Abit about Nairobi.. and Kisaruni

Nkosi and I at the Riff Valley on the way down to the Mara

Moving back to the Nairobi from the Mara was a blur, in between sleep and checking out the roadside scenery, we finally arrived and after a few days in the city the FTC staff were gone and we were left to ourselves. Getting to know all my housemates has been great, through game nights, juice bar days and a night out on the town, I feel like I am home

Mine and Cam's room

Training began last Monday and we slowly crept through all the modules that we are to be responsible for when youth or any groups come down for a Me to We trip. After almost a week of this we headed back to the Mara for a change of scenery and the Kisaruni Girls Secondary School reporting day.

Reporting day..
As mentioned previously we attended the opening of the Kisaruni girls secondary school on the staff trip where we were greeting by over 800 people welcoming us. This day was a bit different. As we left the centre to get to the school the buzz of first day excitement filled the air. Today the girls reported to school where they would reside and learn for the next three months. We arrived at about 9:30am. and a few girls had already been admitted, they were so excited that they were waiting at the gate when Kisaruni opened in the morning. As the day moved along many girls arrived with parents and friends from schools spread out over more than three communities. All of them traveled far and long to get to Kisaruni and they were not disappointed when they finally got here. Overall there were 42 girls accepted to the school, many secondary schools have a tuition charge, Kisaruni does not. We are hoping to have all the girls sponsored, to support them through their education. The girls parents/guardian’s support them in a different way by helping through projects that coincide with the school’s core values, worth more than a monetary value.

The Baraka Medical Clinic beside the Girls Secondary School.

As the girls arrived our role was to make girls and their families feel at ease and at home. We escorted the girls and their parents to their dorm after a luggage check and showed them their beds and personal bathroom facilities.

This was my favorite part of the day. The expression on the girls faces when they saw their own bed and the quality of the showers that they would beable to use will stick with me forever. The joy and excitement of the girls on their first day of school keep me smiling the entire day. Keeping in mind that these girls all come from varying home environments where they may share a bed or space with many siblings or even have a bucket bath. The dorm for many was a dream come true.

Overall the day was great and the quality of the girls that were accepted and will now be attending Kisaruni is humbling. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to getting to know each of them as we visit the school throughout the season.

The Mara at night..

Among some amazing day activities there were some unbelievable night festivities. Serenaded by the Kenyan Boys Choir, who took my breath away, they sang traditional songs and even Christmas songs that made us all think of home. Brought tears to most of our eyes, including mine. The Kenyan Boys choir can also be recognized by their incorporation into Obama’s inauguration. Seeing them in the now was beautiful. They were a great kick off to a New Years party that most will never forget; full of Tusker’s and boxed wine.

Another night time activity that was memorable was Oh Africa, a drumming group that sang, drummed of course, danced and threw in alittle bit of acrobatics. Great beats that got the entire group up and dancing.

We hit a record of dancing every night so far.

Finally our last night and one that I will never forget in the Mara began when some elders from the nearby villages came to give us a blessing. All 100 staff sat in a circle lit by lanterns, preluded by a story from Robin, the elders came singing and dancing into the circle. As the singing began the rain began, in Africa the saying goes that rain is a blessing, making the ceremony even more surreal. The next few minutes came as a surprise whereby we were spit on with sour milk in the face. Some got hit more than others. My hit was moderate, but memorable. The funny thing is that when the elders left the circle the rain stopped.

Nights were memorable and inspirational and I definitely won’t forget my first trip of many to the Mara.

P.s You can check out Robin's book by typing in My Maasai life into google.. and too see the Kenyan Boys choir check them out on youtube.. Obama's inauguration Kenyan boys choir. You will be blown away.

To the Mara...

Have you ever imagined a land that stretches beyond the eye can see, dirt roads that require cars with suspension built for a giant, and people that welcome visitors with open arms? This is the maasai mara. Arriving in Nairobi was a breeze and the next 24 hrs took us from a true Kenyan city to the rural countryside that one would imagine Africa to look like. Along the road stretched many fields and people tending to cows and goats, occasionally passing small towns that include Naroc, and beautiful sights like the great riff valley. Between sleep and small conversation on the “lolly” a few too many bathroom breaks our arrival at the centre was final. Here greeted by the great Kenyan staff of Free the Children we were treated to juice and cookies. Jambo,habari ganna. Dinner was provided and sleep was in order, jet leg was setting in.

The next few days took us on many great adventures that included visiting local schools that FTC is involved in, old school versus new school, getting into some soccer games with some local kids, and visiting great accomplishments like the medical clinic in the community.

Old school

New School

Among these highlights were attending the opening of FTC’s first secondary school. An all girls school called Kisaruni. As we pulled up to the school opening we were greeted by over 800 people welcoming us. All of FTC’s staff proceeded down the centre of a tunnel of community members shaking our hands. I can’t begin to explain the overwhelming feeling of welcome that I can guarantee everybody felt. The ceremony began, with dancing and speeches that would humble anyone in attendance. Meeting the girls who got accepted was especially powerful; they were full of smiles as their parents looked upon them with proud faces.

Jambo

JAMBO... here are a few of my favorite pictures so far..

Carrying a 20 litre water container from the river to mama Jane's house

Masai Mama's at the Kisaruni secondary school opening

Hello all,

I just wanted to say welcome to my blog, I will be posting here many adventures and updates about my trip, thus anyone can follow and keep up rather than writing 1000 e-mails. I hope you feel connected, and this way we can keep in touch.

Love Steph