Work Day 1: Nairobi

I met important people linked to my upcoming work today. I arrived in Nairobi after a really stressful day of goodbyes, packing, not enough sleep, airports, and getting laughed at by the Kenyan customs officer (for asking if I could get in without a visa because I am technically still a Tanzanian resident – all East African residents don’t need a visa to travel). I got picked up at the airport and went straight to the office to meet various supervisors.

Tired as I am, I’m super excited about my new job. It sounds almost like a research project for a Masters’ thesis. All those field work techniques on how to ask and probe when talking with interviewees are coming back to the forefront of my memory. Basically I’m there to troubleshoot; exactly what I like doing for work – few rules, free reins, holistic systems thinking, but concrete end goals. Especially since the focus is working with small scale farmers so that they can gain stable market access, which is almost exactly what I am interested in exploring for graduate school.

I’m already feeling better about my choice. I can’t wait to arrive in the village-town tomorrow.

Few points to remind myself:

• Never reveal your age, or how much experience you have to irrelevant people. Just be vague and count your volunteering activities as part of your experiences (you’re not lying, technically!) They will start doubting your ability before you even start.
• Be a good listener, but give good paraphrases and ask good questions. You’ll seem more intelligent than blabbing off about stuff you don’t know.
• Don’t bias yourself against the private sector before you even jump in.