Birthdays here are not so widely celebrated as they are in the US. If someone asks you your age it is generally okay to ask them in return. There is definitely not the same obsession with looking young. In fact, because of the amount of sun and hard work people do, many of them look much older than their years -- especially young mothers and shoshos (grandmothers)and babus (grandfathers). Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
For children, it seems that they have their friends over for the day and the parents make a nice lunch. For adults, I think it is common that the person who's birthday it is brings a cake to work. Sadly, they don't eat frosting here.
My birthday was a few weeks ago (eek shows how behind I am on this blog) and it was very nice. In the morning, all the Sisters "greet you" and tell you they are praying for you. They have a special placemat they put out that says "happy birthday" and right away in the morning they sing. In the evening, they made for me my favorite dinner (thin pancakes with lentils), and did the aspirants and postulants did a cute skit about the day I was born "in the hospital of Mary." Then, they came in singing with a cake and candles even! They have so many birthday songs, and even the normal "Happy Birthday" is sung in so many languages, French, Kinyarwanden, Kiswahili etc. Then, the person whose birthday it is cuts the cake -- there is also a song for cutting the cake. It was so nice that they remembered and prepared for me so nicely. Definitely made it a special day.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Did Western Culture Ruin Africa?
Now that is a big topic! But, it's been something on my mind since I first came. I somehow had a view of Sub-Saharan Africa as an ideal world, except for huge issues with poverty and exploitation. Yes, there are the enormous problems of poverty and exploitation, but that is not the only thing that harms the people.
Tribalism is a major issue. Certain groups marry the outcasts of others, others are in longstanding feuds -- simply because of the tribe. One example is the conflict with the Masaai and some of their neighbors. In Masaai culture, it is believed that cattle were created for them, and for them only. Therefore, if someone else has a cow, it rightfully belongs to the Masaai so it is "okay" for them to steal it back. This obviously causes problems for the original owners of the cattle who then go to steal the cows back etc. The post-election violence in 2007 was fueled especially by tribal groups who believed their leaders should be in power. Today, the government is mainly controlled by Kikuyus, the largest ethnic group. The country is divided into tribal areas, and the people find it very foreign that I don't have a tribe because the U.S. is so mixed.
Distribution of wealth is another major issue. While in general the majority of the wealth belongs to outsiders, the Kenyans who are very rich for the most part do not help the poor -- there are few in the middle class. The poor believe that the rich have taken what is rightfully theirs and the high school students jokingly aspire to be Robin Hood-like "international thieves."
Speaking of thieves, violent crime is prevalent. While this is most certainly fueled by need, more than one of my students have had a parent killed by robbers, or known someone who has been kidnapped for ransom etc. I used to be worried by the gruesome creative compositions they would write, but have come to learn some of them are their reality. If people catch a thief, the police come to save the thief from being burned alive, rather than just to arrest the person. I definitely don't want to make it sound like everywhere someone is trying to cheat you, but perhaps just to point out that everywhere in the world there are criminals.
So, my current conclusion is that colonialism did do harm to the social and economic systems in place in Kenya, and has also left a major British influence in the judicial and educational system. While some of this is good, for example equal education for boys and girls, the effects of the horrible murders against those who opposed colonization and other events that took place still linger. However, before Africa was "discovered" by the West, there were still problems. In literature courses you learn that people are the same everywhere and it is true --in both their assets and faults. Yet, the joy I see the people find in life is something I've found unique to Africa and am blessed to experience their happiness regardless of external circumstances.
Tribalism is a major issue. Certain groups marry the outcasts of others, others are in longstanding feuds -- simply because of the tribe. One example is the conflict with the Masaai and some of their neighbors. In Masaai culture, it is believed that cattle were created for them, and for them only. Therefore, if someone else has a cow, it rightfully belongs to the Masaai so it is "okay" for them to steal it back. This obviously causes problems for the original owners of the cattle who then go to steal the cows back etc. The post-election violence in 2007 was fueled especially by tribal groups who believed their leaders should be in power. Today, the government is mainly controlled by Kikuyus, the largest ethnic group. The country is divided into tribal areas, and the people find it very foreign that I don't have a tribe because the U.S. is so mixed.
