KCCL Trip

On Wednesday, November 20th, I went on my last KCCL trip for the semester! We had planned to have a christmas party, so I brought a huge 2 litre bottle of coke and a packet of chips for the kids. I was really excited to see how the party went and talk to all the kids again, but I was also melancholy at the prospect of not seeing them for a whole month.

When we arrived everyone got out of the bus with their food and started to set up a table and chairs. We laid all of our snacks out on it, pouring out drinks into small plastic cups provided, and opening up packets etc. All the kids were sitting on chairs around us, but we realised that it may of been too chaotic if everyone was unleashed upon the 'buffet' at the same time. We decided to pile up plates with food ourselves, and just hand them out. Unfortunately, we soon ran out of plates, so we began to use napkins instead. Everyone seemed really pleased with how things were playing out though, and the kids all had wide smiles plastered on their faces. However, once everyone had a plate we opened up the table for people to just come and take things as they pleased. It was MADNESS. I turned around for two minutes and when I glanced back at the table there were wrappers scattering the ground, and the children had food on their faces and clothes!

The party went on for the duration of our trip - it was very relaxed, kids came and went to get food, and we sat in circles and talked to each other. It was clear that the children didn't often get occasions in which to just sit down with each other, eat, and socialise. It was really loud in the room, and shrieks of laughter emanated from the school!
Time flew by, and soon enough we were clearing up everything and the kids were heading home. It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm grateful that I can return next semester.

Doing KCCL this semester has been really good for me. I've been able to be more accepting of others, and to appreciate how lucky I am to be the way I am. It must be really difficult for these kids, but the level of strength and perseverance that they show is incredible. No matter when or where they are, they're smiling, and that makes all the difference in the world. It really does.

I've been able to develop my leadership qualities and communication skills on the trip - being able to convey ideas and messages to those who see the world in a different light can be challenging, but it allows you to expand your knowledge and self-awareness.

Next semester I hope that we can do a little more painting, and perhaps work on educating the kids a little more about some world issues - like animal abuse for instance (I'm wondering if any of them have been to KSPCA?).

[photos hopefully coming soon]

Save The Rhino Talk

The representative presents for us

On Monday, November 19th, a representative of Laikipia Wildlife Forum came to talk to the Save The Rhino group about poaching. This occurred after school, and took place in Mrs Wilkin's room.

We all met in the classroom after school, and in around 15 minutes or so the representative arrived. He first introduced us to his foundation - the Laikipia Wildlife Forum. This is a conservation organisation, that considers the views of locals, private rangers, pastoralists, tourism ventures, etc, in their strive to protect the natural resources and animals of this beautiful region. Their mission is to bring the people of the region together and conserve the wildlife, ecosystem and natural resources as a result.

You can find out more about this organisation at: http://www.laikipia.org/

The representative was really nice, and a great public speaker. He had prepared a powerpoint for us, which was really interesting, but brutally shocking. He included some very graphic photos, and there were numerous times when I just couldn't look at them. For instance, there was a particularly awful one of a mother elephant who had been killed, and her stomach has been split open and an almost fully developed baby elephant has been dragged onto the ground. I just don't understand how anyone could do this to such an innocent creature, who's never harmed anyone in it's life - how can you put your own material needs over the life of something so innately pure!? We are all equal in this world, a human is no less superior than a mouse or an elephant, and we all deserve to have long happy lives. The level of suffering, exploitation and ignorance in this world leaves me shellshocked and confused, I wish that I had the power to make change immediately, but I know that making myself heard (as well as getting others to consider and accept my views) will be very difficult indeed. For instance, in track and field the other day I heard two 10th grade boys discussing meat - they were talking about chicken, and they spoke with so little consideration for the fact that, what they view as simply a source of food, is a living breathing creature, which can feel pain just as they can. We have no right to carry out this mass murder each day, and I know that there are some who may disagree, but I feel that it is morally wrong.

