Week Two

Week two has turned out to be just as wonderful as the first. We have enjoyed being in the schools with all of our pupils and the staff with whom we work. It has been quite interesting having long conversations over chai (tea) and what we would consider to be doughnuts. The weather has been beautiful, although we hope for the farmers and the land that rain comes soon. They say that everything will become very green and the land will look beautiful, of which we have no doubt.
Last Saturday, March 17 we were able to experience the second largest open air market in Africa. What an experience that was, there were many vendors selling anything from fruit and grains to baskets and wallpaper. The number of people who were excited to meet us was again astounding, and meet people we did. Ashley was handed a baby to hold while the rest of us stood taking pictures and speaking to the mother of the child about who we were, where we are from, etc. We purchased many delicious fruits and vegetables from ripe mangos to avocados. We are excited to go back again and explore it a little more.
During the week we have been coming home to share stories of our days at school and one evening we quickly realized one of the cows down the hill from our house was giving birth. We were able to watch and experience the birth of this new calf into the world. There were a few complications for which the veterinarian was called but in the end all was well. We have yet to figure out if it is male or female but it was a tremendous experience and we have since visited the calf which is quite healthy.
On Friday March 23rd, a few of us were able to attend the district sporting event competitions in Murkurwe-inin. We met many different and very important people in the area in terms of education which was quite exciting. We watched as students competed from various districts, the South, the North and what we believe to be the Central areas. Both girls and boys competed in handball, football, volleyball and netball. We were able to meet some of the students and we managed to squeeze in a few of our own games with them while they were not participating in other events. It was quite a beautiful field lined with numerous old trees which gave off a wonderful amount of shade from the sun. I am sure the next week to come will have just as many adventures if not more.

Week 1 - Kenya 2012

Our first week in Kenya has been a great experience. We arrived in Nairobi on Friday night. Henry and Shadd were there to meet us. All the flights went well, we only had one little problem… five of us ended up with no luggage! On Saturday we went to Rhodas farm and it was beautiful. We were all very excited because we got to see many different animals that you would not find on PEI! We got to see antelope, hartbeasts, different types of birds, zebras, and most importantly we got to see 6 giraffes! We were all very excited and the lunch that they provided for us was delicious.
When we arrived to our house on Sunday we went for a walk around Ichamara and we all felt as though we were on display. There were many friendly faces and smiles greeting us. That evening Gerald arranged for all the headmasters and drivers to come to the house for tea so we could meet them and discuss what was going to occur over the next five weeks. It was really nice to be able to meet everyone before the first day. Since our luggage still hadn’t arrived we decided that we would start school on Tuesday so we would show up with fresh clothes, and not the clothes we had been wearing since Thursday!
Tuesday was a very exciting day. We loved meeting the children and finally getting to our schools. Their smiling faces and kind behaviour made us all very excited for the following weeks. The staff at the schools have been extremely welcoming and already it is starting to feel like home. The first week has flown by and today we are heading to the market. We are enjoying Kenya so much and are so grateful for the kindness from all the people that we have met so far. Stay tuned for next weeks blog!
Here is a link for Rhoda’s farm: rimpaestates.com