Here are some of Katie's photos from early in the trip.
And here are some of Steve's photos.
We'll upload more people's photos soon.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
We're baaack`
Our flight touched down at Dulles airport in Virginia at about 2 p.m. East Coast time. We're glad to be home after about 24 straight hours of travel.
Here are updates from our final days in Kenya. More student reflections will follow in the coming weeks (parents of travelers, we will call upon you in the coming months to help make sure that students take some time to reflect and process the trip in writing).
On our final day in Kenya, Sunday, we went to the Ya Ya Market for some "late" morning shopping (we left Rosa Mystica at 9 a.m. -- our latest start EVER). When we got back we packed a bit more and then headed to Prestige Plaza for a quick lunch. After lunch, we visited the offices of Carolina For Kibera, located (not surprisingly) in Kibera, between Olympic Primary School (Ken's old primary school, which we visited on Thursday) and Red Rose.
Describe CFK here. We learned mainly about a program that empowers young women in Kibera, called Binti Pamoja. We saw the newly opened Tabitha Clinic (new as of February of this year) as well. The contrast between the sewage/garbage outside the clinic and our vision of an American hospital/clinic was quite jarring.
After our visit there, we headed back to pack and then walked to the Junction Mall for a final dinner there before loading up the bus and heading to the airport.
Also, filling in some details from earlier in the trip -- on Thursday afternoon, after visiting Olympic Primary School, we went back to Kibra Academy where there was an opening ceremony of the new computer lab, funded by the Children of Kibera Fonudation (CoKF). We'll get some pictures of that event up on the blog as well.
[Five CoKF interns who have graduated from college -- three from the United States and two from Kenya -- have already put the lab to good use, setting up the computers and training students and teachers alike. One day, the lab was in use for nine straight hours.]
Many many many pictures will be uploaded soon - look here for links to galleries.
Here are updates from our final days in Kenya. More student reflections will follow in the coming weeks (parents of travelers, we will call upon you in the coming months to help make sure that students take some time to reflect and process the trip in writing).
On our final day in Kenya, Sunday, we went to the Ya Ya Market for some "late" morning shopping (we left Rosa Mystica at 9 a.m. -- our latest start EVER). When we got back we packed a bit more and then headed to Prestige Plaza for a quick lunch. After lunch, we visited the offices of Carolina For Kibera, located (not surprisingly) in Kibera, between Olympic Primary School (Ken's old primary school, which we visited on Thursday) and Red Rose.
Describe CFK here. We learned mainly about a program that empowers young women in Kibera, called Binti Pamoja. We saw the newly opened Tabitha Clinic (new as of February of this year) as well. The contrast between the sewage/garbage outside the clinic and our vision of an American hospital/clinic was quite jarring.
After our visit there, we headed back to pack and then walked to the Junction Mall for a final dinner there before loading up the bus and heading to the airport.
Also, filling in some details from earlier in the trip -- on Thursday afternoon, after visiting Olympic Primary School, we went back to Kibra Academy where there was an opening ceremony of the new computer lab, funded by the Children of Kibera Fonudation (CoKF). We'll get some pictures of that event up on the blog as well.
[Five CoKF interns who have graduated from college -- three from the United States and two from Kenya -- have already put the lab to good use, setting up the computers and training students and teachers alike. One day, the lab was in use for nine straight hours.]
Many many many pictures will be uploaded soon - look here for links to galleries.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
update through Sunday
We finished our final two days teaching at Red Rose Thu and Fri, and students there were very appreciative of our efforts there. Our group went to see the new Harry Potter movie at the mall one block away -- reviews of the movie varied, but seeing a movie in Kenya was kind of fun.
Saturday (yesterday) we celebrated with about 50 students from Red Rose who have lost at least one parent -- it was a day of seeing baby elephants and rhinos being fed, and of feeding giraffes ourselves at the Giraffe Center. After lunch, we played soccer and rode camels and danced and hung out with our new friends until 4 p.m. We then came back to Rosa Mystica, changed into nice clothing, and went out to dinner at Carnivore (google it -- it's an amazing restaurant experience).
Now it's Sunday morning and we are packing and/or doing some last minute shopping.
This will likely be our last blog entry, as we're soon checking out of Rosa Mystica.
Our flight is due in around 1:30 to Dulles on Monday afternoon -- but you knew that :)
We'll see many of you blog readers there...
Saturday (yesterday) we celebrated with about 50 students from Red Rose who have lost at least one parent -- it was a day of seeing baby elephants and rhinos being fed, and of feeding giraffes ourselves at the Giraffe Center. After lunch, we played soccer and rode camels and danced and hung out with our new friends until 4 p.m. We then came back to Rosa Mystica, changed into nice clothing, and went out to dinner at Carnivore (google it -- it's an amazing restaurant experience).
Now it's Sunday morning and we are packing and/or doing some last minute shopping.
This will likely be our last blog entry, as we're soon checking out of Rosa Mystica.
Our flight is due in around 1:30 to Dulles on Monday afternoon -- but you knew that :)
We'll see many of you blog readers there...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday's visit to Salve Regina School
Reflection:
Returning from a simply astounding safari adventure, we kicked off the
week on Monday afternoon with a rather formal visit to Salve Regina
School. The group was presented with a full program plus the pleasure
of having virtually everyone at the school thrilled to welcome us as
visitors.
On the outskirts of Nairobi, Salve Regina holds pre-kindergarten through second grade, with a third grade classroom on the way. Here, my main thoughts were on the purpose of the creation
and perpetuation of the school. The director proposed that the main
reason for poverty in places like Kenya was a general lack of
education, with children rarely being able to
grow up and lead initiating lives.
However, if these children are able
to attain such knowledge, they should grow to become very capable
adults who can work to fix his or her country’s problems. With this
direction, the school seemed to be very on top of its goals. The
school is able to take in children without charging large tuitions, as many of
the kids come from slums, and place them in an educational
environment. In my opinion, this focused initiative is indeed
succeeding, and is one of the more inspiring places to which we have
been. The Children of Kibera Foundation has donated a computer lab as
well as other school supplies, further pushing the magnificent school
ahead. Giving one small child, most likely living in a slum, a full
year of learning, a step ahead to leading a meaningful life, with a
complete lunch each day (sometimes the only meal of the day for a
particular child), is only $90.
-Brian
Returning from a simply astounding safari adventure, we kicked off the
week on Monday afternoon with a rather formal visit to Salve Regina
School. The group was presented with a full program plus the pleasure
of having virtually everyone at the school thrilled to welcome us as
visitors.
