The girls school....

This week we were at Embakasi Girls Secondary School. It was quite the teaching experience as there are 300 high school girls—57 of which were in our class! That’s a lot of enthusiasm in one room. Each day Nafula, Ng’ok and I were greeted by an unbelievable wall of sound as the girls screamed ‘HELLO!!!’, ‘How are you?’ ‘Welcome’ or just general yelling. Girls are so fun. At the beginning of each of our lessons we started in the field with a psyche game—chanting or clapping or singing to get the girls excited for our teaching. Usually we lead the psyche games at each of the schools, but these girls lead us in one: Balance the Ball. I definitely won’t do it justice if I try to explain it now so you’ll have to ask me in person.
The teaching went well this week as the girls seemed to absorb the information presented like a sponge (…original analogy I know). They asked tons of questions too….we couldn’t even get through all of the questions that they asked us both in class and afterwards. MANY were on relationships with boys! Haha. Things are the same wherever you are in the world.
Other than the girl’s school on the weekend we had our sports tournament this weekend. I think it was probably one of my favourite days in Kenya thus far. There were tons of kids..one little boy in particular (he was probably 3) keep coming up to me and saying: How are you?...the only English phrase I think he knows. There were 5 other Kenyan football teams that played in the tournament and they were amazing! Our QMO/ YESS team played them and they definitely beat us 6-0. Alas… there were a lot of people that came and received counseling and got tested for HIV. The best part was that a number of the students that I taught at the first school came to the tournament. In fact there is a picture of three of the guys. (Hope you like the picture: 3MB… was that the name of the group? I can’t remember….) Thanks for coming! You are great.

Just a note about something that I was thinking of today… Mercy (one of the YESS members) asked me in the mat (minibus) how I felt about being in Kenya. I realize that it seems very normal and I feel like I live here even though this is so far removed from Canadian life. I couldn’t even remember today what it was like to study in Kingston…. I was trying to picture myself at a desk studying, but I couldn’t (…probably for the best…oh exams.) Anyway, I keep comparing Kenya to Nicaragua, not because they are the same but because they are totally different countries from Canada. I feel more at home here than in Nicaragua. I think this is for a number of reasons: 1. I understand the language here, so I have a better understanding of what is going on around me, 2. I am a part of the daily routine of Kenyan life (i.e. I am in the same public school for the week so I get to see the daily routine of most people..especially as we are going to and fro) and 3. I am living with Kenyans and understand their lives. So I think for these reasons I have a better handle on Kenya and feel like I’ve been here for a long time.

Anyway, sorry that this is short, it’s late here and we’re getting up early to go on another safari outside of Nairobi. Should be fun! The pictures I included are more from Nairobi National. There’s a good one of a baboon baby, baboons on the path that we were walking on, Ned again and this waterbuffalo that I’m naming Patrick. There’s also a couple pictures from sports day (there are so many more that you’ll have to see when I get back).
Hope everything is well! Please know the privelge you have in Canada for free education and health care. It is a gift. Hi to the LITs!! Sorry that I missed you this weekend, I was thinking about you… can’t wait to see you all in June..I’m glad my stick represented though.