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| My class, physics students of the 4th year |
Around Christmas the students leave campus and go home “upcountry” to stay with their parents and families. The student’s halls close and the campus is deserted. The whole of Nairobi is deserted as well because everyone who has the chance, of course, goes home, to the coast, or both.
I choose to visit the neighbouring country Uganda, for more information read the section “Travel and Culture” below.
One big issue was the Pupil's Pass. It allows you to study at a Kenyan university. I applied for it at Nyayo house in November and I received it in March. By that time I nearly gave up all hope and at that time I already had to extend my tourist visa for another three months. A few more weeks and I would have had to travel to another country and apply for a new visa. Many Kenyans who have ever applied for instance for a passport fear this place, because of the unmotivated staff.
Right at the end of January when the preparations for the coming exams where starting and the lecturers put up some pressure, I became ill. It started with fever, and I thought: 'Oh this must be malaria!' Of course, I cannot leave East Africa without catching it at least once. So I waited for a few days and felt weak and was asking myself if this are the typical malaria symptoms. I even suspected Bilharzia because I swam in lake Victoria. Finally, I went to see a doctor. I chose one from Austria, because it felt easier to describe the symptoms in the German language. He did all kinds of tests with me and then told me that I have infectious mononucleosis. In German that is “Pfeiffersches Drüsenfieber”. Luckily, the only medication I had to take was Panadol to reduce the fever. What then followed was a not very nice period of time, because I was not allowed to leave the bed for any reason. After a few weeks I felt stronger again and my aim was to take part at least in the quantum mechanics examination which is what I did. But obviously I did too much too early, because the fever came back. So I had to stay another week in bed, and I was nearly going mad. I couldn’t bear to see that room anymore! Altogether I was in bed for about 6 weeks!!! My advice: Never catch mononucleosis!!!
In between the semesters there was a break of about 2 weeks, which I used to travel to the coast: Mombassa, Lamu, Malindi and Watamu. See again section 'Travel and culture' below.
Life in the student’s halls is everything but quiet. There are several halls to stay in. The ones at Statehouse Road are mostly for the students at Main Campus, and the student’s halls in Chiromo, are for the students of Chiromo Campus. Just to remember, Chiromo Campus is the location for all sciences like physics, chemistry, computer science, biology and medicine. Although we (the exchange students) were studying on the Chiromo campus, we were accommodated on the Main campus.
The Chiromo halls have the advantage that they are very quiet compared to the ones on the Main campus. The walk to the department, the Self-Study-Centre and the library is very short, but on the other hand it is far to the city centre, supermarket etc. And if you come home after dark (6-7 pm.) it can be a bit unsafe, as I was told. But if you ask me, I would recommend Chiromo for a better study environment. When it comes to student riots the Chiromo students are the last ones to join. Something not so nice happens when the power goes off in the evening. A huge crowd of students gather on Statehouse Road which directly passes most of the student halls. Then all car drivers who are unlucky enough to take that road under those circumstances can expect their car to be stoned. That is an old tradition, as I was told. But of course, not all students take part in this punishment of innocent people, and many of them condemn it strongly.
A nice aspect is that the students still see themselves as an united group. The support for each other is great, but it used to be stronger, I was told. If you have a problem with someone in town, you could be sure that a huge group of students would help you to solve this problem. That’s why students are still very respected.
As a foreigner you are warmly welcomed almost everywhere in Kenya! Also among the students you are integrated very quickly into the student community. First, no one expects you to be a student, because normally the whites (Wazungu) are tourists. But then after resolving this misunderstanding there is no more obstacle for long talks and discussions. The Kenyan students I came across were very interested in German culture, the daily life and the university life in Germany. I was amazed how many students have learned German at school or in the Goethe Institute. Quite some students invited me to their Bomas (villages). Unfortunately, I could not follow all invitations.
What I really appreciated was the Nairobi University Physics Association (NUPA). It is a well organized group with a chairman, a treasurer etc. The idea is, among others, to get in contact with possible employees and to find out what is offered on the job market. While I stayed in Nairobi I had the chance to join the excursion to the KBC-studios. KBC stands for Kenya Broadcasting Cooperation. We were guided through the radio station of 'Metro FM' and the TV studios of the 'KBC-Nairobi'. KBC is a private station but it is the only one that can be received throughout the country. It is closely related to the government though. Before we started the studio tour we were informed about career opportunities at the KBC.
The visit of the Safaricom headquaters (Kenya’s largest mobile phone operator) was unfortunately cancelled by Safaricom what I personally really regretted, because I am very interested in this field.
There was the plan to visit the rocket launch site near Malindi at the coast at the end of the second semester. But the problem was the short amount of time, because from Nairobi it takes 8 to 9 hours by bus to Malindi. For the last part of the way we would have had to take a boat, which is only capable of carrying ten passengers, and one way takes about an hour. The time remaining would have been too little for a weekend trip to explore the site. Additionally, the exam preparation and the presentation of the project did conflict with the plans for Malindi.