On the outskirts of Nairobi, Salve Regina holds pre-kindergarten through second grade, with a third grade classroom on the way. Here, my main thoughts were on the purpose of the creation
and perpetuation of the school. The director proposed that the main
reason for poverty in places like Kenya was a general lack of
education, with children rarely being able to
grow up and lead initiating lives.
However, if these children are able
to attain such knowledge, they should grow to become very capable
adults who can work to fix his or her country’s problems. With this
direction, the school seemed to be very on top of its goals. The
school is able to take in children without charging large tuitions, as many of
the kids come from slums, and place them in an educational
environment. In my opinion, this focused initiative is indeed
succeeding, and is one of the more inspiring places to which we have
been. The Children of Kibera Foundation has donated a computer lab as
well as other school supplies, further pushing the magnificent school
ahead. Giving one small child, most likely living in a slum, a full
year of learning, a step ahead to leading a meaningful life, with a
complete lunch each day (sometimes the only meal of the day for a
particular child), is only $90.
-Brian
Tuesday and Weds update
Tuesday was our first day of teaching on our own at Red Rose. Students learned it can be both difficult and rewarding to be a teacher... We're hoping to get some reflections from students about their experience in the classroom in the next few days, but we're busy each night making sure we are prepared for tomorrow's lessons.
After teaching Tuesday, we went to lunch and then did some shopping at a Masai Market that sets up each Tuesday outside the mall where we ate. After that, we visited the National Museum where we learned about Kenyan culture and saw human fossils and learned about mammals.
Wednesday, after teaching, we visited the U.S. Embassy. Here is James' account of that visit:
Today we were fortunate enough to secure an appointment to tour the United States embassy in Nairobi. The embassy, which has been located across from the United Nations African headquarters since the 1998 embassy bombing in downtown Nairobi, is an enormous compound which houses not only foreign service officials from the US State Department but also various other organizations such as USAID. After an absurd security procedure (no cell phones or cameras are allowed inside the compound), we were met by a foreign service officer who led us into the embassy building and to a conference room where we met with several embassy officials: an economist with the foreign service, an expert on education with USAID, the consular general and acting ambassador, an DoD attaché, and a director of PEPFAR (AIDS relief) in Kenya. After a brief presentation by each official of their role in the embassy and their work in Kenya, we asked questions, and in turn were asked questions by the officials about our views about Kenya. The officials seemed genuinely interested about our experiences in Kibera and were enthusiastic to explain to students about their respective jobs. After our hour long meeting with the US embassy officials, we were given a quick tour of the three story embassy building (including a quick peak into the ambassador’s office) and were led outside to the memorial of the 1998 bombings where we concluded our tour. Personally, I was struck by the genuine passion that the US embassy officials had about their jobs. Rather than simply being agents of the state department’s political agenda, each official seemed to exhibit compassion for the Kenyan people that I wouldn’t have expected. Overall, our visit the embassy was incredibly interesting. Having never been in an embassy abroad, it was fascinating to see the internal workings of one of the largest US embassies in the world.
After teaching Tuesday, we went to lunch and then did some shopping at a Masai Market that sets up each Tuesday outside the mall where we ate. After that, we visited the National Museum where we learned about Kenyan culture and saw human fossils and learned about mammals.
Wednesday, after teaching, we visited the U.S. Embassy. Here is James' account of that visit:
Today we were fortunate enough to secure an appointment to tour the United States embassy in Nairobi. The embassy, which has been located across from the United Nations African headquarters since the 1998 embassy bombing in downtown Nairobi, is an enormous compound which houses not only foreign service officials from the US State Department but also various other organizations such as USAID. After an absurd security procedure (no cell phones or cameras are allowed inside the compound), we were met by a foreign service officer who led us into the embassy building and to a conference room where we met with several embassy officials: an economist with the foreign service, an expert on education with USAID, the consular general and acting ambassador, an DoD attaché, and a director of PEPFAR (AIDS relief) in Kenya. After a brief presentation by each official of their role in the embassy and their work in Kenya, we asked questions, and in turn were asked questions by the officials about our views about Kenya. The officials seemed genuinely interested about our experiences in Kibera and were enthusiastic to explain to students about their respective jobs. After our hour long meeting with the US embassy officials, we were given a quick tour of the three story embassy building (including a quick peak into the ambassador’s office) and were led outside to the memorial of the 1998 bombings where we concluded our tour. Personally, I was struck by the genuine passion that the US embassy officials had about their jobs. Rather than simply being agents of the state department’s political agenda, each official seemed to exhibit compassion for the Kenyan people that I wouldn’t have expected. Overall, our visit the embassy was incredibly interesting. Having never been in an embassy abroad, it was fascinating to see the internal workings of one of the largest US embassies in the world.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Back in Nairobi
My apologies if this is double post -- the first time it did not seem to go up.
Here is an account of what we have been up to since Friday...
Friday morning we left Nairobi and crossed Great Rift Valley on our drive to the Masai Mara area. We arrived at the Mara Sopa Lodge (named for the Mara River, the site of annual animal migrations, and thus a really good location for a lodge to be near) and were greeted with towels and fresh juice. We checked into our rooms and relaxed briefly at the pool. At 4 p.m. we headed out for our first game drive, where we saw all sorts of animals. We’ll upload pictures that will speak for themselves. Ken’s prior posting gives you some of the details.
For those who have not been on a safari before, there are jeep-like vehicles that hold up to 8 people and allow passengers to stand up and see in all directions. When interesting animals are spotted, passengers pop up with their cameras and the vehicles move slowly (so as not to disturb the animals) and creep as close as they can to the animals. As you will see, we got quite a selection.
After dinner we relaxed and enjoyed the entertainment at the lodge.
Saturday, nine of us woke up early to go on a balloon safari (others went early Sunday morning), and then we met near where the balloon landed to go on a day-long game drive that included many more animals at close-up distances. We came back to the lodge in the late afternoon, showered, shared pictures, played cards and relaxed. After dinner, we talked about how we will bring the lessons we’ve learned on the trip back to our communities back in the US.
Sunday morning, six of us woke up early for the balloon safari. When we all met up, near where the balloon landed, we drove to Lake Nakuru where we checked in to the Lake Nakuru Lodge. We had a late lunch there and are about to head on a game drive where we will see rhinos and flamingos, and other animals as well.
