Aman is home – and away! August 7, 2006
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Just to let you all know that Aman came safely back to the UK, and had a couple of days to prepare before heading off to Romania for “Youth for Positive Change“
More pictures, and some more of Aman’s reflections appear below – and some of her older posts now have pictures too: scroll down to see! Thanks for all your support …
Interviewing Emuhaya group members August 6, 2006
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Everyone was really, really, really welcoming. We would travel maybe an hour and a half to reach someone’s house – and because we needed to visit several people each day I would often end up with only 20 minutes proper interview time with someone. But they told their stories with such dignity and hope – it was really inspirational.
One particular blind guy, Okwaro, is my hero – maybe because he spoke English, so we didn’t have the usual struggle with translation. He spoke about how hard his life was, but with a really positive attitude – he so obviously enjoyed just being alive.
Memorable moments August 5, 2006
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Near one person’s house in the Luanda district , there was an underground stream which was the main water supply for the whole village. They had to go down into a cave to get at it. I helped out – or tried to. Everybody laughed a lot.
To get to one lady’s house, we had to climb a really big hill – me and two disabled people from the Emuhaya group committee. It was steep, and very rocky – it was hard for me to get up there, and a lot harder for Naomy and Kwasa-Kwasa. It was pretty moving just watching them do that kind of thing, just so that disabled people’s voices could be heard.
Fun with Food August 5, 2006
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Paolo kindly offering me a freshly-killed chicken.
No!!!!!! Get it away from me, Paolo!!!!!!!!
Lake Nakuru August 5, 2006
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The animals were cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very quick sum up!! July 22, 2006
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I have been neglecting this blog a little bit, but it really does take ages to type everything up…and while in a foreign country as beautiful as this one….I figured that spending too many hours blogging is a waste of time!! I shall blog when I get home…this is my promise to you all!!
For now though, I’ll give a quick sum up of everything I’ve been up to:
School
School has been truly awesome!!! I’m teaching drama, art and PE and loving every second of it!! The students especially enjoy these lessons because they provide a welcome break from all the heavy going classes. There really isn’t much of a focus on creativity in Kenya, not because the teachers don’t encourage it … more because it seems they don’t know how to run enjoyable and worthwhile lessons. The feeling that you get through knowing that your kids enjoyed your lessons and took something valuable away from your presence is unexplainable!! It’s amazing!!
This has probably been the best and most worthwhile part of my trip! Being able to manage classes which have around 60 kids is a massive achievement too … and I have 90 kids for Drama!! So as you can imagine, it’s a lot of hard work, well worth it though!!
Emuhaya
I’ve gone into the homes of many disabled people and seen how they live. I can tell you, it’s not a pretty picture, they all live in completely poverty. Many have lots of children and have no idea when they’ll be able to feed them their next good meal. The houses are generally made of mud … their roofs either thatched, or sheets of steel (I think) placed on top. It’s just something else.
I’ve met some amazing people through my visitations … I’ve never really been one to look up to people or hold them as idols, but some of the people I’ve met on this trip are truly my heroes! I can’t believe that I live in a world with such amazing people, such strength of spirit and ability! They have nothing, yet they’re so giving and always smiling …
Lake Nakuru National Park
I went there last weekend. The national park was beautiful … and I saw a pretty good range of animals: Impalas, white rhino, lots of different kids of monkeys, giraffes, zebras, warthog (PUMBA!!), water buffalos, ostrich, storks, (LOTS OF) flamingos … and maybe some more I can’t remember?? We toured the park in a safari car, were with some quite unfriendly tourists – ah well! 
I was feeling a little ill through the morning too…but I still really enjoyed myself!!
Crater:
There’s a really amazingly beautiful crater in Nakuru, its like … the top of a dormant volcano … the sight is seriously mindblowing!! It was absolutely so vast and just … argh!! The tourist car that took us there had two other english people in it, we got on really well … and I enjoyed myself mucho! At this point, I did really miss having someone to share the whole experience with from home. I’m not used to ALWAYS being around people and having no chance really to even go for a walk and clear my head: It gets really hard at times, and harder as time has gone on, especially since I’m not used to living like that! But, it’s okay! What can I really do?? I’m enjoying myself nonetheless – having the time of my life, and taking it in my stride! 
School!!!!!!! July 11, 2006
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Today was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where to start????? Ah man, seriously, it was so good I woke up in the morning, got ready and sorted out all the stuff I was going to take to school with me. ALLLLLLLLL the stuff that Heather had given me to take from England, the art materials that I’d bought and lots and lots of balls – I needed Rebecca’s help to carry it all there. Once I’d gotten there, the deputy send a crowd of kids running to grab the stuff from us so we weren’t struggling to carry it all to his office. Once the hype had calmed outside, a handful of kids were chosen to receive the materials formally, they were arranged by the teachers so that the pictures that I took turned out pretty well! :p Once that little ceremony was over, it was time for me to teach my first class.
