August is over, and after four weeks of vacation, school is starting again. “One person’s sorrow is another’s joy.”
We are very grateful that we were able to experience the vacation during our stay, as the many hours spent together intensified our relationship with the children, and we were able to implement numerous projects. However, to prevent the vacation from ending in chaos, we created a weekly schedule with Joseph and Mercy. The children were divided into different groups according to their age. For example, they helped in the kitchen, on the farm, and with the domestic animals to get an insight into the various departments at the MCC.
To kick off the vacation, we cooked avocado-tomato pasta with the “Ulinzi Group.” It’s not easy to conjure up dinner for 45 people. First, you have to wait about an hour for the water for nine kilograms of pasta to boil over the fire. BUT BE CAREFUL: If you take your eyes off the water for a second, it’s possible that someone might scoop some out for showering. Unfortunately, we had some bad luck with our 20 avocados, as some were not ripe enough, which minimized the quantity. Nevertheless, we were able to serve the pasta on time, and since the request came up whether we could repeat this project, we cooked it again three weeks later with the “Shining Stars.”
One of our first vacation projects was window cleaning. The windows in the bedrooms, in particular, desperately needed it! We’ve never seen children have so much fun cleaning, as they were allowed to start in small groups with spray bottles and music.
Every Monday and Tuesday late afternoon, we had the honor of receiving Taekwondo training sessions from Matron Miriam. Self-defense, discipline, and respect are paramount. When we received a special visit from Jimmy Kilonzi, the hard training paid off! He was so impressed by our performance that he spontaneously even gave an encore.
Weekly, we went to the bakery to support Philip as best as possible. This way, we could prepare the bread rolls ourselves with the “Achievers” on bonfire day, while the “Simba Group” collected and carved wooden sticks for the sausages. The special atmosphere by the fire with bread, sausages, ketchup, and pineapple juice was musically supported by House Father Jackson playing African songs on the guitar.
On two consecutive afternoons, we offered the children a walk followed by a picnic. Unfortunately, we could only use the Shamba as our “final destination,” as almost all the fields and meadows around the MCC are private property.
The free time the kids had between their tasks and duties was spent knitting, painting nails, and threading bracelets. With a saw, hammer, and nails, the boys were able to build a skateboard. The results are definitely impressive! We also continued our weekly run to and from school, which we started in July. To add a bit more color to the entrance area, the stones were painted with various patterns, which now adorn the fruit trees and the path.
When we hung up the plan for the third week in the dining hall and the children saw that we would be going swimming at the Savannah Lodge in Nguluni on 08/17/24, the anticipation was great. Not only the center-based but also the community-based children had the opportunity to spend a whole day swimming, splashing, and playing. We were extremely lucky with the weather! The previous weeks had always been a bit cool and cloudy, but on this Saturday, the sun was already shining in the morning hours. With the older children, we walked four kilometers to our splashing adventure, while the younger ones got a shuttle. Once there, it was immediately: clothes off and into the water! We were also able to introduce non-swimmers to basic swimming techniques. The lunch, which had been eagerly awaited in the previous days, as there were fries and chicken, was a huge highlight, even though the restaurant ran out of ketchup. After lunch, we went back into the water, which is why we all just fell into bed that evening.
Thanks to our numerous donations collected in Germany, we were able to take a second big trip to Nairobi to the National Museum and the Snake Park. Our journey was a bit bumpy. This was due not only to the roads, which had suffered from the floods, but also to the bus driver, who unfortunately had no idea how to get there. Ultimately, we helped him out with Google Maps. Unfortunately, we arrived at our destination two hours later because of this. First, we received a child-friendly tour of the National Museum, which covered wildlife, various tribal histories, cultures, and challenges in Kenya. After lunch – chicken, smokies, and fries – we went to the Snake Park. With wide eyes, the children observed snakes, turtles, and various fish species. As a grand finale, it was possible to hold a real snake and touch its smooth skin. The smiles stretched from ear to ear!
Even during the vacation, reading and learning were not neglected! Teacher Beatrice visited us every week for two hours daily (Monday to Friday). While she worked specifically with some children, we supervised homework and reading lessons in the library. We also noticed that many children still have trouble telling time. Therefore, we divided the children into two groups, who then practiced telling time in a workshop with either Antonia or Rebekka. Afterwards, the teams competed against each other in a big battle, which naturally boosted their motivation to learn! Since playful learning, in particular, brings progress, we organized a rally around the MCC grounds. In various groups, the children not only had to solve math and general knowledge tasks but also measure, fold according to instructions, and show off their athletic skills. Depending on their placement, they earned popcorn and gummy bears for movie night. Since they had so much fun, we organized a scavenger hunt two weeks later. They had to solve crosswords, fill-in-the-blanks, and much more. In the end, they managed to piece the individual scraps together to form a map so they could dig up the treasure in the garden.
Every Sunday morning, we go to church. This is not comparable to a German church! Dance, music, singing, and communal prayer play a significant role. Through our daily practice, we were all able to perform a dance together to the song “I am a Miracle” by ADA. Even the boys had fun! When the whole church started cheering and clapping at the end, we knew that the hard training had paid off!
We’ve had significant growth at the MCC! Six new goat kids and twelve rabbits were born. In addition, Emma can look forward to 35 freshly hatched chicks. Last Saturday, the kitchen was busy all day, as chicken meat from our own production was served with chapati in the evening. The Kitchen Garden is also growing and growing. Emma received cabbage and spinach seedlings from our farmer Boniface and was overjoyed when she harvested them for the first time. We’ve never seen such large spinach leaves!
One of the most intense and emotional experiences is the home visits with social worker Mercy. Already in the first week of our arrival here at the MCC, we visited the families and homes of the children who are in the program. It is shocking to see how many people are struggling to survive and still don’t know if they will have food tomorrow. The basic necessities are not guaranteed here. Especially due to the severe floods in the last rainy season, houses have been damaged, and families’ gardens and farms have been destroyed, leading to a collapse in harvests. Nevertheless, we were offered something to drink or eat during every home visit. The hospitality of the people here is impressive, and their living situation is indescribable, which makes it difficult to find the right words for it. If you haven’t seen it with your own eyes, it’s very hard to imagine the families’ situation and understand their plight. All the more remarkable is what the project achieves and how families are supported. Respect!