Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. The last 7 days in Kenya have been very busy for me. I am starting to get into the more complex aspects of my Drop Access internship project. I am in the process of redesigning 4 walls of the VacciBox, a solar powered refrigerator designed to store vaccines. I am working to create a tight seal between the lid, gasket, and refrigerator internal compartment in order to increase the VacciBox’s holding time. Holding time is the number of hours the refrigerator can maintain an internal temperature between 2 – 8 degrees Celsius while not connected to battery power, solar power, or electricity. It took me about 1 week to learn the commands in SolidWorks necessary to redesign the geometry for 3 of the 4 VacciBox walls. However, when I combined those 3 walls into an assembly, I realized my design had created gaps in the top 4 corners of the refrigerator internal compartment. Warm air could flow in through those gaps, raising the internal temperature of the fridge above 8 degrees Celsius. I spoke to my production team members about this problem and we worked together to draw out and create a mini paper model of a new wall design. Now, I will take their suggestions and fix the design of the 4 walls in SolidWorks. My mistake made me realize the importance of drawing out several sketches and carefully considering how pieces fit together in an assembly before spending hours designing parts in SolidWorks. Once I finish the CAD design, I can make the engineering drawings, and order the materials necessary to build a prototype. Due to several delays, the production team and I did not install a VacciBox at the Wote medical center last week. Hopefully I will be able to assist with at least one VacciBox installation before the end of my internship. Last Wednesday, I also participated in a teamwork and communication workshop for Drop Access employees hosted by The Crucible company. The workshop leaders taught us about the importance of effective communication, strong leadership, and using teamwork to align on and pursue a common goal. They demonstrated this principle by asking us to work in small groups to assemble several puzzle pieces into larger squares. My group used creative thinking and problem solving to successfully assemble all 5 of our squares. I plan to use these creativity and teamwork skills to complete the design of my VacciBox prototype. I look forward to attending more team building and social activities with my Drop Access coworkers during the upcoming weeks.
On June 25th, I stayed at my apartment and worked remotely due to the dangers associated with a nationwide protest. Thousands of protestors congregated in the streets of the Nairobi central business district. Looking out my apartment window, I could see a massive cloud of black smoke lingering above the downtown area. I later learned the smoke was the result of several tires that had been set on fire along the Nairobi freeways and police officers throwing tear gas at the protestors. That protest marked the anniversary of the dramatic anti-Finance Bill demonstrations held in Kenya on June 25th, 2024. During the 2024 protest, Kenyan citizens stormed the parliament building, police officers shot at the protestors, and more than 60 people died. According to a report from The Guardian, 2 protestors died from gunshot wounds and several were injured during the 2025 protest. This year’s protest was more peaceful, but many Kenyans are still frustrated by the actions of the Kenyan government and police. I hope the people of Kenya will soon achieve the political, social, and economic reforms they are striving for.
Over the past week, I participated in several social activities. Last Thursday, I enjoyed attending a Rice University Meet-Up dinner at the Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant. I met several Rice University undergraduate students and faculty members who are participating in internships, college classes, and volunteer opportunities at Nairobi start-up companies, non-profit organizations, and universities this summer. The Ethiopian food we shared was delicious! We ate crispy chicken, fried fish, boiled eggs, diced tomatoes, and wot vegetable stews that were served on a large sourdough flatbread called injera. All the dishes were so flavorful and I look forward to trying more Ethiopian cuisine in the future. Last Saturday, my roommates (Colin and Emma) and I went to the Westgate Shopping Mall Safaricom store in order to put money into an MPESA account. It took several hours of effort, but we managed to use the MPESA account to pay for a Diani Beach travel package. Based on that experience, I would not recommend for American students to set up MPESA accounts unless they plan to live in Nairobi for several weeks. You have to purchase a Kenya SIM card, activate the SIM card and MPESA account at specific stores in Kenya, and add money to the account using cash or a wire transfer. Purchasing Kenya travel packages using websites that accept American credit cards may be more expensive, but those websites are more efficient and intuitive than the MPESA account set-up process. After leaving the mall, we went on an exhausting 7.5 mile trek across the 7 peaks of Ngong Hills. As we walked along the mountain ridge, we had a bird’s eye view of the vast and vibrant Great Rift Valley. While following the trail, we passed many sweaty, yet determined hikers as well as herds of cows, sheep, and goats. Although we made it to the end of the hike in less than 4 hours, my legs felt weak, I was drenched in sweat, and I was extremely thirsty. Luckily, street food vendors were selling juicy oranges, snacks, and sodas nearby. I don’t plan to hike Ngong Hills again, but I am very interested in doing an outdoor rock-climbing trip in Kenya before the end of my internship. Last Sunday was a more relaxing day because I decided to visit the Fairview Hotel pool. I treated myself to a tasty cocktail and appetizer, then jumped into the pool’s crystal clear waters. I immediately regretted that decision, because the outdoor pool was not heated and the water was freezing cold! Luckily, a hot shower in the poolside restroom helped to defrost my frozen bones. Well folks, that’s all the updates I have for you this week. Stay tuned for more weekly blog posts, thanks for reading about my Kenya experiences, and I hope you have a great day!
