16
The New Londoners
A Brit Abroad in Kenya
by Charlotte Mathysse My name is Farah, I’m 27 years old and I’m originally from Manchester. This is my first time in Kenya, and I’ve been here for about 9 months now and been away from home for over a year. Whilst here I have set up a children’s home in Kenya’s Rift Valley called ‘Our Home Nakuru’. Why did you decide to leave the UK and move to Kenya? For me, life in the UK is often superficial and revolves around materialism. Everyone’s in a rat-race, it’s very competitive and that’s one thing I didn’t want. Also even though I was part of Amnesty International and the British Youth Council, I didn’t feel like I was making a huge difference or impact. I wanted to leave the UK and go somewhere where I could actually see my efforts happening. What were your first impressions of Kenyan life? My very first impression of Kenya was complete speechlessness. I experienced a huge culture shock. Everywhere you go in Kenya, people shout after you: ‘mzungu’ [white person] - you’re a foreigner and it made me feel like an alien. How have you tried to integrate into Kenya? For me personally, I’m Asian British and the Indian/Asian community in Kenya is so tight-knit and their approach to life is very different to what we’re used to. When I arrived, I hardly knew anyone, but they knew me; they knew background and what I was doing in Kenya. At the same time, once I got to know them, I felt protected and I’ve found it very helpful to be part of this community. What are the benefits and drawbacks of having the Asian community here in Kenya?
Despite the ups and downs, there’s something about Kenya that will make you come back. There’s an incredible draw to this place