Sunday evening we had dinner and went to bed. Monday, we got up, had breakfast, went on another brief game drive (this time up to the observation area that gives an overview of the whole lake), and then drove two hours back to Nairobi. We had lunch in a very neat mall near the United Nations building in Nairobi.
After that, we visited Salve Regina School, a school on the outskirts of Nairobi started by Greg's parents (Greg is the lawyer who spoke to us earlier in the trip -- he and Ken were deskmates at Starehe). Right now it houses pre-K through second grade and they are constructing a third grade class. The objective is to provide good education for kids who would not otherwise be able to afford the fees for the "free" public schools. After that visit, we checked back into our familiar quarters at Rosa Mystica, where we had dinner and are now putting the final touches on our lesson plans for tomorrow, when we will be teaching at Red Rose.
Here is an account of what we have been up to since Friday...
Friday morning we left Nairobi and crossed Great Rift Valley on our drive to the Masai Mara area. We arrived at the Mara Sopa Lodge (named for the Mara River, the site of annual animal migrations, and thus a really good location for a lodge to be near) and were greeted with towels and fresh juice. We checked into our rooms and relaxed briefly at the pool. At 4 p.m. we headed out for our first game drive, where we saw all sorts of animals. We’ll upload pictures that will speak for themselves. Ken’s prior posting gives you some of the details.
For those who have not been on a safari before, there are jeep-like vehicles that hold up to 8 people and allow passengers to stand up and see in all directions. When interesting animals are spotted, passengers pop up with their cameras and the vehicles move slowly (so as not to disturb the animals) and creep as close as they can to the animals. As you will see, we got quite a selection.
After dinner we relaxed and enjoyed the entertainment at the lodge.
Saturday, nine of us woke up early to go on a balloon safari (others went early Sunday morning), and then we met near where the balloon landed to go on a day-long game drive that included many more animals at close-up distances. We came back to the lodge in the late afternoon, showered, shared pictures, played cards and relaxed. After dinner, we talked about how we will bring the lessons we’ve learned on the trip back to our communities back in the US.
Sunday morning, six of us woke up early for the balloon safari. When we all met up, near where the balloon landed, we drove to Lake Nakuru where we checked in to the Lake Nakuru Lodge. We had a late lunch there and are about to head on a game drive where we will see rhinos and flamingos, and other animals as well.
Sunday evening we had dinner and went to bed. Monday, we got up, had breakfast, went on another brief game drive (this time up to the observation area that gives an overview of the whole lake), and then drove two hours back to Nairobi. We had lunch in a very neat mall near the United Nations building in Nairobi.
After that, we visited Salve Regina School, a school on the outskirts of Nairobi started by Greg's parents (Greg is the lawyer who spoke to us earlier in the trip -- he and Ken were deskmates at Starehe). Right now it houses pre-K through second grade and they are constructing a third grade class. The objective is to provide good education for kids who would not otherwise be able to afford the fees for the "free" public schools. After that visit, we checked back into our familiar quarters at Rosa Mystica, where we had dinner and are now putting the final touches on our lesson plans for tomorrow, when we will be teaching at Red Rose.
Monday, July 13, 2009
We're back from Safari
Here is an account of what we have been up to since Friday...
Friday morning we left
For those who have not been on a safari before, there are jeep-like vehicles that hold up to 8 people and allow passengers to stand up and see in all directions. When interesting animals are spotted, passengers pop up with their cameras and the vehicles move slowly (so as not to disturb the animals) and creep as close as they can to the animals. As you will see, we got quite a selection.
After dinner we relaxed and enjoyed the entertainment at the lodge.
Saturday, nine of us woke up early to go on a balloon safari (others went early Sunday morning), and then we met near where the balloon landed to go on a day-long game drive that included many more animals at close-up distances. We came back to the lodge in the late afternoon, showered, shared pictures, played cards and relaxed. After dinner, we talked about how we will bring the lessons we’ve learned on the trip back to our communities back in the
Sunday morning, six of us woke up early for the balloon safari. When we all met up, near where the balloon landed, we drove to
Sunday evening we had dinner and went to bed. Monday, we got up, had breakfast, went on another brief game drive (this time up to the observation area that gives an overview of the whole lake), and then drove two hours back to
After that, we visited
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Masai Mara -- Doing Well and Having Fun
Warthhogs, elephants, zebra, topi, masai giraffe, thomson's gazelles, cape buffalos, geckos, harte beestes, wildebeeste, lions, hyenas, jackals, ostriches .... all these and more we have seen in the "Manhattan of Wildlife" -- Kenya's Masai Mara National Park. We arrived safely after a four-hour drive from nairobi yesterday to an amazing buffet lunch, followed by swimming or sunbathing at the swimming pool of the Mara Sopa Lodge. The views are stunning, the food is delicious, the atmosphere is zen!!!
This morning 9 members of our group woke up at 4.30 am and loaded up a van at 5.15 am to go on a dawn balloon safari ride followed by a wonderful breakfast out in the plains with the wide endless African sky as the ceiling above us.
Pictures coming. Everyone is in good shape! Heading out to a long game drive now and a picnic lunch. We want to see the Mara Rive abutting the Serengeti, and if we are lucky, get a chance to see the great wildebeeste migration across the river.
This morning 9 members of our group woke up at 4.30 am and loaded up a van at 5.15 am to go on a dawn balloon safari ride followed by a wonderful breakfast out in the plains with the wide endless African sky as the ceiling above us.
Pictures coming. Everyone is in good shape! Heading out to a long game drive now and a picnic lunch. We want to see the Mara Rive abutting the Serengeti, and if we are lucky, get a chance to see the great wildebeeste migration across the river.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
July 9 Summary
This morning, after breakfast, we stayed for a little while at Rosa Mystica, where we unpacked and sorted the shirts, shorts, shoes, pens, pencils and other materials that we later in the day gave to the students at Red Rose. Now that we know the students in our classes, we are in a position to sort what we brought in a thoughtful way so we can make a presentation to each of the classes of students we're working with. “Make it feel like Christmas in July,” as Ken put it.
After we loaded up supplies for our classrooms, we got on the bus and headed over to Red Rose. We made presentations of gifts to the students. We found this to be a wonderful experience -- the Red Rose students were so appreciative. Some students will describe what it felt like when we have some time. For the rest of the morning, we observed and/or taught.
After lunch (at the same mall as yesterday), we visited the
John applied to Starehe, but his application was not on time, so although he had the qualifications to go there, the school could not admit him because 20,000 students had applied for 216 spaces.
