RAFIKI Trip to Kenya 2007

Trip Preparation

One day before our flight, the five Bodwell students gathered to pack up bags full of donations from the Bodwell community. We packed pens, pencils, paper, basketballs, stuffed animals - and letters from Bodwell students!

DAY 1: Arrival

We left Vancouver at 8:30 pm on Saturday, August 4th - and after a 5-hour wait in London, we arrived in Kenya at 6:00 am on Monday, August 6th. We were surprised upon arrival by the very cool weather - much colder than Canda! Mr. Kubish, Bodwell staff, and Alison Costain, CTC representative, gave us a warm welcome at the airport.

 The first day was an attempt to stay awake all day long in order to adjust to local time. We went to email, ate dinner at our beautiful accomodations, and slept soundly that night. We were each given an African journal, which we could use to record our thoughts and ideas.

DAY 2: Mai Mahiu

We spent our first day in the community on Tuesday, August 6th. A brief orientation from our local contact, Ken, introduced us to this community. Mai Mahiu is situated beside a major highway - ie a paved road. Mai Maihu is a stopping point for truck drivers on the so-called 'AIDS Highway' which is the main link between Nairobi, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda. A groups of youth in Mai Maihu is working together to improve conditions in their community - they are the People for Change Youth Initiative (PCYI).  

We were welcomed by a large and enthusiastic group of PCYI members - members of the People for Change Youth Initiative. We walked through the community. We visited a primary school, which has a total teaching staff of under 20 people but over 1600 students - in other words, classes are on average 100 students per class. Children from the community came to greet us and walk with us. They loved our T-shirts, which say "Rafiki" - friend!

We ate lunch that day in the local community, enjoying a full meal of 'chapati' (fried bread) with beans, cabbage, and greens.

DAY 3: Painting

Our first day of volunteering was a painting day. We painted a white primer onto the boys' dorm. At one point, we even sang the Bodwell School Song!

DAY 4: Painting with PCYI

In the morning we had some extra time - so, with the help of a few of Jim Burnett's basketballs, we played games with the children at the orphanage! We played 'pass' and 'duck-duck-goose'. Some of the children were very shy, but the balls helped to break the ice.

We also had a chance to visit the local polytechnic training institute. In four small classrooms, students take year-long programs in either carpentry, hair styling, knitting, or computer technology. The conditions were basic and the students were very friendly! At the hair styling school, Ji Yun volunteered to have two braids put into her hair, and a few of the students posed for a photograph.

In the afternoon, painting began again. This time, we had the help of the PCYI members - six of them came to help us, making the work faster and much more enjoyable!

One of the PCYI members was kind enough to donate a hand-made gift to Bodwell. It is made of banana leaves and formed in the shape of Africa, with a small hut made of coconut husks. We took a picture with some of the children from the orphanage who were helping us.

DAY 5: Visiting Mai Mahiu High School and Maasai village

In the morning, we visited one of the local high schools, Mai Maihiu High School. We were welcomed by their Mission Statement - which emphasizes "character building, self-reliance and an enterprising spirit". The deputy principal, Mr. Peter, was exceptionally welcoming to the entire group, and introduced us to several teachers in the staff area. After a meeting in which he emphasized the school's interest in making a connection with Bodwell, he introduced our Bodwell students to the four high school groups.

In each classroom, the Bodwell students introduced themselves in Swahili:
   Jina langu ni ______ (name)
   Ninatoka _______ (country of origin)

The students all speak fluent Swahili, English, and at least one local language. They study in Swahili and in English, using paper and notebooks only (not textbooks). The school has approximately 300 students divided into four rooms, one room for each grade: Form 1 (grade 9), Form 2 (grade 10), Form 3 (grade 11), and Form 4 (Grade 12). Each classroom contained approximately 60 - 80 students!

After visiting the secondary school, we went back to town and met up with the PCYI youth, for a much-anticipated journey to 'Maasai-land'! The drive out in itself was extraordinary - we saw zebras, and gazelles on the side of the road.

We the Maasai, with their characteristic beaded jewellry, colourful robes, and elongated earrings. Walking with some young Maasai children - most of whom do not attend school - we had the privilege of visiting a Maasai home. Maasai homes are made by the females of the tribe, not the males, and are made of a wooden frame plastered with cow dung.

At the end of the day, we took a group photo with our five youth, some of the PCYI members, and the Maasai children. All in all, an eventful day!

If you've read this, then we've successfully uploaded our first trip log! Our email access is limited but we will try to keep in contact as best we can.

Tutaonana! (Swahili for 'see you later')

The following links will be enabled when/if Bodwell students are able to upload their personal log:
Nichole Monroy
Ji Yun (Jennifer) Kim
Marina Matsui
Kyung Eun (Rosa) Kho
Yilin (Pauline) Li