Day 3 - the best things in life are free

After a long and peaceful (for most of us) nights sleep we were all much more awake than during yesterday’s day of travelling. We started the day off bright and early after the first nights shut eye at the Kivi Resort. We got told yesterday just after we arrived that the Kenyan’s are very, very lapse and relaxed with time keeping which came to fruition this morning with breakfast. After being told breakfast was at eight, forty five minutes later toast, doughnuts and ham toasties were eventually with us (we could have had longer in bed :-((!

We then ventured on the mini bus to visit the two school projects we would be working with for the next two weeks. However this bus is very different to the school buses many of us are accustomed to back home as you do feel every single bump, hump, and jump in the road, within the tight confines of the leg and head room restricted vehicle.  Our journey took us through the slum areas of Nakuru, called Rhonda and we saw some humbling sights.  Children as young as 2 playing unsupervised by the roadside amongst the animals and rubbish.  'Homes' made of cardboard and other peoples rubbish.  All we could hear as we made our journey from the smiling children was "Mzungu, how are you?", all the children smiled and waved at us Mzungu (meaning white person) as we travelled along the potholed dirt roads.  One of the the things we have taken away from that day is that the best things in life are free i.e. attention and love.

The children had come in specially to the schools to meet us as they don't normally attend on the weekend.

 

The children and the project leader at the Luchema project 

Around 10am we arrived at the first school called Luchema (which means love).  After a brief tour of the school we were superbly entertained by the school children who performed a variety of poems and songs.  These were followed by a number of dances of which Alex spontaneously joined in with before the whole of the trip party danced and jived with the school children.  The children were so loving and one of our roles is to show them attention and love which many  of them don't get at home.

 

 

The pre-school class singing "Twinkle, twinkle little star" for us

  

 

 Alex dancing with the children at the Luchema Project

 

 

Alex with one of the class teachers children

We then travelled to the second project called the Jubilee School, a real bubble of energy, you could hear the children shouting and cheering as they hear our buses come down the dirt road - what a welcome it was. All the children were over the moon to see us and didn’t want us to leave. We played football with them, played on the swings and helped them to negotiate the obstacle course, culminating in a group photo. All before departing back to Kivu for a lunch scheduled on Kenyan time. Now I hope you are beginning to realise Kenyan time is a little different to English time - if lunch is at 1pm don't expect it before 1.30 and possibly even later.  We are considering suggesting to Mr Cooper that Lutterworth College should run on Kenyan time.

 

The children at the Jubilee project on their playground made by previous volunteer groups

 

 

 

Our group with the children and staff at the Jubilee project

After lunch we went to visit the Menengai Crater above Nakuru at 2,278m.  The crater is a shield volcano with one of the biggest top (hole) in the world.  The crater was enormous and carried on for as far as the eye could see. We got to do a little shopping for souvenirs and to take in the views.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Menengai Crater (view from the edge)

Sign post of the distances to places at the top of the Menengai Crater

 

Team Lutterworth with the Menegai Crater in the background

The alternative day 2!!

After a rough night, whilst the rest of us visited the projects and the Menegai Crater, Miss Sibley checked out the local hospital facilities – The Evans Sunrise Medical Centre in Nakuru.  Nothing like an upset stomach to leave you incapacitated and not as a result of being in Kenya.  All fine now and we rate the medical facilities to quote Miss Sibley “better than the NHS” although we are hoping not to have to pay them a visit again.

 

Miss Sibley on her return from Evans Sunrise Medical Centre complete with antibiotics