Ken told John to find the best school he could find and CoKF would pay for it. So John walked from Kibera to the
The principal decided to make an exception to their usual procedure and admit John. It’s a decision that the principal has not regretted, because John is at the top of his 9th grade class (in
Once we got to the campus, John came on to our bus, shook each of our hands, and welcomed us. We then met with the principal in his office where he answered questions about the school. Then John walked with us as we toured the expansive tree-filled campus, which includes several farms (they grow their own greens, milk cows, and get eggs from chickens) and really nice playing fields.
After our tour, we headed back to Rosa Mystica for a quick change into our shorts, and then we headed off to the Polo Grounds to play volleyball and soccer (or, as the rest of the world calls it, football) against teams from St. Aloysius Gonzaga High School, the school we visited back on Monday (that seems like so long ago). Gonzaga had its students at the polo grounds for gym class. They have no room for athletics in their Kibera location, and this is the time of the week when they are allowed to use part of the polo grounds.
After those games, we came back to Rosa Mystica where we had dinner, packed for our upcoming safari (we leave tomorrow morning!), and did some brief reflecting about our first week in
We're excited for the safari tomorrow! Again, it’s not clear what the internet situation will be on safari, so there may be a lull in the updates.
July 8th Photos
Students in a classroom at Calvary Academy
As you can see, space is tight
This is a view from the second floor of the classroom -- Kibera houses surround the school
Another view from the second floor
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
July 8
July 8, 2009
Another early morning off to Red Rose – this is our second-to-last day of observation before we start teaching the morning classes next Tuesday (after we get back from our safari Fri-Mon)
On the blog, some fifth grade students wrote questions they had about the United States during their morning break from classes. We then posted those questions on the blog. If readers of the blog could answer those questions by leaving a comment (click on the link above), that would be quite powerful for the students at Red Rose. It makes them feel good that their words can be heard as far away as the United States (or from wherever you may be reading this blog).
We had lunch at the food court of Prestige Plaza, a mall that opened in 2007. We then went into another section of Kibera to visit the Calvary Academy schools, where Ken's foundation helped construct two classrooms to begin a high school (before it had been just for grades 1-8).
We got back to Rosa Mystica around 3:15 and we’re taking the afternoon to rest. Days here seem quite long.
Also, if you are a regular reader of the blog, be sure to go back and read James' description of the visit to the Pamoja FM radio station from July 7 -- it has been added to the earlier entry for that day.
Another early morning off to Red Rose – this is our second-to-last day of observation before we start teaching the morning classes next Tuesday (after we get back from our safari Fri-Mon)
On the blog, some fifth grade students wrote questions they had about the United States during their morning break from classes. We then posted those questions on the blog. If readers of the blog could answer those questions by leaving a comment (click on the link above), that would be quite powerful for the students at Red Rose. It makes them feel good that their words can be heard as far away as the United States (or from wherever you may be reading this blog).
We had lunch at the food court of Prestige Plaza, a mall that opened in 2007. We then went into another section of Kibera to visit the Calvary Academy schools, where Ken's foundation helped construct two classrooms to begin a high school (before it had been just for grades 1-8).
We got back to Rosa Mystica around 3:15 and we’re taking the afternoon to rest. Days here seem quite long.
Also, if you are a regular reader of the blog, be sure to go back and read James' description of the visit to the Pamoja FM radio station from July 7 -- it has been added to the earlier entry for that day.
Questions from Red Rose students -- part 2
Are there slums in America? (Diana)
How do you eat ugali? (Sharon)
Are there industries in USA? (Diana)
What is your favourite game? (Sharon)
How many game reserves are there? (Hillary)
How many districts are there in America? (Hillary)
Are there rivers in America? (Hillary)
Are there Muslims in America? (Ridhwan)
Do the people in America go to church? (Ridhwan)
How tall are the mountains? (Ridhwan)
Are there parks in America? (Laureen)
How many different types of games are there? (Laureen)
Do the Americans eat ugali? (Laureen)
How do you eat ugali? (Sharon)
Are there industries in USA? (Diana)
What is your favourite game? (Sharon)
How many game reserves are there? (Hillary)
How many districts are there in America? (Hillary)
Are there rivers in America? (Hillary)
Are there Muslims in America? (Ridhwan)
Do the people in America go to church? (Ridhwan)
How tall are the mountains? (Ridhwan)
Are there parks in America? (Laureen)
How many different types of games are there? (Laureen)
Do the Americans eat ugali? (Laureen)
Thoughts from a Georgetown Grad
Karima, a recent graduate of Georgetown University, is one of several interns working with the Children of Kibera Foundation.
Her description of her first two days in Kibera is quite powerful. Read it below, and also please visit the Children of Kibera website to follow the foundation and learn more about it.
Here's Karima:
Beyond poverty, a richness in spirit and dedication
Today was my second day in Kibera and in two days time the group of volunteers and I have visited a number of private and public schools including the Red Rose School, the Kibra Academy, the St. Aloysius Gonzaga School and the Girls Soccer Academy. As we meandered through the narrow alleys of Kibera, we passed burning piles of garbage heaped against walls and waved at children running and skipping over streams of refuse and trash. It was clear from the outset that Kibera’s one million residents live in an environment that meets the four characteristics that the UN identifies as an operational definition of a slum—insecurity of tenure, poor structural housing conditions, deficient access to safe drinking water and sanitation and severe overcrowding.However, my experiences so far have also revealed an aspect of Kibera which grim definitions and statistics cannot adequately express: the remarkable dedication of teachers and students to improving the way of life in their community. Take two teachers I met at the Girls Soccer Academy, Teacher Byrones and Teacher Musa. These two young men volunteer at the school six days a week for twelve hours a day to ensure that the girls at this public school receive a solid education. The school stays open after hours and during holidays so that students who do not want to return home or would rather remain at school to do homework in a room with electricity may do so. The Girls Soccer Academy is their home away from home, Teacher Byrones says.Or take the the teachers and students of St. Aloysius Gonzaga School, a private secondary school that specifically seeks to enroll and fund children whose parents have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The Deputy Director of the school and other faculty look at the students’ KCPE(Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) examination results, administer oral interviews and conduct home visits to decide on the seventy students to be admitted in a given year. As we learned through an exchange of questions and answers, some of these students walk over two hours each way, sometimes after dark, to attend their courses in math, biology, history, physics, English, French and KiSwahili. Their motto, as painted in big, block letters on the school wall is “Learn, Love, Serve.” Their task: to work hard because “working hard pays,” as is written across the school’s chalkboard. Working hard is what will lead them closer to their stated career aspirations of journalists, doctors, lawyers, pilots, singers and surgeons.The Red Rose students and teachers demonstrated this same active dedication to learning. When we first walked into the nursery, the Red Rose students, dressed in red sweaters and khaki pants, promptly stood up in unison and greeted us with an enthusiastic “Hello, nice to meet you.” I was immediately struck by the group’s high spirits and politeness. Later, they would gather round in the school’s courtyard, some of them slightly shivering in the chilly morning air, to sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and listen patiently to Ken Okoth and the Red Rose teachers graciously accept a financial donation from the faculty of St. Lawrence University in New York. As we walk around the Red Rose School during the day, songs of "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" drift from the classrooms into the courtyard.As we headed out of Kibera, I reflected on what I had learned from my first couple days. I searched for lessons that lay beyond the acknowledgement that places such as Kibera are poor. And I arrived at this realization: While the Kibera environment lacks sanitation, a formal economy and secure housing, there exist teachers and students with a resilient spirit of dedication and an energy that bring a richness to the community. By observing how local teachers harness their time and energy to create a safe, secure places for students and how students work diligently to perform well in school, I realized that to view the urban poor as passive people merely in need of rescue is not an accurate or helpful paradigm through which to approach development initiatives. Instead, Kibera’s residents are a lively, participatory group that assume their individual agency to bring about positive opportunities. I hope that my role in the next six weeks can be to help foster these participatory approaches to education through the establishment of the computer lab at the Kibra Academy.