Distribution of wealth is another major issue. While in general the majority of the wealth belongs to outsiders, the Kenyans who are very rich for the most part do not help the poor -- there are few in the middle class. The poor believe that the rich have taken what is rightfully theirs and the high school students jokingly aspire to be Robin Hood-like "international thieves."
Speaking of thieves, violent crime is prevalent. While this is most certainly fueled by need, more than one of my students have had a parent killed by robbers, or known someone who has been kidnapped for ransom etc. I used to be worried by the gruesome creative compositions they would write, but have come to learn some of them are their reality. If people catch a thief, the police come to save the thief from being burned alive, rather than just to arrest the person. I definitely don't want to make it sound like everywhere someone is trying to cheat you, but perhaps just to point out that everywhere in the world there are criminals.
So, my current conclusion is that colonialism did do harm to the social and economic systems in place in Kenya, and has also left a major British influence in the judicial and educational system. While some of this is good, for example equal education for boys and girls, the effects of the horrible murders against those who opposed colonization and other events that took place still linger. However, before Africa was "discovered" by the West, there were still problems. In literature courses you learn that people are the same everywhere and it is true --in both their assets and faults. Yet, the joy I see the people find in life is something I've found unique to Africa and am blessed to experience their happiness regardless of external circumstances.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Computing by Candlelight
I think I've mentioned that the intersection between modern and the, well, not so modern. For example, it's not uncommon, even in Nairobi, to see someone in traditional dress talking on a fancy cell phone.
During the rainy season it is really hard to predict when there the electricity will be turned off. Apparantly the substations aren't "waterproof" or something, so the power gets turned off, or something just goes wrong. Anyway, it's dark by around 7, so as I write this I have a candle lit to see but am using my laptop battery so that's how the computer is working. It just seems really funny to me to be using candlelight to type!
Just a couple other things that struck me as an interesting mix of contemporary and conventional: in the airport bathrooms, three of the stalls are "normal" toilets, while the fourth is a "squat one." (It "flushes," but you don't sit on anything). Last time I was there, there was a line for the bathroom, but I was able to go right to the front because the tourists making up the line didn't want to use the "squatter." I figured I've been in Kenya long enough to be used to interesting bathrooms...
In the staffroom at the school during lunch (so all the teachers were there, eating and doing normal teacher things, schools are somehow similar to the ones in the US), when a man walks in selling bedsheets! The other teachers did not seem phased by this at all, and some even examined the sheets. They thought it was funny I was so shocked by this.
The mission compound has watchmen for safety, and a Sister told me the ones at night keep bows and arrows rather than guns.
I'm sure there are so many other connections I'm missing, but hopefully this gives a bit of an idea of the mix of current and customary.
During the rainy season it is really hard to predict when there the electricity will be turned off. Apparantly the substations aren't "waterproof" or something, so the power gets turned off, or something just goes wrong. Anyway, it's dark by around 7, so as I write this I have a candle lit to see but am using my laptop battery so that's how the computer is working. It just seems really funny to me to be using candlelight to type!
Just a couple other things that struck me as an interesting mix of contemporary and conventional: in the airport bathrooms, three of the stalls are "normal" toilets, while the fourth is a "squat one." (It "flushes," but you don't sit on anything). Last time I was there, there was a line for the bathroom, but I was able to go right to the front because the tourists making up the line didn't want to use the "squatter." I figured I've been in Kenya long enough to be used to interesting bathrooms...
In the staffroom at the school during lunch (so all the teachers were there, eating and doing normal teacher things, schools are somehow similar to the ones in the US), when a man walks in selling bedsheets! The other teachers did not seem phased by this at all, and some even examined the sheets. They thought it was funny I was so shocked by this.
The mission compound has watchmen for safety, and a Sister told me the ones at night keep bows and arrows rather than guns.
