Getting to know the Kenyans

I have a rather small role in the Kenya exchange programme, but nevertheless I would like to share my experience with you. My first meeting with the Kenyans was very positive and inspiring. I got to know the Kenyans when they entered the university for the first time on Monday morning. The problem soon arose that many participants of the programme stayed in Germany for several weeks and wanted to be able to phone home (i.e. Africa or non-European) during this time. So I went to Mediamarkt with three Kenyans in an attempt to get SIIM cards. I hadn’t had much experience with this before. A nice Mediamarkt employee explained to us that no prepaid SIM cards are sold in Germany for making phone calls outside Europe (anti-terror law). But even for simple prepaid SIM cards, ID and confirmation of registration are required for activation. The three of them did not have this with them, so there were no SIM cards for us at that time. The two Kenyan women who had come with us really wanted to go to Kik. Reason: better quality than in Kenya, for little money. In plain language: A little paradise for African women who like to shop. Communication worked well in English. We drove to the Sankt-Annen-Galerie in my small, somewhat older, but well-maintained Ford Fiesta. In Germany, this car is often (rather condescendingly) ridiculed. The Kenyans (especially Francés, the male Kenyan) admired my car. When asked ‘Why?’ they replied that in Kenya cars are not guaranteed to start every time. The little excursion definitely gave me some interesting insights regarding Kenyan culture. Unfortunately, I could not attend the other appointments of the week due to scheduling conflicts.