To get back on topic - the representative continued on to talk about how farmers often poison lions and other carnivores that attack their cows (by putting acid on the carcass), and this spreads throughout the ecosystem (as other scavengers feed on the carcass of the lion), which is disastrous. I found this terrible,  because so many are hurt for one simple action - an action that cannot really be labeled as negative, for the lion has to eat just as much as anyone else.
He discussed many other things, linking them directly to the people in the area as well. For instance, he talked about water, elephant raids of villages, education, fencing, tracking and dealing with poachers, etc etc. It was all extremely dynamic and eye-opening, and I was really glad to see that they're making a  considerable impact on the wildlife of Kenya. I want to go into wildlife-conservation later in life, and this empowered me and increased my passion for this area of work tenfold.

I'm really glad that it was arranged for this man to come and talk to us, because in Save The Rhino we have a tendency to fundraise with no background information or exposure to the issue. Hopefully the other members of the group were impacted as greatly as I was.

Interact Club - Runda Feeding Trip

We begin to hand out plates to the elderly
[I am in the grey shirt and blue shorts]

On Sunday, November 17th, I went to a Runda Feeding trip. We all met at java at 10:30, and ended at around 1:00. This time we finished a little earlier, at around 12:30, because less children showed up. There were around 15 of us on the trip, and it felt really good to be going back. I haven't been on this trip for a while now, and I wanted to see if things had progressed, and how everyone was doing.

The kids wait for the food to be handed out

We managed to all fit in the cars, and when we arrived at the site for the feeding we all immediately set to work. Most of the food had actually already been unpacked, so we only had to tear open a few bags of candy and mandazis. However, after this had been done we put the food on various bowls and then carried it out for the old men and women. They smiled gratefully at us, but seeing their living conditions I felt really awful for them all. Their houses smelt strongly, and they had a single bed in a little cubicle. There wasn't any privacy, and it was grey and dark and empty. I hope that one day we can possibly arrange to go and do something about this, but I think there's a little too much going on at the moment right now.

After we'd finished this there was already a long line of children outside the little shelter. The line winded up all the way to the gate, and even extended out onto the road. For once, I didn't hand out milk - I decided to give out candy and lollipops. I had small butterscotch type sweets, and I was told to give two to each child.

Piles of bread ready to be handed out

At first, the kids came in slowly, and it was all very organised. I've always found it slightly disconcerting that none of the children smile or say thank you when you give them the food, but I noticed that far less of them were rude or pushy this time. I did receive a few promptings to hand out more candy, followed by annoyed clicks or shakes of heads, but I suppose it's to be expected - these children are pretty desperate, and I'll never be able to understand the extent that they are forced to endure. I can only hope that I make a positive impact.

This went on for a really long time, and the crowd grew as the time went by. There were points where there were four kids holding out their bags to me at once, while a mass of other people writhed just behind them. It was all very overwhelming, but we managed to get through everyone fine - we even had extra food at the end.
As usual, there was a wee bit of disarray and disruption at the end - people came back with more empty bags, and kids and adults alike tried to reach the extra food. It was clear that the people who run this are well versed in how to deal with this, because the crowds soon dispersed.
We finished with a prayer, and people made comments about the day.

Sweets we were handing out

I can never fully describe the extent that these events affect me on this blog, it's not a feeling that can adequately be captured in words. I know I've said it already, but it really does make me so appreciative of all that I have, and the opportunities that have been presented to me. These kids have already been exposed to so much, and I really hope that these feedings make things a little easier for them all.

In this trip I was able to increase my self-awareness, and knowledge regarding the community and country that I live in. I was inspired to start something like this myself, and I really admire the founders of this event - especially for their commitment and compassion.

Ushering for 'Our Town'

 On Friday and Saturday night I had to usher for the play 'Our Town' for ARTSCO. This wasn't an arduous task at all, because I got to see the play and help ensure that it all ran smoothly. I was at school at 5:15 both nights, in order for there to be time for Cora to explain everything to us. We had to stand outside the doors of the auditorium and pass out programs and rip tickets for the people going in. We also had to remind those with food and drink that they weren't allowed to bring them into the auditorium.

This was actually a lot harder than it sounds, because at times there were crowds of people all bunched up trying to get through the door, and only 2 or 3 ushers to keep track of everyone. There were times when I had my hands filled with the small pieces you had to rip off of the tickets and was trying frantically to hand out programs at the same time, dropping paper everywhere. However, it was nice seeing all the excited faces, and hearing the anticipation in there voice as they handed you their tickets and headed inside. It all felt very official, and we had to tell everyone to go in after the bell rang and then, when the doors on the ground floor were closed and the play had started, we were responsible of telling latecomers to head upstairs and enter through the top of the auditorium.

