Embu

I have been able to visit a couple nearby communities in the last few weeks. Even though they are both less than two hours from here (in opposite directions, however) they are quite different than Makuyu.
In Embu, the Sisters run a girl's boarding secondary school and a boarding technical (dressmaking and hair) school. The students come from various parts of Kenya, and even a couple from Tanzania. I went to help with the closing of the school. Since the students stay there, it gives it a different atmosphere than the high schools I'm used to. Closing time is fun, because while the teachers are given time to correct exams, the students get to do fun things. We played games, watched movies, had competitions, sang Christmas carols (I taught them "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas") and since there is a keyboard there I was able to play along to many of them. I am learning "Silent Night" in Kiswahili! They also have many Christmas songs in their mothertongues and Kiswahili. Each evening there was a program where the girls could perform. One night was "gospel" and the last night Christmas themed (including dramas which included a dancing pregnant Mary!) The Sisters prepared a surprise for them, and dressed up as the three kings and led them around eventually to the dining hall where they had little cakes and hot chocolate.
The dorms the students stay in are divided into "cubes" of 12 beds, there are pit latrines for bathrooms and each week the students get 1 egg and one meal there is meat. Otherwise, they have porridge for breakfast every day, and alternate ugali, githere and sometimes rice for the other meals. Definitely not luxurious!
The mission is on the outskirts of town, so there is a beautiful field, and even cows! 2 evenings in a row there were rainbows in the sky. I had a lot of fun being there -- the Mother Superior is a delightful woman who is very welcoming! I even got to bake a cake for my departure :)
I helped with various projects there, and of course assisting in the activities for the students. I really enjoyed talking with the girls who were very curious about how we dance and sing (they find it strange Americans don't have many song and dance numbers), and American culture in general. They are wonderful dancers! In the evenings it was so fun because they would turn on music while waiting for the program and just dance outside!
It was really interesting to see how different the school was from ours, however. Very structured timetable (they get up before 6 am to have study time! Required Mass isn't even until 6:30) and regulations, but it does not feel stifled. There is a great sense of community and comraderie. For example, when they performed at the programs, they would cheer loudly for EVERYONE, not just the popular students, and even the mediocre acts were rewarded with clapping just for getting up there. It was interestin however, that right at the end of the song or dance or skit they would run off "stage" (they have stairs outside they sit on and an open space at the bottom where performers stand) practically while still finishing their number.
Overall, I definitely had fun, and the 5 days went by so quickly!