Last week we had a staff strategy meeting and family integration meeting, which was good to be involved in as I got to be a part of the planning for 2011 and see more the process of how the different projects run. We start and end each meeting with a prayer and a song which is nice - maybe something i should start doing in my work in the UK!
I went to Nairobi on Saturday evening where we stayed at the directors friends where we had wine and food round a fire in her garden.The journey there was quite stressful when we hit traffic and then impatient drivers cut us up and off the road on a made up diversion with 10 lanes!and I thought we might actually not make it out alive! Luckily we didn't and Eleanor's driving and calmness saved us. The roads are crazy here and every journey is more of an experience, i will not complain about London drivers again! On Sunday we visited Nairobi national park where we drove around in a jeep and saw lots of wildlife i.e zebras and giraffes it was a very beautiful park surrounded by Nairobi skyline and a relaxing day out.
I finally had my interview with the director where we discussed my role here and the projects I can get involved with. I will be starting up a reading club at the centre and also at a local school. I will also be leading life skills sessions, co-ordinating the holiday activities where we get 300 children attend! and I will be setting up school advocacy clubs/councils.
I met Jane - who is hte house mother, she cooks the meals for the boys and staff and does all the domestic work as well as some counselling. All the boys call her mother and she now calls me her daughter. She is very sweet and even got me bread as I hate the porridge the boys eat called 'Ugi' which to me tastes like drinking sick!
On Monday we got the first boys of the new intake, and on Tuesday and Wednesday more, so by Wed eve we had a full house of 23 boys. They are all lovely with their challenges but it was amazing to see the transformation from them turning up filthy to being washed and given clean clothes and a good meal. The first boys even commented how dirty the second lot that arrived were, which made me laugh as they had looked the same only the day before! Most of the boys speak very little - no English which is a challenge but I am managing to lead activities sometimes needed a staff member to translate. I am picking up some basic Swahili from them although some of them speak 'kakuhu' which is their tribal language.
Up until Friday we also had no electricity or water which was fun, although we have had some nice candle lit communal dinners. Its back on now and i really appreciate the basics in life!
This week I have been spending most of my nights at the centre and going to bed between 9-10 when the boys go to bed! It was nice to go out for dinner with the volunteers on Thursday and we watched a movie at their house last night. Tommorow I am going to 14falls which is a waterfall quite near to Thika so I am looking forward to that .
This week coming will be busy with the new timtable starting and some structure into the week. Some of the boys have also been running away due to drug craving so we hope they will be back and we can work with them.
Keep emailing me with your news,
Sarah xxx
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