At the Jubilee project we spent the day painting the old long drop toilet block - which was a fragrant experience. We managed to lock a little girl in the toilet such was the enthusiasm of the door painting luckily Susan was on hand to rescue a very bewildered child. As a consequence at least two children decided to us the playground as an alternative toilet for fear of being locked in by us.
Susan - the project co-ordinator
The Jubilee children teaching each other
Our teaching assistants led some mathematics in the top class and were inundated with marking once the exercise was done.
Having sat through a second lunch experience where a hundred students are fed with 40 bowls in three sittings we made a group decision to head to the supermarket and to purchase 50 new bowls and cups at
20 KSH each (16p per bowl / cup). It is shocking that at such a small cost they are unable to afford such basic things. Many of the students are still surprised that the children still eat with their fingers no matter how hot the food.
Plaiting Eleanor's hair (they are fascinated with our hair)
From talking to the Project Leader we have heard some heart breaking stories, Susan has taken in 3 brothers whose mother is a street worker (prostitute), she arrived today and was clearly intoxicated but happy to see us all. Every day there is a little girl who watches the other children playing through the gaps in the fence, Susan is trying to enrol her but is unable to contact the mother as she leaves at 4am in the morning but doesn't return until the evening. All of this time her daughter is alone walking the streets.
Sophie and Joe painting the toilet block
Luchema Children's Home
Today was a good day at the Luchema Children's home in the classrooms. After a challenging first day we were more confident in our environment and what we were doing. We also came prepared with spare exercise books, pens and pencils as yesterday there were children sat there unable to complete written work due to having no pencil.
Today was a good day at the Luchema Children's home in the classrooms. After a challenging first day we were more confident in our environment and what we were doing. We also came prepared with spare exercise books, pens and pencils as yesterday there were children sat there unable to complete written work due to having no pencil.
Alex and Tom teaching the pre-unit class
Today Alex and Tom taught the pre-unit class some maths. Classes 5, 6, 7 and 8 worked on Maths doing simplified ratios with
Abbie and Alice. Class one learnt shapes and colours with Lauren and Poppy
before going out onto the field for PE. Today all of the classes have done
Swahili lessons and the Luchema students and their teachers have taught us. Progress is
slow but Kuku means chicken.
Our building team have had a day of frustrations linked to "Kenyan
time". The morning was spent waiting for poles for the fence we are
building, and once the ground was cleared and the holes for the poles were dug
there was little to do but wait. Whilst clearing the ground they did find a
chameleon laying in the grass to everyone's surprise given the screams that were heard.
The chameleon
Lumumba went to collect the poles at 9am leaving us on charge of the school and finally returned at 1.00pm with the poles and slats (tree off cuts) on the back of a hand pulled cart. The timber yard is a long way away, and one of the problems currently is that the children's home is not secure enough to leave any building materials on site overnight so materials are ordered on a daily basis. The team are now hard at work again continuing to build the fence.
The Kitchen - cooking over and open fire
Lunch today for the children was ugali which looks like thick mash
potato and is made with rice flour and water. Lunch today was late as the fire
was not hot enough to cook the food. All of the food is cooked over an open wood fire.
Cooks for today - Liam and Chloe, hard at work
Liam hiding from the fire smoke
On our trip to the supermarket yesterday we bought the children's home
an additional 20 bowls so the children's wait for food was not as long.
Progress on the fence so far
With lunch being late we had a really good sing song with all of the
children and raised the roof. It was good fun teaching them some of our songs
and learning some of theirs.
Tuonane kesho (see you tomorrow)
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