Pen pals in Kenya

Ask a pen pal in Nairobi about the weather in July and you might hear that they need a jumper. The capital sits high on a plateau, well above sea level, so mornings and evenings can be properly chilly even though the city is close to the equator. The coast around Mombasa, by contrast, stays warm and humid all year. That gap tells you something useful from the start: Kenya varies a great deal, and one pen pal's experience is not the whole country.

Rain, not summer and winter

Because Kenya straddles the equator, people tend to describe the year by rain rather than by temperature. The "long rains" usually arrive around March to May, and the "short rains" around October to December. Between them come drier spells. If you live in a place with four distinct seasons, it is worth asking your pen pal what the rains mean where they live, because the answer for a farming family will be different from that of someone in a city flat.

Kenyan schools follow the calendar year. The first term starts in early January, and the year is split into three terms with breaks in April and August, ending around late October or November, when national exams are sat. The long holiday then runs through December. So if you write in December, your pen pal may have more time on their hands; in October, they may be deep in revision.

Languages in daily use

Swahili (Kiswahili) and English are both official, and many Kenyans also speak the language of their community, such as Gikuyu, Luo, Luhya or Kamba. In Nairobi and other towns you will also hear Sheng, a fast-changing slang built on Swahili grammar with words borrowed from English and other Kenyan languages. It started among young people in Nairobi and is now heard in music, on the radio and in the shared minibuses called matatus.

If you are learning Swahili, a Kenyan pen pal is a good partner for the everyday version rather than the textbook one. "Habari?" ("What news?") is a simple, friendly opener. Our guide to language exchange has tips on splitting a letter between two languages.

Holidays, and a word on outside impressions

• Madaraka Day, 1 June, marks self-government in 1963.
• Mashujaa Day (Heroes' Day), 20 October, honours those who fought for independence.
• Jamhuri Day, 12 December, is the main national day, celebrating independence.
• Christmas, Easter and Eid are also widely marked; Eid dates follow the Islamic lunar calendar and move each year.

Many people outside Kenya picture it mainly as a holiday destination of wide plains and wildlife. Most Kenyans, of course, are getting on with school, work, football, church or mosque, music and family, often in busy towns. Your pen pal's daily life is likely to be much more ordinary, and much more interesting, than the travel brochure version. Let them lead on what they want to share.

First questions to try

• Which languages do you use with family, with friends and at school?
• What is your favourite part of the school year, and what is the hardest?
• What do the rainy seasons change about your routine?
• What music or radio is everyone around you listening to right now?