Kenya: An Unforgettable, Unmatchable Experience. Past Review
By Kristen M (Cultural Anthropology, Western Washington University) for
Western Washington University: Traveling - International Service Learning, Kenya
It was worth every penny, every hassle, and every moment of panic leading up to our departure.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was fair and the assignment were mostly very relevant to what were doing in the village. I especially enjoyed the ones that encouraged us to go and speak with community members. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was phenomenal. I am so thrilled I went. It was everything I wanted and more. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
|
| * Food: |
I will forever miss those home cooked Kenyan dishes. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Every day was a memorable culture experience. We were able to visit a Maasai village during our last week. This experience was so much different from the rest of our trip, but it was great in an entirely different manner. We also went to Nairobi and went on a safari, but these trips were far less spectacular than our daily lives in the village. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
We all got sick at one time or another, but we were always cared for & prepared during these situations. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Locals. The component was purely based on the interest of the student. Informal classes with local school teachers and individuals in our group were optional, and we were encouraged to speak Kiswahili & Luo to locals. However, most individuals in the community could communicate in English. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would absolutely advise anybody with an interest in global issues to pursue this program. I feel that students with a variety of interests would gain a lot of pivotal knowledge from this experience that is not restrained to their field of study. |
