Inequality in Kenya

The driving force behind me applying for this program "The Politics of Global Inequality" was learning about the poverty cycle in Tonga- through politics. But after being accepted, I found out it was not one of the country options available to research in this course. I didn't ask my professor for this option because I know Tonga is only a period on the map compared to other enormous countries who are in severe poverty- even worse than Tonga. So I continued knowing I can study the politics of inequality and draw parallels to my homeland. My plan for now is to finish graduation at UC Riverside, and move to Tonga to learn more about my culture and Tonga's politics. It's a long stretch, but I'm in it for the long run :)

Today, July 21st, 2014, in class we watched a documentary on Kenya. Kenya is the country I am researching inequality in.

A glance at Kenya: -population is 44.35 million -located in East Africa -major health problems: HIV/AIDS, malaria, and waterborne diseases -president: Uruhu Kenyatta of the National Alliance -natural resources: coffee, pyrethrum (pesticide), corn, sugar came, and many more -gender inequality- ranked 130 out of 148 countries worldwide (2012) -unemployment about 12.5% I have further measures, but don't want to complicate the overall picture.

One thing to know about Africa overall is that it is a natural resource RICH country, but one that suffers the most extreme poverty. People live in slums that do not have the basic sanitation and water resources a human should have. It is known in Kenya that people scrape by with living under ONE dollar A DAY!

Now, where does the international community play a part in this? As I am in Geneva, meeting with different organizations who work with Kenya, there are a lot of international efforts to uplift the living standards in Kenya. The United Nations (UN) for example provides technical assistance, and its counterparts (UNEP/UNDP) even provide financial aid. But why is Kenya STILL suffering from poverty??? It all comes down to domestic institutions within Kenya- who are infamous for high-level corruption.

When aid is provided to Kenya, most of that money does not trickle down the sectors and make it to the hands of those who need it the most. Billions of dollars given to help poverty ends up in the wrong pocket! $2 million has been given to Kenya to help patients with HIV/AIDS, but still, there's not enough vaccinations and adequate health facilities with proper necessities for any patient. HIV/AIDS is still an ever-growing epidemic. But, what's interesting is that administrators have said, "Corruption is a two-way street". Accusing developed countries to be a part of the corruption. The downfall of this is that there is actually no proof. One Kenyan woman who was beaten by police (even left in a coma) for speaking out said that corruption at the high levels leave no footprints for anyone to follow. It has been witnessed, but it is almost impossible to get hard evidence. It's bad enough that even law enforcement (police) are corrupt. Bribes are becoming a daily activity and if it's not taken, some people may be arrested up to 4 times a day.

One case that was shown in the Kenya documentary we watched today followed a kid named Dennis Oyoo. This 12 year old boy took care of his 2 year old sister and his younger brother while his mother was in the hospital for HIV+. His dad passed away because of HIV/AIDS. With him being the sole care taker of the household, his family lived by means of less than $1 a day. He and his siblings lived off of rice. Every morning he'd get his brother and sister up at 5am to bathe and get ready for school. After, he'll take his brother to school, then drop off his sister to a daycare. Then make his way to school, Little Rock elementary. His teacher reported that there were some days he didn't make it to school, but in his circumstances, it was understandable.

One of the UN Millennium Goals is to provide FREE primary education to all children of the world. Money has been donated to help Little Rock elementary, the school that Dennis attends. But the teacher reported that 30% of those funds were kept in officials pockets. Eventually, the school kids seen very little of that money. School is still being paid for.

There is a lot of distrust in Kenya's government. But what I understand it to be- they lack a solid, trustworthy human infrastructure. Kenya has not trusted to invest in their own people and their own skills and abilities to build a future for Kenya. I thought that aid was something Kenya needed, which is true. But with this poverty cycle only being perpetuated by the Kenyans themselves, I see why the United Nations and it's counterparts are so vital in providing technical assistance. The UN, IGOs, NGOs, WHO, WTO, and many other international orgs, are providing the necessary tools that upon Kenya's discretion, they may use to create a better political institution that'll implement a better economic institution. Or even vice versa. This comes with a package of policy recommendations and policy responses, but what I've learned so far is that no matter how perfect a policy may seem for a country, it is up to them whether they want to interpret and execute it.

Daily Life in Geneva

I know Geneva is not a commonly visited place. For its prices, I would see why that is! However, I do want to shed some light on my experiences here so my family and friends can know what's going on and so I can look back at this post...years from now, remembering the good and the bad. :) Maybe even if I'm considering working for the United Nations one day ;)

GENEVA LIFESTYLE

I know I can't capture the whole culture of Geneva, but I will try my best with I've taken note of (Yes, I actually jotted these things down as I came across them). First, Geneva is currently #6 MOST EXPENSIVE CITY in the WORLD! One Swiss Franc (CHF) is 0.86 cents to the US Dollar. I did not know this when I first arrived. I picked up a phone at the airport (SwissPhone company) to call my parents back in California, and the operator tells me it is $29 for the first 5 minutes with $1 for each additional minute. CRAZY, I KNOW! Just to put this in another perspective, to get a decent meal here (pasta and a drink), it'll cost about 30 CHF which is equivalent to almost $40 USD. I live off of bread and sandwiche meat from the local grocery store, but even the price of that may have cost me twice the package if I was shopping in Los Angeles. A sandwich from a local bakery would be about 8 CHF, plus a drink would be around 10 CHF. Almost $13. Anyway, I'll stop ranting about the prices.

