Monday, July 8, 2024

Amid the bustling, open-air Kawangware Market in Nairobi, Kenya, matriarchs support their families, lead their communities and pass on business acumen from stall to stall and generation to generation. But they are vulnerable to some common predatory lending practices.

Economics-Mathematics major Maryanne Ndung’u ’26 has been awarded a $10,000 Projects for Peace grant to address this problem—working directly with 20 women in the Kawangware Market this summer.

The Kawangware Market employs nearly 16 million people, or 83% of Kenya’s population. Ndung’u says it is “a melting pot where dreamers and newcomers converge … and stands as a welcoming beacon, fostering a community of experienced women who have resided there for decades.”

Ndung’u will implement a three-part plan to supplement their existing network of knowledge with modern financial literacy tools. “The goal is not to replace but to enhance their financial strategies with structured, practical guidance,” she says.

Read more.

Please join us in welcoming the following new Whitman employees who started in June:

Whitman College is currently hiring for the following staff positions:

The heat wave that arrived this weekend continues with triple-digit temperatures. Reid Campus Center will be open with swipe card access from 8 a.m. to midnight daily through Wednesday, July 10 if you need a cool place to work or hang out to escape the heat. The Walla Walla County Department of Health also published an update about heat dangers and other local resources to consider.

Looking for a fun activity for your office, department, student organization or other small group? Check out the new Whitman College Adventure on The Great Game mobile app. Form a team of 2–8 players and solve nine puzzles in locations across campus.

All staff and faculty are reminded to double-check their Chrome River accounts to verify all FY2024 expense reports (including all credit card transactions made before June 30) have been submitted. Please also check whether you have any returned expense reports or pending approvals.  If you do not submit all charges by Wednesday, July 10, they may not be posted in the FY2024 budget and must instead be pushed to the FY2025 budget. All expense reports must be complete (with all approvals) by Monday, July 15, at the latest. If you have any questions or need any assistance, reach out to pcard@whitman.edu.

Whitman College is expecting 70+ new international students to arrive in August. International Student & Scholar Services invites you to consider joining our Friendship Family Program. Meet people from around the world and help them adjust to life in Walla Walla. (Flyer attached.)

Whitman College Technology Services (WCTS) recently held a Cornhole Tournament next to Cleveland Commons for WCTS staff and student workers. Eight teams of two competed. In the final round, the team of Ocean Liu and Peter Means beat out the team of Irma Widyawati ’27 and RJ Malik ’26. See more photos on Instagram.

2–3 p.m.

Welcome Reception: Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak

Hall of Science, Atrium

1–3 p.m.

Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance (sold out)

Reid Campus Center [not a Whitman sponsored event]

Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

Produced by the Office of Communications, Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.

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