Week 8: End of A Journey

I can't believe it’s already the end of this internship! It's been such an amazing experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. As I sit and reflect on what my internship experience could be best summed up in each word used to describe the past seven weeks:

Karibu

Exploration

Naivety

Yatangaza

Adversity

Neno Mitaani

Which happens to describe what I became one step further to becoming on this trip: Kenyan.

The Kenya experience is welcoming. Most people in the area will gladly share a smile or wave with you when greeted. There's this atmosphere of community and support between Kenyans that strongly bonds them together, something in which many other places lack.

The city and savannas have so much exploration opportunity as well! Nature has so much to offer to the human eye. The miles of golden grasses go as far as the eye can see with lush trees sprinkled in between. Lions peacefully sit and rest carefully while analyzing your motives, giraffes calmly trot towards there next meal, and gazelles sprint against the fiery setting sun. The city is absolutely buzzing with lights, clustered cars race forward leaving plumes of dust behind, and people fill the air with there laughter and prices of their goods.

You learn from your naivety over time and begin to understand how things work. Bargaining becomes less of a hassle as you learn the true prices of various items. Getting around becomes simply as you begin to look at more landmarks and shops that tell you when you should turn or keep going. Some lunches often don’t need a fork or knife, but rather just your hands and fingers. The more you learn these customs, the easier it gets to integrate.

You also reveal more about yourself and Kenya. You learn about poverty and homelessness that is a part of Kenya but does not define it. You begin to look more into what you want to do for the future and digging deeper as to who are and what your role is in the world.

You face adversity as you try to understand everyone, honing your listening skills along the way. Everyone treats you with this sense of respect no matter your age and you aren't looked down upon. Lab work is stressful, but never the less a good experience for yourself.

Lastly, you learn more about the stereotypes faced by Kenyans passed on from generation to generation and how they detriments them. The media doesn’t cover the cities of Kenya, but rather focuses on the tribes, creating the mindset that Kenya is not modern at all. I’ve also learned that there is a lack of knowledge about ticks in Kenya. People have some knowledge, of course, but the lack of knowledge leads to a lot of livestock loss in Kenya.

In all of this, I’ve grown so much more as I have become closer to being “Kenyan” (to a degree of course) as well as an adult. I have become more responsible in my work, knowledgable about lab and fieldwork and even more passionate about educating others. I am also a lot more aware of what life is like in other parts of the world and how important it is to get out of your own social bubble. We as human are designed to engage and communicate with others who are different from us. There are so many opportunities to explore and learn about other culture so go out there and take them! It doesn’t mean you have to travel halfway around the world, but even just exploring some of the parts of a city where there are people from around the world.

I would like to say thank you to the World Food Prize for providing me this wonderful opportunity as well as paying for my expenses and ILRI for hosting me and giving both lab and field experience. The fact that this was even possible is thanks to them and especially Crystal Harris for organizing and guiding us along the way. Also the Tick Unit and Wellington for making us feel welcome and guiding our learning. I would also like to thank Jenneth Layou of Penn State and the PSEAS program for the opportunity to go to the Global Youth Institute.

I also thank all my teachers and staff at Kutztown Area High School including Ms. Peters, Ms. Howard who helped guide and shape me to be more curious about the world that's out there, Mr.Brett who guided me along the process and helped me so much along the way, and a very special thanks to Mrs. Ball who sparked this entire experience by having me sign up for a State Youth Institute which led me all the way to this point.

Also, a big thanks to my family especially Doris, John, Eden, Matt, Dakin, Jon, Jenn, and Gracie for supporting me along each step of the way. I couldn’t think of a better family to have who are always by my side and always there for me. You are my inspiration for everything I do and work hard to accomplish.

I have more motivation for education than ever and I can’t wait to make a difference in the future!

Sincerely,

Jacob Turko