Rafal's post, Wed 5/27/09

Isaac

As we stood in the classroom, tense and scared,
Scott and I looked at the students and shared,
I will be a Doctor, how about you?
Pause, silence, thought, then came, “Entrepreneur.”

This came from row two, Isaac was his name,
His goal is lofty, might lead him to fame,
Could we not help someone with such vision,
Need an interview, easy decision!

Isaac is shinning in front of the lens,
College, Ikumbo, goals, answers quite dense,
He says what we expect and so much more,
Telling us of chances not there before.

The discussion was great, he’s very bright,
Thanks to this school, college is in his sight.

Scott's Blog, Wed 5/27/09

After two days of working at the Ikumbo Secondary School, we have seen many amazing things; but above all, the theme of community has been sung the loudest.

Four years ago, the village of Ikumbo banded together to form the Ikumbo Secondary School, allowing students graduating from Standard 8 (8th grade) to continue their education. The community not only initiated this scholastic endeavor, but they continue to invest countless resources in sustaining it. Let us turn to our Principal as an example.

Mr. Mugambi is a strong, affable man who commands respect and wears a smile that rarely leaves. He grew up in the village of Ikumbo, and as a child, attended the Primary School no more than a soccer field away from the high school he now presides over. Mr. Mugambi is stern with his students as he preaches the importance of their studies, yet each word conveys his total and complete investment in the journey of every Ikumbo pupil.

As the students look to their principal, they see a role model - Mr. Mugambi is one of them. He grew up in this village, worked diligently in school, attained higher education, and now returns to the same community that nurtured and unequivocally supported him. He is an exemplar to the students and serves as living proof that hard work in school translates to success outside of Ikumbo.

The school’s inaugural class is gearing up to take their pre-university exams in October. Will all of the Form IV’s (12th graders) make it to higher education? Only time will tell, but one surety is that their high school experience has helped them mature and grow into young adults. Moreover, they have been afforded a world-class role model in their principal, mentor, and friend, Mr. Mugambi - a man who exemplifies the community oriented spirit of the small, glowing village we are all a part of.

First Week in Ikumbo

I'm back in Nairobi for a day to pick up our newest team member, Amrita. Here are some relays from events in Ikumbo over the last week:

Billy

The Form Four students at Ikumbo Secondary School were excited for their laboratory exercise. The idea of actually doing chemistry once a week was invigorating; it was a hands-on way to learn the concepts their teacher has lectured on that week in the classroom. But there were only two burettes, and ten students huddled around each metal holding stand. The chemicals were measured by guesswork, because there were no balances available.

On March 7, 2009, only three months ago, the Ikumbo Secondary School opened the doors to its newly built science laboratory. Prior to this opening, the students of Ikumbo had to travel eight kilometers down the road to use a neighboring school’s laboratory when classes were not in session. The proximity of lessons to exercises was obviously lost.

The new lab

While the new laboratory provides a space for students to practice their science, the building itself is not sufficient. The laboratory severely lacks equipment and chemicals, and many of the required exercises in the curriculum cannot be completed. There is still no running water, power, and the gas lines are not functional. But this exercise could be completed, so this years graduating class was going to make the most out of it.

Chemicals for the lab

With ten students titrating a single beaker of sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid, the experiment was carried out meticulously, and quite successfully. Each student took part in the exercise, some measuring, some mixing, some writing and some calculating. Their results were perfect, and with some help, their explanations began to take form. They will need to take their experience and explanations with them in order to perform similar experiments by themselves on the national examination in just a few months.

Quick village update!

Sorry we have been out of touch the past few days, but our internet access is limited in the village of Ikumbo.

Our work thus far has been very productive and we have learned so much! Check back tomorrow as matt will be traveling to Nairobi and will get the chance to post our longer entries with some pictures!

Also, it just came to our attention that the Google donation button might not be working properly. Hopefully we will get the chance to sort this out over the next few days and we will let you know.

Come back tomorrow and take a closer look at Ikumbo Secondary School!

Off to Ikumbo

Just finished our safari adventure, saw some exciting wildlife.

Now driving to village of Ikumbo to meet the community and start working at the school.

Scott

Driving on the other side of the road

Is weird.

Apricot jam

Woke up to a beautiful morning in Nairobi, and had a nice home cooked breakfast complete with toast and apricot jam. It was delicious. You should try some soon. You know, solidarity is nice.

We are on our way to a hospital outside Nairobi where a colleague of ours, Rebecca Cook's, parents work. They have been extremely kind and are going to show us around on a Saturday morning.

Then we're off to visit some wildlife in Nakuru National Park. Maybe one of us will get to keep a baby animal...

Tuonena! (talk to you soon!)

The Kenya Ku's

Creativity counts, this is the best way we thought we could communicate, let the imagination run wild:

Landed in Kenya,
Billy barely made it in,
Passports are quite key.

Scottie loves Georgians,
Wanted in on mission trip,
Same faith was quite key.

Matt's all into it,
He's back in his element,
His wherewithal's key.

Rafal has a plan,
Must lose his translucency,
And find his room key.

Flight to Amsterdam...check

Just landed in Amsterdam, flight was pretty easy. Flight activities as follows:

Matt - read his book Poisonwdood Bible, wrote in his journal, and penned an entire anthology of poems.

Bill - had a glass of red wine, finished his book, and befriended the 5 month old baby sitting next to him.

Scott - read a paper on scapula fractures and watched 3 movies.

Rafal - picked up BRS physiology book for first time and was asleep within 8 minutes.

Nairobi in 2 hours, see you then.

the laundry is in the dryer

... and here I sit, with my first contribution. Our flight leaves in about five hours, and I couldn't be more excited. And I drank a lot of water this morning. Those two usually don't mix. I hope I have an aisle seat on the plane.

