May marked our last month here at the children’s home. Time has flown by, and we are enjoying every moment to the fullest.
May was also full of projects and wonderful moments.
It started with a soccer tournament where all the MCC staff members and a few teachers from the Secondary School played against the 9th-grade students from the children’s home. We were only surprised with this information one day before the game, so our training started immediately. Game day was very rainy, and the field turned into a giant mud puddle. That didn’t stop us, and as soon as the sun shone again, the whistle blew. It was a very long game, more like a mudfest. Due to the mud, the players (us…) slipped and fell repeatedly, much to the amusement of the spectators. After 3.5 hours without a break, the staff members surprisingly won 11:7. Everyone had to wash themselves and their clothes from head to toe, which took until the well-deserved dinner!
We’re also busy in the bakery almost every day now. Our baker Philip trusts us implicitly, so we’re now making the Mandazis for the MCC all by ourselves. Philip is much more efficient when it comes to kneading and helps us out with that. We always have a good laugh with him, which is why we always enjoy coming to help. It’s truly remarkable how many buns Philip bakes daily to provide breakfast for everyone! We will definitely try to recreate the recipes he taught us at home.
Primary school is a highlight of the week for Emma and Marta. On one hand, it allows us to spend more time with the children, and on the other, we can observe how elementary school works here in Kenya. Through our teacher training program, we’ve already learned a lot and are continuously gaining new impressions and experiences. It’s interesting how different yet similar school is. The teachers make a great impression, and the children work diligently and enthusiastically in class, whether it’s math, English, Swahili, sports, or art. Everyone gives their best and returns to the home in the evening with new knowledge.
The Secondary School was also open again, and we had the opportunity to sit in on classes. We sat right among the students and almost felt like part of the class. This gave us a completely different perspective. Sometimes we were caught off guard with specific knowledge questions, but with the help of the students, we were able to contribute to the lesson. Here too, the teachers seem competent and teach the students in an engaging way. We even got to be part of a chemistry lesson where they experimented with catalyst paper. Who didn’t love experiment lessons the most?!
Principal Nicholas knows everything that happens at the school. He gave us a tour of the school campus and was always open to questions and concerns.
To make task distribution more efficient, the children were divided into groups. We adopted this division for our picnic groups. For three Sundays, we walked with each group for about 45 minutes to a beautiful spot by the river. The path was lined with mango trees and acacia trees, once again showcasing Kenya’s stunning mountain landscape! In such moments, we both repeatedly had “realization moments” that we were living in Kenya and that the incredibly beautiful nature around us was our home. Those who wanted to could splash and cool off in the nearby river, while others spread out picnic blankets and distributed the provisions. There was plenty of pineapple juice, Mandazis, muffins, and bananas for healthy vitamins. The Patron and Matron took turns coming along, which the kids absolutely loved. You could see how close the bond between the kids and the adults is, and it was truly wonderful to witness. With good conversations and great memories, we headed back home. One time we had to run the last few meters because the rain clouds looked very dark. Since we were all so full from the picnic, dinner was rather small for us. We had unforgettable moments with all the groups and count every single picnic among our favorite moments with the children.
We went to the Skillcenter with our social worker Mercy, as it’s also one of the projects Jimmy Kilonzi founded. Some of our children go there after Secondary School to receive their vocational training. The principal guided us through the various training workshops. There, one can train to be a plumber, electrician, hairdresser, make-up artist, chef, or car mechanic. All classes gave us a practical demonstration; it’s truly impressive how dedicated the apprentices are in their learning. The teachers were very friendly and happy to show us their work area. Finally, we got to enjoy a taste from the kitchen: Chapati with Cabbage, one of our favorite dishes.
For us, it’s also important to see the other side and the background of the children to better understand why they are in the children’s home. That’s why we went back to the Mathare Slums in Nairobi with Mercy. There, Linnet, the social worker who knows her way around the slums, met us. Thanks to her, we felt surprisingly safe. We visited 3 families and heard their stories. It was wonderful to meet the parents and siblings of our MCC children. It was shocking to see the conditions they live in. But on the other hand, they have such a strong will to live and are full of joy. This also showed us again that one should be grateful for what one has. We also got to visit a high school in the middle of the slum and talk to the principal. A truly inspiring woman! She had everything under control and had a very understanding basic philosophy towards her students; after all, she knows from experience the circumstances under which they grow up. It was a day full of various impressions that we first had to process, but we are grateful for this experience.
On our day off, we made our way to Tala, a nearby town that has a lot to offer. Every Friday looked almost the same. We strolled through the secondhand clothing stalls and found a treasure or two. Then we usually went to a diner where we ate Bajiha, which can be compared to fried potatoes. After refueling, we went to the colorful fruit and vegetable stalls. We could hardly hold back and stocked up for the coming week with bananas, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, and passion fruits. We also fell in love with the hand-woven baskets, made there with great care and love by elderly women. Every week, a new basket came with us, which we will bring to our families in Germany. We grew very fond of the old ladies and were greeted with a big smile every week. And finally came the strenuous part: Since we want to cook so much with the children, we naturally had to buy the ingredients, and for 39 children and at least 7 staff members, that was a lot to transport each time. With two Bodabodas (mopeds that can be rented for transport there), we headed towards MCC, and another successful and exhausting Friday was over.
Our last 3 Saturdays were approaching, which meant only 3 more times Chapati. That made us very sad. But it gave us an excuse to eat as many Chapatis as possible. The children laughed at us but made bets with us every week on who could eat more Chapatis.
Additionally, we got an insider tip from our school bus driver Peter that there are Chapatis with scrambled eggs in Nguluni. We didn’t need to be told twice and absolutely had to try it. And it turned out to be one of the best Chapatis we had ever eaten. But of course, nothing surpasses the children’s Chapatis. We then had to show this to the children, so on Friday evening, Chapati mayai (Chapati with egg) was cooked. Everyone was very happy, and we were glad for one more day of Chapati.
Thanks to the many donations, we were able to implement all our projects, including all the cooking and baking activities, as well as the outings with the children. Finally, we bought new mattresses with covers for some children, as it was necessary. It was important for us to address the needs from the Kenyan side, and we are grateful that we could help here. Thank you to all the donors who supported us and made all this possible!
We’ve found that the most beautiful time of day is the hours before dinner. Whether watching the Secondary students play soccer, playing volleyball, or simply sitting on a Lesso and reading a book with the children and relaxing to music. Enjoying the last rays of sun and beautiful sunsets every evening until the sky becomes a starry night and you can search for various constellations. It’s the everyday small moments that remain most in memory and in the heart. We are incredibly grateful for this time, and special thanks go to the staff and children who made MCC a home for us. Milele sehemu yangu. (Forever a part of me)
Marta Simone and Emma Raihofer
