Kenya - Day 6 Final School Visits

Today saw us visit a couple of schools. The first was Lumuli primary school, the ground zero for C4K. The school was closed for the holidays but the head teacher was there to greet us and welcome us back to the school that has been transformed from broken and dangerous mud huts that were there to a school built with bricks and have good foundations to allow the students a chance to grow.

The second school was one that had been previously rejected as too difficult to get to and we decided to see if we could get there. Our first route took us along roads that wouldn’t support a bus full of students but we soldiered through and found this amazing school where the secondary school had only 2 classrooms. These are brick built but classes were having to walk to the primary school to use some of their rooms to have lessons. When we arrived there were 2 lessons going on where both groups of students were outside, not through choice but through lack of choice. The school has to have desks outside in order to conduct lessons and a classroom under a tree. The primary school had had some investment in it but a number of projects that had started had stalled including a building with polystyrene pannels that were already disintegrating. We liked the school and looked for alternative ways of getting there. We found 2 routes, 1 was being worked on and was completely impassable and the other would be perfect for our students to get there. This is a school for 2019 and I can’t wait to see what a transformation our work does for that school.

We then went to St Joseph’s boys school. This had been built at 2 years ago and I was surprised to find that we had built there as the school was obviously well off and had over 2500 borders. The school had funded half of the cost themselves so C4K was only there to top up the funds and build the rooms. I was a little surprised to find that we had built there but there is a massive issue with overcrowding.

We then made it back to Naisambu Girls school for a revisit to get some photos and videos of the girls ready for this summer. What we found on our arrival was a thanksgiving ceremony was in full swing with members of the community, parents of the pupils all there to celebrate the achievements of the students for the previous year. I was asked to say a few words to the assembled congregation. Being on the spot to say a few words to the assembled congregation isn’t easy for anyone but I feel I did myself proud.

I interviewed some of the students afterward and asked them about school and their aspirations for the future. The video responses were amazing as the girls' aspirations were to be doctors, surveyors, and lawyers much the same as our own students back home. I did a sterling job of turning down lunch but I think that the school will be attempting to feed us on a regular basis in the Summer.

After these final visits, I went back to the rescue center to see Jedidah. This inspirational young lady who feels as though she hasn’t sacrificed anything but actually fulfilling her life’s dream of running a home for children. I spent nearly an hour talking to her about what she has done in her life and also what she is achieving by getting these babies and children fostered and adopted where possible and looking after as many children as possible including adopting little Una that was found as a newborn complete with the placenta still attached and her mother nowhere to be found. This selfless devotion to others is truly inspirational and I will happily support the work that she does in the future.

I was challenged to make a whole school assembly on the work that Jedidah does and try to inspire others into a life of fulfilling your dreams but also considering others along the way. I accepted this and will be happy to do this for both our whole school and also our sixth form when I get back to the UK to help raise awareness of the plight of Children in Kenya but also the work that 1 person could do to make a difference to others for the sake of others.

Day 7

Kenya - Day 5 Schools, Scouts and baby orphange

Revisiting a school to get some footage of activities in school at the start of the day was both interesting and sad. Asking the happy children to show us what their life is like so that we can promote them to our schools gave me a feeling of unease. Why do we need to show how bad a situation is, and yet how happy the children are to be in that situation in order to make a difference? What has happened to the western culture that requires us to see the worst in order to stand up and make a difference?

Next, we visited a Girls Secondary School. There are about 150 students in school now and the expectation is for another 80 to arrive in the next school year. What makes this a different place to the mixed school is it is already full of more coming and the head teacher is really a huge advocate of girls education. What we have found in the past and is also true today is that girls are really vulnerable. They can be lured away from school by some of the motorbike riders and into a life of early marriage or prostitution. The head teacher here was really clear about the needs and desires of the school and students and would even go into the community to find her students and find a way to get them back to school.

She had found a girl that had been given a phone by one of the riders and the concern was that she would end up running a debt that might only be paid by working as a prostitute to pay off the debt. This is the potential life of a girl in a secondary school in Kenya.

What was amazing though was talking to the girls about their plans after they have completed their exams and what their plans were. Journalism at Uni, Lawyer and an accountant were among the replies. Huge aspirations that would take time to complete their education but would empower them to a far more successful life then they might end up in.

After this, we visited a school that was run by the church in central Kitale. The paster had a dream about taking the children off the street and providing them with the 2 most important things for life. An academic education and morals in which to live by. His dream was that by educating without morals then it is difficult to change the fate of these street children. They may end up getting through school but end up back on the streets without the moral teaching of the church to help guide them away from a life of crime.

