So – Week Seven. And what a week it has been. I thought by now I’d be struggling to come up with something unique to share in these weekly updates – but life here is anything but ordinary! This week I’ve been struck by how easily I’ve been lulling myself into thinking that, below the obvious surface things. life isn’t really that different here (perhaps it has been my way of coping and adapting?) – only to be jolted back into reality. I thought I’d share some of that this time.
Certainly, there are things here that are so much like life at home. Meals to be made, clothes to be washed, children to be cared for. But all with an African twist!
This last week has been a busy one. The extra ‘tuition’ ended on Wednesday so Thursday until Monday all the children have been home on holiday. That in itself is a recipe for one loud, crazy time! Especially with the rain, usually falling each afternoon. I have spent my days helping the older children with schoolwork that they will need to hand in when they return to school. And to celebrate the holidays I produced a huge box of ”Straws and Connectors” for them all to play with. This has always been a popular toy at home and in my classrooms – here was no exception. I was amazed at what the kids could create – not relying on the square structures kids at home always make, but full of curves. Boats (they’ve never seen one before in real life remember!) rocket ships (ditto) and motorcycles have been emerging all over the living room. I’ve especially enjoyed seing how they have worked together on things, realizing that otherwise there were just not enough straws to build anything alone. It’s been fun!
But being with children isn’t all fun and games! There are also the usual challenges that come with children. I’m sure you can relate to this – especially if you have teens of your own, or if you were ever a teen like this: One of the older girls has been causing her fair share of teenage trouble – breaking rules, being defiant, engaging in dangerous behaviour – sound familiar? She has been pushing the limits of everyone’s patience over the last many months. And she is a ‘total orphan’ – was abandoned at the doorstep as an infant – so has no ‘next of kin’ anywhere where she can go. So it is now my turn. Poor girl. She thought I was all ‘sweetness and light’. She now knows the meaning of the Canadian terms ‘disappointed’, ‘privilege’ and ‘being grounded’. She has been isolated from the rest, stuck doing extra chores (like mopping the boys bathroom!) dishes and hoeing in the garden. She has been banned from school for a week – a place she loves because of the attention she gets there from her classmates – and has been stuck doing my version of schoolwork -endless math questions, science and long compositions for me. We’ll see how things develop. The alternative – a rehabilitation centre – is the last resort and one that we all hope can be avoided.

When he was here, Craig had a chance to talk with Edina about some of the weightier issues that they face here.
A third thing this week that feels like home? spring cleaning. (But, of course, they have no spring here!) The older children and I spent Saturday washing walls and windows, putting new posters and their own artwork and pictures on the walls – generally sprucing things up. The idea spread – soon I saw younger children picking up rubbish outside the building and the older boys using hammer and nails to fix the gates around the animal sheds. They are feeling ‘house proud’ – and I’m impressed! Many thanks to friends who have made donations over the last few weeks – next on the list is to replace the leaking toilet in the boys bathroom and to replace the worst of the old mattresses. There are many, many smiles here!
I spent Monday in town with three of the secondary school boys – Wilfrid, Jonathan and Velton – who needed to do some shopping before returning to school. The usual – soap, toothpaste – but also a bag of sugar each (to sweeten their daily porridge) and laundry soap. The line ups at the store to check out were more than half an hour long – everyone was there, shopping for ‘back to school’. But that lineup was nothing compared to the hours long, 100 or 200 people strong, snaking lines at the bank as parents and guardians patiently waited to pay school fees and obtain the all-important receipt that the children must produce in order to enter the school gates. Edina had sent Massai early (5 am) to line up – now I know why! When the rain began to pour the people sought dry shelter, only to re-assemble at the bank’s door when the rain stopped.

There’s nothing like a boy in a uniform – Here Velton poses with Mama Benta before heading back to boarding school. He’ll return for 3 days at mid-term in six weeks time.
So – some things this week have felt at least somewhat similar to home.
