Jambo, we are sitting in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam awaiting our returning flight home. We arrived to rainy Amsterdam at 5:30am and spent the last 20 minutes looking for power to charge our devices and gain access to the internet. As has been the theme over the last 10 days, none of our wonderful technology worked according to plan and we were forced to shell out 28 Euros to purchase an adapter that fit the outlet. We have many adapters, but getting them to actually work is a whole other story.
As we sit on the floor outside of gate F2 China Airlines (it was one of the only outlets near us that worked) we are trying to put in perspective our thoughts and feelings in regards to the journey that is coming to a close. So much has been accomplished in such a short amount of time. Folks that have taken the time to read this blog must understand that 7 days in the AYS life cycle is comparable to two months in most other organizations. We went at it for 15 hours a day and were relentless, feeling that we had some much to do, with so little time to do it.
It might be helpful for you to understand how the Okari community operates on a daily basis.
3:30am
Undomesticated dogs bark endlessly at what appears to be nothing. This continues, along with the occasional chicken and rooster for close to 2 hours.
4:30am
The sound of Okari School children beginning to stir as they leave their small metal clad dormitories signaling the start of another day
4:35am
The rooster located 20 feet from our tent proudly lets us know that it is time to lift up the mosquito nets, crawl out bed and get ourselves moving.
5:30am
The sun starts to creep over the beautiful land of Kisii.
5 – 7am
The kids are in their makeshift 10x10 classrooms constructed of wood and corrugated metal studying and preparing for the academic day. If we are awake enough, we try to assist. It is an awesome way to begin the day, as the kids are so alive, running, skipping and singing as the move from one classroom to the next – imagine if we all started our day that way.
7am
The cowbell rings signaling the start of breakfast, which typically consists of porridge and is prepared and served by the Okari cook Naomi. For the next 20 minutes the children mill about campus, eating, laughing and sharing stories of the previous day. Upon completion of their breakfast the children are required to wash their bowl and cup and return it to its place by their bunk in the cramped dorm. Each child has a very small trunk where they keep and store their personal items, which consists of very little. Can you imagine keeping everything you own in a two foot by three foot box? It’s hard to comprehend.
7:30am
Breakfast is over and the children congregate in the dining hall to sing a few songs. We notice that most of the songs that the children and teachers sing one way or another are praising their reverence to the God of their understanding. It is amazing how truly close the children are to one another, their teachers and to God.
7:45am to 12pm
The students are in their classes studying and learning from the teachers. There are roughly 150 students at Okari ranging from Preschool to Standard 8, which is equivalent to our elementary through middle school in Andover. The students are truly impressive because they speak in 3 different languages. Most students speak their tribal language, Swahili (the national language of Kenya) and very good English. It also should be noted that most teaching and learning is done in English. Despite their lack of resources, their educational focuses are very similar to those of ours in Andover; math, science, history, reading and writing. The main goal of the teachers is to prepare the students for a test that they will take at the end of 8th grade. If they pass the test, they have the opportunity to move on to high school.
12pm
The students convene back in the dining hall to have lunch. After they have eaten the students are given roughly an hour break where you can find them running, playing and being social with each other. During this time the teachers can often be found kicking a ‘soccer ball’ or sitting in the shade of a tree with a group of students. The teachers are incredible people, who are truly dedicated to educating their students.
2 to 6pm
The kids are back in the classroom to continue the day’s studies. We were always welcome to sit in on the classes and participate in which ever subject was being taught. The students focus and ability to retain and learn was outstanding. Thank God they don’t have laptops, cell phones and Ipods.
6pm
The kids arrive back in the dining hall to have dinner – which seems to be the same each night, a plate of plantains and greens, with a cup of water. There is never any complaining and we have yet to see leftovers anywhere. We have to give a shout out to the Okari staff, as it is an amazing task to feed roughly 175 people, which includes the students, teachers and school staff on a daily basis on what is a very, VERY limited budget. As is with every meal, the children begin and end with singing, dancing and being thankful for what they have.
7 to 9pm
Here is an amazing fact…after dinner many of the teachers leave Okari to walk up to 5 miles back to their homes. Even more amazing, the class time spent after dinner and before bed is typically independent, with older kids teaching younger kids. It is a sight to behold.
9 to 9:30pm
The dining hall is packed with each and every student and whatever teachers and staff remain as the students perform a variety of songs and dance routines for each other. Obviously music is a huge part of the students’ lives, and Kenya as a whole. Every child can sing and dance – as they were born with the gift of rhythm in their soul. Their spirit, determination, laughter and songs has shown us that God truly is great.
10pm
The kids go to bed and within 15 minutes are ALL sound asleep…
10:15pm
The security staff at the school makes sure that we are safe in our tent and have all that we need for a peaceful nights rest.
We shall meet again at 4:30am.
At this point, you might be wondering where the AYS crew has been during this very busy Okari school day…stay tuned we shall let you know the very good news. As Tom, better known as T1, the principal of Okari continues to remind us, “Hakuna Mattata, no worries my friend…it is no problem”
Sawa Sawa, we shall talk to you soon my friends.
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