Unique Abroad Experience January 24, 2025
By Emma C (Neuroscience, Boston College) - abroad from 08/31/2024 to 12/13/2024 with
SIT Study Abroad: Kenya - Global Health and Human Rights
I learned a lot about how the healthcare system works in Kenya and I saw how many Kenyans live who varied in SES. I also got to see lots of new culture and learned how to view other cultures that aren't my own.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academically the program was not very challenging and the course syllabi need to be updated to align better with the information students are receiving, but learning about the healthcare systems was very interesting and new to me. The kiswahili classes were the best structurally and I learned an impressive amount in the time I was there and the teachers were amazing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the staff were amazing and very helpful. You will definitely get close to certain members which is a lot of fun. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The homestay experience is truly one in a lifetime and really gets you emerged in the culture. Even though it may seem out of your comfort zone I think it is extremely valuable and you get close with your family like it's your own. The apartments at the end were also very nice and gave a good balance of independence in the program. |
| * Food: |
All the food I had was good and I was very surprised at first by the Indian influence (love Indian food). Although, I think that at least for me I ate a lot more carbs and sugar that I would regularly consume in the US which was challenging sometimes as someone who tries to watch what they eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Kisumu is a great place for this program because it doesn't have a lot of tourists. You truly are living like a Kenyan without too much foreign influence. Taking the language classes really helped with this and also staying with a homestay family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have to visit the hospital while in Kenya but other students did and the staff was always happy to take the student and stay with them for however long the visit took. I also made sure to get the malaria pill and the yellow vaccine before coming. |
| * Safety: |
I personally felt safe because I would never walk alone. My host family along with the staff and other white people that we met that lived in Kisumu told us not to walk at night because of safety issues but I never experienced this. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Experiencing the culture in Africa and interacting so closely with healthcare systems was really cool and something I will remember forever even though there were some organizational issues with the actual academics I think the overall experience trumps that. |
Finances
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* 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) |
We were given stipends for food when we weren't provided it which was infrequent because our school had a very good chef. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Barely any because of stipend. I only spent my own money if I would forget my stipend cash or when we did out of program traveling. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to Jubilee market for produce instead of the grocery store and try to bargain (the staff will teach you how to bargain and how much is a good price). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had taken a intermediate 2 Spanish class in college |
| 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? | Try to talk with the staff and other students as much as you can. Also ask the teachers how to say stuff you want to say or slang they use. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew what clothes to bring and what the classes would be like (especially the process of the research/internship). |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
