Service, Learning & Adventure at Red Rose

A picture is worth a thousand words.

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)

Pictures from 29th June to 6th July

Please click here to see the picasa web album of the Kenya 2009: Service, Learning, Adventure.

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 9^th grade in the US, form two is 10^th grade, etc). In case you are keeping track of numbers and are wondering how we got up to 20 people, we’ve been joined by Karima, a recent graduate of Georgetown University who is volunteering at Kibra Academy (which we visited on Saturday) for the next six weeks to help set up the computer lab there.

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...

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...

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 Kibra Academy, We began to really have a different perspective on our student lives. We saw that they do so much with so little and it allowed us to really rethink what our education means to us. I (Paul) know that I will have a whole new mentality going into my Senior year. I didn’t realize how privileged I was to go to such an amazing school. My tuition alone would be able to sponsor at least a dozen students at Starehe. Knowing all of this now makes me appreciate what I have and has greatly humbled me as a person. We have all learned so much in so little time.

- We (Alexa and Lauren) met a girl, Hawa, who attends the Kibra Academy. We were immediately struck by her kindness and generosity. It was easy to make conversation and she told us that she aspired to be a doctor to cure HIV AIDS. Hawa informed us that each day she has to wake up at 5 o’clock am in order to make her two hour walk to school. We complimented Hawa on her bracelets and without thinking twice she gave them to us as gifts and wouldn’t let us refuse. Despite her circumstances Hawa displayed true characteristics of what we aspire to be.

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 Red Rose School children. This was our loss, as our late arrival kept us from spending more time with them.

We crossed the whole of Nairobi to reach Red Rose; many of us took the hour bus ride to catch up on sleep lost on the plane the day before. I (Therice) was expecting a scene from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire,” but Kibera on first glance surprised us with its cleanliness and seemly ordered nature. Perhaps our perception was off, as we only really skirted the edge. As we passed the corrugated metal walls of shanty homes and shops, we saw spray painted signs on the walls that served as evidence from the post election violence of December 2007 (“No Raila No Peace”) 225 as well as efforts towards reconciliation (“PEACE NOW”). The Raila reference is to Raila Odinga, Kenya’s first prime minister.

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 Nairobi presents on a regular basis – for the shopping at Junction Mall located literally across the street from Rosa Mystica Guest House, where we are staying. Enormous, clean and strikingly similar to a Walmart at home, the main store in the mall, Nakumatt Junction, is where we spent most of our time; we loaded up on what we considered “essentials”, such as pillows and chocolate.

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 Kenya has been bright and nice and happy and kind

Troubling image -- driving by polo field and 100 yards later is Kibera...

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.

Day Three description

July 4

This was probably the most unusual July 4 any of us have ever experienced. We began the day with an extended visit (8:45 to 12:30) visit at Ken’s alma mater high school, the Starehe Boys’ Centre and School in Nairobi. It’s a school that accepts 216 students per grade, in grades 9-12. It’s pretty amazing in that tuition is free for 70% of the students at the school, each of whom has to demonstrate need. About 20,000 students from all over Kenya apply for the 216 spots. They come from all over Kenya, and the admissions committee looks to maintain geographic (and hence, ethnic) diversity. There are about 50 Muslim students at the school (out of about 900 total) and there is even a mosque on the campus. It’s quite a large campus, with playing fields that rival those of prep schools back in the US (though these looked a bit bumpier). Starehe shares its fields with nearby schools that do not have fields, including some female schools.

The school is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1959 by a man with a vision – Dr. Griffiths. He was a white Kenyan who was well connected with such people as Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of independent Kenya. It started as a club for boys who did not have a safe place to be in the aftermath of the Mau Mau rebellion, and it grew and grew over the years. Today it’s one of the top two (I think they are being modest – it’s probably number one) high schools in the country.

