For Joyce

This is Joyce. Joyce asked me to take her picture and told me to show it to my family and friends at home, so it's past time for a blog feature! She makes lovely jewelry, as you can see, and takes care of her family and their animals.She is a fantastic and persistent salesperson every Tuesday, Market Day, especially since she speaks a fair bit more English than her average competitor. I didn't buy anything from Joyce, but really enjoyed our chat.

Last week, on March 8, International Women's Day, I thought a lot about Joyce (how could you forget a smile like that?!) and the other women I met in Kenya, mostly because this is the first Women's Day we've passed where I knew women who live very different lives than I. Obviously, the world is a big place and you can never know everyone's situation, but a lot of these women made the best of their situations with what they had, which is not much.

In the disappointing outcome of the recent presidential election, with Uhuru Kenyatta, who is on trial for war crimes committed after Kenya's 2007 election, claiming victory, what does that say to all of the women citizens of Kenya, regardless of sex? It says we value any type of leadership - good or evil, peaceful or violent - over compassion or sensibility or safety. The situation is far more complex than anyone living outside of Kenya will ever understand, with tribe relations, political affiliations, gender power dynamics and poverty all at work, just to name a few.

Turning thoughts from the national politics back to Joyce is when it is hard to think about all of those women and how their lives may change with this new ruler. Above all else, I hope they are happy, safe, and of course, healthy.