I'm sure there are so many other connections I'm missing, but hopefully this gives a bit of an idea of the mix of current and customary.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A Brief Holiday
Since the children don't have school in December, after Christmas I was able to take a short holiday with my friend Serena who I met on the airplane coming here. We went up to Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha to be tourists.
Serena is a "black American," a concept people here are fascinated with! Since everyone thinks she is Kenyan, however, this can definitely work to our advantage in terms of pricing! For example, we went to the market because I needed to get something for a host family I was staying with, so she pretended to be my "Kenyan friend" and give me advice as to what things should cost, but quietly because generally speaking if she talks it gives away the fact her knowledge of Swahili is limited! It was quite funny walking down the street and everyone coming up to me trying to sell things (one man said "Hello. My name is Mr. Cheap - o") and basically leaving her alone. When I would even just say "hapana" [no] the vendors would be so shocked. One even echoed it back to his friends, as in disbelief I had just said that. But, if I wouldn't buy something from them they would then make fun of the way I attempted to speak Kiswahili, as if that would make me then buy their product!
We went to Lake Nakuru National Park for a morning to look for animals. Our driver-guide spotted a leopard, which is funny because I thought they came that way! Seriously though, there are thousands of flamingoes in the lake which was neat to see. We also saw rhinos, giraffes, zebras etc. It was definitely cool! Fun fact: Baby zebras have brown stripes. They are not to be mistaken for "mzungu zebras" which stay brown.
We also visited Hyrax Hill, a prehistoric site initially developed by Richard and Mary Leakey, and the Menengai crater. Both very beautiful! I have put some photos on facebook if you would like to see them.
The next night was New Years Eve, and Serena and I decided to stay in an actual hotel. We were so excited to have toilet seats and mosquito nets without giant holes! The hotel had a nice celebration with live music. At midnight, the tradition is to burst balloons and cut a cake. It was fun to experience that and also be completely amazed at how well the people here dance. They were trying to teach us, but...
We then headed to Lake Naivasha where all the flamingoes used to be, but due to water fluctuations the lake has either been too salty or alkaline for them. We went on a boat ride across the lake to a game sanctuary where you could walk around amidst the giraffes and zebra, and on the way back we stopped to see the hippos in the water. There were also people poaching fish. They were standing in the water (brave!) I think each holding a part of a large net. The legal fisherman use boats, so that is how the guide knew the difference.
In the evening we had a bottle that needed opening, and no bottle opener. Previously Serena was very creative and somehow used to windowsill to open them. With only wooden windows this time, I ventured out to the nearest campfire I could see to ask the people there. I was taught how to use a car door to open the bottle. They were very friendly and I chatted with themfor quite some time -- people from Nairobi who come out to get away from the city for a bit. For some it was their first time camping.
The next day, Saturday, Serena and I took the matatu (mini bus) back to Nairobi. We were coming a day earlier than initially planned, but this was quite fortunate as we discovered upon return that the matatus were going on strike Monday. Sunday the prices were ridiculously high as many people were travelling back for work and school. I was lucky enough to get a ride with one of the sisters back to Makuyu. She pointed out to me that lining the roads were people who just looked like anybody out, but were really the drivers and conductors of the matatus looking for anyone who would be trying to pick up passengers. In the newspaper that week there was an article abotu how hearses were serving as public transportation, but you had to pay double to sit where the coffins usually go! There was also a picture of a burned matatu that was trying to run during the strike, and some drivers/conductors posing as passengers boarded and beat up the other passengers and then burned the vehicle. Eek!
On a lighter note, it was wonderful to have some "time away" to rest a bit and see new things. I'm so lucky I met Serena on the plane coming! We both had a nice time using our new "alien cards" for discounted rates and exploring Kenya for a couple days.