Friday night was definitely more busy, and there were quite a few latecomers. On Saturday, however, it was fairly well controlled. During the two intermissions we also had roles. In the first, we had to usher everybody back inside after the break, and ensure that they didn't bring food or drink back in. In the second, we had to stop anybody from leaving the auditorium. However, we let a few people out to go to the bathroom.

I know that my role in the production of the play was small and almost insignificant, but it felt nice to be doing something in the ISK community. I actually really enjoyed my nights ushering, I got to see the play and really feel connected to everybody.

GIN & Golden Hearts Workshops

On Saturday, November 9th, we had the GIN and Golden Hearts Workshops. These went on from about 8:30 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, and consisted of numerous games, presentations and activities that revolved around awareness regarding global issues and increased motivation to make change. I felt like this meeting actually inspired me a great deal, urging me to start up my own project and speak out for what I believe is right and just.

The circle - Tito talks to us all

The day started off with the two groups meeting in Mrs Lavender's room and introducing ourselves. The leader of Golden Hearts was Tito, a young man who brought life into everything we did. Whenever someone spoke up about what they were doing or thinking he would make them go "ka-ching!" afterwards, and the group would have to point at them and say "ROCK STAR!" I thought that this was a really nice way of motivating everyone and making us feel good about what we've accomplished, even though it was a little cheesy!

We played some ice breaker games (one called 'fruit basket', which was a little like musical chairs, and another called 'mingle mingle', where we had to form groups of certain numbers), and then sat in a circle and shared what we were currently working on. The Golden Hearts members amazed me, they were not from the most well off families or schools but were so passionate about everything that they were doing. They never stopped smiling, and I could tell that this wasn't about CAS for them - they had a genuine urge to make a difference. I know that I have this same earnest hope within myself, and I hope that I can start doing things as impressive as they are. For instance, one boy had gone back to his village and started up volleyball and football games, etc, as a means of raising funds to plant trees and conserve the environment. He is only 17, and seems well beyond his years in terms of awareness and enlightenment.

Challenges poster 

After the discussion was over we split into four groups and were given poster paper and pens to record our thoughts on various topics. We were told to discuss what success is, and what challenges us (in terms of stepping out and taking action). We also had to think about the pros and cons of our work in GIN (plus and delta). I think that this was really useful for us, as I've never particularly thought about what success is to me, and why I haven't been doing as much as I'd really like to. Not only did it allow me to gain a fresh perspective on how I'm approaching global issues and change today, but it also gave me the opportunity to connect with the Golden Hearts members in smaller groups and speak out. We all presented what we'd brainstormed after a few minutes, and it was interesting to see the range of ideas.

My group and I discuss challenges

We had a brief break in the middle of these activities, and we got to eat mandazi and drink tea. After we had finished everything we went out to eat lunch, and we were served an amazing kenyan meal with soft drinks. We had around 45 minutes to finish, and one of the Golden Hearts boys (the one described above who runs the project) came and sat down with some friends and I and talked about what he's done.
After lunch we had another game. We had to look at the ground and then glance up and look at someone's eyes, if you made eye contact you had to act the most ridiculous death possible. Whomever's death was most earnest got to stay in the circle, while the loser had to leave. This was pretty challenging for me, due to my shyness, but I think that it really helped me to step out of my comfort zone and get to know everyone better.
Then came the workshops themselves, consisting of poaching (my workshop!), gender inequality, water and education. Two went on at the same time for half an hour, and then we all switched. Poaching was one of the first two, so I went with my group up to Mrs Lavender's room and we did our powerpoint and game. The powerpoint was reasonably short, but contained vital information and wasn't too boring for everyone. We focused mainly on poaching in Kenya, so speaking about Elephant's and Rhino's in particular. I presented with Natasha Hira and Elly, while the other three members of the group arranged the game afterwards.

