marching forward to advance the realization of the country’s potential and enhance the lives of Kenyans. The first day of work, I was shocked to see people in suits, even the women. I was not prepared and have really never worked in such an environment which makes this experience even more educational. Most of my experience has been at the grass-rooted community level and now I find myself on the opposite end as The Commission deals with policy reform, public education and programming; a “top-down” approach compared to the “bottom-up” strategies of my previous experiences.

This has proven to be a major work challenge for me, as I have a very different picture of problem solving within the humanitarian realm. I was taught the value of conversations in order to broaden networks and work together to solve problems but am not in a position to hold such meetings. Though our office does work in the field, our mandate and the nature of the work keeps us at a higher level. We network, facilitate, train and support the community organizations established throughout the country while writing, enforcing and promoting government level policy.

The KNCHR’s work is informed by people on the ground who are in the roles that I have the most experience with. At first, I felt powerless within The Commission due to the lack of personal interaction on the ground. Now, I am beginning to realize that the efforts of this work have the same spirit, just within a different rung on the social change ladder.  I am learning what happens at the top which informs my growing understanding of the multi-level social change processes.

            Though the work is a new experience, I have found myself in a very familiar role facilitating, leading and organizing among my peers. I am heading the organization of an East African Human Rights Defender Conference, the biggest project of our department at the moment. I began fulfilling this group role as a member of student council in high school which led me to enroll in leadership classes and complete the Leadership Minor at the University of Minnesota. (Familiar story?) My active involvement in developing the skills and social consciousness to manage group work and accomplish common goals has given me the confidence to assume this role in a challenging environment. It took three months of learning and observing within the commission to obtain my own responsibilities.

It feels great to contribute my best attributes within our department’s projects and I feel very comfortable in the work environment. I am given positive feedback from my superiors, outside partners and peers. I really value their priceless affirmations and feel like a significant part of a team. Inclusion, even as a child, is a social phenomenon that I find most valuable as it is a reaffirming gesture of my presence and interactions within the world. Luckily, Kenyan’s are unbelievably interested in getting to know one another and showing the utmost hospitality, always. I am truly blessed to be among such positively moral people. I have said this before and am going to say it again: the Western world should take a few notes from the people of East Africa in regards to the value of people and meaning of life.

Moving forward to the second half of my internship with The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, I have a few goals for myself:

1)      Get involved in a conceptual project

a.       Constitution education within schools

b.      Parole programs within the security sector

c.       Leadership workshops for the great society

2)      Complete a research paper

3)      Get to know more people within the commission

a.       Eat lunch with two new people per week

b.      Meet with each of the commissioners individually

c.       Meet with heads of departments to understand the breadth of the Commission’s work and get involved in other projects

4)      Sit up straight at my desk while avoiding touching my face (most often my acne is presumed to be mosquito bites – HAHA)

5)      Try to use only 1 scoop of sugar in my tea as opposed to the normal 2 J