Serena is a "black American," a concept people here are fascinated with! Since everyone thinks she is Kenyan, however, this can definitely work to our advantage in terms of pricing! For example, we went to the market because I needed to get something for a host family I was staying with, so she pretended to be my "Kenyan friend" and give me advice as to what things should cost, but quietly because generally speaking if she talks it gives away the fact her knowledge of Swahili is limited! It was quite funny walking down the street and everyone coming up to me trying to sell things (one man said "Hello. My name is Mr. Cheap - o") and basically leaving her alone. When I would even just say "hapana" [no] the vendors would be so shocked. One even echoed it back to his friends, as in disbelief I had just said that. But, if I wouldn't buy something from them they would then make fun of the way I attempted to speak Kiswahili, as if that would make me then buy their product!
We went to Lake Nakuru National Park for a morning to look for animals. Our driver-guide spotted a leopard, which is funny because I thought they came that way! Seriously though, there are thousands of flamingoes in the lake which was neat to see. We also saw rhinos, giraffes, zebras etc. It was definitely cool! Fun fact: Baby zebras have brown stripes. They are not to be mistaken for "mzungu zebras" which stay brown.
We also visited Hyrax Hill, a prehistoric site initially developed by Richard and Mary Leakey, and the Menengai crater. Both very beautiful! I have put some photos on facebook if you would like to see them.
The next night was New Years Eve, and Serena and I decided to stay in an actual hotel. We were so excited to have toilet seats and mosquito nets without giant holes! The hotel had a nice celebration with live music. At midnight, the tradition is to burst balloons and cut a cake. It was fun to experience that and also be completely amazed at how well the people here dance. They were trying to teach us, but...
We then headed to Lake Naivasha where all the flamingoes used to be, but due to water fluctuations the lake has either been too salty or alkaline for them. We went on a boat ride across the lake to a game sanctuary where you could walk around amidst the giraffes and zebra, and on the way back we stopped to see the hippos in the water. There were also people poaching fish. They were standing in the water (brave!) I think each holding a part of a large net. The legal fisherman use boats, so that is how the guide knew the difference.
In the evening we had a bottle that needed opening, and no bottle opener. Previously Serena was very creative and somehow used to windowsill to open them. With only wooden windows this time, I ventured out to the nearest campfire I could see to ask the people there. I was taught how to use a car door to open the bottle. They were very friendly and I chatted with themfor quite some time -- people from Nairobi who come out to get away from the city for a bit. For some it was their first time camping.
The next day, Saturday, Serena and I took the matatu (mini bus) back to Nairobi. We were coming a day earlier than initially planned, but this was quite fortunate as we discovered upon return that the matatus were going on strike Monday. Sunday the prices were ridiculously high as many people were travelling back for work and school. I was lucky enough to get a ride with one of the sisters back to Makuyu. She pointed out to me that lining the roads were people who just looked like anybody out, but were really the drivers and conductors of the matatus looking for anyone who would be trying to pick up passengers. In the newspaper that week there was an article abotu how hearses were serving as public transportation, but you had to pay double to sit where the coffins usually go! There was also a picture of a burned matatu that was trying to run during the strike, and some drivers/conductors posing as passengers boarded and beat up the other passengers and then burned the vehicle. Eek!
On a lighter note, it was wonderful to have some "time away" to rest a bit and see new things. I'm so lucky I met Serena on the plane coming! We both had a nice time using our new "alien cards" for discounted rates and exploring Kenya for a couple days.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Entitlement
What do people deserve? Not so much what are the basic needs (physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual), but what do you DESERVE? One of the things that has taken me the most adjusting is getting used to how people ask, and a sense of entitlement they seem to have.
Please and thank you are not words frequently used in most people's vocabularies, partly I believe because in Kiswahili and the tribal languages here "please" is used only in the most formal situations.
Still, it is really off-putting when the school children (or the sho-shos [grandmothers] come up to you and say "give me sweet." When you say "no" they question "why." These statements are not phrased as questions, but as demands. I have even had children literally tell me to give them the clothes I am wearing! White people are associated with pockets full of money, and I think they are used to the ones they see handing out candy etc. I purposely do not carry things like that with me for the sole purpose of trying to break that association.
