Teacha Teacha!

In this past week, I've:

- faced my fear of being in the centre of a dance circle

- taught an impromptu PE class to 60+ students 

- sat with teachers gathered around the radio anxiously awaiting news of an impending teachers' strike

- developed a strange, almost-but-not-quite Kenyan English accent in an effort to help my students understand me -- whatever it is, it seems to do the trick!

- successfully drummed on a cupboard, keeping beat to my students' singing - I think they were definitely surprised that I could, given the astonished looks and requests for a solo!

I find it both hilarious and discomfiting to receive so much extra attention simply because I am a mzungu (white person) - the children, both at school, and in the village, will run up to both Leah and I, shaking hands over and over, touching hair, brushing our arms... I suppose in some ways it's a blessing, really, because it also makes them extra attentive in class, wondering what we will say next! I've had a standard 5 class pull me into their classroom during a free period just to talk and teach each other songs, and a standard 4 class ask me to teach them PE. The only trouble is when they all run up at once, sharing their names, and then later return to ask, "Teacha, what is my name?" "Teacha, and me, what is mine?" Some common ones for girls are Arbe, Adho, Tallasso, and Kame. Let's just say that memorizing over 300 names is no small task, but at least it makes us feel very welcomed :) 

Some of Standard 7A :)

Overall, it's been a wonderful week. The girls at the Kalacha Nomadic Girls' School, where I have been teaching health education to standards 6, A&B, 7, A&B, 8, A&B, are fantastic, and love to sing a song (or 2 or 3) at the end of each lesson. Upon requests that I teach them a song, I've brought out "Romans 16:19 - Be excellent, at what is good, be innocent, of evil" etc., one of my favourites from camp, and they love it, with all the fun actions (for those of you who are familiar with it)!

But now, for the big, and very sad news: 

The Kenyan teachers' strike is now in effect; it started off down country a little while ago, and officially spread to the schools up north as of this week, with Kalacha Primary School shutting down Wednesday, and the Nomadic Girls' School shutting down on Thursday. The standard 8 classes are remaining at both schools, so Leah and I are hoping to continue to help out as they review for their big, final examination (standard 8 is the final year of primary school, before they move on to secondary education). There are many other opportunities to serve in the village as well. I may help out Susanna, a missionary nurse who is affiliated with both AIM and a German organization, doing whatever needs doing at the dispensary, and continuing to get to know local families. We shall see what all falls into place. Most of the teachers think the strike will not last long - it seems that the government is listening, from what I've heard on the radio, but you never really know for sure with these things. Prayers are appreciated, as it is discouraging to have one's main area of service so cut off! I do believe, however, that things will work out for the best, and I am looking forward to seeing what alternate opportunities present themselves for as long as the strike lasts. 

In the meantime, I must be off - our friend Doke has graciously invited Leah and I to a traditional Gabra wedding, even allowing for pictures, so bright colours, camels, a feast, and who knows how many hours of singing ahead! It starts at 3pm, and the bride is presented is at 4:30am. Wish us luck ;)

Kalacha - An Introduction

There is so much to say, and so little Internet time left for the day. I'll be brief.
Kalacha, Kenya. It's beautiful, a struggle, and SUCH an adventure, more so than even I thought. Those mental images I had of red sand, stiff dry heat, huts woven together with colourful fabric, and billowing skirts are all accurate, with, obviously, much more depth, reality, and beauty added. That, and a LOT of wind.

The stars are crystal clear, and when the sun begins to set, the shades of red and green turn to blue and grey, while a warm line of lingering light on the horizon turns the acacia trees to silhouettes.

The first day here on Friday was long and exhausting, but after some sleep and prayer, things improved. I'm becoming steadily more excited to be here (the growth is exponential, in fact!) Yesterday, I gave my first health education talk at the Polytechnic School (like a trade school for older boys and girls). The notice was pretty short however - I only found out one day in advance, and had to prepare a two-hour talk for teenagers on STIs, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, drug/alcohol abuse, and female circumcision. Talk about jumping in with both feet! Praise God, it went better than expected. From now on, I'll be teaching health education at the Kalacha Primary School (mostly boys) for standards (grades) 7 and 8, and at the Nomadic Girls' Primary School, for standards 6, 7, and 8. Nobody seems to be teaching health education on a regular basis at either school, so I have the pleasure (or excellent life skills building experience at least!) of creating my own curriculum.

First day of teaching! 

Orientation, Round 2: Nairobi

Expect little text, and many pictures.

Tomorrow morning, I, along with my short term partner, Leah, are headed up-country to Kalacha. There's a lot of excitement in the air. Two of the other girls with whom I just finished orientation here in Nairobi will also be flying with us, being dropped off at Korr, also in the North.

Orientation over the past two days has been a whirlwind. Our short term coordinator for the Eastern Region, PJ, is fantastic, as his wife, Emily, and his assistant, Janet.

En route to Kijabe.

Yesterday, we took a 1.5 hour road trip to Kijabe with PJ, Emily, and their ridiculously adorable 7 year old daughter and almost 5 year old son. We visited Rift Valley Academy (RVA), the AIC Kijabe hospital, and ate a traditional Kenyan lunch at Mama Chiku's in town.

RVA

Sarah, Leah, and I, at RVA.

Bethany Kids at Kijabe Hospital. Amazing work and ministry.

Mama Chiku's. Best chapatis.

