Kenya Help: Educating and training women, children and youth in Kenya

Provide education and training for women, children and youth in Kenya through resources and support.

School panorama
  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Supporters
    • Supporter Profiles
    • Related Causes
      • 4 of the Lost Boys of Sudan
      • Mji Wa Neema Children’s Home
      • St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish, social work fund
  • Our Work
    • High School Scholarships
    • Educating Children of Mji Wa Neema
    • Building St. Francis Xavier Girls’ High School
  • The Difference We Are Making
  • How to Help
    • Help Us
    • Donate
    • Note Cards
  • Stories
    • Some Favorite Stories from our Blog
    • Margo McAuliffe at TEDxSanJoseCA
    • Blog
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Blog / # 12 Inspection

# 12 Inspection

July 12, 2010 by Margaret McAuliffe Leave a Comment

#12  Inspection

Problems occur in African schools just like every other place.  And teenagers are teenagers the world over.  Victoria had been given a very nice picture album by a friend, filled with photos of her family, friends, school and activities.  This was to show around at the school because the students (and staff) love to see what our lives are like.  The girls wanted her pictures and Victoria had generously said they could have them.  Not a picture was left!  But then the album disappeared.  She had told them the album was a special gift from her friend, but …..well…when it was time for Victoria to leave, the album was nowhere to be found.  Victoria was a good sport about it, but I could see she was a bit bummed.

Two days after she left, Jecinta (principal) announced a surprise desk, locker and bed check.  I had not heard of these, but evidently they occur from time to time in all schools.  Students are not allowed to have food (attracts undesirable visitors), money (no place to spend it here), perfume, cosmetics, phones etc.  First every desk was emptied out and sure enough, there was the album in a form 3 desk.  Jecinta lost no time in taking that girl to task.  The girl claimed she had planned to return it, but was too late.  “That was Sunday, we have been announcing about the album and this is Wednesday and you still had not brought it?”  I don’t know the nature of the punishment but Jecinta runs a tight ship here and I was told the girl is not likely to do that again.  Evidently it was not her first offense.

All mail is read first by the administration here.  So in the check letters were confiscated, including the note Victoria had given me for Teresiah, her long-time penpal.  Teresiah had not had time to read it.  Naturally she was upset, but I understand it was returned to her.

These seem like harsh measures to us, but are common practice in schools here.  The attitude is that the students are in school to learn and they should not be distracted.  They wear the same uniforms so that no clothes comparisons can occur.  Thus they are not permitted to have street clothes.  I had to leave (to do my shopping) before it was all over, but reports were that a good bit of contraband was discovered.  It takes the whole afternoon to inspect belongings and spaces for 200 girls.  Imagine when it’s 320!

Today (Friday) I found a table on the porch of the school and parents there.  Hmmm, this is unusual.  Then Jecinta explained that today was parent conference day for form 2.  ACH! No one had told me.  There I was in my clean but very ordinary jeans and t-shirt.  The men were in suits and women dressed to the nines.  Did I ever feel shabby!  But when Fr Kiriti arrived in jeans and a t-neck, so I felt a bit better.  The teachers all assured me I was just fine, but were they going to tell me my appearance was an embarrassment to the school?  No!

The drill is that each parent briefly confers with each of the student’s teachers.  The staff room was jammed and parents with their daughter milled around the yard, waiting for things to clear.  Students in forms 1, 3 and 4 were just studying in their classrooms, as the teachers were all busy with parents.  I walked around and greeted parents, but small talk isn’t my strong suit and I was glad to go off to form 3 to teach them for Jecinta.  In fact I taught them for 2 hours, then back to the staff room.  It seemed rude to eat lunch when parents were right there, but that’s the routine.  Later I saw that parents were given lunch in the dining hall, followed by a meeting that ran on African time—beginning 1/2 hour late.  Several girls sang and one did a recitation honoring parents, followed by teacher introductions.  After I self-consciously introduced myself Jecinta leaned over, “they want you to say more.”  Um…So I ad libbed a bit then excused myself to go teach the form 4’s.