Her description of her first two days in Kibera is quite powerful. Read it below, and also please visit the Children of Kibera website to follow the foundation and learn more about it.
Here's Karima:
Beyond poverty, a richness in spirit and dedication
Today was my second day in Kibera and in two days time the group of volunteers and I have visited a number of private and public schools including the Red Rose School, the Kibra Academy, the St. Aloysius Gonzaga School and the Girls Soccer Academy. As we meandered through the narrow alleys of Kibera, we passed burning piles of garbage heaped against walls and waved at children running and skipping over streams of refuse and trash. It was clear from the outset that Kibera’s one million residents live in an environment that meets the four characteristics that the UN identifies as an operational definition of a slum—insecurity of tenure, poor structural housing conditions, deficient access to safe drinking water and sanitation and severe overcrowding.However, my experiences so far have also revealed an aspect of Kibera which grim definitions and statistics cannot adequately express: the remarkable dedication of teachers and students to improving the way of life in their community. Take two teachers I met at the Girls Soccer Academy, Teacher Byrones and Teacher Musa. These two young men volunteer at the school six days a week for twelve hours a day to ensure that the girls at this public school receive a solid education. The school stays open after hours and during holidays so that students who do not want to return home or would rather remain at school to do homework in a room with electricity may do so. The Girls Soccer Academy is their home away from home, Teacher Byrones says.Or take the the teachers and students of St. Aloysius Gonzaga School, a private secondary school that specifically seeks to enroll and fund children whose parents have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The Deputy Director of the school and other faculty look at the students’ KCPE(Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) examination results, administer oral interviews and conduct home visits to decide on the seventy students to be admitted in a given year. As we learned through an exchange of questions and answers, some of these students walk over two hours each way, sometimes after dark, to attend their courses in math, biology, history, physics, English, French and KiSwahili. Their motto, as painted in big, block letters on the school wall is “Learn, Love, Serve.” Their task: to work hard because “working hard pays,” as is written across the school’s chalkboard. Working hard is what will lead them closer to their stated career aspirations of journalists, doctors, lawyers, pilots, singers and surgeons.The Red Rose students and teachers demonstrated this same active dedication to learning. When we first walked into the nursery, the Red Rose students, dressed in red sweaters and khaki pants, promptly stood up in unison and greeted us with an enthusiastic “Hello, nice to meet you.” I was immediately struck by the group’s high spirits and politeness. Later, they would gather round in the school’s courtyard, some of them slightly shivering in the chilly morning air, to sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and listen patiently to Ken Okoth and the Red Rose teachers graciously accept a financial donation from the faculty of St. Lawrence University in New York. As we walk around the Red Rose School during the day, songs of "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" drift from the classrooms into the courtyard.As we headed out of Kibera, I reflected on what I had learned from my first couple days. I searched for lessons that lay beyond the acknowledgement that places such as Kibera are poor. And I arrived at this realization: While the Kibera environment lacks sanitation, a formal economy and secure housing, there exist teachers and students with a resilient spirit of dedication and an energy that bring a richness to the community. By observing how local teachers harness their time and energy to create a safe, secure places for students and how students work diligently to perform well in school, I realized that to view the urban poor as passive people merely in need of rescue is not an accurate or helpful paradigm through which to approach development initiatives. Instead, Kibera’s residents are a lively, participatory group that assume their individual agency to bring about positive opportunities. I hope that my role in the next six weeks can be to help foster these participatory approaches to education through the establishment of the computer lab at the Kibra Academy.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
It's now EASY to comment on the blog
We recently realized that in order to comment, you had to be a member and type in a verification word to show you were not a computer. Well, no more!
We have removed those barriers, so it should now be MUCH easier to comment -- just click on the "0 comments" link at the end of the post you want to comment about. (It might say "1 comments", if someone already commented)
We look forward to hearing from you.
We have removed those barriers, so it should now be MUCH easier to comment -- just click on the "0 comments" link at the end of the post you want to comment about. (It might say "1 comments", if someone already commented)
We look forward to hearing from you.
Our visit with a Kenyan Lawyer
Here's a picture of Greg Karungo, a classmate of Ken's at Starehe, who spoke with us last night (Monday night) at Rosa Mystica.
July 7 update
Tuesday, July 07
Up and out at 7:45 – We arrived at Red Rose for a second day of observing (and in some cases, actually doing some teaching). Our goal this week is to get a feel for the classes and to start planning the lessons we will be teaching in the mornings next week.
In most classes, the students in our group (from the United States) are still mainly observing and getting to know their students. But in some cases, as described below, there’s a lot of teaching going on already. Here’s an account by Maria:
In the third grade (8 and 9-year olds) Daniel and I (Maria) were in charge of teaching English and math before the break and Social Studies and Science afterwards. Daniel ran the English class where the students reviewed a story that we had read yesterday (moral of the story: help your neighbors) and talked about what professions we wanted to be when we grew up. Mercy and Patience, the two girls in the class, wanted to be a doctor and a banker, respectively, while most of the boys wanted to be pilots or policemen. One of the boys, Walles, wants to be a teacher. In math, which I was in charge of, we continued converting days into weeks and weeks into days. These conversions required a mastery of the seven times tables, which is something that I think we’ll continue to work on for the next couple of weeks.
