Sara Coble, Ramsey Haggerty, Bethsy Harrigan, Destiny Fuqua, Lena Lutz, Sean McMahon, Leigh Anne Robertson
In Swahili, “qwetu” means more than just a physical home—it represents a deep sense of belonging to and within a place. Our day began with Dr. Patrick Mulindi’s tour of the United States International University-Africa (USIU) followed by an introduction to Nairobi’s city center and healthcare landscape. We concluded the day with a welcome dinner and cultural show at Safari Park Hotel. Throughout the day, we discovered connections between Kenyan culture and our own sense of “qwetu” in Birmingham as we eagerly began our journey.
United States International University – Africa (USIU)
Our campus tour started beneath a magnificent red-barked Murembe tree, which Dr. Mulindi described as sacred in Kenyan culture. Known as the “mumps tree,” it’s believed to possess supernatural healing powers. Traditional treatment involves carrying firewood, circling the tree seven times, then leaving without looking back. Dr. Mulindi shared how his grandmother directed children with mumps to these trees—part of Kenya’s rich traditional medicine heritage that includes herbal remedies, holistic healing, and divination practices across various ethnic communities.
We visited USIU’s centrally-located 24-hour health clinic serving students, staff, and faculty. Its partnership with a larger local hospital provides access to comprehensive care across multiple specialties. Doctors rotate through the clinic with specialty services available every one to two weeks. All USIU students and employees receive complimentary private healthcare insurance covering services at local hospitals when needed.
The USAID-supported USIU Library, established in 2007, offers excellent resources including a textbook loan program, e-journals, and online databases, complemented by green spaces and inspiring murals. One mural particularly resonated with us as health students—a quote from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai: “Those of us who have been privileged to receive education, skills, and experience and even power, must be role models for the next generation of leadership.” Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental organization empowering women to conserve their environments and improve livelihoods. Though she passed away in 2004, her legacy continues as Kenya leads environmental protection initiatives in East Africa.
An Orientation to Nairobi
In the afternoon, Dr. Mulindi and our driver Sam guided us through Nairobi’s City Center and its major medical facilities. We passed the Nairobi Hospital (a Level 5 facility and Kenya’s second-largest public hospital) and Kenyatta National Hospital (a Level 6 facility and Kenya’s oldest and largest hospital). We also viewed the Kenya Medical Training College, the country’s oldest and largest mid-level healthcare training and research institution.
We learned that Kenya’s healthcare system comprises three types of facilities: government-owned public hospitals (where most Kenyans receive care despite potential long waits for specialty services), “for profit” private hospitals (requiring private insurance or out-of-pocket payment), and non-profit faith-based hospitals (offering subsidized or free primary care and basic services).
Brief History of Nairobi
Our tour revealed that Nairobi, like Birmingham, began as a railway depot and grew rapidly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. British colonial policies established strict residential segregation, designating specific city areas for Europeans, Asians, Africans, and Indians. Though many of these policies were abolished after Kenya gained independence in 1963, their legacy remains visible in Nairobi’s diverse cultural landscape today.
Dr. Mulindi pointed out numerous colonial-style buildings throughout the city, physical reminders of British rule. Nairobi’s historical segregation paralleled racial divisions in other countries, with controlled access to public spaces, land, and opportunities shaping the city’s urban development and social structure that continues to influence its current layout.
Welcome Dinner
Our evening at Safari Park Hotel’s Nyama Choma, a stunning outdoor churrasco restaurant, featured an impressive variety of meats cooked on skewers over an open fire. We sampled ostrich, camel, goat, crocodile, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, and beef (though Dr. McCormick stuck to chicken and turkey only!).
After dessert, we enjoyed an extravagant performance that celebrated Kenyan patriotism through diverse music styles and cultural dances. The show followed a thematic storyline about Kenyan rituals and wildlife, with performers wearing colorful costumes that changed to match each segment’s theme.
Beyond traditional cultural dances, the performance included stuntmen performing impressive acrobatic feats similar to American breakdancing. Throughout the show, we noticed striking parallels between Kenyan and American culture. Many dance moves appeared identical to those in Black American culture—women moved in ways reminiscent of American majorette dancers and wore similar costumes, while men used whistles in a manner comparable to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s traditions.
These cultural connections reminded us of “Qwetu” and how a sense of belonging transcends borders, highlighting the similarities and connectedness between Kenya and the United States.
