Global Partners 2003
East Africa Travel Grant Report

Fred L. Johnson, III, Hope College

Fax number: 1-616-395-7447

I departed Grand Rapids on August 5, 2003 and arrived in Nairobi on August 6. The return flight was scheduled for departure from Nairobi on August 13 with arrival in Grand Rapids on August 14. The following is a breakdown of my activities while in Nairobi Kenya:

I. Evening of August 6: checked into the Hotel Boulevard.

II. August 7: Re-established contact with Dr. Peter Wanyande at the University of Nairobi in the morning. The afternoon was spent in the University’s library, consulting with the manager of the Africana Collection, Mr. Savaa. Arrangements were made to continue consultation with him to gain assistance in finding source material upon returning from a planned trip to the Meru district. After stopping in at the University, a visit was made to the site of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing which has been partially memorialized.

III. August 8 – 10: Traveled to the Meru district. The primary purpose of the visit was to meet with the Finance Minister who was supposed to be in town during the noted period. He was to be meeting with local National Rainbow Coalition officials and/or citizens with issues and questions. The greater portion of August 8, 2003, was spent getting to Meru, involving stops for bathroom breaks and lunch along the way.

IV. August 9: Several activities took place on this date. First, discussions were conducted with a local pastor who also ran a school. Much of the discussion focused upon his difficulties in trying to arrange transportation and fees for a local boy to be transferred from a remote rural area closer to town so that the boy could attend school. His parents, it turned out, had both died of AIDS and he was currently staying with his grandmother who had somehow contacted the pastor, asking for assistance for her grandson. This episode allowed for gathering information on the depth, breadth, and potent human costs of the AIDs pandemic upon family structures, local economies, and relief efforts/organizations. Later in the day, an attempt was made to see the Finance Minister. After waiting for a while, information was received that he would not be available and that an attempt should be made to see him the following day. The location of his next day’s location was written down and information gathering efforts for August 9, 2003 were over.

V. August 10: Church services (Methodist denomination) were attended. Services were conducted in a variety of English, Kiswahili, and the Meru "tongue." Afterwards, a community women’s group gathered to receive clothes that had been donated from America. These women, along with getting clothing for themselves and their families, were also supposed to distribute clothes to others whom they were representing. This process ran into mid-afternoon at which time another attempt was made to see the Finance Minister in town. A long line of people were waiting for the Minister to arrive; in the meantime a deputy or associate was conducting affairs in his absence. Time became a factor, specifically as it pertained to the risks of traveling across country at night (Unfortunately, muggings, car-jackings, and other criminal activity makes traveling in Kenya – especially as one gets closer to Nairobi – a highly hazardous proposition). Since it was late in the day, the decision was made to leave for Nairobi.

VI. August 11: Met briefly again with Dr. Peter Wanyande to discuss a) His coming to the U.S. as a guest lecturer, and, b) Giving him a summary of the research progress of my foreign policy project up to that date. We also discussed the possibility of my teaching for a semester or few weeks at the University of Nairobi, most likely a course on Slavery and the American Civil War. The rest of the day was spent in the University of Nairobi library’s Africana Collection, conducting research with the help of Mr. Savaa; he proved immensely helpful in locating and extract information.

VII. August 12: The morning was spent interviewing Mr. Robert Wurmstedt, the Peace Corps Country Director for Kenya. A former correspondent who was based in West Africa during the 1960s, and at times, parts of Central and East Africa during the 1970s and 80s, Bob proved to be a valuable resource. During the interview he supplied the email address of Johnny Carson who had just finished his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Kenya. Bob indicated that it would certainly be worthwhile to contact Ambassador Carson who has been assigned to the National War College. After meeting with Bob, the rest of the day was spent working the University of Nairobi library, again with Mr. Savaa, until closing hours.

VIII. August 13: Departed Nairobi for Grand Rapids, arriving on August 14, 2003.

For additional information, please contact Matt Horstman at horstman@glca.org or 1-734-761-4833.