Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Just a brief overview of the first leg of my trip..
My journey began with a long trip Manchester to London and London to Nairobi.
Here I was picked up and stayed the night in a hotel; I must say, very lonely for my first night away!! The next morning I had an 8 hour bus ride, half an hour on a 'matatu' (a crazy african taxi where its a competitionto squish as many people in as possible!) and then a 20 minute walk and FINALLY I arrived!!
I had about 5 weeks at the orphanage and it did take some getting used to-as everyone just kept speaking Swahili and I was left like 'Hmm..I wonder what they're talking about..' But I soon settled into a routine and to be honest the kids were simply AMAZING!
Below is an example of a typical day (after 'Africa time' settled in)-
5.30am - Wake up and get ready
6.15am - Help the 'babies' (age range 2-4ish years) get ready for school
6.45-9am - Help at the orphanage, this involved washing dishes/clothes and mopping and sweeping (but certainly not in the way you know it!)
Between 9 and 4 I would have lessons to teach at the school, these would vary each day but usually involved several PE, creative, reading and sometimes english lessons. At lunch I would either eat at the house or with the teachers in their little mud hut staff room!
4pm - Wash the 'babies' and then help with more clothes washing or food prep
6.30pm - Help serve food and eat with the children
7.30-8.30pm - Teach english at the orphanage
9pm - Bedtime!
Phew! What a long day!
It was definitely a different and amazing experience with practically no electricity, no running water (must be collected from the well every day, and this meant 'sponge bath' showers and long drop toilets).
But I loved every minute of it! There were about 24 children at the orphanage and 187 at the school. And every single child was such a blessing.
I can't sing their praise enough; they all sang me a song on arrival and departure and I actually couldn't stop cryng as I din't want to leave them!
But I bascially had an amazing time and wish I oculd write a BOOK about these kids... Maybe next time..
- comments
Glen Casey, at the age of eighteen, you have already done more for your fellow man than most of us manage in a lifetime, despite our best intentions! Take care of yourself, the world needs more people like you!