In Kenya, students have a lot riding on their 8^th grade end of the year test. If they do well, they can get into high school. Starehe gets the top of the top. Boys live there for all three terms of their year-round school year. Their school year runs Jan-Mar, with an April Break, May-July (the term they’re in now), and September-November. At the end of form four (that would be our 12^th grade – form 1 is 9^th grade), there is a very high stakes test for university admission. It takes a long time to grade those tests, and students actually don’t enter college (assuming they did well on the test) until a year and nine months after they graduate in November (I wonder what graduation is like).

Most students get some sort of job while they wait to hear about university acceptances. Ken, for instance, sold newspapers for those two years until he managed to get a scholarship to St. Lawrence University. Had he not received that scholarship, he would have likely attended one of the local universities (if he could have afforded it -- financial aid covers only 60-70% and if families can't put together the remainder, the student can't attend), and we would not likely be on this particular trip.

More about the school will go here – it’s an amazing place -- we all broke into small groups of 2-5 people each and were toured around the school by studentsand/or teachers, but mainly students -- the students do a lot to run their own school.

After our amazing school visit, we had lunch at a restaurant, and then went to visit Kibra Academy where we will be helping set up a computer lab that should have a huge impact on the students who attend that school (insert pictures).

From there, we walked through Kibera back to Red Rose, accompanied by students from Kibra Academy (most of whom had never been to Red Rose before). We have lots of pictures and observations from that walk through Kibera.

We then drove over to Ken’s mother’s house in Kibera, where she graciously provided us with sodas, straws and Kenyan hospitality. As you can see, our days are packed, so our visit with Ken’s mother was only a brief one -- maybe half an hour. We then got on the bus, headed back to Rosa Mystica, where we arrived at 5:30, ate a quick dinner, and got back on the bus which took us to Starehe for a performance of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat." That show concluded around 9:30 and we were back at Rosa Mystica by about 10, reasonably exhausted at that point.

The above paragraphs are the brief accounts of Steve Goldberg, but many students wanted to add their thoughts and reflections and those will appear below -- hopefully later today.

Second Full Day

Our days are quite full here in Kenya -- sadly, our internet access is limited, and our days are so full that we are a bit behind in details, but we should be posting details from Days Two and Three very soon. Here are some highlights:

Breakfast at 7, on the bus by 7:45 -- off to Tea and Coffee factories for tours and lunch.

Saw Red Rose in Kibera -- found it amazing -- kids there were very excited to see us and welcomed us with dance (to be described in the blog).

Quick shopping at mall across the street from Rosa Mystica where we are staying.

Dinner followed by group refelections about powerful moments thus far.

Again, sorry for the brevity -- but all is well and we're having an amazing, if somewhat exhausting, time. Look for updates around 11 a.m. on Sunday, East Coast Time in the US (6 pm. for us -- our next day is full until then).

Two more pics from Day One

coming soon (connectivity issues)

And we had a great first day here in Nairobi.

Pictures from Day One

Picture 5


Picture 4

Picture 3

Picture 2

Picture 1

We are in Kenya

We arrived safely and everyone got all of their luggage. We touched down in Africa at 9:43, Kenyan time (that’s seven hours ahead of East Coast Time, so 2:43 in the afternoon for most folks reading this blog).
These seven pictures (pasted above) tell most of the story of our flight odyssey – we arrived at Dulles airport in the afternoon (picture 1) and posed for a group picture (2). You have entrusted your children to the safety of the four chaperones in picture 3, Sarah Coste, Mary Howard, Ken Okoth, and Steve Goldberg.
Picture 4 shows our route, as depicted on an in-flight monitor. When we got in, we all got visas without incident and retrieved all of our luggage (picture 5). We got the luggage to our mini-bus and the drivers helped us load the luggage. Here we are on the bus (picture 6), ready to head to Rosa Mystica.
We arrived at Rosa Mystica at about 11:30, checked in (picture 7) to our individual rooms, and we will be having breakfast this morning at 7 a.m. (that’d be midnight on the East Coast) and then heading out at 8 a.m. to explore Nairobi in our mini bus.
We’re excited to begin learning about Kenya and about visiting the Red Rose School tomorrow.