Appreciation is something usually only shown in business deals (if you buy from someone they will say "thank you thank you thank you about a million times), and a lot of times it feels that when you do something nice for someone they "expect" it.
I taught an English lesson to the aspirants and postulants on manners, and came at it from the angle of "English is a different language than the others here, in English it sounds really harsh if you don't use please/pleasant tone of voice/etc. During class the students looked bored, but afterward I was surprised how many came and said it was a beautiful lesson -- they must also notice!
I know I cannot force people to be appreciative of others, but the primary school children are catching on to saying "thank you" when they are served in the lunch line. Mostly this is just an observation I have made that is one of the main places my culture clashes with the one here.
Please and thank you are not words frequently used in most people's vocabularies, partly I believe because in Kiswahili and the tribal languages here "please" is used only in the most formal situations.
Still, it is really off-putting when the school children (or the sho-shos [grandmothers] come up to you and say "give me sweet." When you say "no" they question "why." These statements are not phrased as questions, but as demands. I have even had children literally tell me to give them the clothes I am wearing! White people are associated with pockets full of money, and I think they are used to the ones they see handing out candy etc. I purposely do not carry things like that with me for the sole purpose of trying to break that association.
Appreciation is something usually only shown in business deals (if you buy from someone they will say "thank you thank you thank you about a million times), and a lot of times it feels that when you do something nice for someone they "expect" it.
I taught an English lesson to the aspirants and postulants on manners, and came at it from the angle of "English is a different language than the others here, in English it sounds really harsh if you don't use please/pleasant tone of voice/etc. During class the students looked bored, but afterward I was surprised how many came and said it was a beautiful lesson -- they must also notice!
I know I cannot force people to be appreciative of others, but the primary school children are catching on to saying "thank you" when they are served in the lunch line. Mostly this is just an observation I have made that is one of the main places my culture clashes with the one here.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Dagoretti
This past week I stayed in the community of Dagoretti. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, as I was feeling as if I had many things to do at home, but once again by the end I did not want to leave! Dago is a slum area of Nairobi -- it is the setting for 'The Constant Gardener'. The trains only come on the weekends, so mostly the track is used for walking. I often wonder where all the people are walking to! We arrived towards evening, and driving through the market place felt so "African." People walking home from work, dogs running around, vendors selling charcoal, glowing of bare bulbs in the shops that were still open...
Sister Eleanor (aka the awesome Scottish Sister) is the Superior there, and also runs the VIDES Kenya (I'm in VIDES US) program. There was a catechism camp this week with VIDES Kenya volunteers and also one VIDES UK member who had come for weddings.
In the morning the children had catechism classes, so the VIDES UK member, Darrin, and I were able to go to the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) Forum at Bosco Boystown (nearby community of Salesian Fathers). I had actuallywanted to go to it, but by the time I realized it was too late to sign up, so I was really lucky that Sr. Eleanor was the organizer! The SYM was very well planned, and tons of fun. It is for secondary students and some college students, so I could really participate in and get something from the sessions. There was tons of energy and singing (my new favorite: Glory Train) and since the participants are leaders in their parishes everyone really joined in fully. It's so wonderful when you don't have to push for participation. The theme was "Be a hero, shine" so there was a lot about discovering your inner hero (one presenter played the Enrique Iglesias song...hmmm). I think it has renewed the Spirit in the young people to bring back to their youth groups, and also the spirit of giving rather than receiving.
The catechism camp was also very fun! This was more for the younger children (ages 4 - 14, mostly around 10 years I would say). In the afternoon they had games and activities. I taught them the Bugaloo (anyone who has been to Girl Scout Camp likely knows that one). On the last afternoon they had something a bit like a carnival, and the games were fun and the children who won games got a ticket to receive a prize (some got a pencil, others toy cars, some clothing; they were all donated prizes -- although someone had given a toothbrush that you get on the airplane, and it wasn't in it's original packaging...) The next morning many were looking smart in the shirts they had won!