During the break most of the children played outside in the courtyard, but Mercy brought me back inside for an impromptu Swahili lesson. She taught me the numbers, one through ten, and basic greetings (“welcome”, “how did you sleep”, etc.) and responses. I’m going to be quizzed tomorrow, so I’ll have to study tonight. Daniel and I finished the last unit in the social studies book after the break. We talked about caring for our environment -- the people, animals, plants, and resources around us. In science class, we talked about the human body.
I think Daniel and I are warming up to teaching the third grade students. We have some ideas for what we can do tomorrow and Thursday and are still working on our plan for running the classroom next week.
END OF ACCOUNT – Thanks, Maria!
Other pairs of students had other experiences, of course, and we may have a chance to add other experiences to the blog, but that should give a flavor of what we did at Red Rose today.
We then headed to lunch (again at the Ngong Hills Hotel), and at the end of lunch, we were met by a Member of Parliament (MP) who was -- before he came out of retirement to be an MP -- a former high school teacher, then superintendent of schools in Nairobi, and then a representative of Kenya in India on education issues (there are 3000 Kenyans studying there). He spoke to us about comparative systems of education and answered our questions. That was pretty cool.
After that, we left the Ngong Hills Hotel and went to the Girls Soccer School, which was a very moving experience that I’ll get a student to describe in more detail here to get a student view, but Jeff's earlier post does a really nice job of describing it, so see that description.
We then returned to Rosa Mystica. Some people chose to rest, while an intrepid group of us went to see Pamoja FM, a community radio station in Kibera that played a role in calming the community in the post-election violence of early 2008.
The few of us who went were actually interviewed live on a radio station that reaches about a million people – mainly in Kibera. Again, I'll get a student or two to describe that experience soon...
Here is James
On Tuesday after our time at Red Rose, Maria, Katie, Alexis, and I went with Ken and Mr. Goldberg to Pomoja FM, a community radio station broadcasting from heart of Kibera. Pomoja is unique in that it caters specifically to the residents of Kibera, who are generally ignored by the traditional media in Kenya. Along with music, the station has talk shows and other shows geared towards specific demographics within Kibera (e.g. women). The station, much like everything else in Kibera, exists purely through creative use of space and recourses. The US embassy in Kenya as well as USAID provides substantial assistance to the station (one of the main broadcasters at the station was eager to mention that he was invited to the US embassy for the Fourth of July).
Up and out at 7:45 – We arrived at Red Rose for a second day of observing (and in some cases, actually doing some teaching). Our goal this week is to get a feel for the classes and to start planning the lessons we will be teaching in the mornings next week.
In most classes, the students in our group (from the United States) are still mainly observing and getting to know their students. But in some cases, as described below, there’s a lot of teaching going on already. Here’s an account by Maria:
In the third grade (8 and 9-year olds) Daniel and I (Maria) were in charge of teaching English and math before the break and Social Studies and Science afterwards. Daniel ran the English class where the students reviewed a story that we had read yesterday (moral of the story: help your neighbors) and talked about what professions we wanted to be when we grew up. Mercy and Patience, the two girls in the class, wanted to be a doctor and a banker, respectively, while most of the boys wanted to be pilots or policemen. One of the boys, Walles, wants to be a teacher. In math, which I was in charge of, we continued converting days into weeks and weeks into days. These conversions required a mastery of the seven times tables, which is something that I think we’ll continue to work on for the next couple of weeks.
During the break most of the children played outside in the courtyard, but Mercy brought me back inside for an impromptu Swahili lesson. She taught me the numbers, one through ten, and basic greetings (“welcome”, “how did you sleep”, etc.) and responses. I’m going to be quizzed tomorrow, so I’ll have to study tonight. Daniel and I finished the last unit in the social studies book after the break. We talked about caring for our environment -- the people, animals, plants, and resources around us. In science class, we talked about the human body.
I think Daniel and I are warming up to teaching the third grade students. We have some ideas for what we can do tomorrow and Thursday and are still working on our plan for running the classroom next week.
END OF ACCOUNT – Thanks, Maria!
Other pairs of students had other experiences, of course, and we may have a chance to add other experiences to the blog, but that should give a flavor of what we did at Red Rose today.
We then headed to lunch (again at the Ngong Hills Hotel), and at the end of lunch, we were met by a Member of Parliament (MP) who was -- before he came out of retirement to be an MP -- a former high school teacher, then superintendent of schools in Nairobi, and then a representative of Kenya in India on education issues (there are 3000 Kenyans studying there). He spoke to us about comparative systems of education and answered our questions. That was pretty cool.
After that, we left the Ngong Hills Hotel and went to the Girls Soccer School, which was a very moving experience that I’ll get a student to describe in more detail here to get a student view, but Jeff's earlier post does a really nice job of describing it, so see that description.
We then returned to Rosa Mystica. Some people chose to rest, while an intrepid group of us went to see Pamoja FM, a community radio station in Kibera that played a role in calming the community in the post-election violence of early 2008.
The few of us who went were actually interviewed live on a radio station that reaches about a million people – mainly in Kibera. Again, I'll get a student or two to describe that experience soon...
Here is James
On Tuesday after our time at Red Rose, Maria, Katie, Alexis, and I went with Ken and Mr. Goldberg to Pomoja FM, a community radio station broadcasting from heart of Kibera. Pomoja is unique in that it caters specifically to the residents of Kibera, who are generally ignored by the traditional media in Kenya. Along with music, the station has talk shows and other shows geared towards specific demographics within Kibera (e.g. women). The station, much like everything else in Kibera, exists purely through creative use of space and recourses. The US embassy in Kenya as well as USAID provides substantial assistance to the station (one of the main broadcasters at the station was eager to mention that he was invited to the US embassy for the Fourth of July).
The staff showed us around the station, which is housed in two apartments in one of the only 3+ story buildings in Kibera. It is up on the sixth floor, and there were a lot of stairs. Although the station runs on a meager budget, they produce shows just like any other radio station in the United States, complete with personality DJs and hosts and new music. For the residents of Kibera, who are too poor to afford television, Pamoja FM is one of the main sources of entertainment and as such sometimes has as many as one million listeners.
After being shown around the station, we were invited into the studio to be interviewed by the stations lead talk show host. Although most of his interview with Ken was in Swahili, he took about fifteen minutes to interview each one of us students and ask us about our experience in Kibera.