Brainstorming

The game was really fun. We each got a different colored ribbon - transparent, gold, pink and brown. The transparent ones were poachers, the gold's were conservationists, the pink's were carnivores and the brown's were herbivores. The game was a game of tag, where 'killing' was making somebody sit down. Poachers could kill herbivores and carnivores, carnivores could kill herbivores, conservationists could bring carnivores and herbivores back to life (allowing them to stand back up and run), and herbivores could be killed by poachers and carnivores.  I was a brown, and we were the largest group of the lot. The game was very interesting, as as it progressed conservationists had to step out (displaying the fact that people drop out of this area of work due to low pay, etc), and it effectively showed the fact that with all of these threats animals cannot easily survive - leading to extinction.
I think everyone enjoyed our workshop a lot - I certainly learnt a lot from it.

Our posters

Afterwards I went to the education workshop. They gave a small powerpoint, comparing finland (which has the best education) to Kenya, and showing us videos and statistics. The gap was shocking, and it opened up my eyes to the severe inequality between these two countries. Afterwards we had a debate between quality vs quantity. I was on the quality side, and we argued about the role of teachers in society, and the fact that it is better to have one well educated person who can come back and make a change for others than a great deal of poorly educated people who cannot find jobs. The quantity people made various other solid arguments against our points, and was interesting to hear both sides of the 'story'.

Finally, we all gathered in the classroom in a circle and went around and said what we had learnt. People spoke about the educational and fun games, and the fact that they had been surprised by what had been pointed out to them. A girl beside me from Golden Hearts said that she had previously believed that Kenya had good education, which shows how little she has been exposed to or experienced in her lifetime.

Hannah and I present the plus's and delta's

This meeting taught me a great deal about world issues, and increased my leadership skills and confidence in myself. I was prompted to interact with those I knew very little about, which is one of my weaker points, but I feel like I did a good job. I loved seeing people from two different communities coming together in this way, because there's no ignoring the fact that we share the same Earth.
However, it was still somewhat challenging to talk in front of everyone and to be comfortable in sharing my points of views, for fear that people would disagree. Hopefully as I get to know everyone better this will stop being an issue for me.

To conclude, everyone had to say one word that described the day for them. 'Motivating' and 'inspirational' came up a lot, and I used 'enlightening'. As we said our goodbyes I saw a change in the eyes of my peers - we are already seeing the world in a different way, a different light. We are the leaders of tomorrow, and we need to be thinking about these issues and coming up with solutions for generations to come. I am very determined to do something outside of the original CAS groups at school - even if it's just going to KSPCA on my own from time to time.

GIN with Golden Hearts

The Golden Hearts members taught me a great deal, but most importantly the fact that one person - rich or poor, male or female - can light the way for others.

Piano Lesson

The book I'm on now - filled with ridiculous monster creatures

Today Rachel and I covered the songs that I practiced for homework (Go For The Gold, Pirates Of The Sea, and Long, Long Ago) and did a little more review. We didn't learn any new notes today, but we've moved on to a harder book now (though still for beginners).

We focused mainly on keeping the beat and going quicker than normal. As we were playing I realised how lovely we sounded together, and I actually found myself humming the song for a while after the class ended. We also learnt briefly about quavers, as described below.

Through piano lessons I have found myself increasing my responsibility (as I have to use better time management in order to practice sufficiently), focus and concentration, and creativity. It's really a unique experience, so different from anything I've done before - of course, guitar was also challenging, but it didn't require the same absorption in the subject matter. 

Part of a piece I'm playing

KCCL Trip

Today I went for my second KCCL trip. We left just after school finished, and the drive was around half an hour or so. When we got there the kids were all waiting in the garden, and ran up to us to give us hugs, introduce themselves (if we hadn't previously spoken), and ask as how we were and what we'd been up to. A girl of about 11 came up to me and without saying a word hugged me extremely tightly and wouldn't let go! This was really sweet, and we talked a lot on this trip.

We all headed over to the mural painting site. Unfortunately, there had been a small mishap - some kids had gotten their hands on paints and had scribbled over the entire wall! Therefore, after setting up the paints and plastic sheets, we set to work painting over everything with white paint. A few KCCL kids stayed to help us, while the others went inside to do other activities. The children were laughing and playing with each other, and we all conversed as we worked on the wall. Luckily, none of them seemed disappointed that we were covering up their artwork!