The children in Dagoretti are very friendly and loving. I had such a wonderful moment with one 10 year old, John, who is "not quite normal." We went to the church basketball courtish thing while they prepared the games for the carnival, and John was throwing rocks at the other children and at the kennel of what sounded like a very large dog (it kept jumping at the roof which did not look nailed on so tightly!). I was with a lot of small children, and keeping them all occupied was definitely a test of my skills (I was running out of songs to sing) so I did not have a lot of time for discipline. Warnings didn't help, so I made John my "friend" and had him come stand next to me etc. The next morning, when he walked into camp he came straight over and sat by me (I wasn't even sitting with his group) and the whole time he kept looking at me and smiling this beautiful smile and holding my hand. I could not believe the change from the day before.
The closing Mass was also a neat experience -- there were baptisms and first communions. The best part was after each baptism the clapping and cheering and ululating! People are so involved in Mass here -- when they sing they are really singing. The whole church seems to sway with the beat.
It was also really nice to meet other volunteers! Darrin was great to work with, and really knew how to work with the children. I got many ideas from him. The Kenyan volunteers are mostly university students, and they come back year after year mostly to do the big camp in August, but some were helping out now this year. It was fun to live with them and in general talk to them -- and of course to make new friends!
Sister Eleanor (aka the awesome Scottish Sister) is the Superior there, and also runs the VIDES Kenya (I'm in VIDES US) program. There was a catechism camp this week with VIDES Kenya volunteers and also one VIDES UK member who had come for weddings.
In the morning the children had catechism classes, so the VIDES UK member, Darrin, and I were able to go to the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) Forum at Bosco Boystown (nearby community of Salesian Fathers). I had actuallywanted to go to it, but by the time I realized it was too late to sign up, so I was really lucky that Sr. Eleanor was the organizer! The SYM was very well planned, and tons of fun. It is for secondary students and some college students, so I could really participate in and get something from the sessions. There was tons of energy and singing (my new favorite: Glory Train) and since the participants are leaders in their parishes everyone really joined in fully. It's so wonderful when you don't have to push for participation. The theme was "Be a hero, shine" so there was a lot about discovering your inner hero (one presenter played the Enrique Iglesias song...hmmm). I think it has renewed the Spirit in the young people to bring back to their youth groups, and also the spirit of giving rather than receiving.
The catechism camp was also very fun! This was more for the younger children (ages 4 - 14, mostly around 10 years I would say). In the afternoon they had games and activities. I taught them the Bugaloo (anyone who has been to Girl Scout Camp likely knows that one). On the last afternoon they had something a bit like a carnival, and the games were fun and the children who won games got a ticket to receive a prize (some got a pencil, others toy cars, some clothing; they were all donated prizes -- although someone had given a toothbrush that you get on the airplane, and it wasn't in it's original packaging...) The next morning many were looking smart in the shirts they had won!
The children in Dagoretti are very friendly and loving. I had such a wonderful moment with one 10 year old, John, who is "not quite normal." We went to the church basketball courtish thing while they prepared the games for the carnival, and John was throwing rocks at the other children and at the kennel of what sounded like a very large dog (it kept jumping at the roof which did not look nailed on so tightly!). I was with a lot of small children, and keeping them all occupied was definitely a test of my skills (I was running out of songs to sing) so I did not have a lot of time for discipline. Warnings didn't help, so I made John my "friend" and had him come stand next to me etc. The next morning, when he walked into camp he came straight over and sat by me (I wasn't even sitting with his group) and the whole time he kept looking at me and smiling this beautiful smile and holding my hand. I could not believe the change from the day before.
The closing Mass was also a neat experience -- there were baptisms and first communions. The best part was after each baptism the clapping and cheering and ululating! People are so involved in Mass here -- when they sing they are really singing. The whole church seems to sway with the beat.
It was also really nice to meet other volunteers! Darrin was great to work with, and really knew how to work with the children. I got many ideas from him. The Kenyan volunteers are mostly university students, and they come back year after year mostly to do the big camp in August, but some were helping out now this year. It was fun to live with them and in general talk to them -- and of course to make new friends!
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!
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!
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