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| My class, physics students of the 4th year |
The courses I
took in second semester were:
Compulsory courses
SPH 402 Nuclear
Physics
Prof. Kumar
SPH 403 Solid
State Physics
Prof. Mjomba
SPH 420 Project
Sebastian Waita
Optional Courses
SPH 405 Electrodynamics II
Prof. Malo
SPH 418 Power Electronics
Prof. Mwabora
As I was told, the Chairman had everything under control although he was ill. Then, after he passed away, the department was a bit out of control because the new acting chairman had to find his way into the new job, in the middle of the second semester, and some lecturers had to do additional work. Due to this some lectures were cancelled for some time.
In the second semester one of the compulsory courses was a project. There was a choice between a theoretical and a practical project. I did choose a practical project. (LINK to the project)
The topic of my project was:
Performance of Dye-sensitised TiO Photo electrochemical (PEC) solar cells: TiO-films sintered at different temperatures.
My research took place in the solid state lab. There, I assembled the solar cells, tested them and compared the results. I personally liked the project most of all courses because it was possible to do real research on my own, without knowing what the results will be. I think, especially this last aspect, I just mentioned, make it very educational. I realized that I was working very motivated compared to the advanced practical at the Freie Universität Berlin where the results are more or less known before the experiment.
The following examination period was a very busy one, because the project had to be finished and the presentation to be prepared. Also, we had to hand in quite a few assignments. Then, on the day of the presentation of the project, which was the last day of the semester, I have to admit, I overslept and I was therefore late. But that was not too bad, because I was the last one to present and I had to wait for some time. So I was quite nervous because I have never held a presentation in English. In the end I had the impression that the jury consisting of 2 professors and my supervisor was very satisfied with my presentation. I had no problem answering their questions.
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| My project supervisor Sebastian Waita and I |
My opinion is that there should be much more exchange between the University of Nairobi and the Freie Universität Berlin. I had the impression that especially the solid state research group is looking for more research cooperation with other universities.
There were about 100 guests from 5 universities in Kenya (students and lecturers), Kenyan politicians and foreign guests from other African countries. We were divided into 7 working groups. In my group we were discussing development through economic empowerment. On the second day all results and ideas were gathered and fixed on big sheets of paper for the final presentation of our working group.
One of the famous guests was Professor Jash Pal Gai from the Kenya Constitutional Review Committee. He is a Kenyan with Indian ancestors and has helped to create new constitutions in 11 countries so far! He held an interesting speech on the development of the new Kenyan constitution.
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| DAAD conference in Limuru |
After this conference I thought if those people would be the leaders of Kenya, the country would soon be among the most social and best developed in the world. The German constitution was not so strongly considered because the need for change in the Kenyan constitution was obvious without comparing it to other constitutions.
Around Christmas we thought everyone is going to the coast now, that means we have to go into the opposite direction. So we did, and we went to Uganda. The first stop was Kampala, the capital. That was the first experience as a tourist in East Africa. In Kenya, somehow you look down to the tourists, who only come for one or two weeks, rush on wildlife safari and maybe to the beach. They never get to know the country. Kampala was a busy as well as relaxed city. In Kampala we had our first contact with Matatus (small buses) that carried only 3 persons sitting next to each other. It was a nice experience because it felt more like a public transport for people compared to the hopelessly overcrowded Matatus in Kenya.
The Christmas preparations where at its climax in Kampala. On the markets everyone wanted to sell his goods before going home to the family upcountry, for the public holidays.
On Christmas Eve it was a strange experience for me. The temperature was above 30 degree Celsius and all decoration in the Backpackers hostel was a few balloons. Unlike in Germany the 24th of December is not celebrated at all. I felt really homesick at that time!
From Kampala we went to the Sesse-Islands in Lake Victoria. On a campground on the beach, we spend some relaxing days.
It was not that easy to get to the islands because at Christmas time all the public transport reduces to a minimum and at the same time the fares multiply by two or three. To go back to the mainland I was told that it is a nice option to take a small boat directly to a village near Kampala, instead of the car ferry and the bus which we took before. So we sat on dried fish for 7 hours. The boat was very overloaded with fish and people so that the water was 10cm below the rim of the boat. It was an interesting trip although I was wondering what would happen if the waves become slightly bigger.
The people who had the advantage of sitting on the 2 benches were given a jar to take out water that came slowly but steadly into the boat. The smell of dried fish was with me for quite some time, because even the cloth inside the backpack got infected by the smell.
For New Year we went to the rainforest in Northwest Uganda near Fort Portal. It was raining heavily every day in the afternoon, that’s why it is called rainforest, we figured.
