Out of Africa - To Build a School

View from the road

The school room and S making worksheets

Washing hands before lunch

Like I said our primary reason for the trip was to encourage and help with the school project J and S are setting up which you can read about in their words here.  Kenyan building standards are something else and, J's general vision being to redeem, we spent some while removing cement that the builders had kindly splattered over the window frames, in readiness for painting. We also installed electric lights in the school room and a gutter system with tank to store rainwater from the church roof for hand and dish washing. Previously all water had to be purchased and brought in. Now only drinking water will have to be purchased, at least until the tank runs dry which it quickly will in the dry seasons. Here in Ireland we take potable water on tap for granted but there in Africa very few would have this privilege.

Sister B collecting rain water

It rained heavily just after we erected the gutter but before we fed the outlet to the tank. Dinner lady Sister B filled up all the containers she could find with water from the spout and you can see her here braving the downpour. Such is the value of water.

Our gutter system and storage tank completed

Whilst working at the school we participated in the school food prepared faithfully every day by Sister B. A typical lunch is beans and rice and the children put away vast portions this being their main meal of the day. B somehow manages to add interest to the flavour by adding maybe onion or tomato. I couldn't manage all of the portion.

The beans come mixed with dirt and sticks so have to be sorted

Mid-morning every school day B dishes out her legendary "porridge" which I suppose is a mix of various grains. For some of the kids this will be the first meal of their day. It reminded me of my childhood attempts to make "tea" by mixing builder's sand and water and adding grated chalk as "milk". The texture was gritty, like sand, and the taste bland. I manfully finished my first day's mug-full but thereafter declined much to the amusement of Sister B. On the other hand R declared every meal he participated in during the trip as being wonderful and I applaud this sentiment. He is, after all, a growing lad.

Downing B's porridge

My portion

Asked what might be the next major need for church and school, I figured it would be better loo's. At present there is a corrugated iron "shed" with two cubicles, each with sort-of tiled floor with a hole in the middle discharging into a pit beneath. For men to urinate is one thing, but how the Kenyan women often with flowing dresses or robes manage I find hard to imagine. But they do, and succeed, for this arrangement is common. Of course the children also use these loo's and perhaps do not aim quite right.  Inside there is no electric light, no loo paper (you bring your own), no window, and lots of smell. I took pains to arrange my motions to avoid times at the school.

Nap time in the main church building

After lunch the children all take a nap, giving the teachers a break to prepare for the afternoon lessons. Seeing them all on their foam mattresses reminded me of Lewis's dufflepuds asleep.

Hand wash station with our newly installed tap

You'll see our new tap in the picture above. Outside taps like this have to be locked because of the high value of water, even that collected from a dusty roof! Note the swings J designed and erected in the background.

Out of Africa

View from my office

Our road

After being turned away by Dublin airport closing due to snow, we re-booked for two days later thinking all would be well.  It wasn't. After trying everything including prayer we ended up being taken on the back of our tractor to the N81 main road where we were met by an old friend who had agreed to drive us from there to the airport. A small miracle I can assure you. Even on the main roads the journey was not without challenge as some parts on the way to Naas had been cleared only to single vehicle width with drifts either side as high as the car. But we made it, and we figured that our trip to Kenya was providential given the opposition that had been thrown at us: the freak weather, difficulties re-booking through our booking agent, neighbours who told us it was impossible...

And now our two weeks is up and I'm back at home, "we" being myself and my companion R. The joy of walking out of Dublin Terminal 1 into cool fresh Irish air! Nearer home the road-side snow drifts have not yet fully melted and there is still snow on the mountains.

Data and time shortage prevented me posting whilst in Africa but I took loads of photos of which I will share a few publicly in due course.

Our entry into Kenya was at Nairobi airport. Would be visitors note: in addition to purchasing a single-entry eVisa for US$50 ahead of time, on arrival you need a ball-point pen to fill in a buff coloured form. No-one tells you this has to be done, but if you get to the immigration officer without it you are turned back and have to start over. And there are no spare pens to be had: if there had been they would have been stolen.  Armed with passport and both these we got in line again for immigration, then moved on to the baggage reclaim hall, and thence to customs. They had run out of customs declaration forms but this didn't seem to matter. But first do any currency exchange at the desk on the left before customs - it is run by a bank and is kosher. The customs official wanted to see inside our cases: we had various gifts for J&S and their school which the official wanted to tax at 50%. Argument ensued: he held his ground, but after making the point very clearly that we couldn't just bring in anything, he walked away with a smile on his face. That action I later confirmed means "I'm turning a blind eye so beat it". Beat it we gladly did. The next challenge was to find the correct domestic terminal (there seem to be several). Would be visitors note: don't try to figure this one out yourself, just ask a few people: most are very helpful. This way you might save yourself walking aimlessly. The second person we asked turned out to be a self-appointed porter who, I give him his due, did a good job with our heavy cases. I tipped him 200Ksh and he almost leapt for joy. J later suggested 50Ksh might have been more appropriate as 200Ksh is a typical day's wage. For the uninitiated 100Ksh is approximately 1$US, a bit less than 1 euro.

Hebron Community Church, Mudete

From Nairobi we flew into Kisumu (a cinch compared with Nairobi) where we were met by my son-in-law and his pastor who drove us to their homes near his church in Mudete Market. We were duly fed and watered by my daughter S and found our beds and slept off our long journey.

First impressions of East Kenya? Relief to have arrived at last in one piece and with all our bags. Chaotic and exceedingly bumpy driving conditions. Warmth of welcome by all we met. Green vegetation (I had expected everything scorched, but it is the wet season).

The reason for our trip? To visit, encourage and help J and S in their efforts to establish a pre-school and possibly primary school attached to a church in Mudete and to get a flavour of Kenyan life so as to better appreciate and pray for what they are doing now we are back home.

The rest of the story I will spin out in subsequent posts. Because if I wrote everything in one post you'd have given up reading long ago and then my efforts would be wasted as so well expressed by Dilbert.