http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2014-03/20/content_31857451.htm
Kenya's Eastleigh, melting pot of regional cultures
Xinhua, March 20, 2014
Eastleigh, a commercial hub on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, is widely
known as small Mogadishu due to the huge number of Somali immigrants
inhabiting the town.
The Somalis' vibrant engagement in business makes them stand out in the
district. Their huge population, which has eclipsed that of locals, has
made them own the town.
But Eastleigh is not all about Somalis. Tens of other immigrants from
countries neighboring Kenya, majority of them in conflict, also reside
there giving Somalis a run for their money.
They include immigrants from Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Tanzania and
Congo. While their numbers may not be as big as that of Somalis, these
nationals have made Eastleigh a melting pot of regional cultures.
The commercial hub is the only place in Kenya where one encounters and
learns about the diversity and complexities of the people and the region.
It does not take much for one to appreciate Eastleigh as a melting pot of
the larger East Africa cultures.
A walk on the streets of the commercial district and a chat with residents
brings out this fact. To start with, due to their huge numbers, the Somali
culture is conspicuous and dominates Eastleigh.
To say that it has even obscured that of Kenyans is not far from the truth.
Walking in the streets of the Eastleigh, one picks out the Somali culture
from anywhere he glances.
Their dressing, business acumen and religious practices stand out. Most
Somali men dress in shukas (wrappers) and kanzus of different colors.
While a good number are slowly discarding these clothing and adopting the
modern trend of dressing in trousers and jeans, the kanzus still reign
supreme.
In Eastleigh, you will see Somali men dressed in kanzu as they go about
their businesses on the streets and in their shops.
Talking of shops; the Somalis' business acumen stands out in Eastleigh and
it has made the district to be what it is - the biggest commercial hub in
Nairobi.
The Somalis own and operate over 90 percent of businesses both huge and
small in the town.
The businesses include hotels, hospitals and fashion stores, which are
hosted in several shopping malls in the area.
>From these shops, one gets the best bargains one can ever find in Nairobi,
the reason why thousands of people flock to Eastleigh to buy goods.
All one needs is good bargaining skills that will enable them engage with
the sellers. Somalis are very good at haggling for prices and never want a
customer to leave their shop without buying anything.
And as expected, Somali food dominates the menu in most hotels in
Eastleigh. The cuisines include pilau, which consists of spiced rice and
meat, canjeero (bread) and pasta.
These foods are readily available in hotels in the district for anyone who
may want to sample a delicacy from the community.
Away from Somalis, Ethiopians and Eritreans are another group of immigrants
who are conspicuous in Eastleigh. Their number is significant, effectively
allowing their culture to thrive.
While they may not be the best of friends back at home due to differences
between their countries, in Eastleigh, Ethiopians and Eritreans interact
and identify with each other.
"There are a good number of Ethiopian and Eritrean nationals in Eastleigh.
Perhaps 1,000 or even 2,000," said Eritrean refugee Mohamed Yonas on
Tuesday. "Most of us know each other and interact. "
Yonas, who escaped war from his country about a decade ago with his
parents, is a trader and most of his customers are his countrymen and
Ethiopians.
One of Ethiopian cultures that stand out in Eastleigh is coffee drinking.
Immigrants from the country have popularized the habit making coffee be
sold on the streets by people from the nation.
The drink is mainly sold in the evening by the women who hawk it and others
sell it in kiosks to earn a living.
The coffee drinking culture, which Kenyans have also adopted, helps to
bring together Ethiopian nationals in the district.
While there may not be much in terms of dressing that stands out among
Eritreans and Ethiopians, as they dress like Kenyans, their food has become
popular.
The food includes injera (flatbread), which is much-loved by some Kenyans
both in and outside Eastleigh. Injera is accompanied with spicy beef, lamb
or fish stew.
Injera is an equivalent of ugali (corn meal), a Kenyan food that immigrants
in Eastleigh have adopted as they try to learn local culture.
Top on the list of immigrants who have adopted the meal are Somalis. You
will find them in Eastleigh eating ugali and copious amount of nyama choma
(grilled meat), another Kenyan famous dish.
Embracing the dishes has helped the refugees interact and blend well with
Kenyans, whom they stay with peacefully.
It is not easy to pick out Congolese and Tanzanian nationals in Eastleigh
because they are not many. Majority of them stay outside Eastleigh.
Majority of the immigrants in the district speak Kiswahili, enabling free
interaction with Kenyans. A tour of the district and interaction with
residents gives one a glimpse into the cultures of the region.
Received on Fri Mar 21 2014 - 12:15:24 EDT