After a quick meeting with the program coordinator I was told that I was going to be teaching for the next week and a half at Kanjeru School about a 30 minute walk away. After making the trek I was escorted into the Head Teachers Office for a meeting. While I tried to explain what my expertise is he only concluded that I was a physical education teacher and must go teach the children sports. I finally flat out said while I can teach sports I can also teach english, Science, and Math with comfort.
The school... the school is a cement complex surrounded by a massive dirt courtyard. In the classroom are small desks with little lighting, a chalk board and little else. The students all have a uniform with girls wearing skirts and shirt with a sweater and boys wearing shorts, shirt and a sweater. Many of their clothes are so ripped and torn that they barely cover their bodies and most with either no shoes or shoes that clearly do not fit them properly.
Few of the students have ever seen a white person in real life so they surround me at all times and want to touch my hair and skin. It is shockingly awkward and often genuinly uncomfortable to have so many people around you at once all literally grabbing at you and yanking on your hair.
I walked into Standard 8 (our grade 8) and after about 100 questions got the 50 something students to be quite and listen. After an hour and half lesson about why sports are good for the physical and mental. Then I explained some futbol (soccer) strategy and the rules of baseball.
Following the hour and a half class all the children go play for 30 to 40 minutes. I ran out and played futbol. I couldn't be shown up so I played goalie and made a diving awesome save until my arm met the post and i bruised and scraped my shoulder pretty badly. Following the recess I went abck into the same class and taught english. The lesson of the day was on using descriptive adjectives for a fire.
Following this class we were fed a lunch of ugali, eggs and tomatos, and greens. Ugali is corn or flour mixed with water which creates this very thick incredibly bland chunk of food you eat with your hands. It sits in your stomach for days following... I swear. The following day the school was having a parents day in which they were going to be making food for all the guests so I walked with one of the teachers through the farms surrounding the school to get some greens for the following day. It was incredibly beautiful and I got to see a few homes in the farm land which consist of four metal tin sides attached to each other with maybe a tv and 2 couches inside.
We wrapped the presents for the top 3 students in each class which consisted of a very small notebook and pencil for the top student, notebook for the 2nd best and just a pencil for the 3rd best. After we headed home and I relaxed and spent some time with the other volunteers. Solid night involving some wine with two scottish girls and a canadian...
Again it is so hard to describe it here. In summary the school is basically made of cement and there are so many children stuffed into a classroom and clearly not enough staff to properly teach or educate the children, as they themselves admit. I don't want to put my emotional response on the situation because again it is so unlike anything I have ever experienced it would be impossible to explain or establish an opinion not to mention inappropriate. So I will just say that I found myself lying in bed and trying to process the sights of the day.
I walked into Standard 8 (our grade 8) and after about 100 questions got the 50 something students to be quite and listen. After an hour and half lesson about why sports are good for the physical and mental. Then I explained some futbol (soccer) strategy and the rules of baseball.
Following the hour and a half class all the children go play for 30 to 40 minutes. I ran out and played futbol. I couldn't be shown up so I played goalie and made a diving awesome save until my arm met the post and i bruised and scraped my shoulder pretty badly. Following the recess I went abck into the same class and taught english. The lesson of the day was on using descriptive adjectives for a fire.
Following this class we were fed a lunch of ugali, eggs and tomatos, and greens. Ugali is corn or flour mixed with water which creates this very thick incredibly bland chunk of food you eat with your hands. It sits in your stomach for days following... I swear. The following day the school was having a parents day in which they were going to be making food for all the guests so I walked with one of the teachers through the farms surrounding the school to get some greens for the following day. It was incredibly beautiful and I got to see a few homes in the farm land which consist of four metal tin sides attached to each other with maybe a tv and 2 couches inside.
We wrapped the presents for the top 3 students in each class which consisted of a very small notebook and pencil for the top student, notebook for the 2nd best and just a pencil for the 3rd best. After we headed home and I relaxed and spent some time with the other volunteers. Solid night involving some wine with two scottish girls and a canadian...
Again it is so hard to describe it here. In summary the school is basically made of cement and there are so many children stuffed into a classroom and clearly not enough staff to properly teach or educate the children, as they themselves admit. I don't want to put my emotional response on the situation because again it is so unlike anything I have ever experienced it would be impossible to explain or establish an opinion not to mention inappropriate. So I will just say that I found myself lying in bed and trying to process the sights of the day.
When Katie played goalie at the Kenyan school, visions of Billy madison playing dodgeball with the other students came to mind. Was this what it was like kate?;) Sounds like you are having a fantastic trip. Can't wait to hear more. -Josh
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