Today was one of the best I have spent in Kenya. I am not completely sure why but I am anxious to share the day with you. I took an early motorbike and three matatus to Karen (Nairobi) to meet Lloydie Zaiser, the Director for the KEST Program http://www.k-e-s-t.com in the states, providing Educational Service Trips to Kenya.
Lloydie and Friends
She is American and agreed to come to Athi River and visit our school and programs while she was here in Kenya. I am speaking to a group of 26 graduate students she is organizing from DePaul University visiting Kenya this coming week. I’ll share with them my journey and we will have a panel of Kenyans: Ben (Turkana), Fred (Maasai), Mwololo (Kamba) to speak and answer the questions the students might have. So . . .back to the visit. Lloydie hired a taxi for the morning and we headed for the school from Karen. The students in our ECDE Center were so excited to see another white person, especially one with so much energy and warmth. Lloydie sang with them, danced and handed out the awards we had for students as well as handed out some candy and cookies. Today we also had bread to go with the porridge.
Porridge and Bread
It was the close of our first year and a special day. We then toured the manyatta and met the mothers and babies sitting on the ground doing beadwork. When we walked back to the preschool, the students were all putting on their new uniforms purchased for next year! I was so happy to see them and their smiling faces. New clothes!!! The Florence Kentucky Rotary and those who took part in their raffle sponsored these uniforms. (Thanks again!) We took pictures and sang some more before heading to St. Timothy’s School in the nearby slum. We met the head of the school and again, the children were crazy seeing another white person. We said goodbye to Lloydie but I’ll see her on Thanksgiving and I know she will be back often to the Masai in Athi River.
New Uniforms for 64 Preschoolers!
A Thanksgiving dinner was organized for the Americans connected with Nyumbani Children’s Home and I am invited to attend. We will dine in a fine restaurant in Karen run by a British couple and eat turkey! Nyumbani has allowed me to spend Thursday night at the Children’s Home. If not for their invitation I couldn’t come to dinner, not wanting to travel home at night.
So enjoy the few pictures and know that I am smiling, happy and proud of what we have accomplished in such a short time. It is a time for me to give thanks for SO MUCH.
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