Visuals:
Cultural norms & generalities (from a 30-minute "googling" of an immense on-line gold mine):
- Kenya @ culturecrossing – Kenyans will rarely be direct when speaking with anyone except the closest of friends. They prefer to hide their true feelings, especially when speaking on financial matters... Kenyans prefer to maintain peace than to confront someone about a problem they are having... [For men] A handshake (sometimes multiple hand clasps in sequence) is the most common form of greeting. Often the hands remain clasped for a few minutes while speaking. Depending on their familiarity, men may greet other men with a handshake or a handshake with a hug... [For women] a handshake is appropriate in most situations. Good friends and family will usually exchange a kiss on the cheek along with a hug...“Jambo?” (“How are you?) is usually said immediately prior to ahandshake. Handshakes are required, regardless of how many people you are greeting. For example, if you enter a room with 30 people gathered for a meeting, it is usually expected that you will take the time to greet each individual with a handshake. Handshakes among friends can be almost comically effusive; old mamas will swing their arm from behind their body to smack and grab their friend’s hand in mid-air, amidst verbal greetings and laughter... If you are greeting someone whose hands are not clean they might politely choose to grasp your arm at elbow level rather than your hand. This is out of courtesy to you, and you should do the same for others... Kenyans don’t usually point with a finger but might jut their chin or point their lips at something to indicate the direction... Money is always accepted by extending the right hand out in a cupped way with the left hand resting just above it on the right arm. This signifies the absence of any slight of hand in a money exchange... If you enter a Kenyan’s home, you should accept refreshment (tea) if you are offered it to show that you accept their hospitality... "Africa Time’ is very flexible. It is common to be late or for services to fail to run completely. Kenyans generally take this with good faith, accepting delays as just part of life and beyond their control. Westerners often find it hard to adjust and can come across as demanding and impatient in comparison. In a work situation, employees will usually arrive on time, often early,having left more than ample time for their journey as they will be factoring in unseen delays with public transport and along the always bad roads. Heavy rain can slow things down to a standstill.
- Culture of Kenya @ everyculture.com – Kenya is located in East Africa and borders Somalia to the northeast, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, Tanzania to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the east. The country straddles the equator, covering a total of 224,961 square miles (582,600 square kilometers; roughly twice the size of the state of Nevada)... Kenya's economy has suffered from inefficiency and government corruption. The tourist industry has also been harmed by political violence in the late 1990s. Seventy-five to 80 percent of the workforce is in agriculture.... In agricultural communities, both men and women work in the fields but it is estimated that women do up to 80 percent of the work in rural areas... Child rearing is communal: responsibility for the children is shared among aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other members of the community. Boys and girls have fairly separate upbringings. Each is taught the duties and obligations specific to their sex: girls learn early how to carry water, cook, and care for children, while boys are schooled in the ways of herding or working in the fields...
- Kenyan: Language, culture, customs and etiquette @ kwintessential.co.uk – Kenya is not a homogenous country ethnicity wise. The make-up of Kenyans is primarily that of 13 ethnic groups with an additional 27 smaller groups... The Kenyan Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Around half the population are Christians, 10% Muslim and there are small Hindu and Sikh minorities. The balance of the population follows traditional African, often animist, beliefs. Christians tend to be concentrated in the west and central sections of the country while Muslims cluster in the eastern coastal regions. Most Kenyans interweave native beliefs into a traditional religion... Kenyans are group-orientated rather than individualistic. “Harambee,” (coming from the Bantu word meaning “to pull together”) defines the people’s approach to others in life. The concept is essentially about mutual assistance, mutual effort, mutual responsibility and community self-reliance... As you might expect in a group-orientated culture, the extended family is the basis of the social structure. It includes relatives on both sides of the family as well as close friends... The most common greeting is the handshake... When greeting an elder or someone of higher status, grasp the right wrist with the left hand while shaking hands to demonstrate respect.... The most common greeting is “Jambo?” (“How are you?”), which is generally said immediately prior to the handshake... After the handshake it is the norm to ask questions about the health, their family, business and anything else you know about the person. To skip or rush this element in the greeting process is the height of poor manners... People are generally addressed by their academic, professional or honorific title followed by their surname... Gifts should be given using the right hand only or both hands. Never use the left hand... Beverages are not generally served with meals since Kenyans think it is impolite to eat and drink at the same time. They are generally served at the completion of the meal....It is considered polite to finish everything on your plate, although it is not mandatory...
- A glimpse into Kenyan traditions and values @ kenya-information-guide.com/kenya-culture – Kenyans are a friendly and hospitable people, regardless of ethnic affiliation. Greetings are an important part of social and business interaction. Hand-shaking when greeting people you meet for the first time is customary. Eye contact is important to build trust. Kenyans also place great importance on family. Kenyan families are often large and usually include the extended family. Kenyans honor collective responsibilities and traditional values, which include treating the elderly with respect and reverence...
- 17 African Cultural Values (To Know Before You Travel to Africa) @ migrationology.com: Greet with a hello and a handshake; show respect to elders; don't point with index fingers; call someone to you with palms down, pulling your fingers inwards; eat with the right hand; expect hissing and kissing sounds as people call for someone's (your attention); silence is valued; Kenyan time works differently (dwells more on the past and the right now)