But – so much is different – or at least had an extreme African flavour to it. Events that happen in Canada are just so much more complicated. Nothing here is simple. The implications of what happens are just so huge.
For example, last Thursday night there was a horrendous car accident on the paved road just down the lane. A tanker truck carrying a full load of molasses ran into two Nissans (small passenger vans) that were passing one another on the road. Add to that rain, no lights on the side of the roadway (it was 7:30 pm), overcrowded buses, poor brakes on the tanker truck and many, many pedestrians and motorbikes on the ‘shoulder’. In the end the official number killed was 18 – passengers as well as pedestrians, but we know there were many more. (The press is notorious for fudging reports) It was disastrous. There is no one in this small community who was not affected in some way. The sister of one of Edina’s good friends was among the dead so Friday Edina spent first at the hospital, then the mortuary, then at the family’s home in order to provide some support to them. This same spot is where many of the children from Home of Grace pass daily as they walk to school. A grim reminder of the danger and the sadness.
Another totally different example. Edina returned from town on Thursday quite intrigued. There was a new school being built just about five minutes walk from here – a school that advertised quality education but at an affordable, subsidized price. It is being started by Bridge International Academies – a US based company that has designed a ‘school in a box’ / franchise concept – this is its 83rd school in Kenya. Basically, they select low-income areas, buy land, recruit and then train teachers, and then open it up to the community. The price to attend works out to less than the ‘free’ public schools here – no hidden fees, no surprise funding requests, no ‘optional’ payment schemes. They use a ‘direct instruction’ model – like my old Distar days – the teachers have a script they follow that delivers the curriculum to the students (as many as 72 in a class) and they respond. The cynic in me was wary – I did an internet search, asked my business-minded son Matt to do a little digging, and visited myself on Monday. I have to admit I was impressed – with the approach and the goal.
Sounds almost too good to be true? Yes. Here’s the glitch. Other community schools, ones that have been struggling to provide education to the needy children in this area, are now losing students to this new one. And my heart goes out to some of them – these are people who have had a real heart for helping in their community and have been doing the best they can. King David Academy where I am now teaching each day is a good example. They have 200 students, of whom 30 they fully subsidize because of their family situations. They offer food to children who arrive hungry, are lenient about fees and uniforms (rather than sending children home) and know and care about each child and their family. Since Bridge opened many parents have apologized but requested to transfer their children. The price is just too low to resist. See what I mean? Complicated….!
And, finally, yesterday. Another situation that came up this week – another “Oh yes. This is Kenya not Canada” moment. As I made my way to Home of Grace along the roadway here a swarm of bees (or perhaps wasps?) literally descended on the roadway, attacking everyone in sight. It was terrifying – I managed to run screaming back to Edina’s home. I have more than 50 bites – and, needless to say, am still feeling the worse for wear. Luckily I had tylenol handy and Edina braved the wasps to get to the chemist to purchase some Benadryl-equivalent. Morine from Home of Grace was with me and is also suffering today. To say nothing of the countless other neighbours, especially children, who were stung. And they did not have tylenol, cream or benadryl to help. Last evening Maxwell and Massai went to burn the tree so it couldn’t terrorize me (or anyone else of course). It is located on land owned by someone who does not reside here – so it is not really anyone’s responsibility. They were unsuccessful, so the tree will be removed tonight – we managed to negotiate a price with the local ‘fundi’ (workman) but at an inflated ‘muzungu’ price of course. In the meantime, today I’m taking it easy – and staying indoors!
So – some similarities? yes. Some differences? absolutely. I am definitely learning every day. And the most basic learning of all? Nothing is as it seems….!
I will be especially thinking of home on Saturday when the “Like a Mother’s Love” evening will be held. I really hope many people will attend – I have some short videos that we have made and which 21st century technology has allowed me to send so easily. All of us here at Home of Grace will be there in spirit!
Until the next time,
Cathy