PE!
The group of 3rd years that I was teaching varied in age from 11-16. The greater population of the class was aged 11-13. When I’d visited the class yesterday, lots were away and it loooked manageable. But now…there were 60+ students present!
I had to quickly adapt my lesson plan in my head, and I was worried about co-ordinating sooo many excited children, especially since I was teaching PE. I didn’t have much time to worry myself with these thoughts though, their lesson time was fast running out and they were eager to get started. We had a few communication problems to start with, but once I started annunciating, they got what I was saying. Those that didn’t had trusty translators on side to help them out.
Well, I started with a warm up – made them all run around the field…get those hearts pumping!!! After the run, some of them were REALLY out of breath, and others were coughing, I realised I had to take it easy from now on. I later learned that their normal PE lessons weren’t really co-ordinated much … and due to lack of equipment and expertise, the classes were often spent inside with the teachers teaching as much theory as they could manage.
So, I got them all to gather round, and taught them how to pass the ball in netball, the famous chest-pass, and then the long pass. Bounce passes were impossible to do because we were playing on uneven grass. I split them all into groups to practice the passes, they were having a whale of a time! Initially they wern’t really passing using the passes I’d just taught at all, but once I went round to each group individually, they eventually got the hang of it and were all doing pretty well.
Once i’d gone into the staffroom (yeah man, i had proper teacher status at this school) the teacher of the class i was teaching sports to (Moses) told me that i’d gone 35 minutes over my lesson, oops! He said he didn’t want to stop me because everyone looked like they were having so much fun…i thought that was amazing!!
As I went round, I taught quite a few of them how to catch properly too, the smiles on their faces once they’d mastered it were immense! Once I thought they’d had enough practice, I split them into teams again and got them to play some games. Since we didn’t have nets, I had to improvise by choosing a goalie to stand at either end, and if the team can get the ball to their goalie, they score a point. I was a little in two minds about how much the kids actually enjoyed the lesson – but the countless thankyou’s afterwards reassured me that I must have done something right.
While i was waiting out breaktime, i had the ‘social studies’ (humanities) teacher at the school asking me if I was any good at geography. It turned out that he needed help with some work – but i told him that I hadn’t studied the subject properly for many years and my knowledge was limited. I did help him on a bit of mapwork though – thanks, D of E Award! … The work I did in Mr Elis’s class with year 7 on settlements and mapwork also helped, so I left the classroom feeling mucho smart once break was over
Art!
I was completely in two minds about taking this lesson, purely because I’ve no expertise in the field, especially with landscapes, but i tried my best to construct an exciting lesson plan.
Run out of time again, 
Writing these blogs in small 20 minute slots is starting to get really annoying….it’s really hard to find big blocks of time to write something solid!! Promise to update you all again soon though!
School! July 10, 2006
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Woke up nice and early to get ready for school (thought I’d never say that again, ). But yeah, school, I was going today to meet all my classes and get a proper feel for the place. Rebecca escorted me there at about 8ish (I was ready for that time, are you guys impressed??) and I was met by a teacher and taken to the headmaster’s office. He was a little scary, so far I’d only spoken to the deputy, and was assigned to him. After being in a room with him for longer than 10 mins, I was dying to get out. I can’t explain why he was scary, he just was.
Anyway, so at 8:30, the pupils were ready for their daily assembly. They were all neatly standing around a reasonably big vegetable plantation (which I later learned were grown by the school as a way to raise their income to be able to afford more resources). I was introduced in Kswahili so that even the younger children would know who I am. Having around 450 kids staring at you while being talked about in another language can be quite unnerving. But it wasn’t too bad, and their stony faces soon turned to smiles when I pulled faces at them while the teachers wern’t watching. After assembly, I was told the classes that I was to teach.
- Class 3 – P.E
- Class 7 – Art
- Class 7+8 – Drama
It didn’t work out fully the way I’d planned. I was hoping for older kids for P.E, and younger ones for Art … purely because with PE I knew what I was doing, whereas with art, I haven’t even been taught the subject for 5 years – argh! So I was quite nervous about that. It was okay though, because hey, nothing wrong with giving it a shot!!
After this, I was taken around to every class and introduced. By around the 5th class, my jaws were aching from smiling so much! I was doing my best to look as friendly as possible in an attempt to make them warm to me and feel comfortable in my presence. I then had a chance to talk to my specific classes individually. They told me their names and ages, none of which I remembered, but its all good!
