Independent Project

All our classes and tours during the first part of this program will culminate with an independent study project (ISP) during the month of November. We’re supposed to be gathering information and exploring our interests as we encounter new information.

I came into the program thinking I would research traditional medicine—seemingly unorthodox healing practices that are influential in villages throughout Kenya. However, since I arrived, I’ve become more interests in the complex language situation here in Kenya. I kind of want to explore how language differences play into healthcare.

Kenya has two national languages, English and Kiswahili. Most people in Nairobi speak these languages, but they also speak their tribal languages. There are more than 40 tribes and subtribes in Kenya, so you can imagine how many dialects are bouncing around the country.

My host parents, for example, speak Kiswahili, English, and Luo, their tribal language. My host siblings speak English for the most part. Kiswahili is Mathew’s least favorite class. He knows many nouns and verbs but almost always uses the English equivalents.

"Matthew, will you talk to me in Kiswahili?" "...no."

An interesting language trend has been going on in Nairobi over the past couple decades. English and Swahili have been blended to make “Sheng”, some mix of the two. In Sheng, some Swahili words are given new meanings or replaced by English words. Other words are invented altogether. So now, many residents of Nairobi speak English, Swahili, a tribal language, and Sheng. They might use all four in the same conversation. 

Just an update on the more academic stuff I'm doing here! There's a lot to explore, and I'm finding it really interesting. I hate to admit that I'm boring, but I really don't kidnap dogs or make ugali all that frequently.