This school also hosted a scout troop. They have a similar setup in the UK with different ages in different stages of the scouting journey. I was entertained by the children firstly as students of the school and then as scouts. They did a beautiful parade complete with reciting of the promise and then I showed them a skill of making a keyring or a bracelet. This was the start of a partnership that I hope to continue for many years in the future.

The afternoon brought an amazing thunderstorm complete with hailstones and biblical rains. This must have lasted about an hour before we went to a local baby orphanage. This was run by a beautiful young lady from Chester that runs an orphanage of 22 children aged from 0 to 15 years. She has helped over 200 children in the 5 years that she has been running the center and their latest project is to create a preschool in the grounds for her children and those within the community. I can’t imagine a student from our school taking on a mission in a foreign country to look after children that have been left or abandoned by their parents. She is an inspiration to humanity about looking after yourself and fellow man that isn’t capable of looking after themselves

So why do people help others? This week I have met lots of different missionaries trying to do their bit to make other people’s lives better at the expense of their own. Why do some people help whilst others are content with egocentricity and not caring about others?

Being a teacher is rewarding in a way that we are providing an opportunity for others but seldom do we see the impact compared with these missionaries that are providing for mankind in any way shape or form. I am envious of the ability to give up a life to make a life in servitude of others. The selfless act of simply devoting a life for others is something isn’t easy for everyone to appreciate.

This week I have said “I am humbled to be here” and I wonder how many times have the Kenyans really heard those words and realised how heartfelt they are? People out here survive with next to nothing yet maintain a dream that life will reward them one day.

Day 6

Kenya - Day 4 Opening Ceremonies and a revisit

Day 4


So today was spent visiting schools that we had previously built at. The two from the last summer's building and also the school I built at in 2015. I always feel humble whenever visiting schools that we have built at and also when driving past people in the street that are excited to see Mzungu (white man). Today was no exception from this. The first school made us feel really welcome and put on a great display of gratitude for us. The students sand and made us feel like we had changed their world. The simplicity of this is really amazing. Students from the Weald sacrifice a something small by taking on a walk to provide a community with the ability to improve generations of children a better future.

Visiting KoyKoy again was an emotional trip. Instantly recognised by 2 of the teachers that are there and seeing the transformation of the school into a beautiful place for students to learn. I was really happy to see the teachers and students and although they have had a lot of classrooms built in the last 5 years they were still packing over 100 students into a single classroom. This brings through a really mixed set of emotions as the school is now in safe buildings, overcrowding in class is still an everyday part of life in order for students to access the education that they all deserve.

The last visit and official opening was another interesting school. They are in desperate need of more help to provide a safe learning environment for the many students in their school that have to learn in temporary buildings in another part of the community as there is a massive shortage of classrooms for them. However, we were concerned to find that one of our classrooms was being used as a temporary staff room. It is really difficult to enforce rules about usage of rooms when you are not on the ground and also having so many schools that we start building at but don’t get the time to complete before we leave is difficult to ensure that the space is being used for the students benefit in a way that our cause is designating the funds for.

How much of a difference does a double classroom make in a country where education is going on where teachers have over 100 students in their class every day? The simple answer is a positive difference as the students and staff of both the Weald and Kenya are getting a new perspective on life. The Kenyan students, I worry, have the sense that Mzungu still come and bring prosperity with them whilst the Uk students get to appreciate how lucky they are. Where we are born shouldn’t dictate how our future will become but the stark contrast of free education in a wealthy white country and the poor communities in Kenya struggling to provide school fees for their children is huge. Our students are incredibly privileged and to take them to Kenya and show them the differences is an important lesson in life.

The cars and roads have been another interesting part of the puzzle of this trip and hopefully tomorrow we can focus on the schools and other missions around Kitale rather than worrying about getting to places without the car breaking down.

I am also looking forward to meeting the local scout troops tomorrow and seeing what links we can forge with them and my group back in Worthing. Tomorrow will be the start of something that I hope will grow over time and provide a source of community within another organisation that will benefit students from both the UK and Kenya.

Day 5

Kenya - Day 3 Visiting Schools

Unannounced School Visits

The short list of 5 Schools that applied to Classrooms for Kenya (C4K) for buildings in the last 2 years. Some of these are primary schools and a couple of Secondary schools. Our remit is to find 2 schools to build at this summer for my trip and a School for Will to build at next year with Christ's Hospital.
The application process for the schools starts with the completion of an application form that gets read and shortlisted by the local trustees of C4K. They then get a visit during one of the trips to ascertain the schools' needs and ensure their application is genuine and to make sure that there is a need for the building work.
So today we started looking at the 5 schools that were shortlisted last year and ensure there is still the need and that nothing has changed. The first school Mosoriot Primary School has 8 brick classrooms and 4 mud huts. The mud huts are falling down, dark and awful. The Headteacher thinks that these will last another 4 years but looking at the condition of these we felt these were a risk to staff and students.

