Many kitchens in Kenya have only one light: centrally mounted on the ceiling. This sometimes makes it difficult for a Stargardtien to work in the kitchen because he gets in his own way.
The rooms in Kenyan houses often have only one light source: centrally on the ceiling. (And I am talking about good, stone-built houses with electricity and water, many Kenyans have none of that). The same goes for the kitchen. The kitchen units, the cooker, as well as other tables, are then placed against the walls as usual. As a result, I have the light at my back when I am preparing my carrots or stirring in the lentil stew. So I make shadows for myself, and sometimes I can't really see what I'm doing. Often the light is also a bit too dim, which makes it even more difficult to pick up a glass, for example. The contrasts between light and dark, as well as the shadows of the different objects, can confuse me (see also Collapsing Space). Speaking of which, I have banned drinking glasses from my household; the breakage rate is too high. An under-cabinet light would help here, except that the Kenyan kitchens I've been in rarely have upper cabinets, and when they do, they don't have lights. So I have to make my own and hang a bright LED lamp over the sink. A cooking island under the central ceiling light would, of course, also be an option ...
This article is part of the series "Stargardt in Africa".