Whew - What a Relief!

So my dad just read my blog and gave me an update - apparently after the final count, Prop 4 didn't pass. Woohoo! And here I was getting all cranky and everything... I'm still upset about Prop 8 though. Passed with 52% of the vote. How can a majority of only 2% change the state constitution? Argh! Though I'm holding out a tiny bit of hope - they're not officially calling this until Dec 13, so they can count absentee and provisional ballots. Better count mine!

There are also a few lawsuits challenging the validity of the proposition, so perhaps one of these will succeed. Crossing my fingers! Thanks Dad, for making sure I'm not getting too upset over politics out here so far from home!

- Veronica

Sorry for the Absence… Part 1

I am... over the malaria, luckily it was caught early! I’m going to focus this entry on the elections – will give a bit more info in a separate update (otherwise this’ll be a REALLY long one!)

OAF Update
We’ve been really busy in the last few weeks – so sorry for the lack of updates! Margaux left us today and did a terrific job putting the final pieces together for our child health program going forward. We now have an actual binder that we can use when rolling out the program in new districts (and when monitoring our existing programs). We’re also now selling deworming pills to our farm families, which is important to help keep kids free of hookworms and other nasty afflictions (it’s recommended kids take these regularly, but many families don’t have access to these medicines).

I’ll keep other OAF updates to the next entry. Meanwhile…

Enda Obama!
As I mentioned in my last update, election fever began bubbling up a while ago around here. You’d have thought Obama was campaigning in Kenya with the number of posters, calendars, buttons and signs everywhere!

(Obama pictured on the back of a matatu)

Even one of the butchers in town had a huge poster of Obama on his wall. The excitement was truly palpable – I bought meat from him on Election morning (the night before Election Day for everyone in the States) – it was all we could talk about. People were so excited to hear that I’d been able to vote all the way from Kenya – they were amazed to know that the United States allows absentee ballots, and kept commenting that this is why America is the best democracy in the world.

(Obama billboard near the Nakumatt MegaCity in Kisumu)

Here at One Acre Fund, we were also a-twitter with election jitters. Several of us decided to stay up all night and watch the election results as they came in, so we took a short nap after dinner and got up by 2-3am to begin watching. We had just set up a projector so we could watch movies on a wall in one of our houses, so we used that to watch the coverage.
(our election-viewing setup)

It was amazing – Melissa and I made scrambled eggs and toast, then baked chocolate chip cookies so we could celebrate/drown our sorrows with election cookies and ice cream (given we all had to work in the morning and weren’t getting any sleep, alcohol didn’t seem like a good idea despite the fact it probably would’ve worked better). Several of us had our laptops up so we could follow along online in case BBC, Sky News and Al Jazeera weren’t quick enough. I was instant messaging with seven or eight people throughout the night, so was able to get live updates from the States on what was happening. Thanks to all those of you who kept feeding me info!

As dawn started to break outside, it became clear that Obama wasn’t just going to win, but was going to win by a landslide. We started paying more attention to the Congressional and Senate races, wondering whether the Democrats were going to completely take over these as well. And I was checking online all night to see whether there were projections for California’s decisions on Props 4 and 8 (restricting abortion rights and banning gay marriage). I’ve rarely felt so full of hope and pride on an election day – it was such a huge difference from the last few that we’ve had!

When the electoral college results from California came up on our wall/movie screen, my eyes started to well up.

And when Obama was announced as the winner, Margaux and I couldn’t help but let some tears trace their way down our grinning cheeks. As we watched coverage of the Kenyan reaction (people dancing and singing with sheer joy), we cheered and felt like doing a jig ourselves.

We had elected a black man with ties to Africa and Muslims as our President!

We were not only getting rid of George W., but were making a statement that our country is ready to move forward with repairing its relations with the world and making significant shifts in its policies and goals. I honestly felt at that moment like Americans can do anything, and was so full of pride that I thought I would burst (that could’ve been the cookies and ice cream, though).

Unfortunately that pride was somewhat deflated when the results for California’s propositions came in. We passed both propositions by a narrow margin. I was devastated – just as we stood together to show we are capable of putting aside intolerance to pursue national goals, my home state voted to make abortion harder for young women who aren’t ready to be mothers and said that two people who love each other and want to make a commitment to each other aren’t allowed to because of their sex. I’m still tremendously proud of our country and the choice we made for President, but am incredibly disappointed in my state and the way we’ve decided to treat each other.

Though I’m still disappointed with the CA decisions, the excitement over Obama kept me from focusing on that for too long. Cosmos, our security guard, joined us in celebrating with cookies and ice cream and cheered along as Obama came out for his victory speech.

(Cosmos with home-baked election cookies and ice cream)

The President of Kenya declared the next day a national holiday. And later that morning, at a meeting with some of our farmers, I introduced myself in Kiswahili and told everyone I came from the land of Obama. The farmers erupted in cheers, and the feeling of warmth and pride from these poor farmers in the middle of East Africa was even more palpable than the pre-election nervousness. Even weeks later, people still stop me to congratulate us on electing Obama and to express their love for and pride in the American people. It’s amazing to see the difference in the way we’re treated already – we were always welcomed here, but when I first arrived there was a definite perception that America had become an unpredictable and dangerously unstable place. Everyone here is hopeful that their “Kenyan son” will change the world – I just hope we give him some time and recognize that he’s human; I’m sure he’s going to do amazing work! The Barack Obama songs are still in heavy rotation here, which makes for a pretty great soundtrack as we continue to work on behalf of our farmers and enjoy life in rural Africa. Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen, and to those who may have voted for McCain but are supporting our new President regardless. You make me proud!

The Fun Stuff/Highlights (Part 1)

• Eating election cookies and ice cream with our security guard
  
• Talking to a butcher about the Obama picture on his wall while he sliced meat off a dangling cow leg
  
• Introducing myself to a group of farmers by saying “Morienna. Li sin a liase Veronica. Na sangali le khuba nanyue. Na ma musi bala sia Obama. Enda Obama!” – translation: Hello. My name is Veronica. I come from the land of Obama. Go Obama! (followed by a roar of applause)
  
• Asking Delvin (our housekeeper’s son) if he recognized the man on the screen (Nelson Mandela) – he said “no”. Later asking if he recognized the man on the screen, seeing his face light up, and hearing him shout, “Obama!”
  
• Dancing to the (one of many, really) Barack Obama song at Good Friends
  
• Getting teary-eyed with Margaux at the official announcement Obama won – I have to admit, I’m normally pretty cynical but at that moment I truly swelled up with hope and pride
  
• (not so fun) – I’m seriously upset and disappointed with California regarding Props 4 and 8. And horrified at Arkansas for saying I’d need to be married to a man if I ever wanted to adopt a child. I know plenty of gay and single people who’d run circles around some married parents out there. It feels like we took a giant step forward, and a couple pretty sizeable steps back.

Thinking of everyone and feeling thankful for you all,

Veronica