It has been such an awesome run getting ready for our visit to Ikumbo, and I owe a lot of that excitement to Matt, because of the mission of Harambee For All Children. I've traveled abroad before, but the trip has always been the climax of some small degree of preparation. Not this time. This trip, as Matt and all of us have planned it, really is only the first step in a long line of sustainable initiatives we hope to help bring to Ikumbo. It's that sustainability is the name of the game that makes this project different. Sustainability means relationships, and that's not something I've ever had the prospect for in all of my work in the past. Maybe that's why I'm so excited. You should probably be excited with me.

So buckle up. We're going to write you often. Whenever we get the chance to share a sentence, a picture, or a story, you can bet that we will. Someone wants me to bring home a baby animal. Maybe I'll share that with you too.

Thanks for all your support, keep your eye on the blog, and keep us and the students in Ikumbo in your prayers!

Peace,
Billy

T-minus 13 hrs

Hello everyone! This is Scott Zuckerman, a medical school classmate, dear crony, and basketball teamster of one of Harambee For All Children's visionaries...Matthew Grady Gartland. As I contemplate our upcoming trip to Kenya, a plethora of nervous thoughts, expectations, questions, and uncertainties run amok in my already cluttered brain.

The background research is drawing to a close, the video camera has been tested, and the light baggage has been packed. Our excursion starts tomorrow, May 21st, 2009, when Matt, Billy, and myself depart from JFK en route to Nairobi - Rafal will be joining us on a separate flight and Rajshri some weeks later.  

This is my inaugural trip to Kenya, and the only way I could physically be more excited was if A-Rod was coming (yes, I'm a Yankee fan...and yes, an A-Rod fan does exist...and yes, this is extremely irrelevant).  

Anyway, I am impatiently gearing up for the experience of being in Africa for the first time, and the opportunity to work at the Ikumbo Secondary School will exponentially augment our time there. For me, this trip will include a closed mouth and two open ears. I hope to gather as much information as possible with regards to how the secondary school operates, how to assess the greatest areas of need for the school, and how to effectively integrate new technologies in the classroom. Furthermore, I will relish the opportunity to immerse myself within the community of Ikumbo and connect with students, teachers, parents, and community members. This trip is sure to be an experience of a lifetime, and I anxiously await 2:00pm tomorrow, when my younger brother, Matt, chauffeurs me to the airport (thanks little bro).

Take care, be good, see you in Kenya, go Yanks.

Scott

Letter from President Clinton

Last Thursday Davis received a special letter from President Clinton:

April 24, 2009

Dear Davis:

I was delighted to hear about the wonderful work you've been doing over the past several years to serve your community in rural Kenya. I extend my heartfelt congratulations on all that you've already accomplished in developing the Ikumbo Secondary School, and I applaud your latest endeavors to expand upon this successful model of community-led education through your Harambee for All Children organization.

In answering the call to action -- one that is deeply rooted in your own experience -- you bestow the precious gifts of knowledge and opportunity upon those who need them most, and the power of your contributions is beyond measure. Your extraordinary example speaks volumes about your character, attesting to your sense of determination, generosity of spirit, and commitment to creating a brighter and more sustainable future for people around the world.

It's an honor to have such a principled and visionary individual on my Foundation's staff, and like your many admiring colleagues, I'm proud to call you a member of our team. I hope you'll continue to believe in yourself and always help others to persevere in pursuing their dreams. With vision and passion, anything is possible. Thank you, and I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton

Thank you!

Thank you everyone for coming out in support of Harambee for All Children last Wednesday. The event was a huge success and we shared the story with more than 75 classmates and friends. We also raised $522 that will go to our projects immediately. Briefly, here is what the gifts will be going toward at the Ikumbo Secondary School, Kenya:

- Beginning construction on the school's library (the school has also received a grant from the UK for this project)
- Purchasing textbooks to bring the student:textbook ratio to 1:1.
- Setting up local wiring and "battery bank" for school to receive electricity

We will also be initiating a program to bring mentors into the school to teach the students and teachers to use computers in the classroom (more on this in future blog posts).

If you didn't have a chance to come out to the event but would like to donate, please feel free to use our new "Google Checkout" button or write a check (send me an email for details: mgartland@gmail.com).

Vanderbilt Med School Event

Wednesday May 6, 2009
Tin Roof (Demonbreun St.)
15% of sales from 7-11pm are going to
Harambee for All Children

Harambee for All Children

"Harambee" is a Swahili word meaning, "unity or pulling together". Similar to the idiom 'It takes a village...' harambee describes the support of a community for its children. We were introduced to this concept through the friendship of Davis Karambi, one of HFAC’s cofounders and a product of the unity of the community of Ikumbo, Kenya. Shortly after meeting Davis he introduced Ravi and I to the Ikumbo Secondary School, a project that had been initiated by the community nearly a decade earlier.

In a typical year, only a handful of the 50 students graduating from the Ikumbo Primary School had been able to continue their education at the secondary (high school) level. After many years of planning, construction of the school got underway two years ago and the community has built 4 classrooms, a science laboratory and administrative offices with the support of Harambee for All Children and Strathmore University. Ikumbo Secondary School was officially registered as a government school in 2007 and receives teachers and additional support from the Kenya Ministry of Education. The school now has 160 students and will be graduating its first class this December!

Join us at Harambee for All Children as we continue our work in Ikumbo and plan for future work in communities around the world. Asante sana — thank you — for your support! Stay tuned for stories, photos and videos from our trip in May 2009.

-Best-

Matt

launching

its so great to launch a blog