Vacation is over, and much to the children’s chagrin, school has started again. During the first week, the children take tests called “Opening Exams,” so their knowledge is assessed right after the break. I find it unusual that the exams consist of multiple-choice questions even in the eighth grade. I think it would be better if they had to formulate their own answers, as that would allow them to express their own opinions, among other things.
After the first week, the usual daily routine resumes. The kids come home from school in the late afternoon and start their homework, with us supporting them as needed. Afterward, they have free time, which they love to spend listening to music and dancing, playing soccer, or making good use of our playground, which was recently installed on the MCC grounds (see: https://4kenya.de/endlich-wieder-ein-spielplatz-im-mcc/).
The rainy season ended a few weeks ago; it’s getting hotter and the ground is getting drier. I can also clearly see this in nature, which is becoming browner and dustier.
On our shamba (farm), the vegetables and fruit we’ve planted are visibly growing. Banana season has begun, and there will be watermelons in a few weeks. Corn, sukuma wiki, and beans—which make up the main meals—are harvested regularly and prepared at the center. To ensure the crop yield even during the dry period, the association has already been able to fund a second 10,000-liter water tank, for which the foundation is currently being built.
I also ventured into a new, first-time experiment on the shamba. I first raised small seedlings here at the home using zucchini seeds, which I then planted on the shamba together with the farmer, Boniface. Now it’s just a matter of waiting and hoping the experiment is a success 🙂
On weekends, it’s always “movie night” for the kids. To make the movie nights even better, we prepared snacks before the film. Once, we made a big batch of popcorn with the kids, which was gone in no time. On another day, we tried our hand at sweet potato chips. However, since we aren’t used to cooking over a fire, preparing the chips unfortunately took much longer than expected, so they were served after the movie rather than during it.
At the end of March, social worker Mercy and secondary school principal Nicholas went on a ten-day visit to Germany, where they visited several schools and children’s homes. (Read more in the current newsletter 02/2023 Newsletters – Hand in Hand for Kenya e.V. (4kenya.info)). They presented their experiences to the staff at the home and the teachers at the schools to give them a small insight into their stay. The report was also interesting for me, as it made me realize once again the differences between schools and homes in Germany and Kenya. The main difference they noticed most was the passion and discipline that teachers in Germany put into their profession, which means the lessons are structured very differently than here. Teaching in Germany is characterized by interaction between teacher and student, rather than just a lecture by the teacher, as is the case here.
I planned a project with the children on the topic of “Black History.” The basis for the work was to divide the older kids into two groups and have them research the topic themselves. The results were then to be shown to the other group in a presentation. When I asked the staff about the topic, I was surprised. Contrary to my expectations, the history and development of African countries and the treatment of Africans and African Americans are hardly taught in school. This made me wonder to what extent I could implement my ideas.
Due to the lack of prior knowledge, I decided to limit it to four Black figures whose history and significance would be discussed in more detail. Using a laptop, the children did research in groups. To help, I came up with a few questions for the kids to use as a guide. That’s when I ran into the first difficulty I hadn’t expected. The kids asked me what they had to type in and which link they should click. Then I realized that researching on the internet is not yet a matter of course. To move faster through the topic without internet research, I picked out a video the next day from which they gathered information to complete the presentation. The following day, the kids presented the figures to the other group.
In the meantime, I’ve been to church with the children a few times on Sundays. The services so far have featured several singing and dancing performances by the children and adults, accompanied by loud music. Unfortunately, as a German, it’s difficult for me to follow the service because it’s held entirely in the tribal language, Kikamba.
This time the service was a bit different. It didn’t last the usual three hours, but four. Toward the end, not only the little ones but also the adults had dozed off. When charcoal was auctioned off shortly before the end, I wondered if that was still part of the service or if it had already moved on to another part. This situation was very unusual for me, and I can’t imagine something like that in Germany.
Britta