At the start of the rainy season, we, Marta, Naemi, and Emma, also arrived as new volunteers at the Maisha Mazuri Children Center. After two exciting weeks of safari and Mombasa, all three of us were so glad to finally be here. Our first day kicked off right away with Marta’s much-praised chapati and chai. After two years, Marta couldn’t resist returning and is now back with the children.
Right on the first day, after church, we had ‘Kitheri’ for lunch, a national dish consisting of beans and corn, which gave us renewed strength for the upcoming soccer tournament against Maisha Mazuri Primary. Unfortunately, the tournament wasn’t as successful for our boys’ team, but the girls shone! By dinner, Naemi and Emma had already learned many names, but we’re still struggling with some… However, we were confident we’d know them all in the next few days. Shortly before dusk, our freshly washed clothes were caught in the rain, and we had to run quite a bit to collect them. Much to the children’s amusement 🙂
While the children were at school, we were introduced to the entire MCC team at the staff meeting. Afterwards, we got to know the individual departments during a tour and then implemented our interests into the timetable.
Sadly, the aunt of one of the MCC children passed away, and we were invited to her funeral in the surrounding area. A Kenyan funeral cannot be compared to a German one. For example, very loud, joyful church music is played, and anyone from the village who wishes can attend. It is, so to speak, a public funeral. Seeing the children grieve deeply affected us, and we had to process it first. Nevertheless, we were glad to be able to support the children. As a small travel snack on the way back, when we passed our Shamba, we picked fresh mangoes from the tree. Here, mangoes are eaten like apples in Germany, meaning with the skin!
Due to the heavy rainfall during the funeral, the river separating the MCC from the outside world rose significantly. This posed a risk that we might not be able to return. With the help of the secondary students, who assisted the other children, teachers, and us in crossing, everyone made it across the river almost dry.
Marta and Emma were allowed to accompany the children to Primary School and experience the daily life of the youngest students. Both are studying to become elementary school teachers and were therefore very interested in the teaching style in Kenya. We particularly noticed the different approaches in math class. Naemi, on the other hand, has a lot of experience with teenagers aged 13-18 through her involvement in church youth work. That’s why her timetable is more geared towards secondary activities. She was able to indulge her great passion, volleyball, with the students right from the start. She also got to sit in on English and math classes live in the classroom.
Friday, our day off as volunteers, is used to explore the surrounding villages. We took local transportation for 30 minutes to the next larger town, Tala. All three of us, armed with caps and backpacks, ventured into the market hustle and bustle. You can find everything your heart desires here. We were drawn to the fruit and the countless second-hand stalls. The colorful cloths – Lessos – particularly captivated us. After a long but successful shopping trip, we opted for non-traditional food at a restaurant. Exhausted but happy, we ate our fries. Even though a day off is nice, we were all looking forward to the children!
The first weekend arrived. For the entire MCC family, that means doing laundry and preparing chapati. Emma got into a chapati-rolling race and lost by a landslide… But it still tasted good!
Every evening – except for the sacred Movie Saturday – we spend ample time in the library, reading Harry Potter, Disney stories, and books in Swahili together. The story of Harry Potter is read aloud every evening, with the prospect of comparing the book to the movie at the end. All three of us loved being read to as children in the evenings, which is why we cherish this so much here. Some enjoy it so much that they fall asleep.
So far, we have helped out at least once in every area, including Shamba = MCC Farm, bakery, secondary, primary, kitchen, animal care, and the social office. By far the most strenuous work for everyone is farm work…! While the children have few problems with the scorching heat, the extreme sun exposure and heat were a major challenge for us. After the work was done, we were rewarded with hundreds of mangoes falling on us. You really have to be careful not to get hit by the falling fruit! For the taste, one gladly accepts the ‘danger to life’. Unfortunately, a bag of mangoes fell into the river, but luckily the children were able to easily fish it out. The cool-down was welcome to them, though.
Despite heavy rainfall, Naemi was able to make several home visits. Some of them were quite overwhelming, as the families have to get by with very little. Despite all the difficulties, the people here are incredibly hospitable and always welcome us warmly. Despite hearing stories, you can’t truly imagine what a home visit is like. You have to experience it yourself!
If you want to stay fit, just come to Philip in the bakery and knead 20 kg of dough. If that’s not enough, you can use a lot of muscle power to form the dough into tiny balls, which are then baked into the best breakfast buns. After this effort, you really appreciate the cool-down in the rain!
The sponsor letters also arrived safely with us, bringing smiles to all the children’s faces! With our help, they will be answered during the upcoming Easter holidays.
We are really looking forward to the next few weeks and telling you all about them! 🙂
Yours, Naemi, Marta, and Emma