Overall, our visit to the radio station was an amazing experience. The services it provides to the community are obviously incredibly important and it was awesome to be able to sit down and experience Pomoja FM first hand.
Kibera Girl Soccer Academy
The Kibera Girls'
In response to the huge need and the particular problems faced by girls, Mr. Abdul, a native of Kibera, acted by beginning a new school where girls who that had completed the 9th grade in elementary school but lacked fees to go on to high school could come instead. I talked to Mr. Musa, the school's deputy head teacher. I found out that form one (9th grade) has forty two students, form two has twenty eight, form three has twenty seven and form four has eighteen students. When I ask Mr. Musa why the decline in enrollment numbers, he explained that they sieve the number to enhance performance. Only the students who perform well on exams are allowed to continue at the school.
Am eager to know the recruitment criteria. "Won’t anybody take advantage of the free education?"
"Nobody will," I get my answer. "Needy footballers are prioritized first and secondly academic performance. Upon registration, each girl is mandated to buy a uniform, a locker and books although last year lockers for form two and four were sponsored." Something crosses my mind. I recall how having pursued metal work in high school helped me afterwards. Mr. Musa confirms there are no technical subjects around. They hope for dress making or hair dressing in the near future.
Our discussion moves on to the setbacks they face. Bombshells drop one after another. "Most teachers are not fully-qualified trainees is the curtain raiser. The food programme works out only four days a week. We lack an equipped science lab for the high school curriculum and exams, thus we are registered with St. Gabriel-Undugu for K.C.S.E. Most students stay not with their parents, but with other guardians and this affects their pursuits."
I cut the deputy short on on this point and ask him to explain. I learn that the same students get overworked in their family situations or by their guardians. "Child labour is common, they undergo domestic violence and are malnourished."
"So?" I query.
"So what?" the deputy replies. But he gasps my concern and shares the taken steps so far. "A concerned teacher would address the affected student. We advice and admonish the guilty guardian in respect. I hope it works, more so I hope it never happens to any student."
I meet the principal, Mr. Teka Richard, in the staff room to learn more about the school. "The electricity bill is footed by friends and computer basic skills given to all students. Form four students attend free tuition on Sunday afternoon."
"What are your future expectations?" I ask the principal as we shake hands. "To double the number of students and a provide a complete and nourishing feeding programme," he says with a grin.
Questions from students at Red Rose
Here are questions students from Red Rose have about America:
Are there tribes in America?
How many people are there? (Nancy)
How many tribe are there?
How do families live? (Sharon)
How many are you in your families? (Sharon)
Are there slums in America? (Brian)
How tall are the buildngs in America? (Nancy)
Do Americans like the black people? (Brian)
How many holy days are there in America? (Nancy)
In Kenya,
Do Americans go to work on weekends? (Quinter)
How many different churches are there? (Steven)
How many primary schools are there? (Steven)
Are there tribes in America?
How many people are there? (Nancy)
How many tribe are there?
How do families live? (Sharon)
How many are you in your families? (Sharon)
Are there slums in America? (Brian)
How tall are the buildngs in America? (Nancy)
Do Americans like the black people? (Brian)
How many holy days are there in America? (Nancy)
In Kenya,
Do Americans go to work on weekends? (Quinter)
How many different churches are there? (Steven)
How many primary schools are there? (Steven)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Two more pictures
This is a picture of a presentation of gifts we made to the St. Aloysius Gonzaga School we visited today (July 6) in Kibera.
This picture is actually from July 4 when we visited Red Rose, but you would (and indeed, soon, you WILL) see similar pictures of all of the US students posing for pictures with their new friends from Kenya. We seem to be making a difference in the students' lives and they are very happy to see us and to be working with us. We're finding the trip to be quite rewarding as well, as you will learn from the upcoming student blogs...
Thanks for starting to comment on the blog (two people have commented thus far -- Emily's grandmother and my wife, Jocelyn! Who will be the first parent to comment???)
Seriously, please keep the comments coming! I'll pass them on to the students, and it's nice to know someone is reading the blog :)
July 5 and 6 outline
Following are basic updates. Students will be blogging as soon as they can catch their breath. Kenya is a busy place when Ken is leading your trip :)
Sunday, July 5
This was our most mellow day.
We had a “late” breakfast at 7:30. Then we had a post-breakfast meeting from 8:15-9 to discuss how we will tell our stories from Kenya when we return home.
From 9-9:15, we had a briefing from Ken about how and what to pack, and where we’ll be observing at Red Rose to prepare for our visit there.
Students were put in charge of packing, in the style of school leadership we saw at Starehe, and they did a great job -- now each time we visit a school we bring a duffel bag full of gifts.
We then had a shopping excursion and lunch and then an optional scenic drive through the Ngong Hills (that was where the last picture posted on the blog came from)
In the evening, we hung out from 5-7; had dinner and did some brief reflections and journal writing.
Monday, July 06
We had breakfast at 7 and left Rosa Mystica at 7:45. Arrived at Red Rose School (RR) a little after 8:15… We each wil be working in teams of two in the various classrooms where we will be working this week (nursery, pre-K, Kindergarten, and grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). We will generally be observing this week and then assuming teaching responsibilities for the morning classes when we return from our Safari time (though a few of us actually did some teaching on day one).
While we were at RR, some professors and students from St. Lawrence University (Ken’s Alma mater) came to visit as well, and the group of visitors was so large that we overflowed out of the courtyard into the alleyway outside the entrance of the school. That alleyway serves as an auditorium for large gatherings. We have pictures of that event, and will try to upload a few.
The welcome included a dance and even the hokey-pokey. Students then paraded back into Red Rose for the rest of the morning classes.
We left Red Rose around noon and had lunch consisting of authentic African fare at the Ngong Hills Hotel, not far from Kibera.
Ken pointed out that we were passing near the house of the retired president Moi, who lives near ambassadors from other countries (France, Saudi Arabia) in an area near to Kibera but one that has reliable electricity and water.
Then we walked up through a rougher section of Kibera to St. Aloysius Gonzaga High School. We passed through narrow paths outside people’s houses and had to dodge their clothes lines as we made progress toward the school. We walked about five minutes on what felt a bit like a hike, with switch-backs and even a few bridges to cross. When we got to the school we were met by the deputy principal of the school who gave us an overview of the school. It is designed for students who are AIDS-effected, meaning that they have a parent infected with the disease or they have lost a parent (in some cases, both parents) to AIDS.