A visit of the chimpanzees in their natural environment is an interesting and rare experience and after a 5 hour crawl through the jungle we found them in the trees, looking down on us. The chimpanzees are protected so you’re not allowed to come too close to them and there is always a ranger with you who guides you.
On our way back to Kenya we visited the source of the Nile, which is
at lake Victoria and also Mahatma Ghandi’s memorial.
Back in Nairobi, the city and the campus was still quiet and empty, except for some foreign student who did not go home for Christmas. The student’s hall number 4, where we were staying, was the only students hall that was not closed for Christmas.
Semester break
Then there was a short break of 2 weeks between the semesters. That was the perfect time for a break from Nairobi and a trip to the coast, for my total recovery of my illness. I still felt quite weak, because I had a relapse, since I didn’t listen to the doctor’s advice not to do anything.
The first stop was Mombassa, were the temperature and the humidity was
breathtaking. From there we took a bus directly to Lamu, the Kenyan island
with strong Arabic influences.
Back on the mainland we went to Watamu, a small village on the coast
that is mostly dominated by Italian tourists. It is
funny that there every Kenyan knows how to speak Italian. At certain times of the year the turtles can be seen
digging holes for their eggs on the beach. The
famous ruins of Gedi are situated very close to Watamu, and worth a visit.
Weekends
Hells Gate
If you want to go on your own through a national park on a pushbike, you have the chance in the Hells Gate National Park near Lake Naivasha.
All the variety of wild animals can be seen there, except of the dangerous ones like lions. You can wash yourself off the dust at the hot springs in the Hells gorge. If you don’t have a puncture on the way back, it can be a relaxing day trip. You should leave in the morning between 6 and 7, then the largest number of animals can be seen. Later in the day when the sun becomes hot, the animals hide wherever they can find shadow.
Mt. Longonot
Not far away from Nairobi, there is Mt. Longonot, an extinct volcano. It is an easy day trip and you can climb the rim of the volcano in about
an hour.
Massai Mara
At least once in a lifetime I have to go to a game park, I thought, and see all animals, which I only know from the zoo. I went to the Masai Mara for a 3 days trip, including 1,5 days to reach the park, with a tour company which was recommended to me because they only use 4-wheel drives. At night it was raining heavily in the Massai Mara because it was already the beginning of the big raining season, so the ground became muddy but fortunately we had a 4-wheel drive land cruiser.
We saw big herds of buffalos, groups of male lions, groups of female lions with cups, five female lions hunting a wild pig, some giraffes, heaps of different types of gazelles, vultures, monkeys, zebras and some Hippos and a really huge group of elephants which came dangerously close to the car.
On our way back the 4-wheel drive broke down and we were left with a 2-wheel drive. Of course, we got stuck on the really muddy dirt road and for about 2,5 hours we pushed and pulled the car. Additionally, the differential-block of the front wheels was messed up, too. The result was only one wheel of the car was spinning. A group of Massai warriors helped us to push the car successfully out where it got stuck after they watched us for quite some time. Another time we were pulled by another vehicle but we also managed with our own strength for quite some time.
The Food
I changed my opinion about Ugali (not ugly), since my last report. If you eat it when it is not burned (in the mess it is regularly burned) and you add some nice things to it, you can get very used to it, and even love it.Fruits:The variety of mangos really amazed me. You can buy them according to their particular season, in the supermarket or on the street directly at the university roundabout on main campus. There, you also get bananas, freshly sliced pineapples, and citrus fruits. During my stay the variety of vegetables and fruits increased as well as the number of people selling them.
Also nice is the maize sold on the streets all over Nairobi. It is roasted on charcoal and served very hot into your hand.
Street children and families
When walking through Nairobi you will quickly realize that if you have
white skin you are a target for street children begging for money. Now it is up to you if you give them some coins and
they leave you alone, or if you buy them some bread or chips, which for them
can be the only meal of the day. As some local
Kenyans told me, there exist several homes for street children and street
families but most children refuse to live there because they have to obey
rules and regulations, so for most of them once they lived on the streets
for a while, it is nearly impossible to change their habits.
The Media
If you want to get some up-to-date information about the latest development
in Kenya and East Africa you can check out the Daily Nation, the best newspaper
in Kenya, as I was told. You can find it daily updated here: www.nation.co.ke
There are radio stations from Nairobi, Kenya you can receive through
the Internet if your connection is fast enough: www.capitalfm.co.ke I hope you could get a little insight into my life as an exchange student
in Kenya, of course there is so much more to tell, so many more things and
persons to mention, and other people might have different opinions and views
on the described issues. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact
me: claude_c@web.de Thanks to all friends and families, the staff and students of the University
of Nairobi, the staff of DAAD and the Freie Universität Berlin. I don’t
want to mention any names here but, I think, it is clear who I mean. Thank
you very much for the educational and interesting time I was able to spend
in Kenya and the experience I could obtain! And most of all thanks to Jürgen
Theiss who created and maintains this exchange program.