About 4 I was ready to go home.  Backpack over my shoulder, I started out the door, only to be stopped by Elizabeth (secretary).  “Are you going down to Naivasha town?”  “Yes” “Do you ever ride motorbikes?”  “Yes, why?”  “There’s a motorbike driver here who wants a rider going back down.  Hmmm, sh 20 on a matatu, sh 200 on a piki piki.  Oh well, I want to get down quickly, b/c Fr Kiriti was coming to have tea and I had some things I needed to discuss with him.  “OK” (to the driver) “How much?”  (I’d learned you have to bargain for the price in advance)  “I’ll take you for nothing.”  Now that’s a switch.  “No, I’m happy to pay you.”  “OK, sh 50”  Huh?!?  “No, I’ll pay you sh 100”.  I hopped in the back, while Esther (matron) admonished the driver to be very careful with me.  Later she texted me to ask whether I had arrived safely.  I had.

Back in my little house I shed the 50 lb backpack (why is it so heavy?) put the teapot on to boil, got out the tea cup, then sat on my bed to read.  I can always tell when Fr Kiriti is coming, he greets all the children and whoever else is around, so I can hear him 3 minutes before he knocks on my door.  Here they would say “before he knocks my door”.  The leave off a lot of prepositions.  They pick you at the airport.

RATS!  The electricity just went off.  Thank heavens for a laptop with battery, b/c I had not saved this!  In the past I have lost more than one pearl of writing to the vaguaries of the electric system.  I grope for the torch (flashlight) AH!  There it is.  Oh, and there’s my backpacker’s head lamp.  They are like gold!  I strap it on my head, and settle in the type when on goes the electricity.  Sometimes it’s out for hours, but the gods are with us tonight.

After Fr Kiriti left the tea party I walked out to take the picture of the church for # 11 and as I came back I stopped to talk to Julia (matron of orphanage) for a minute.  Just then the 4 8th graders come pouring in all excited from a class field trip to Nakuru, where they heard President Kibaki.  Daniel is totally hyper, telling Julia about getting Kibaki’s autograph.  I can’t begin to convey his excitement, but…. “Mom, I got his autograph!  They wouldn’t let us near him—we’re just kids, but I yelled ‘Your Excellency’ and waved my arms (demonstrates arm waving).  Before they could push me back, he said ‘let that boy come here’, just like when Jesus said, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me’” (Daniel is about 5’9”, long and gangly, hardly a “little child”.  All the time he is searching around in his backpack, but of course he can’t find it.  “And then they gave us free milk, camel’s milk and he smelled awful” (confirmed by the others).  “Ewww! It was so gross!  But they gave us free yogurt too.  SWEET!!!”  And out they bounced to tell the rest of the children.  We were in stitches!  Shoulda gotten a picture of that!

Good night.

Margo

Filed Under: Blog

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Non-profit

Kenya Help is a non-profit foundation with 501(c)(3) status with IRS. EIN 35-2314350

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Donate

Kenya Help has no paid positions. Operating costs were approximately 3.3% of our 2013 budget. Learn how you can help us out.

Read More »

Related pages

Like Us On Facebook

Archives

  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • December 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • July 2010
  • June 2010

Contact

PO Box 516
Menlo Park, CA 94026
(650) 322-0821
info@kenyahelp.us

Newsletter

Signup for our newsletter!

Our Mission

Our vision is an educated society. Our mission is to educate and train Kenyan women, children and youth, by providing resources and support.  A primary focus is scholarships for students at the secondary and post-secondary levels who need financial support. Many scholarship students attend St. Francis Xavier Secondary School for Girls in Naivasha, Kenya, the school built with Kenya Help funds. Read More »

Recent Posts

  • #23 – Wrapping It Up
  • #22 – Margo, Chief Chef
  • #21 – Mji Wa Neema Reunion
  • ETW Reunion
  • #19 – Day 2 of Math Camp

Copyright © 2021 Kenya Help | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Log in