Actions Speak: The Impact Beyond Words

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to my favorite day of the week, Memory Monday with Amondi! For anyone new here on Memory Monday, I share some of my favorite moments and the lessons learned from being abroad in Kenya during the summer of 2023. As I looked down memory lane this week, I found an extraordinary moment from a field visit in Homa Bay County. On this specific visit, I had the opportunity to interact with a fantastic family and their children while learning about their farming enterprise and experience with push-pull technology. 

So, while in Kenya, I researched with the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology through an internship at the World Food Prize. As an intern, I was required to develop a social science research project and interview farmers in the community. Based on my background in education and previous research experience looking at women's education, I decided to research the relationship between women's education and their perception of their household food security. I spent a month traveling to different counties in Kenya and Uganda to interview farmers and learn about their livelihoods. We were in Homa Bay County in Western Kenya on this specific day, finishing our last interview. It was past lunchtime, and I was ready to go home and relax after a long day of interviews; little did I know that this time would be different. 

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I love kids. Some people are dog people, others are cat people, but I am a people person. I'm not afraid to jump on the monkey bars or get out on the kickball field for fun. Because of this, I tend to be a big hit with the kids. Although I enjoyed speaking with the families and hearing about their stories more often than not, I would notice the kids running around, watching us from around corners, and finding any reason to come over and interact with us. Due to our busy schedule, we usually didn't have time to interact with the kids outside of our interviews since we had so many families to meet every day, so I would settle for a wave or a high five on my way to the next interview, but that was not the case on this day. Since this was the final interview of the day, we took some extra time to look around the farm and see how push-pull technology was improving their lives. 

My fellow intern, Alani, and I looked around at the chickens and goats when we stopped to look at the puppies they had penned outside. Then, the two kids came over and began showing us their puppies, opening the pens so we could get a closer look and making sure we had the chance to meet each dog. Afterward, we rejoined the group at the pen with two cows. As the farmers explained how they use the fodder from the push-pull plot to feed the cows for milk, I noticed that the younger child couldn't see over the fence. I held out my hands to pick her up so we could all enjoy the cows together, reluctantly she came forward and allowed me to lift her up. This moment finally broke the ice as she pointed to the cows, my braids, and my skin, not saying anything but observing our differences. In return, I pointed to the Eiffel Tower printed on her shirt and smiled; she proudly displayed her shirt and tye-dye crocs for me to see as well.

As my supervisor thanked the family for having us, I began playing tag with the younger girl. I would chase her, scoop her up, and flip her upside down. She laughed and screamed as we ran around the yard. Eventually, her brother joined in as well and would help me catch her, and I took turns flipping them both upside down. I would catch glances of the parents watching and nodding with approval at our interactions. This went on for about 10 minutes before it was finally time for us to leave. I waved goodbye to the kids, who ecstatically waved goodbye in return with big smiles on their faces. The parents welcomed me to return anytime to play with the kids as they seemed to have had a great afternoon. Although I never exchanged any words with either kid, we still had a fun afternoon, and they created a lasting impression on me. 

When I reflect on this memory, I can't help but smile. Growing up in the United States, there is a heavy emphasis on verbal communication and the need to speak to build connections, but what happens when you're in a position where verbal communication isn't an option? Many of the families I interacted with knew little to no English and often only spoke a local or tribal language. This created a challenging barrier to overcome to connect with the community. Despite my efforts to learn some Swahili, I could still only speak and understand a few words at a time. But after two months in Kenya, I realized that a smile, wave, or handshake was just as valuable as a hello or jambo and often time received in a more positive manner. Communication is beyond words. It's more than what you say but what you do to make people feel welcomed and included. 

I hope you have all enjoyed learning about both a memorable moment and an impactful lesson that was brought to me in one of the most unexpected ways. Next time you visit somewhere new or old, I encourage you to share a smile and a wave; you never know the kind of impact something like that can have on a person's day. Make sure to check in for the next installment of Memory Monday with Amondi to hear about my first all-school assembly at MPIS. 

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou