A home away from home

Hello (:

My name is Rajshri Mainthia.

I just returned from Kenya/India and as expected, my time in Ikumbo was incredible, but too short. It was wonderful to see months of planning and fundraising so rapidly come to fruition.

A brief reflection and some pictures, with more to follow:

~*~

I left my heart in Africa
Only with me are pixels of what I saw
In the village of Ikumbo, an inspiring place
Where a thousand words are muted with a smiling face

I’ll remember the Nyagas and the warmth of their welcome
And their open living room where great ideas stemmed from
Like how to develop a secondary school and cultivate futures
Maybe one day young farm hands will trade shovels for sutures

So Harambee for All Children set forth a comprehensive mission
To involve a vibrant community in a brilliant vision
Led by three shades of wisdom, an eclectic brew
Respected and loved: Davis, Ravi, and Matthew

With so much to do, and so little time,
We discussed and chose what mountains to climb
The first was addressing the teacher shortage; Ikumbo needs six
But meeting with the Ministry of Education revealed no quick fix

With 60,000 spots for teachers, and 100,000 needed
The teacher shortage in Kenya is deeply seeded
So without acquiring teachers in a zero-sum way
We have networked and lobbied, in hopes to draw teachers who will stay

Another priority is to integrate technology into the Ikumbo classroom
With computers skills and internet knowledge, student ambitions can bloom
So we met with Kenya Data Networks and Mustek and Next
To discuss the wiring of Ikumbo and to negotiate computer specs

With the help of a CGI-U grant and private donations
Students will soon be Word-processing, and researching nations
In the library that is currently under construction
And in a curriculum that will welcome such technology introduction

But enhancing dictation-based learning is no easy feat
So we acquired more textbooks, and discussed a curriculum that is incomplete
And we strengthened partnerships with the Kenya Institute of Education and Strathmore University
To provide Ikumbo with more mentors, resources, and intellectual diversity

All these efforts brought forth the importance of career counseling
So we gave the director of Materi Girls Boarding School a ring
He showed us how his school sends all its graduating students to college
So we took notes and will equip our students and teachers with this knowledge

So many exciting projects, and this is only a fraction
Of the work that has brought so many to action
Clearly an endeavor that is easy to get passionate about
That I will return to Ikumbo, I have no doubt


Soon, but not soon enough,

Rajshri

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Matthew and I in traditional Kenyan clothes, but not quite blending in :/

Davis giving an inspirational sermon at Chogoria Girls Boarding School

Two students in front of a periodic table mural at Chogoria Girls

Another cool mural of the kidney nephron

Rafal and Ravi helping lay bricks for the Ikumbo Secondary School libary

Amrita videotaping as Matthew and Ravi conduct interviews and give a tour of the school

Matugi (the son of the Ikumbo Primary School headmaster) helping me on day 1 of the painting project

Day 3 - progress!

Day 4 - final touches

Day 5 - Alas!

Students gathering for end-of-day assembly

Headmaster Mugambi at the library construction site

Last day - Mama Mainthia, Rajshri, Matthew, Mama Nyaga, and Amrita at Chogoria Girls

~*~

Reflections from Liberia

(Written 6/14)

Ikumbo already feels a million miles away, although as soon as I take a second to think about it I can picture our friends and family, and everything they’re doing right now there. I arrived last night in Liberia, and I am writing this blog post with the sound of waves crashing in the background at ELWA beach. Between an emotional goodbye and a long day of travel I am reeling a bit from the change in environment. I’ll post more reflection on my time in Liberia, but first a few words about the conclusion of our time in Kenya.

Or slightly more than a few words... One of the reasons I think Davis and I get along so well is that he too is a man of many words. We sat down on my last day in Kenya for almost 4 hours to debrief on the trip. And as the group experienced on Sunday when Davis spoke to the students of Chogoria Girls Secondary School, give him 15 minutes and he’ll talk for an hour.

For a young man, though, there is a lot of wisdom that leaves his lips. The other day he said something that really struck me: “You can repay a debt of gold, but you can never repay a debt of kindness.” This is exactly I feel about my experience with the community of Ikumbo. I have always felt like family when I am in Ikumbo, and our whole group was embraced the same way. We have countless brothers and sisters around the town, and more than a few moms and dads who have taken care of us. At the center of it are the Nyagas. Over the past three weeks we have shared belly laughs with “Dad”, meals with Mama Mark and Mama Soni, soccer games with Matugi, Munene and the boys, and many hugs with “Mami”. For these relationships, we will be forever grateful.

Another nugget Davis contributed was the sentiment that despite some big achievements in our work with the community on the school, this is no time to “thump our chests or be content.” Throughout the trip we have begun drawing up a strategic vision for what comes next in Ikumbo: more teachers, better trained teachers, more textbooks, career guidance, scholarships for needy students, a change from the pattern of dictation and recitation, and the introduction of IT. This outline will be the basis for everything we do in the next year, and will motivate our development and fundraising as Harambee for All Children. For every need at the school there is also a student’s face, or a teacher’s voice in our heads to remind us of the personal need.

I can’t believe what a success this trip has been. From meetings with higher-ups at the Ministry of Education, to strongly personal moments with students, we are taking a lot away from our experiences. Thank you to everybody involved in Harambee for All Children for your support. We’ve been able to do some amazing things so far in Ikumbo and the sky is the limit going forward.

And now some random shots from the end of our trip:

Sign painted by Rajshri and Rafal, Natulenge Kilele - "Aim for the peak"

Ravi, Davis and Matt

"Harambee" - The National Seal of Kenya

Isaac Explains 'Harambee'

Just messing aound with some video...

I returned home two days ago, and have been trying to get back into the swing of things at school again, but I keep finding myself wanting to watch video and and look at pictures from the trip. I miss everything about Ikumbo.

So in order to fulfill my desire, I've been using some of the video I shot to learn how to edit movies and such. I'm not very good... I don't know what half of these buttons do, but I'll learn with time. Anyone want to give me a tutorial on what I can do with iMovie?

Here is a quick clip, a tease if you will, of the chemistry lab I took part in. Sure there are subtitles and some music, but that's just for fun. The kids are what matter...



As you can see we have a long way to go with our editing skills... but the material is so rich, it will probably just speak for itself.

Harambee

Hello, all, this is Amrita Mainthia and I am the latest addition to the HFAC team…this is exciting stuff! Anyway, last Saturday was my first full day in Ikumbo (and sadly, Scott’s last). Matt had mentioned that Saturday would be quite eventful but I honestly had no idea just how much would be going on.


We began our day with a trip to the school, and I met all the students. Though the Form 1’s were pretty shy, they all remembered Matt, Scott, Billy & Rafal’s names—it was pretty cool to realize firsthand that these guys had made such an impact on the kids after meeting them for such a short amount of time.

We then headed to the river where we met about 300 members of the community ready to gather stones we would use for the foundation of the library. The stones needed to be carried up the road so that a truck could pick them up and drop them at the school, where they could be crushed and mixed with concrete to create cement. Despite the sweltering heat and the long distance of walking required to haul the rocks, so many members of the community showed up and dedicated hours to this project. It was amazing to witness that steadfastness and work ethic that the citizens of Ikumbo foster—they were ready and willing to show up and not only help us out, but also, their children, their school, and their village.




(ps. Clearly, I strayed away from the heavy lifting and let the guys display their masculinity. Instead, I documented the entire event with photos and videos.)


We were then honored with a visit from Ikumbo’s Member of Parliament (MP) and Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Japate Kareke Biuki. Kareke surprised us all by taking multiple rounds of rocks up from the river. We all met him, and Ikumbo’s people were thrilled to see him there, working with the community he represents.



Then we headed back to the school to officially break ground for the library/computer lab, which was a really amazing step for the school to take. Karake himself poured the first barrel of cement into the foundation, and then construction officially began. Before we know it, the library will join Ikumbo Secondary School.


After lunch at the Nyaga’s with the MP, the board of governors, and the teachers, we all headed back to school for a speech by the School principal, Mr. Antony Mugambi. While the community gathered around the giant tree, many leaders spoke, including the MP, Matthew, Davis (who presented Strathmore University’s €10,000 Euro grant), and Rosemary, a friend from the Clinton Foundation, who provided the school with some new textbooks for the students. The students were given many encouraging words about determination and goal-setting. Each speaker discussed the endless possibilities and benefits of a great education, and how a combination of hard work and strength of mind would allow all students to persevere.






The day ended on such a positive note, with everyone hoping, wishing, and most importantly, vowing to ensure the success of Ikumbo Secondary School’s students. I had a great, eventful first day in the village, and I’m excited to follow the progress of the library and the school as time passes.

Over&Out.

Back in the states

Hello all,

This is Scott reporting from back in the U.S. I arrived in Nashville Monday night, and have been transitioning from the amazing experience of living in the village of Ikumbo. Home for almost two days, and our experiences at the secondary school have stayed in the forefront of my mind. I am definitely missing the kids, from both the secondary and primary schools. Furthermore, I have not stopped thinking about our last day in Ikumbo. All morning, alongisde community members young and old, we hauled rocks up a steep hill, so those working on the new library would be able to lay its foundation. I had a blast that morning - witnessing the entire village come together and haul heavy boulders, all for the benefit of the community's children, was beautiful to see. We have many pictures, and you will soon get to see exactly what I'm talking about.

I have never been one to possess great patience - I am anxiously awaiting the return of Rafal, Billy, Rajshri, and Amritha. I desperately want to start uploading the countless photos and videos we took, so we can begin to show you all the great things going on within the classrooms of Form 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Ikumbo Secondary School.

Take care all, and hope all is well in Nairobi.

Scott

Nairobi and Google Checkout

Arrived back in Nairobi safely yesterday and sent Scott on his way back home to the states!

Google checkout has been sorted out and is up and running again. Thanks for your support!

We should have some more pictures and stories up tomorrow!