NAIROBI, Kenya -- Recently I had an interview with the deputy executive director of Kenya Human Rights Commission, Tom Kagwe. Though I was interviewing him for a paper about criminal justice in Kenya, I asked him about development in Kenya, and he firmly responded that KHRC disagrees with the way that most development organizations in Kenya operate.
Though his statement itself was not one I had never heard before, nor was it particularly surprising to me, it hit me hard. At first, I felt like he was directing the statement at me.
As someone from the outside studying his country, I felt he was sending the message that I had no business there. That feeling quickly passed, however, and I realized something I had become unconsciously aware of since my arrival at the end of August.
Development is often carried out like any other business, and American development organizations often hire Americans to carry out development in Kenya and elsewhere. Aid pays for administration costs - primarily, salaries for Americans - and simultaneously controls the growth of this country. As Kagwe put it, "Development organizations give people the fish," referring to an adage we've all heard before. As he implied, there is more to development than digging boreholes and handing out food aid.
But let me ask you: What do you see when you picture Nairobi, Kenya? Scenes from "The Lion King?" Starving children? Populations ravaged by AIDS? Buildings burnt to the ground in the wake of a contentious election?
When I walk through this city, I see vitality. I see change. And yes, large numbers of Nairobians live in informal settlements. Yes, sanitation, health care and corruption are problems in those informal settlements and throughout the city. But in those places, I feel a sense of community and an overwhelming sense of hope.
While it may have been my identity as an outsider that provoked my initial reaction to Kagwe's remark, it is my experience in this city that made me re-examine it. And in doing so, I see not only the problems with the idea and systems of development in Nairobi but also some of the solutions.
While the average American may look at a place like Nairobi and see hopelessness, I can say with full confidence that there is a reason not to feel hopeless. And that reason is because the people of Nairobi, the people of Kenya, are neither hopeless nor helpless.
As Kagwe implied, not only do the people of Kenya have something to contribute to the far-reaching process that is taking place before them, they should and are contributing.
Youth groups, community-based organizations and NGOs in Kibera, the largest informal settlement in Nairobi, are advocating for change: From sanitation to HIV/AIDS prevention to promoting cultural appreciation and peaceful conflict resolution, these organizations, run by and for the people, are a symbol of what one might call teaching a man to fish.
These organizations do need outside help. Donors finance many of them; many rely on outside consultants and volunteers for help in achieving their goals. And I still struggle with what role foreign nationals and development organizations should play.
But if local organizations and people like Kagwe have taught me anything, it's this: The hope that reverberates through Nairobi's streets does not come from NGOs, imported television or foreign intellectuals. The hope of this country is in its people, and it's their initiative and involvement, not mine or any other outsider's, that will result in the change they want to see in their country.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
