Beasts of burden (July 21, 2011)

One very striking difference between Canada and Kenya is the role and treatment of animals.   I initially found some of these differences very difficult to cope with.  Allow me to give you some examples:

1:  Donkey’s are considered Naivasha’s “beasts of burden”.  They are tasked with pulling heavy carts of water, produce and people and it seems that they typically perform their work with little regard for their own comfort.  On more than one occasion I have seen a donkey fall, then try and try, to no avail, to regain his footing under the weight of the cart.  In fact, last week I was part of an impromptu donkey rescue team.  A single donkey was pulling a cart of produce down an incline and through the deep mud at the bottom.  In 12 inches of mud, the donkey lost his footing and fell, the cart landing on his flanks.  Myself and two of my colleagues struggled to lift the weight of the cart while the driver undid the donkey’s harness, allowing him to pull himself out of the mud.

This donkey cart is delivering water to Vincent's apartment.  This is clean water, provided by the Church to vendors at a very affordable rate.  Water is then sold at a rate of 7 shillings (~10 cents)/20 gallons to the people in town.

2:  Chickens are carried to the butchery by tying them to the roof of a bus.

3:  Dogs are not domesticated.  This, on its own, certainly does not offend me.  However, it breaks my heart a little when I see dogs and other livestock rummaging though dumpsites to find their meal, often consuming plastic that still tastes of the food it once held.  I also have a soft-spot in my heart for the mangy, three-legged dog that lives down the road.

Despite some of the unsavoury differences in the treatment of live animals, there are some things about the Kenyan approach to animals that I very much respect:

1: You cannot walk down a single city block without seeing at least one butchery with skinned animal carcasses hanging in the windows.  While this may seem vulgar, I think it is very admirable that everyone who eats meat understands exactly where their fried goat came from.  No one hides behind the inconspicuous, untraceable package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts at No Frills.

This man has just cut a chunk of meat off one of the animal parts hanging in the background to make our dinner.  Although this butchery currently only has parts of animals hanging, it is common to see full cows, goats or sheep.

2: Humans are not always at the top of the food chain.  In the two months I’ve been here, there have already been several hippo and buffalo attacks, which are typically lethal.  Please don’t think I believe this is anything other than tragic for those involved and their families.  I do, however, appreciate that there is something humbling about knowing that I, as a human being, am not always the master of nature.  Sometimes I am merely a part of the food chain.

3:  The chickens that arrived at the butchery tied to the top of a bus are either sold live or are killed upon order.  Again, there is something refreshing about watching a Kenyan carry a fully-feathered, dead chicken home for dinner and knowing that their family fully understands where their meal came from.  This has refueled my desire to raise, kill and eat my own chicken.  If I can’t do this, I should be a vegetarian.