Dodging Al Shabab in Their Own Language Past Review

By A student (International / Global Studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/02/2014 to 05/17/2014 with

SIT Study Abroad: Kenya - Global Health and Human Rights

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Of course it was worthwhile. Every experience I've had abroad (they're extensive!) has been worthwhile in it's own way. I learned to go with the flow, and trust that though my program isn't perfect, in the end I needed to be the one to make it meaningful for myself. That being said, given the opportunity to do it again, I would choose a program that had not recently undergone huge restructuring, in a country with serious security concerns.

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.	resources were terrible. Access to the internet was shotty at best, and library resources were available only upon rare occasions. Classes took place in sweltering classrooms, and academic rigor was, well, not rigorous in the least.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I had a pretty truly terrible housing experience in Nairobi (first of three homestays), where I was placed with a family as a favor. I would be happy to elaborate in person, but in short: I shared a double bed with my host mother.
* Food:	fantastic! Not terribly healthy, but that's not why we go abroad
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Once we left Nairobi, the cultural integration was great.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	No personal experiences, but whenever anything came up within the group it was handled quite well and swiftly.
* Safety:	Absolutely and completely unsafe. Program has been discontinued for the foreseeable future due to terrorism in the country. Honestly, I'm surprised (though grateful) that we weren't pulled from the country by the State Department mid-program.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	perhaps $50?
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Don't spend money in Nairobi... on ANYTHING! You can find it cheaper elsewhere

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	Excellent encouragement! I used Swahili day in and day out, even from the beginning of the program
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Swahili 101 at Middlebury
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Work hard to create a culture of Swahili within your group! Even if the classes are at different levels, everyone can learn from each other

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	The Swahili Coast the independence we had as a result of trust from the directors the ability to travel during our ISP/breaks
* What could be improved?	*Everything (classes, professors) Host family placement Visa renewal support
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Kenya is a pretty torn up place... there is much more tension - political, ethnic, religious - than even I (an African Studies major who has spent over two years living in South Africa) could have anticipated.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Swahili
Course Department:	Language
Instructor:	Reuben!
Instruction Language:	Swahili
Comments:	I can't say enough positive things about this course. Mwalimu Reuben was perhaps the best language teacher I've ever had, and I'm a Middlebury College language student, so that's saying something. I was pushed to participate in class far more than I was in the Middlebury offered Swahili class, and the immersion was immensely helpful. Oral exams and a complete emphasis on speaking skills helped me develop a different skill set than what Middlebury offers me.
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A

Course Name/Rating:	Health
Course Department:
Instructor:	Karama
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	NB: Health and Human Rights should really be treated as 1 course, though they were technically two separates ones. This class, taught by Dr. Karama, was enlightening for the first two lectures, when the information was actually new. After that, Karama seemed to give up, and our stream of guest lecturers, while INCREDIBLE, were obviously not briefed on what we already knew, and thus the lectures were pretty redundant. Such a shame, as these could have been really meaningful classes.
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A

Course Name/Rating:	Human Rights
Course Department:
Instructor:	Jama
Instruction Language:
Comments:	An Interesting course... no semblance of assessments, but similar problems to the Health class in terms of redundancy. Dr. Jama spoke to us as if we couldn't possible understand what we were saying, but he did bring an incredible energy and passion to the lectures
Credit Transfer Issues:	N/A