I was also reunited with Kathleen, one of the short termers I went through orientation with in Toronto! She was in Kijabe for a short while with her missionary family. On the way back to the guest house, we experienced "the jam" - that is, the daily traffic event in Nairobi that can turn a half hour commute into a four hour test of endurance.

Kathleen and I, outside a dorm house at RVA.

Today, we had orientation at the Eastern Region AIM Office in the morning, and in the afternoon experienced the challenge of shopping for food for two people that is supposed to last 8-10 weeks of breakfasts and suppers!

Leah and I, and our receipt for 54 kilos of food!

The evening brought a fantastic visit from an old friend who most of you will know. I don't know when I'll see him next, but after a year, it was beyond cool to meet in Kenya!! Click here to read about the work Daniel's been doing with SIM in Nairobi over the past year.

Much enthusiasm :)

And now, it's definitely bedtime. Will write to you next from Kalacha!

Touchdown in Nairobi!

(Note: this was written about 9 hours ago, 11:30pm EAT, but I had no Internet connection 'til now!)

First things first: I've made it safe and sound to the place I'll be staying for the next three days in Nairobi. There you go Mom and Dad ;)

The trip: was practically non-stop after Vancouver. A short, 50-minute layover in Amsterdam was sandwiched by a nine-hour and an eight-hour flight. Time flew; I don't feel like it could've actually been that long, but it's kind of strange to think that I've technically spent most of June 10th and nearly all of June 11th sitting in a plane. I've already experienced some neat perks of travelling alone, namely, meeting new people! On the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi, I sat beside two men, one, a Kenyan businessman with children ranging in age from five to twenty-five years (whoa!); he helped me practice some Swahili and gave both myself and our other row-mate his business card if ever we're looking for a place to stay in Kisumu. The other was a college pastor from the South Eastern US who has two cute kids himself (family stories were swapped), and was on his way to Kitale with a couple other men to speak at a church planting conference. He saw my Bible which got conversation flowing, and the businessman from Kisumu attends an African Inland Church! Hey-o!

At the airport, once my visa and luggage were obtained, I found the person waiting outside the arrival area with my name on a sign. (Just like in the movies, and yes, it does feel cool.) There were several of us taking the van back to the guest house, and on the ride I chatted with a lovely young woman named Irene, who lives near the Ugandan border, as well as two men from Northern Ireland and California. 

So far, everyone I've spoken with about my going to Northern Kenya has said it's like a different world, hardly the same country. The man from California said whenever the North is talked about, it's in terms of famine, drought, and dry, desert-ness. He said it's as if it's been forgotten by the rest of the country, an orphan. The businessman from Kisumu told me that it is good that I am going, that there, they really need health education; he laughed as he suggested that perhaps I should be going for 10 months rather than 10 weeks. 

The trip could hardly have gone more smoothly, other than a burst bottle of hand sanitizer in my suitcase. Serves me right for wanting to be clean. But, it's lemony fresh so now everything smells fantastic. #silverlinings

Off to sleep for now! Lala salama to me :)

Surprise Surprise!

They tell you that cross-cultural volunteering requires flexibility, that Africa requires a high degree of laid-back-ness and willingness to work with changes, and frankly, I'm looking forward to how this will challenge and cause me to grow.

The first surprise and change of plan has recently come my way. In my first post, I told you I would be primarily teaching English at the Nomadic Girls' Primary School. However, I've recently been informed that health education is going to be my main focus, and that I will likely be teaching at all three schools in the village, including at a technical school made up mainly of older (16+) boys. Oi. I may also teach Christian religious education at one or more schools, as it seems this is part of the government curriculum. Although it's somewhat more out of my comfort zone to teach health education as opposed to English, I'm embracing the idea more and more, as it is another area of education that I'm passionate about. Especially in rural areas, education about HIV/AIDS, STIs, and even basic sanitation is often sorely lacking, and a little knowledge can go a long way. I've been told that there is a curriculum there in place for me to follow, but if any of you reading have experience teaching in this field, I would definitely appreciate advice.

The suggestion to teach PE, time permitting, has also been put forward. ... I kind of laughed at that idea, a lot. Umm, music workshops? Art class even, please? ... Let's just say that limb-eye coordination and ball sports aren't exactly my forte. I guess I could teach the students to stretch really well. Maybe hike or kayak. Except for the fact that it's flat, and a desert. Anyways, we'll see how that one goes ;)

Rakkoo, in the Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo language, of which the local language, Gabra, is a dialect, means "difficulty". This change-up is unlikely to prove my biggest difficulty (I mean really, I haven't even left the continent yet), and I know there will be other difficulties and challenges to surmount on the road ahead. But I've both found personally and also believe that where there is struggle, there is also potential for huge growth of character through deepening of reliance on God. It's good to be out of my comfort zone; that's where my strength ends, and His shines all the more brightly. His power is perfected in my weakness, so that when I venture to (or am thrust into!) areas in which I am weaker, it's there I find that I am strong in Him. {2 Corinthians 12:9-10} En fait, it's kind of exciting!

Funds = Raised!

I wanted to officially announce that all of the funds for this trip have been raised, thanks to the generosity of friends and family. A special note to my Rosemount family - your willingness and eagerness to give overwhelmed me. I feel incredibly thankful and blessed to belong to the RBC community.
Praise God for how He works, and thank you each for all of your support, not only financially, but also through words of encouragement, and commitment to prayer.

With love,

Christina