The class system is really different to England, if you don’t pass, you stay in the same year. So I was teaching classes where the youngest student was 12, and the oldest 16. I soon found that in class 8 – there were kids who were my age too, 18! It was a weird thought. After asking the students what they wanted to learn….I found that I was going to teach:
- Netball to my PE class
- Landscapes to my Art class
- Cover the issue of HIV/AIDS with my drama class.
This gave me lots to think about, and three lesson plans to construct in time for tomorrow.
The race was on ! After my last introduction – to the teachers – I ran home to grab Rebecca, take her to Kisumu and buy some balls! (for my PE class since they have NO equipment). This actually took longer than I expected, first finding a place which sold balls, and then deciding how many to buy!! With Heather and Zainul’s help (text messages), we decided that eight balls should be enough – one for every year. Once buying the balls and some art equipment (glue, crepe paper and just plain paper – none of which they have), we headed to the food market to buy some vegetables for dinner.
Once we finally reached home, I went to make my lesson plans, and the church pastor came over. He’d apparently heard of my visit and wanted me to do some work in the church. He wanted me to do something fun with the Sunday School kids, and do a play conveying a Christian message. He decided that the best thing to act out would be the story of David and Goliath. He briefly went through the story with me, and I said I’d try my best to deliver.
After this, he asked about my religious orientation and started talking about how Christianity is the one true religion, the only on in which hope for mankind lives. He then started talking about how he thinks that though I came for whatever reason, God has a greater plan for me.
At first, I thought he meant that I was to achieve much greater things from this trip than I had first thought, and I was quite inspired by this. As he went on though, I realised that actually, he was implying that I would probably be converted here, and should go and preach the word of the lord in England. I was going along with him for fear of offence though (they take religon very seriously here).
Once he’d left, Rebecca even thought that he’d converted me. She then asked about my religious beliefs, and couldn’t comprehend that I didn’t believe in organised religion, but had a sense of a higher being. She still persisted in trying to make me believe in Christianity though, I told her that there was no point in merely saying I believed if in my heart I didn’t. Thankfully, the conversation ended there. We agreed to disagree, knowing that it was futile since we were both set in our beliefs.
The pastor’s “God has a greater plan for you” attempt to convert me was somewhat of a coincidence, beause I’m starting to believe that I’m gonna give and get much more out of this trip than initially planned. Just not in a religious sorta way. As days go by, I’m learning lots and really enjoying the ride … this was still only my fifth full day in Kenya, and I’d decided that I was happily willing to do as best I can, and see the directions in which the experience was to take me.
Meeting the Emuhaya group July 7, 2006
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Well, I woke up at around 8:30, got ready, and we were out of the house for around 9:30.
I was really nervous, because later on we were meeting the disabled people that my whole trip is in aid of.
Anyway, our first stop was the local primary school. I’d initially said that I would have liked to have experienced life in an all-girls secondary school, but somehow this got communicated as me wanting to teach in a primary school. This worked just as well for me, if not better, because…just…how amazing?!?!
Well, we visited the school and had a meeting with Mark and Moses, the deputy head and a senior teacher. They said that they’d been extremely anxious to meet me, and were looking forward to working with me. Their welcome was extremely warm, and they said they were honored that I had chosen to work with them.
I find it seriously strange that people who are much more admirable than myself, people that work harder and deserve a lot more respect than me treat me as if I’m superior, just because I’m Western. Perhaps part of the problem with people in Kenya is that they need to realise their self-worth, and that they’re in no way any less worthy of respect than any westerner.
Anyway, they asked me what I wanted to do, I said that I’d do anything they needed me to, or anything that I could do!! They decided that because I had formal training in sports, I could do some sports lessons (WOOP!! GO CSLA!! – Community Sports Leadership Award, for those who don’t know). Plus, my huge interest in drama landed me an extra-curricular drama slot I have noo idea what I’m gonna do with them yet, but I have some ideas, and will let you all know tomorrow 
.
By the time our meeting was over, it was breaktime I think, and loads of kids aged about 6-8 were staring curiously. Some of the more cheeky ones shouting Mzungu! Well, I went over and waved at them, as I started shaking the hands of some of the kids, I was soon surrounded in a cloud of excited kids eagerly awaiting for their hands to be shaken. It was quite a sensational experience, even if it did only last 5 minutes. After struggling to communicate with the hyper kids, I had to go because I would have been late for the meeting with Emuhaya. When I said I’d be back, they all childlishly shouted ‘liar’ back at me…it made me wonder how many times they’d been let down by false promises …
Having more time to think about what I could realistically do for Emuhaya had absolutely petrified me!! Being so busy meant that I was sure they’d have an agenda, and know what they wanted me to do. The more I learnt about the group though, the more I realised that I didn’t think even they knew. Pulling up to the Emuhaya office was scary, especially since Naomy had just told me that the people who were setting my agenda, thought that I was professionally linked to Heather, and that’s where the helping to fundraise idea came from!
