Do you know how to dance? and other such questions...Kenya Week 11: November 13-December 19

As part of my new job working with the HIV/AIDS Prevention program AWAKE, I helped facilitate a five day volunteer training for the Catholic Diocese. 24 volunteers came from each parish in the diocese to learn the basics of HIV/AIDS, Life skills, and Peer Education so they can in turn train the youth in their parishes and local schools. The basic idea: teach adults how to teach kids life skills and the basics of HIV/AIDS Prevention. Being the local “Public Health Officer” AND the token American, the volunteers came to me with any question concerning health, HIV/AIDS, STIs, and of course, the state of being in our beloved United States.

Many of the questions were incredibly relevant and insightful:
o How has the HIV/AIDS epidemic affected food security?
o How long can the HIV virus survive outside the body?
o If a baby is born with both male and female parts, is it a male or a female?
o Why do many of the symptoms for STIs only affect women and not men?

Others made me realize we have a big job to do concerning health and sexual health education:
o Can you get HIV by kissing?
o Why do women stay longer with the virus than men? (Translation: Why do HIV+ men died sooner than HIV+ women?)
o Do people with the HIV virus go to heaven?

Others just made me laugh. Here is a sample of the more noteworthy inquiries regarding Obama-land:
o Do you have potatoes in America?
o Do old people get taken care of in America?
o Do you have grass in America?
o If you don’t have ugali or sukuma wiki in America, what do you eat?
o Is it true that men are only allowed to have one wife in America?

And of course, they all wanted to know:
o Do you have a husband?
o How many children do you have?
o Which team are you for? (Translation: Are you a Manchester United or Chelsea fan? Translation: Do you watch European Football?)
o Do you know how to dance?

It was an exhausting, intense four days of training. My brain was tired mostly from having to explain what Americans eat other than ugali and sukuma wiki. But we managed to have fun and ended Thursday evening with a dance party! And not to brag or anything, but apparently I’m a good dancer according to Kenyan standards.

From Rongo we headed to Homa Bay, the headquarters for our Catholic Diocese. The diocesan employees close out their year with Staffmass, a four day (yes, a full four days!) party. We only attended the last afternoon of festivities which included speeches (a Kenyan staple for ANY social gathering), giving out gifts, and of course, a dance party!! Encouraged by the “You really know how to dance like a Kenyan” comments I’d received the night before, Nancy and I had a great time dancing into the night! And again as the token mzungu, I must have danced with over half the males currently employed by the Homa Bay Catholic Diocese!!

And just in case I hadn’t had enough Christmas celebrations or dancing, we made it back to Karungu just in time for the much anticipated St. Camillus Hospital Staff Christmas Party. Luckily this time I wasn’t the only mzungu and actually knew most of the people. Lauren, Christy, Jimmy, and I still managed to be the highlight of the dance party. I’ve figured out that Kenyans just want to know how us white people dance.

So as it turns out, the answer to your question is:
YES, I do know how to dance.
YES, America does have potatoes.
YES, men in America are only allowed to have one wife.