Special Treatment

Yesterday I was standing in a long line at the bank when a security guard told me to go to the front of the line. Last week, in a line that was even longer, a woman near the front told me to go to the front as well. I declined then and said, "I am ok, I can wait." She said, "no, we always tell people like you to go to the front of the line."

Usually, I stick out here because I am white. Everyday, I hear people yelling "mzungu" (white person) when I walk on the street. So, that is what I thought she was referring to when she said "people like you." She is telling me to go to the front of the line because I am white and shouldn't have to wait. Unfortunately, I have seen some white people here treat black Kenyans badly who do think they are better than everyone else and deserve special treatment. Sadly some black Kenyans feel inferior as a result. (I am saying "black Kenyans" because there are white Kenyans here. I didn't know that before coming to Kenya. Their ancestors moved here during the British colonization. They are not the ones looked down on or treated badly.)

That is one of the things I can't stand. I don't want special treatment because I am white. I am no better then anyone else and their time is just as valuable as mine. For those reasons, I did not go to the front of the line then. Again, yesterday I refused when the security guard approached me. However, he would not let it go and insisted I go to the front. I asked him why he wanted me to go to the front, and again he said "we make allowances for people like you." "People like me?" I questioned. I didn't want to be rude, but I wanted to make sure I understood what he was referring to. He said "yes, people in your condition." He seemed a bit uncomfortable, like he didn't know what to say, and gestured towards his stomach.

Oh............ the light bulb above my head switch on. He is referring to me being pregnant! I was so relieved it wasn't because I was white. Because I have felt pretty good throughout the pregnancy and have not let it slow me down (for the most part), I forget that is another reason I may stick out. Although I felt better about his reasoning, I still felt bad about going to the front of the line. After all, I felt fine. But, he insisted and so I went. No one seemed to mind.

Later, I asked George and he said, that is something standard they do for pregnant women in this culture. Also I learned from Dota, our neighbor and friend who helps with laundry, pregnant women are really pampered in their last months of pregnancy and first three months after. Family members and friends come over to help them each day with everything - taking care of the baby, cooking, cleaning, and laundry. They give massages and make sure the mom is getting rest. All this is so when the baby is three months old, the new mom is fully healed and recovered, ready to get back to work.

So, I am looking forward to my daily massages and eating bon bons on the couch all day! (Just kidding! I don't think I could accept so much help even if we were in one place for three months and it was available.) I thought all this was really nice. What a sweet culture that places so much value on helping women during this challenging time.