Though they later found out that I wasn’t, the idea of helping with exposure of the group must still have been linked to fundraising, and I was really hoping that I wasn’t embarking upon a task which I wasn’t capable of. I really want to give them something which will help them, because if I don’t, I won’t just be letting them down, but also my own community…who had funded me on account of me going to work with these people. The pressure was most definitely on…”SHIT” was all I could think!
As I went in, the members hadn’t yet fully assembled because they had to travel from far and wide, so, while waiting, I had a meeting with Naomy (a different Naomy) and Willis, the chairperson and treasurer of the group. They welcomed me warmly, affirming that they were extremely exited to receive their much-awaited visitor … the same word was still going through my head.
When I asked them what exactly they wanted me to do, they told me that they wanted me to compile a document which was about their group, and which in particular would feature specific members of their group, telling their stories. In order to do this, I would visit members in their homes, and collect the information that I needed. The task didn’t really seem beyond me, but it just didn’t seem like enough!!!
We agreed upon 2 days to compile this information, and 9 people that I was going to see. I’m thinking that it just isn’t enough, but I have to fit these visits in with Naomi’s schedule. Because she already has a job, it’s hard to actually get a completely free day where she can drive me around to peoples places. We apparently have to drive because people all live really far away from each other and in places where public transport doesn’t go. I said I’d be happy to walk, but its impossible for people to accompany me because they’re all disabled people. Ahhh man!! Nine people just isn’t enough!!
Well…I guessed that I’d take this for now, and if I felt I needed more info or whatever, we’d make alternative arrangements! I didn’t really have much more time to think about this since I had to go and buy some snacks for the group before everyone arrived.
Once I’d gotten back, there was a total of around ten members present, not many had come, because they’d moved their annual meeting forward two weeks for my benefit, and not everyone could make it, or knew about it. Just meeting these ten was enough for me though. The feeling that I got just looking at them is something beyond words, it was a mix of admiration, anger at circumstances, and at myself for not planning this better, and more along those lines…! There were a series of introductions accompanied by continuous translation. The chairperson described what I’d be doing and after this, Naomy read out the information about British disabled people that Heather had compiled. The group seemed to identify a little, and seemed a little happier after this.
Then were the questions….and the one that I dreaded most was the first one asked
“So…what exactly can you do for us?”
I took a moment to compose myself, and explained first of all, that I am only 18, and not a professional in any field yet. I said that I wanted to make a difference and was willing to work hard to do so. I explained that any results were not likely to be immediate, and that this was a process … not an immediate solution, that this was merely the first step in what could potentially be a very long journey.
My trip may seem useless at the moment, but I guess it takes one person to go and get a feel of the place properly in order to potentially create any opportunities for the future. I told them that I was their link to the greater world, and through me, they’ll have a voice. I said that in an ideal situation (and I stressed the word ideal) the documenting and exposure of this trip could end in many open opportunities, but didn’t really name them individually for fear of giving birth to TOO much expectation. There was a bit of a silence for a while, in which I kinda thought that things had clicked into place for me. The Naomy that I’m staying with kinda re-enforced what I’d said. After this speech, we had brought out the snacks that I’d gotten and I handed them out. We ate and drank, some people talking, others sitting in silence…
After eating, Naomi and I left because the rest of the meeting was to be held in another language, and translating just took up too much time. I left…and was pretty much absorbed in thought the whole journey home.
I pretty much went straight to my room when I got in, and was absorbed in thought. Though what I’d said to them upon the question ‘what can you really do for us’ was blagged on the spot, I realised there was something of the truth in what I’d said. This is just the start, and even if this doesn’t result in a journey for them, it’s definitely the start of a journey for me. I won’t let this trip be worthless, i’m generally good at making the most of a situation, and this is hardly a situation which can’t be made the most out of. If nothing, i’ll learn about myself, and it’ll contribute somehow to my future …
My first full day in Kenya… July 6, 2006
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Well, today was certainly not a disappointment. I had plenty to keep my busy….
I woke up at around 11 o’clock, which Naomy joked about being much too late, I dunno if she clocked that my journey was RIDICULOUSLY long! She affirmed that she was late for a meeting somewhere, and she was taking me with her, so I had to hurry up. After bathing quickly, and having breakfast as fast as I could, I ran out of the house and jumped into her car.
