Channa Beth Butcher wrote her PHD dissertation on UNLEARNING THE COLONIAL NARRATIVE OF THE AFRICAN GIRL THROUGH HER STORIES OF THE LIFE EXPERIENCES OF ONE KENYAN GIRL. Channa Beth achieved this feat at the age of 77. She is an inspiration and a reminder that it’s never too late to achieve the unimaginable. This past spring she founded E3 Kenya which stands for Encourage, Engage, Empower. The non-profit's goal is to teach women how to be self-sustaining. In this podcast you’ll learn about her love of learning, her fearlessness/willingness to take on new academic challenges, her intense curiosity about another culture, and her total disregard of her age when taking on new roles/challenges.

Notes on podcast

1. I was an only child and only grandchild and always felt very loved and safe. From a young age I knew i’d go to college. This was reinforced by my parents and grandparents.
2. She describes her childhood as an idyllic upbringing and spent a lot of time w her grandparents who were huge book lovers; she attributes that to her love of reading and learning.
3. When I was in Mexico in the early 80s I felt chagrined that I couldn’t communicate w the women there and wanted to learn SpanishShe studied Spanish for 4 years and became certified to teach Spanish and history and taught.
4. Languages come very easily for me. I’d start out with a book and a CD. I have to know what I’m saying grammatically. Best to take a class to learn.
5. Learned Swahili in 2014. I saw an article about Africa and was there a few months later. Went to Tanzania and gorilla tract in Rwanda.
6. Her favorite movie is “The Nun Story” w Audrey Hepburn and set in Belgian Congo. I was enthralled with Africa. When I got off the plane I cried. Felt like I belonged.
7. Once the locals saw that I spoke Swahili, they really opened up. It was an inspiration to the whites who ran the camp where I stayed.
8. When you speak to a person in your language it goes to their head, when you speak in their language it goes to their heart. Nelson Mandela quote.
9. So much racism still exists in the tourist industry and in East Africa. That’s changing but colonialism is still present.
10. Colonialism is not taught in the schools. Nonprofits exploit the dark side of native girls. But there is another side to the story. Let’s look at the reality that girls are going to school and have their own aspirations and agency. This became the crux of my dissertation.
11. Primary education is free but secondary education has school fees. She has long seen the girls of Kenya portrayed as poor, desperate and in need of money, but soon learned they just needed encouragement and support. Her dissertation theme became desensitizing the myth around these women.
12. Her dissertation centered around interviewing a senior at Starehe, a girls school in Kenya about her experiences, She did 90 hours of interviews about her everyday life. My Kenyan girl started out wanting to be a doctor and switched to law. She’ll be entering law school this year.
13. She started a non-profit called E3 Kenya. Part of my impetus to get my PhD was so I could be taken more seriously. I wanted to be legitimate.
14. Teach the girls how to be self-sustaining for what they need. Teach the girls how to sew and make reusable menstrual pads.
15. It was the most joyful 3 days I’ve had in a long time. We only made 2 menstrual pads given the complexities of Africa. But we did it and will be going back. “Sisterherd Strong.”
16. What advice do you have for women considering a life change? Go for it. Take a leap of faith that you can do it. You’re never too old. It will make you happy. Believe that your dreams are possible.
17. My success comes from having supportive parents, grandparents and a supportive husband.

To learn more about Jean and the Be Joyful podcast visit www.bejoyful.love.