So I'm feeling like I'm finally settling in here. The girls have warmed up to me - they are painfully shy! That is, when they aren't singing or dancing! There are a few experiences I've had over the past few days that I wanted to share:
WISH Class: So WISH stands for Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope. The class is lead by Jenni, and she asked that I share a little bit about myself and the struggles I have faced in my life. She also had two other volunteers and the female teachers share their stories. The girls were so accepting, they really are so wonderful!
Physics: So I sat in on the girls physics class this week, and it was very different from any classes I've taken in the US! These girls are FIRED UP about learning. No matter the question, every hand is raised. They snap their fingers and say "TEACHER, TEACHER" to get called on. And they know all the answers! These girls spend ALL of their time studying. They are in class from 8 am to 3:30 pm, and then they have free time (which they use to study). They have dinner and then two hours of study hall. I helped lead a study hall session last night because they were preparing for their Physics final this morning. They are amazing to watch. It made me realize how much I have taken my education for granted. These girls work so hard, they know they have been given the chance of a life time.
MS Dorms: I spent most of yesterday morning helping to prepare for the arrival of 18 Danish students. They are coming to volunteer all around East Africa, but they use Daraja as their base. I ended up making 18 beds, along with a man named James. He told me about his life here, he is Masi. He explained that he is 40 years old, has two wives and eight children. The Masi are polygamists, so this is typical. He explained that his first wife was picked by his parents, and the second was his choice. His oldest son is 21 and his youngest is 1. Can you imagine!
Street Boys: The hardest thing for me so far has been seeing the "street boys" in Nanyuki. They are YOUNG and homeless, and they beg for money. The worst part is that because they are embarrassed to beg, most of them huff glue to get high. We saw a boy, Benjamin, who was ten years old and obviously high. He wanted 20 shillings to watch our car while we shopped. It was heart breaking, mostly because I knew there was nothing that could change his situation. Even the homeless in the US have resources, shelters and programs set up by the government to help them. Here there is nothing.
On a lighter note, "Mad Cow" aka Karen (named after my fabulous Aunt Karen), ate Jenny's shirt off the clothes line yesterday! It was hysterical! I have been helping out in the kitchen, mostly chopping vegetables. I warned the girls that even though it might look bad - it still tastes good!
Tomorrow some of us are headed to Mt Kenya to go horse back riding! YEAH! They take you around the base and you can see lots of wild life up close. We are gonna eat lunch at some fish place, so we will see how that goes!
Love and miss you all!
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