(Lisa) My last month is beginning, and with the new volunteers Britta and Flo, we planned and implemented new projects. With their help, I was able to carry out the “Swimming Pool Trip” project.
So, on Sunday morning after Sunday school, we drove with the children from the children’s home and the children from the community, who are also cared for by MCC, to the nearby Savanna Lodge in Nguluni for a swim. We had about 50 children with us, all of whom were very excited and eagerly anticipating the day. After all the buses with the children arrived, we changed into our swimwear. Unlike in Germany, the children here wear leggings and T-shirts, showing little skin. We tried to teach the children how to swim and, especially, how to float on the water’s surface. There was a lot of splashing, laughing, and swimming. Once the children started getting hungry, everyone had chicken, chips, and soda. After eating, the question came up again, “Can we go back in the pool?” They didn’t want to leave. We were able to enjoy a wonderful day without any incidents.
In addition, the children also taught Britta and Flo how to bake chapati, and we had a lot of fun with good music. Even if it doesn’t work out perfectly at first: practice makes perfect!
Since some kids have difficulties with reading, the alphabet, and arithmetic, we decorated the bulletin board with a new, homemade letter and number poster with the children. These serve for repetition and as a learning aid. We also colored a map showing the individual continents and the animals that live on them. To balance learning and physical activity, our focus was on various sports activities. For example, we played different games with homemade jump ropes and danced to “Pamela Reif Workouts.”
In mid-March, Flo and I went on a safari and to Mombasa, while Britta held down the fort.
(Britta) When Flo and Lisa left for their trip, I, Britta, initially expected to struggle more on my own. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. The great thing about spending time alone with the children is that I was able to get much closer to them and experience the time with them more intensely.
During the time the other two were traveling, it rained for the first time after a long dry spell. Due to rain, for example, Sunday service is sometimes moved to MCC and led by the children. The children start drumming and singing various songs in English and Kiswahili. This is usually accompanied by clapping or them swinging their jackets in the air like a lasso. I am always impressed and fascinated to see how Kenyan church services differ from German ones and how much fun the children have.
What I always notice is that the children would prefer to spend hours listening to music and dancing. You quickly hear things like “Please can I put music?” They would all love to be the first to choose their music. After school, however, homework also needs to be done. I find it shocking to see how great the difference in educational levels is between children in the same classes. It is always sobering when there are already difficulties with the alphabet or the pronunciation of letters. Children also don’t learn mental math in school, which can make supporting their learning tedious and requires a lot of patience. All the more, I rejoice in the children’s small successes.
The children have a lot of fun with new games like newspaper tag or card sliding. At first, I encountered little motivation from the children. But when the other kids saw how much fun the children were having with the games, they wanted to play too. Initially, it was a bit chaotic, but after a short time, the children understood the rules and laughed a lot.
(Lisa) Back at the children’s home, we were warmly greeted by the children, who came running to the BodaBoda, screaming with joy. We enjoyed an incredible safari where we saw all the Big Five, visited a Maasai village, and even witnessed a kill. After the safari, we went to Mombasa and got to know a completely different lifestyle, a different climate, and a different landscape. Kenya simply has an incredible number of facets to offer!
On the shamba (farm), we tried out the new plow, pulled by two oxen. We initially had difficulties because the river was full again due to the rainy season, and the oxen didn’t want to cross it at first. After much patience, several attempts, and help from Boniface, the farmer, they crossed the river. On the farm, we planted onions and pineapples and admired the banana palms, which are becoming greener and greener due to the heavy rain.
After a long wait, a new matron, Nancy, finally moved into MCC. This relieves Jackson and gives the girls a consistent female caregiver again. They can confide their fears and worries in Nancy, and she helps them with washing clothes and other challenges.
Since waste separation is often a difficulty or forgotten, especially by the younger kids, Britta and I playfully reviewed waste separation again with the help of a homemade poster and assigned the different products to the correct trash cans.
On a trip to Nairobi, we visited the elephant orphanage and the Giraffe Centre. There, we eagerly watched the baby elephants being fed, and the giraffes ate from our hands. Both are definitely worth a visit!
For the last evening, we planned a communal spaghetti cooking session again. We returned from Tala on the BodaBoda, heavily laden with this time 10 kg of pasta, 10 liters of sauce, and various vegetables. The children were overjoyed and immediately helped out. Together, we cooked a huge amount of pasta and sauce, which, unexpectedly, was gone in no time.
On the day of departure, we also made pancakes. All the children were eager to help and wanted to prepare everything themselves, which was not easy to coordinate. The pancakes, spread with jam, were devoured faster than we could watch. Everyone was greedy for more; even the staff enjoyed them and commented, “so sweet.”
I incredibly enjoyed my time, learned a lot from the kids, dealt with Kenyan corruption, and grew through various challenges. I hope I can come back someday and hope Britta and Florian have equally great experiences and enjoy their time! Asante Sana
Lisa