Second, efficiency here is off the charts! Geneva has got it going onnnn! Their bus system is very efficient. Buses run every 15 minutes, but usually, it's lesser than that. Although their bus system is very complex, with signs and maps available everywhere, you can get anywhere on the bus! They run their buses based on a trust-system. It's sort of like the Metro Train back in Los Angeles. You can enter without proving a ticket, but every now and then, they have transit police checking for tickets. You don't want to be in that mix. Every door in the bus is opened only if you press a button to let yourself out/in. It's energy-efficient; no need to open all the doors, all the time. Eventhough I'm too scared to stay out at night, the buses run until about 2am every day- I haven't really checked, but my dorm window is right next above the bus stop. Recycling bins are everywhere. They have bins for every thing you can recycle- from clothes and shoes to cans. They also have ashtrays in every public space because almost every other person smokes. I mean, smoking is ultimately ruining the environment, but having disposals for it is one step closer to a less tackier environment.

Also, when dining out, waiters take their sweet time. It's not because of bad service, but it's part of the dining culture here. People sit, relax, and enjoy the food, as well as their company. The first time I ate out was at a pizzeria. They gave us our menus and took about 20 minutes to take our order. It was even longer waiting for our check. I now just request the check when I'm ready to leave.

This is totally random, but when I went grocery shopping, I noticed that they do not refrigerate their eggs and milk. Eggs and milk are kept on a shelf in the store aisles. I found an article on Forbes.com that eggs in the USA are required by USDA to be cleaned before they're ever put out on stock. For Europe, regulators thought it should be the producers job to make sure they have cleaned eggs before it hits the shelves because otherwise, consumers won't buy them. Also, there is a difference between what room temperature can do to the egg. Warm and cold temperatures can cause different things to an egg. But Europe is not too concerned about that because if a producers product is produced right, refrigerating it won't be a problem.

I have so much more I want to say! But I'll stop it here...for now :)

I'll be updating more as the days go by. Thanks for reading!

Random Pix-Geneva

Geneva, Switzerland

WHAT'S HAPPENING!

I'm reporting live from Geneva, SWITZERLAND!! Who would've ever thought I'd be here? Not I! I like to tell my story a hundred times over because it amazes me how I got here!

So I've been thinking about leaving Riverside during the summer because I wanted to escape the heat, but I know my parents would despise it if I'm not doing school work. So I thought this was the perfect opportunity to STUDY ABROAD! I have dreamt of studying abroad in NEW ZEALAND- Pacific Islander studies. This has been my plan since high school! But when I started my research for study abroad programs at the Uni of Auckland, they did not have any specific classes that could pertain to my major. So I looked elsewhere. I thought, "I can always go to Auckland. I have a lot of family there!" So then on, I started my quest for another program and that's when I came across this program, The Politics of Global Inequality. This was back in October 2013 when I started thinking about this program. I started my application in January when it opened up and finished everything by mid-March. Thankfully, I was accepted!....couple months down the line, I came across a financial situation. As the days of my departure to Switzerland got closer, I had no sure answer from UCR Financial Aid office whether I was getting my funds in before my departure. Only a couple days before I was suppose to leave, and after countless efforts to expedite an absolute answer from UCR Financial Aid office, I had no money to purchase my ticket. I had a few friends talk me into fundraising, but I thought the idea was outrageous, and I had a lot of pride in me to ask other people for money. On a Wednesday night, I outlined a donation letter that my good friend, Dboy, wrote out for me. We launched in on Thursday in the afternoon- end goal $2,500. By Saturday night, I received $2,700. MY GOD IS SO GOOD! I remember I could feel the little fire in me just gasping for hope...like "don't give up Sina. 'Oua loto si'i". I had immense support from my loved ones. At the end of each fundraising day, I said a little prayer thanking God for His Grace. That whatever was going to be the outcome, it was in His will. I was content with that. By Sunday night, after purchasing my airfare ticket to Geneva (which was $2,300) I was up to $3,000. As I speak right now, friends and family are still donating. I don't know where I'll be without those who believe in this young girl! The moral of my story: I regained confidence and a humble reminder that this road to education does not only uplift myself, but all of those supporting me. I fasted the Wednesday before I launched my fundraiser asking God to bless those hands at the UCR Financial Aid office to release my funds. And I found it so fascinating that God chose for me to receive my funds in a much more meaningful way. This trip to Geneva wouldn't have meant this much to me if I did not take this route of coming here. I am truly humbled and blessed to have those who have supported and continue to support me in my educational endeavors. May God bless yall and keep yall! THANK YOU! MALO 'AUPITO! 'OFA ATU!