Giving my head a shake today

Whilst reading a Kenyan newspaper yesterday, I both growled and howled. First, I was mad and then I simply laughed at how dense some corporations are. The article that caught my eye was on tea workers in Kenya. Tea is a big commodity here but pickers are paid a pittance. Female pickers end up selling their bodies to earn enough money to pay rent and feed their families. One of Kenya’s largest tea companies educates their employees on the dangers of AIDS and hands out free condoms because their staff turnover is huge due to people dying. Really!!! I mean hello!!! Why not just pay your employees a decent wage????!!! Sigh.

Then I met a man after work because he wanted to talk to me about something. Three guesses—yours will be as good as mine and we are probably on the same page. So, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt anyway...but should have trusted my instincts. On top of it, today I found out he is married with children. Anyway, I am learning to hone my spiel. I am poor, I am not looking for a romantic encounter (especially if you’re married—and I don’t really care how many wives you think you can take), and I don’t know any wealthy people who will give you money. I must have ticked him off a bit though because he did not even offer to walk me to the matatu stop or even the door at the place we were at. Not even polite by African standards. He had promised to be discreet but I certainly did not. I would name him here if I were as much of a scoundrel as he is.

Are you wondering what happened to me thriving happily? I never get this much attention from men in Canada so I am just getting a little tired of the game. Since part of this blog is for future MSC interns I thought I would put my rant in about some men here in Africa. Let me stress the word some. I have met some incredibly honourable men here.

I am sure I will have a better day tomorrow.

Still smiling in spite of it all,

Suz