She then divided us into four groups of five to sit in on classes with the students in the various forms (form one is equivalent to 9th grade in the
Once they are written, we will insert student impressions of RR and of Gonzaga.
Back to Rosa Mystica at 3:30… time to rest and process…(or go to the mall with a chaperone).
After dinner, we reflected on the day and had an optional discussion with a lawyer friend of Ken's (they went to Starehe together) and he explained the ins and outs of the Kenyan legal system.
Student impressions will follow soon...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Here's one photo
This is a group picture of folks who went on the afternoon scenic drive with Ken.
The rest of our group caught up on rest and reading back at Rosa Mystica.
Lots more pics coming -- we're having technical issues (student pictures are large and need to be shrunk to fit on the blog, because the upload speed is slow)
Pictures from July 4 are coming
We took abunch of them.
In the meantime, parents and other readers of this blog should feel free to comment on the blog. WHen we get a chance to read the blog, we will copy the comments down and share them with the group. We'd love to hear what you are thinking about the blog and our amazing experience so far...
In the meantime, parents and other readers of this blog should feel free to comment on the blog. WHen we get a chance to read the blog, we will copy the comments down and share them with the group. We'd love to hear what you are thinking about the blog and our amazing experience so far...
Thoughts about July 4
- As a group we were impressed by the work ethic that each of the kids at Starehe displayed. Sacrifice of their time to help their peers they displayed a great pride for their school, and on a moment’s notice they were able to say so many great things about their school. The students spoke with great enthusiasm. Their knowledge was evident from their well spoken English, and the way they composed their thoughts was very impressive.
- After speaking with both the students from Starehe boys centre and the
- We (Alexa and Lauren) met a girl, Hawa, who attends the
Student description of our first full day here
July 3, 2009
Our first night at the Rosa Mystica was quite relaxing, except for the dog that insisted on barking from 3:00 to 4:00 in the morning. We explored our showers (some of us didn’t find the switch to turn the hot water heater on) and our bug nets.
Most of us had no idea what our plans for the day were, except for the fact that we did not get to sleep in. We woke up for breakfast at 7:00AM, where fried eggs, toast and hot chocolate and instant coffee was the order of the day. We met our bus driver for the trip, Boniface Kamao (we call him “Boni”) and we were on the mini-bus by 7:45
Our first stop of the day was a tea factory about an hour north of our hotel. Tea seemed like relatively bland subject matter initially, but after spending an hour in the factory going over the intricacies of the processing tea, everyone was enthralled. From collecting tea from local farmers to the multiple fermentations to the final testing of different grains, the tour of the Maramba tea factory proved to be an energizing start that made our early morning worthwhile. Filled with enthusiasm for this process, much of the group was compelled to buy tea (or practice handstands in the grass).
Next we headed to a coffee plantation called “Paradise Lost,” where we toured caves used by the Mau Mau during the wars for British decolonization. We also paddled on a lake, and learned the many processes coffee beans go through before they are roasted and ready to reach your local Starbucks.
On our way to lunch were mobbed by legion of elementary school children, who waved and smiled and chased after us with tremendous enthusiasm. Everyone in the bus shared a sense of appreciation for our new bus chasing friends; we were awed by their enthusiasm, while scared for their safety as they tried to hitch a ride on the back of the bus (one succeeded at latching on to the ladder; no one was hurt).
Lunch was an expedited affair at a coffee shop near the United Nations Headquarters. Even given our speed eating, we were still late to our appointment with the
We crossed the whole of
We pulled up to an alleyway in Kibera, and about 20 feet down the alleyway, we walked through the entrance to the school for the first time. Some of us were moved close to tears at the sheer joy conveyed by the faces of the children at our coming. In each classroom we visited, from the 2-3 year olds to the fifth graders, the students recited poetry and songs to welcome us. We were all surprised by the economical use of space in the school, where seven classrooms, two lavatories, a computer lab/library, and a central courtyard all inhabit a space smaller than the goalie box of a soccer field.
After many introductions and interactions we all gathered in the central courtyard (which was no bigger than four or six dining room tables – we had to press against one wall to make room to give the performers space). There, we were treated to a presentation by some of the oldest members of the school. As we watched the watched a skit about violence between brothers, some of us made a connection to the post war violence of the past year. We were floored by the realization that each of these children probably knew someone who was killed in that violence; they were impacted enough by it that the one main message they wanted to welcome us with was “peace.”
We then left Kibera and headed – in one of many odd contrasts that
Dinner was from 7-8, and then we shared our reflections for about 45 minutes. It was quite a first day.
During our reflection time, these were some moments/images that various members of our group found particularly powerful:
The dancing welcome we received at Red Rose
The power of a wave – the kids go crazy if you wave; kids will chase after the bus and run up a ladder
The stark difference between the wealthy Kenyan houses and Kibera’s slums
Children in general so happy, optimistic, and welcoming and confident -- belting out their names when they introduced themselves to us.
Everyone in
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Pics from July 3
Student text will be posted soon to give more context to July 3, our first full day in Kenya.
My apologies -- Blogger keeps posting the pictures in inverse order of how they happened. I will post them backwards next time and that should solve that problem.
Start reading from the last picture and scroll up and you will get a sense of our day at Red Rose in Kibera. More pics coming soon (we have tons, but need to shrink them down for posting -- we may find another site that is better for pictures than this blog...)
Another action shot
One picture of the dancing
This is the courtyard where students danced for us
These are 2.5-3 year old students in one of the classrooms there
This is the other side of the door we came through -- the students see the alphabet.
more of the same -- going in to Red Rose
Once at Kibera, we went through the sign/door to Red Rose
This is the view as we drove into Kibera for the first time
Ken said the day laborers on this vehicle we passed on the way to Kibera would make about $3 US per day.
My apologies -- Blogger keeps posting the pictures in inverse order of how they happened. I will post them backwards next time and that should solve that problem.
Start reading from the last picture and scroll up and you will get a sense of our day at Red Rose in Kibera. More pics coming soon (we have tons, but need to shrink them down for posting -- we may find another site that is better for pictures than this blog...)
Another action shot
One picture of the dancing
This is the courtyard where students danced for us
These are 2.5-3 year old students in one of the classrooms there
This is the other side of the door we came through -- the students see the alphabet.
more of the same -- going in to Red Rose
Once at Kibera, we went through the sign/door to Red Rose
This is the view as we drove into Kibera for the first time
Ken said the day laborers on this vehicle we passed on the way to Kibera would make about $3 US per day.
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