Going gray

everyone!

I am really sorry it has taken me so long to write this, and I want to especially apologise to Grandma and Grandpa who have just reminded me I have not written since March… all I can say is I have been very busy as you are about to find out!

I wrote last time about how I was busy planning and preparing as a co-ordinator for April holiday club, this has just finished and was really successful. The holiday club was held at a local primary school, which is just outside of Kinundutu Slum. The holiday club is a preventative project to provide the children who mainly come from the slum area with fun and informally educative activities to keep them occupied during the school break and in turn off the streets. Coordinating the programme involved me recruiting local volunteers, planning the timetable of classes and activities, I created staff information packs and resource packs, held staff meetings and supported the day to day running of the club. We had over 450 children attend the club, and they were split into 7 classes according to age, they got a free meal everyday. An example of the activities we provided were… life skills sessions, painting, puppet making, singing and dancing, parachute games, team games, football, first aid, and practical science. We themed each week and recognised staff and children for their good work. At the end of each week I ran a club wide competition where all the classes competed in the same activities to win a prize. On the first week we had a talent show, where each class spent the day preparing their performance, making costumes and posters. It was great fun and the children loved watching each other and performing. There were many talented dancers!  It was extremely rewarding to coordinate a programme that helped so many children and gave them new experiences, whilst knowing how many we were potentially preventing from turning to the streets. I really enjoyed the experience, and although it was no Camp America or EDRS Kaytana I defiantly brought some of my ideas, games and activities from them!

Coordinating the Holiday Club has meant I have worked away from the centre for the last month. It was good to break away, and nice to be involved in something different although tiring with still going back to the centre in the evenings and wanting to spend time with the ICC children as I hadn’t seen them all day.  I am just getting back into my old routine of teaching certain classes, going on outreach and the reading project at the local school. I received a donation for two desks (thanks to the Cambell-Stanway family), which were made very quickly and are now being enjoyed by the youngest class in the school.

The boys at the centre are all doing well, they seem to be fairly settled although they defiantly have their good and bad days! They are now in the process of being taken on home visits with the social workers, and have started individual counseling sessions in addition to their group counseling. They have formed with one of the workers a scout group and are extremely enthusiastic about scouting. Scouting defiantly teaches them good morals and discipline and I can see the benefit of their involvement in their rehabilitation. I am supporting the worker to get support and funding for the group so they can get uniforms and go on camping trips. There is a camp coming up at the end of this month and we have managed to get the camp fee wavered. We just need to raise money to buy the food for the weekend and then hopefully I will be able to take them camping. Like with the desks if anyone can donate any money for this trip, you will see directly where your money goes and how it is benefiting the children. I estimate we need around 4,000ksl to feed them for the weekend, which is only 40pounds. So just 5pounds from people will go a long way! 

Now some extra curricular activities…

I went to visit Kibera Slum in Nairobi a few weeks back. This is the largest slum in Kenya and I had a friend working for a charity within the slum that I wanted to visit. I really don’t think I can put into words what I saw, but it was a huge eye opener and something I think everyone needs to see. I recommend if you can get a copy reading the book ‘It happened on the way to war’ by Rye Barcott. He worked in Kibera and set up Carlonia for Kibera the charity I went to visit and puts into words what I cant.

During holiday club, I took another trip to Nairobi to extend my visa. I am now stamped and officially allowed to stay in Kenya for another 3 months. I only have just over 2 months left now, and although have not confirmed my return flight it will probably be on the 15^th July.

It was Emma one of the volunteers birthday so we took a trip to Naivasha, this is just a really nice place to visit not too far from Thika, where we relaxed all weekend on there big cushions, ate good food and enjoyed the beauty and the lake.

Over Easter weekend we went to Sagana, again not so far from Thika to stay for one night. This was a good trip as we went with some of the Kenyan staff and their families and enjoyed hanging out with them outside of work.

Adelaide the volunteer who I went to Zanzibar with sadly left us a couple of weeks ago, she had been volunteering for 9 months. I was sad to see her go as we had had a lot of fun together, but I will hopefully go and visit her in the US at some point. There are now only 3 volunteers at the moment but hopefully more will come out before I leave.

My biggest adventure would have to have been last weekend when I went on Safari. I have visited a couple of game parks for just the day since I have been here but this was a proper safari for 3 days! I went to Tsavo West, which is famous for its scenery and wow I can see why. It was like being in Jurassic park, and defiantly one of the most natural and beautiful places I have ever been. Due to the incredible scenery and thick bush it was harder to sport animals, but we managed to see most of the big 5 and with the other parks I have previously visited I have now seen them all. My highlights would have to be 1) The incredible accommodation – due to it being low season we were upgraded from what was going to be a tented camp to these beautiful rooms overlooking the park. 2) Seeing a leopard – its rare! 3) The Elephants and Buffalo that came to bath at the watering hole by our room.

Returning to my room at the centre after the Safari I was greeted by the biggest, hairiest spider I have ever seen! It looked like a tarantula! I slowly back out of my room and called Edward (my hero the rat killer!). I said to him ‘don’t laugh if its fake’ as I suddenly thought what if someone was playing a practical joke, ‘but there is a huge spider in my room’. He came out 2 mins later with a butchered spider, and confirmed it was infact extremely poisoness and if it had bitten me I would have been paralysed if I wasn’t treated in time! SCARY! I don’t know how I did and how I still am sleeping at night, but I defiantly check my sheets before I do now! 

Also I would like to report that on the 13^th of April 2011, one of the boys said ‘Sarah you are old’ I asked him…why!? And then he plucked a grey hair form my head! So at the age of 25 I am turning grey. As funny as the situation was, I am quite upset really and am hoping it is a one off due to sun exposure or stress!

That’s all from me! Please keep in touch and know I’m thinking of you all. See you all in 2 months. J

Love Sarah x