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.