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Suzannah's Kenyan Expedition!
Well, just completed my first week of the project placement and we're all absolutely cream crackered! I am working with two projects, the first is 'Noble Homes for the Destitute' and the seocnd is Alango primary school. Noble (thats what we call it) provides home based care for the elderly as well as care for orphans and etra tuition. We will be focusing of the extra tuition for the orphans although we have also helped with some of the care for the eldery this week. There is only one elderly home in Kenya which is in Nairobi, yet there are so many widows who's families have been wiped out because of HIV/AIDS. Yesterday we visted 3 ladies who are all over ther ages of 80 and who live on the thier own in tiny, dusty mud huts with nothing but the odd neighbour popping over to talk to. In fact, in one case the villagers isolted a lady because she was a drain on resources and was not 'their' problem, people stole her rain water she collected and her furniture. It just shows how desperate people are here, people will do anything.
We ahevnt done anything with the orphans this week beacue most of them hav had exams this week, but the programme will be starting up next week. With the class sizes over a hundred in some cases at the local primary school (wher im working) its easy for some children to be overlooked as the teachers simply dont have enough time to give any attention. Thus some children can reach the ages 10 or 11 and still not read, they just manage to copy others answers in the exams to get by. I helped invigulate one exma this week which was on 'Social STudies' and the teahcer had read out the quiteions because they could read them... they also didnt seam to know the meaning of exam conditions as the level of noise gab\ve me a head ache.
The problem of discipline is a big one here.... corpral punishment was amde illegal over 2 years ago yet it is still wide spread. I imagined that it was reserved for the headmaster to do in extreme cases...but the teachers (male or female) walk around with cans and freely cnae anyone who misbehaves. it is really shocking, but theres not much i can do othere than lead by example by using other mehtods.
On a more positive note, the children are loevley, despite liveing in poverty and ofetn having no shoes. We play with them a break time and sing songs etc althoug i think they are les impressed by 'old mac donaald had a farm' compared to their fabulous gospel traditional songs! The only problem is that they al want our attention, so if you talk to one girl you are son croweded by over 100!! Hopefully the novelty of the 'Muzungu' presence will wear off soon!
We went o a fabulous resturant last night called the 'Green Garden...it was out side under cover with palm trees and wicker chair and wonerful food! I was so glad to have a break from african food...it can be so bland and monotonous! It was also loevly to see the girls who are staying at the orphange hoem aout an hour away... had a really nive brithday from the group which was a bracekt made from cow bones! unusual but gorgeous!
Today we are off to Hipo point which is just a mile outside Kisumu on the Lake...hoefully we will see the Hippos! woo! Weare also frantically trying to plan our weekends beacuse time is runnign out! We really want to go to the Massia Mara, Lake Nakuru to see the Flamingos and The Rainforrest which is only an hour from Kisumu and by far the cheapest....we shall see!!
Hope all is well..will update next weekend... love Suz x
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