This is Darlene. I've been reflecting today about how David and my work worlds have collided in some ways and diverge in others here in Nairobi.
The areas of divergence are obvious: I spend my days behind dozens of guards and big fences in the Embassy; David is in one of Nairobi's poorer neighborhoods full of "informal settlements" walking from house to house. I eat a good square meal at the Embassy cafeteria or at a restaurant frequented by Westerners; David eats (some days) at people's homes and (some days) he buys buns at a nearby grocery store where he is stared at as the only mzungu. And in terms of day-to-day work, I regularly talk with political officers, NGOs, and other officials about Congo; David talks with Congolese.
In DC, we call this the macro/micro split. We are pretty used to living in those two worlds while we're in Washington--me in the world of "big aid" and policymakers and David in the world of local DC politics and the lives of DC youth.
But in some interesting ways, here, we've begun to work on converging issues: I spend my days shaping, funding, and managing programs designed to assist Congolese caught in the crossfire of violence within eastern Congo, and David meets daily with Congolese that somehow, some way, made their way through horrific violence to get here to Nairobi. We are both looking up places on maps of Congo's vast terrain. And we both pray that God will bring peace to the country and the individuals affected.
I found this article today and thought it spoke nicely to the importance of considering local issues in the macro-level policy decisions that are being made daily in the seats of power. It's about Congo. I'm going to share it with my co-workers at the Embassy, but I'm also curious what the Congolese here in Nairobi would think about it. And now, I know someone who can ask.
The areas of divergence are obvious: I spend my days behind dozens of guards and big fences in the Embassy; David is in one of Nairobi's poorer neighborhoods full of "informal settlements" walking from house to house. I eat a good square meal at the Embassy cafeteria or at a restaurant frequented by Westerners; David eats (some days) at people's homes and (some days) he buys buns at a nearby grocery store where he is stared at as the only mzungu. And in terms of day-to-day work, I regularly talk with political officers, NGOs, and other officials about Congo; David talks with Congolese.
In DC, we call this the macro/micro split. We are pretty used to living in those two worlds while we're in Washington--me in the world of "big aid" and policymakers and David in the world of local DC politics and the lives of DC youth.
But in some interesting ways, here, we've begun to work on converging issues: I spend my days shaping, funding, and managing programs designed to assist Congolese caught in the crossfire of violence within eastern Congo, and David meets daily with Congolese that somehow, some way, made their way through horrific violence to get here to Nairobi. We are both looking up places on maps of Congo's vast terrain. And we both pray that God will bring peace to the country and the individuals affected.
I found this article today and thought it spoke nicely to the importance of considering local issues in the macro-level policy decisions that are being made daily in the seats of power. It's about Congo. I'm going to share it with my co-workers at the Embassy, but I'm also curious what the Congolese here in Nairobi would think about it. And now, I know someone who can ask.
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