I had noooo idea what this meeting was about, and I was too busy looking out of the window at rural Kenya to ask. When we reached our destination: Ebunangwe Village, to my surprise, we were greeted by three ‘Mzungus’ (white people) two from Switzerland, Mark and Susan, and one from Australia, whose name escapes me at this moment. I found that the meeting was to take place outdoors, under the shade of some beautiful trees with settees brought freshly out of the house of the chief. This was apparently normal practice in Kenya I suppose garden furniture isn’t too popular here!
After praying (they pray loads in Kenya, before and after everything!!) the meeting commenced, and I found that we were there to discuss the possible usages of the disused building which was around five meters behind us all. It turned out that the people there had set up an NGO in that particular village and were working towards building the community and creating better opportunities for the people of the village. The meeting was especially interesting for a few reasons:
- I found out lots, at an early stage, about Naomy and her work. It placed a kind of respect within me that comes only with realising and appreciating what she was working towards and fighting for. For some unknown reason, I felt a lot more comfortable with her too.
- I realised just how much ‘disadvantaged’ communities the world over have in common. It’s strange how circumstances vary, but the problems which exist in ‘disadvantaged’ communities stay the same. They were talking about graffiti, anti-social behavior, alcoholic/abusive parents whose children miss out as a result of their incompetence, ignorance, etc. Coming from Hillfields, and going to Sidney Stringer and working with people from Wood End, the same problems exist in abundance around my own community.
- It’s something that I find amazingly confusing … but I came to the conclusion that since the word ‘disadvantaged’ is measured by the circumstances of your own country or city, and not really internationally. Those that don’t have nearly as much as everyone else immediately around them resort to the same types of activities.
- Mark also said something else that made me think: “With hope, comes motivation” …It’s so true! I always think that it’s a shame that people in Western countries don’t realise how much power they have to change their lives. Being here in Kenya just makes it all seem so simple!! It just seems as if we have everything, and too many opportunities!!! Obviously, when thinking about it practically though, there are many barriers stopping people from accessing all which is open to them: both within the system, and people’s mentalities.
Annnnyway!! They’d decided that one of the best uses for the building would be to use it as a nursery within the day and a training center in the afternoon, and that they’d meet with other members of the community to take this idea forward, woop woop!! Once the meeting was over, the chief and Naomy gave me a tour of the village and showed me some of the work that Mark had done. Y’know, it sounds funny saying it…but Oxfam aren’t lying to us about poverty in Africa !!!
I saw some of the water pumps that Mark had installed, and they really do make such a massive difference, when you see people fetching water, its exactly as you imagine it. Children carry buckets, and fill up as much as they can … with huge smiles on their faces they carry the water back to their homes. It was mad!
I also visited a school, all the kids got well exited and shouted ‘mzungu’ upon seeing me, it was so surreal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After taking a tour of the village, it was time to leave and go with Naomi to give a motivational speech at ‘Bunyore Girls’ Secondary School – one of the best in Western Kenya.
After waiting for ages because they’d messed up the timing, Naomy, Rebecca and me, to my surprise, walked into a hall full of girls. When Naomy said she was going to do a motivational speech, I assumed it was to a class – maybe around 40 girls at the most. The hall was absolutely packed though, there must have been at least 500 girls in there. I had to sit at the front on the stage with Naomy, argh!!
She made me introduce myself and talk about what I was doing here in Kenya, at this point I wasnt even fully sure what I was doing here! I can’t even remember what I said, but it seemed to sit okay, and Naomy got underway with her speech. There were some things that I disagreed with, for example, success in Kenya is measured by appearance, the clothes you wear, the way you walk etc. I guess it’s understandable, but the talk was much too superficial to me. To be fair though, it was given as per Kenyan beliefs, so fair enough. My concentration was wandering lots anyway, so I only caught bits. Once it was over…we left for home…
Once home, it was time to make dinner. I helped Rebecca and Rail (sp??), well when I say helped, I mean I cut a few vegetables. But most of all kept them company. It was a good way to get to know them too, though Rail can’t speak English, we find a way to communicate and have a laugh, normally with Rebecca translating Rebecca is actually really nice, she’s quite funny too.
We definitely did some bonding over dinner making, and got a little more comfortable with each other. It was actually quite fun. It was a little hard to see what we were doing though. since Naomy’s house doesn’t have any electricity, they use oil lamps to see what they’re doing. The light is poor, and you couldn’t read or write by it for long … but its enough to see what you’re doing in the kitchen.
