Africa book: The African Dream

Our Kenyan colleagues belong to the middle class of Kenya, a group that is growing larger and more influential. The book 'The African Dream' offers a fascinating insight into the world of these Nairobians, making it a must-read for your visit to Kenya!

Carien Westerveld

Carien Westerveld is a Dutch writer and journalist who lived in Kenya for several years with her husband, who worked for a dairy company, Bio. During that time, she wrote extensively for De Groene Amsterdammer about life in Nairobi, often spending time with Kenyans to get an authentic perspective. A few months ago, her book ‘De Afrikaanse Droom’ was released, which focuses on the middle class in Nairobi. The book explores questions such as: How does the middle class in Nairobi live? What do they value, and how do they envision the future?

The big city of Nairobi

There is a huge difference between the big city, Nairobi, and the countryside of Kenya. While some tribes still live in small manyattas, primarily concerned with the size of their cattle herds, in the city, very different things are important. The capital is home to a growing group of urbanites who embrace new lifestyles. These are the drivers of progress, portrayed in "The African Dream" by Westerveld. Alongside them, she visits mega churches (including the young bling-bling priest) and attends courses on how to become as rich as possible as quickly as possible. Feminism and single mothers—how does this affect such an apparently conservative society?

Tribal past or not?

The book offers an interesting sneak peek into a world that remains hidden for most travelers visiting Kenya and expats living in Nairobi. Westerveld explains that although many middle-class individuals have a beautiful Instagram feed, a car, their own apartment, and an iPhone, they often have to go into debt and have frequently broken ties with their families and tribal past. That doesn't mean, however, that the 'tribal' mindset is completely absent from their minds: there are still many traditional views on the division between men and women that we, as Westerners, would label as 'old-fashioned.' What about the marriage market? Westerveld writes that people in their thirties "are searching for a suitable partner, so they too can post beautiful wedding photos on social media and not fall behind their peers, as it's about 'increasing their spending capacity and climbing the social ladder.' They are not concerned with love. Love is for the poor and the rich. The people in the middle cannot afford love."

Want to know more?

Want to know more about The African Dream? Check out the interview that Africa correspondent Koert Lindijer held with her. You can also order the book via Bol.com or download it as an ebook from the Apple iTunes store. For those who prefer a sneak peek first, there are many different blogs about Nairobi written by Carien Westerveld on The Green Amsterdammer's Nairobi blog.