The Second school of the day was a beautiful primary school AIC Kibagenge Primary School. This school was much larger and had over 1000 students in it. They had 7 mud huts there but about 16 brick built classrooms too. David the head teacher took us around and showed us the state of these mud huts and the need for them to have additional classrooms to fit the needs of their students. 65 students were crammed into one of these tiny, dark and dangerous classrooms and they were still keen to learn. Will got the kids here to hold the CH banner and I think he is keen to use it as their first school next year. 

The Third school was our first disappointment. Milele Secondary school was a beautiful school with 5 brick built classrooms and about 120 students. They have had significant investment since their application a couple of years ago and this meant that their needs were now aimed at providing a richer curriculum rather than the basic provisions that C4K is designed to facilitate. The school and teachers were lovely and we were amused to see the photo of Mr. Peter on the wall next to the President of Kenya’s. The school appeared to be doing well with well-mannered students and lovely facilities but they didn’t need our help to provide for their current students or the need for the short term either.

Although every school in Kenya could always do with additional help and resources, the mission of C4K is definitely to provide the basic provision of education to schools and students in communities where they need it most.

The applications for schools are really clear that education needs help to keep the kids away from a life of crime, deprivation and illicit activities and the students really would like to have a future of prosperity and have ambitions far beyond their parent's achievements. I really hope and pray that education in Kenya and also the rest of the world is able to free children from the past of early marriage, illicit activities and to a life of prosperity.

I was really humbled today by the students that were desperate to meet us and say hello as though we were some sort of superstar or saviour that was coming to make their world better. I wish that it was possible for us to remove the need for mud huts in all schools that we build in and provide the safe environments for students and teachers to learn in. I was horrified by seeing 65 kids in a mud hut that was unfit but the kids were so polite and well spoken.

Tomorrow will bring more schools and a couple of opening ceremonies that will do nothing to dispel the idea of white man brings money and prosperity but will give us an opportunity to make the students feel their world has got better in some way.

Day 4

Kenya - Day 1 Travelling to Kenya

April 1st - Easter Sunday.

Departing from home on Saturday evening to start the long journey to Kitale. My journey is a collection of short trips starting with getting to Billingshurst for a brief stop to collect my fellow travelers. Getting up at the crack of dawn to drive to the Airport and then the first flight takes a short flight to Paris with a couple of hours stopover before taking the 8-hour flight to Nairobi.

Leaving my family at home for the first of my adventures this year was difficult. I have been away from them before for a few days but this seemed to be a bit more of a journey. I guess leaving during a school holiday left the emotion that this is supposed to be our time together.

Flying is still an exciting and nervous experience for me. I am not a nervous passenger but being over 6 foot tall and inevitably sitting next to passengers that you don't know makes you feel that you don't want to disturb them everytime you fancy stretching your legs.

So I have arrived in Paris and have a couple of hours in an airport whilst waiting for the next flight to take us on our journey. A couple of hours watching other people arriving and departing and thinking about what the next part of their journey will be. How many people cross paths that have no connection with each other apart from traveling through an airport at the same time as each other. Arriving from different countries and continuing on very separate journeys. How thin the line between arriving and departing on the same plane or next gate.

I will write a post each day with some photos of the people I meet and the schools and places I visit. The rest of the trips posts have been written and uploaded so please look and a read.

Day 2

Kenya - Day 2 Journey to Kitale

Travel to Kitale

A journey of just over 300km from the Kenyan capital to Kitale by car should be a simple journey. My last experience of this journey was on a bus and the roads were treacherous at best. However, there has been a significant investment from the Chinese and the roads were tarmacked the whole way. Still a whole day's journey. some of the roads are dual carriageways but most are just single roads that all manner of locals use to get from A to B. Motorbikes are the primary delivery vehicle of goods and people with longer journeys completed mainly by minibusses that run from town to town stopping at various places along the way.

What I noticed last time I came and also today was the way that towns and villages are created from the road. It is also ancient civilisation settlements built along the side of the road where one town looks strangely similar to the previous one all centered around the road that passes through. The other thing that really caught my attention was the colour. When I think of Africa I think of the orangey brown sand that is everywhere and gets into everything but actually, Kenya is a very arable part of Africa with plantations and farms everywhere and the country is green. Crops grow everywhere and this is a really welcome sight. The last part of Colour that really grabbed me again today was the clothing. People wear bright colours with lots of patterns and they look good and happy about it. People are wearing conservative clothes in bright colours and making the country seem friendlier and happier.
Our Journey took us all day and started with a distinct lack of petrol in the Nation's capital city. The third petrol station had petrol and we were happily on our way on our long road trip.
The Car is a story for another time.

Day 3