Cochrane in Kenya: October Update!

Two weeks ago I successfully extended my Kenyan visa for another 3 months. To do this I had to travel to Nairobi and visit Nyayo House, the immigration center. I had some trouble finding the right office but after a couple mistakes I found the right place. The one mistake I made however was not bringing a pen. There were many forms to fill out and sign and every time I had to ask to borrow a pen from another person waiting in line. What a rookie mistake. Next time I will definitely bring a pen! After a couple of hours waiting in line I finally got my approved extension and successfully registered as an alien. Apparently I will get my residency card in a couple of weeks. It was nice though to get out of the Village for a few days and spend some time in Nairobi and now I am all set visa wise for another couple months.

We also had a new volunteer arrive a couple weeks ago from Spain. His name is Pablo and he will be working with the Polytechnic students, helping them develop business plans and skills. It will be a very rewarding class for the students, many of whom want to start their own businesses after they graduate.

Last Saturday we had a large group of volunteers come from Nairobi. They were American students from American University in Washington D.C. who are studying abroad in Nairobi for the semester. There teachers had come to visit the village back in July to tour and see if it would be a good place to bring the students for a weekend to get away from the city. It was cool to have been the one to give them the tour in July and to now see the students actually here in Nyumbani. They just stayed from Saturday to Sunday but they really enjoyed their time. Upon their arrival I gave them a long tour around the entire village and then they got to meet and play with some of the children. I think they really enjoyed getting out of the city and seeing more of rural Kenya. After dinner they had a bonfire and in the morning they attended church and were introduced to the congregation. Before they left on Sunday they also purchased many of the baskets made by the grandmothers and honey harvested here in the Village. It was a very fun weekend and I was very excited to be the one to educate them about the Village and show them all the amazing things we have here. Some were even interested in coming back and volunteering next summer! Also, later in their semester they will be visiting Mpala Research Centre outside Nanyuki where coincidentally another Princeton in Africa fellow, my friend Sally, works. It is a small world that they have visited two organizations with PiaF fellows, especially those that are good friends.

On Wednesday, we (the volunteers and I) were personally invited to an event at the high school. Here in Kenya, the school year runs from January to November instead of September-May. The highest class in the high school is Form 4, equivalent to grade 12 at home. In Kenya, at the end of Form 4 every student takes a national exam that they have prepped for for months. This exam determines what universities they can attend/will be accepted to. It is very important here and there is much pressure for the students to perform well. The event was a prayer ceremony to bless the students for success on their tests. All the students from the high school attended, not just the Form 4s. In addition, all the teachers, social workers, sustainability staff, and program managers attended. Even some teachers and students from the polytechnic school showed up. The program began with a short mass by one of our village priests. There was much singing and dancing and at the end of the mass, the Form 4s were blessed with water and everyone prayed for them. The new student council was also blessed and the new building we were in as well.

Following the mass, students, teachers and staff made speeches exalting the achievements of the Form 4s and offering advice for the pending exams. It was a great ceremony and I was happy to be a part of it. Afterword everyone got tea and maandazi (donuts) and I was asked to give a small speech to the staff and teachers gathered in the staff room. I expressed my gratitude of being included in the day and my awe at the achievements of the students and staff. It was a great afternoon!

Later the week I also decorated some new trash cans with the kids. I have been trying to use activities like painting trash bins as a way to teach the children about recycling and proper garbage disposal. Trash is a big problem in the village so the more we can teach about picking up and reusing, the better.

Friday was a fun day because we went out to dinner in Kitui. The 3 other volunteers and I went out to Bavaria, the nice restaurant we went to last month. It was nice to get some nice food that wasn’t beans and rice. I got a nice salad (I hadn’t gotten lettuce in ages) and spare ribs with French fries. It was delicious and definitely worth the trip. Ryan, the little boy who we met last time, was also there again and happy to see us. It was a very satisfying night.

This past weekend was nice and slow. I spent a lot of time reading and relaxing. On Saturday I ran all the way into Kwa Vonza (the nearest village) for the first time. It is a 6-mile run, and although I waited until evening it was still very very hot. There is little shade on the dusty road so it was pretty brutal. Upon arriving in Kwa Vonza I quickly got water then purchased some produce and French fries to bring back to the other volunteers for dinner. It was getting dark and I had no energy left to run home, so I took a motorbike taxi. That night after dinner we watched The Book Thief, which was a very good film about Germany in World War II. One of the volunteers has many movies on his computer so we have been spending nights watching films.

I am currently reading a very good book called A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali about Rwanda. I am not very far in but so far it is very good and engaging. If you have any book suggestions please share! I have much time on my hands to read.

Until next week. Xx Maggie