This took the majority of the time, as the wall was huge and there was a limited supply of paintbrushes. By the end we had covered all of it, though some images were still showing through slightly. Hannah and I started to draw on our design in pencil - the theme being friends, so the pictures of pooh and piglet, and people holding letters to spell the world 'friends'.

I think that this was a reasonably productive day, as we can now complete our two pictures on the next trip. The kids all seemed extremely happy with our visit, and were excited for our next trip over. We spent a lot more time bonding with the kids this time, and I feel that I now have solid friendships with quite a few of them.
I learn a great deal about leadership, understanding, creativity, and the overwhelming passion and positivity of life from these KCCL trips and I'm looking forward to continuing this for 12 months.

[photos coming soon]

Piano Lesson

I had a piano lesson on Wednesday last week. It was fairly short, but very productive. I learnt some more keys of the piano, and I now know almost all of the ones below:

Rachel continues to be very supportive, and she urges me on despite my frequent mistakes. I find it quite hard to immediately recognise the written notes and associate them with which finger should be used, etc. Another thing I find challenging is connecting notes, in a sense. It's hard to make smooth transitions, letting one note continue to ring as the other one starts. It's all a bit overwhelming to begin with, but I try to practice for at least 15 minutes everyday and I'm already noticing that it flows a lot smoother now.

We are now looking at notes which are tied (and therefore held out for a longer period of time), and playing two notes at the same time. We've done songs like Good King Wenceslas, and Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen. We do a lot of duets together during the classes, and it's really nice to hear how the two pieces come together. Rachel constantly amazes me with her amazing playing, and it motivates me to improve. She gave me a few songs to practice in one of the books, and says that she's going to bring a book full of christmas music for me to practice. I'm pretty excited about this, as I'm already in the 'christmas mood'. 

OVC Christmas Party

 On Saturday, November 2nd, we had the OVC christmas party for Interact club at school. This went on from 9:30 to around 12:30, and consisted of:

- swimming activities
- a hot breakfast
- a play in the elementary playground
- distribution of new clothing

When we arrived we were split into groups for each location, and into small parties to take around the children. I was put into one of the groups taking the kids around, and started off by collecting them all at the gate. They all looked extremely excited, despite the fact that it was raining slightly and they were all dressed in old and rather dirty clothing. I was both happy and sad at the sight of them lined up there -  both grateful that we were giving them the chance to experience that of which they rarely have access to, but melancholy at the blunt realisation of the inequality in society today.

We first headed for the swimming pool, and all the kids stripped down to their bare essentials and jumped in. They did a few kicking exercises, and then played around with toys and floaties. They shrieked and howled in their excitement, and we didn't have to do much interaction at this point for them to have a great time. When they got out we stood outside the changing rooms and dried them all off with a few towels that we had. They then got dressed, and we hurried over to the breakfast room.

One of the kids plays on the slide

For breakfast, there were mandazis, boiled eggs, tea, and hot chocolate. The children ate vigorously, gulping down the mandazi in huge bites and smiling at each other with cheeks stuffed with food. This was eye opening for me, as I had gone out for dinner only a few nights before hand, and had eaten my sushi with far less enthusiasm. I realised the extent that it's necessary for me to appreciate all that I have, and make a change for these children.

We then went to the playground, where the kids swung about on the swings and monkey bars. We helped them onto the slides, and pushed them on the swings and roundabouts. Afterwards, we headed over to the science blocks where the clothes were waiting. Each child got one item of clothing, and then we played musical chairs outside. They all loved this game, and got a little too excited running around after a while! Luckily we stopped it before things got too out of hand.

The kids wait to be picked up

Leading the children back up to the parking lot and watching them walk away smiling and laughing amongst themselves was amazing, and I felt like I had really made an impact on lives. There is honestly no better feeling in this world than seeing a child smiling and knowing that you are part of the reason why. I learnt a lot about leadership and perseverance during this event, as we had to take control of the group throughout the activities when it was rather challenging (we had 17 kids amongst the 4 of us). We also had to work on our communication skills, as the children don't speak much english and see the world in a very different way from ourselves.
All in all, these OVC gatherings allow us to look at life through a different lens, and to appreciate what we have and the differences that we can make in the world today.
I think I made some great friends, and I can't wait to meet with the OVC kids again soon.