Kathele
Yesterday I was privileged to make the journey around 160 km north of Nairobi with David and Solomon from World Vision to visit Kathele, his family and his community. Kathele is one of the two children I sponsor through World Vision and it was a very rewarding experience to come and meet Kathele and his family, to visit his school and his community and see what community development work is underway in this area of Kenya.
We began at the local WV office where I met Rose, the local project manager and was also able to meet Gregory, one of the local community volunteers who are responsible for the children in this area. I had seen Gregory's face in a photo I was carrying with me, but I had thought he was Kathele's father! Some initial major misunderstanding that was soon sorted.
Gregory with Kathele and his older brother
After hearing about the work of WV in this area we all headed off to Kathele's school where the children greeted us effusively. I was certainly an object of significant curiosity! Kathele met us on the way into the school grounds and as soon as I opened my door he jumped onto my knee with a big smile. Gregory tells me he is "bold one" as often children are initially afraid when meeting their sponsors and some even cry. The teacher told me he is an "active" one, he is at school sometimes when she arrives at 6.45 am!
The head teacher was away but I met Veronica, the teacher on duty and, completely surrounded, we talked for a while as the boys collected their school bags. As we were leaving the children sang a small song and were very enthusiastic in their "hellos and goodbyes". We drove for some kilometres to get to Kathele's actual small community and to the small "pre-school" that provides kindergarten classes for the children before they go off to attend the larger primary school. I asked Gregory if the children walked to school each day and he said "yes, of course, it's not far". A very different perspective from that of our Australian resource-rich communities.
Pre-school, African style
The children sing for me
It was important to WV and the community that I visit this small one room building, as my community gifts have enclosed some of the ends of the building (previously open to the weather), have added a door, have allowed desks to be constructed for the children (who previously sat on the dirt floor) and a chair and desk for the teacher, who also sat on the floor. They are also presently building a toilet for the children and hope in the not too far distant future to be able to put a floor down. It's quite transforming to see what a difference such a relatively small amount of money can make in a community like this, and how learning and care can still happen without the hundreds of thousands of dollars that we spend being available. This kindergarten has:
- no window glass, no ceiling or wall linings, no floor (there's loose dirt of course)
- no water
- no toilets
- no books
- no playground
- one teacher who cares deeply about the children she teaches
- parents who care enough about education to make sure that their small children (from 3 up) make the long walk each day
- dreams for the future
After leaving the kindergarten we drove another couple of kms to Kathele's home. I was extremely warmly welcomed as an honoured guest.
I sit under the shade with Kathele, Josephine his mother and Joseph his father, his grandfather and two brothers (one older, one younger).
We began with soft drinks ("sodas") and talk and then an exchange of gifts. We had stopped at the supermarket on the way and purchased a significant amount of staple foodstuffs - maize meal, corn flour, rice, cooking oil, bread, biscuits, potatoes, drinks etc. - and I had also brought a small gift for the boys. Unfortunately the box of books and posters etc. that I had sent from Australia had not arrived so I had to improvise in Nairobi. So the big school got 3 soccer balls (Africans are football mad), the small school got another soccer ball and a koala picture that I had with me, Kathele got a soccer ball for himself and a couple of T-shirts and little books, simplified fables in English. Even the grandfather read the books. And it called on all my resources to tell the story of the tortoise and the hare to a small boy with no English! Lots of hand actions!
The family in return very generously gave me a bead necklace, a woven bag (one of the traditional ones that you would normally carry by putting the strap around your forehead - I had to demonstrate by actions that my neck wouldn't cope with that strain) and two wood carvings, one of two giraffes and one of a Masai man. They are beautiful. Kathele kept making sure that my necklace was sitting right for the rest of my stay.
With all my finery and special gifts
Food was then served and all the ladies present (relatives and community including the village head lady) had obviously been cooking up a storm - there was chicken, a meat stew, soup, rice, chapattis and a great cabbage and tomato and onion dish that was delicious. More sodas too.
Before we ate a lady brought a jug of water and a dish to all and we washed our hands in almost a ritual way. No towels, but the day was exceptionally hot and they quickly dried. We all ate with our fingers in the traditional way (take a small piece of chapatti, or make a rice ball and use it to scoop up some of the other food, then pop it all in your mouth) although there were spoons available if needed. Chickens and dogs clean up the spillage (although the dogs were visitors, brought by relatives). I was told that this was traditional Christmas feasting and only done on special occasions. Guests and those at the "top" tables were served first, then everyone else. Everyone certainly ate up big and seemed to really relish the food. And I felt pretty special.
After the food there were speeches, from the villagers and the head woman, then I had to make one and then David from WV made one too. A prayer or two completed the agenda. Oh yes, and the crowd sang a special song about how blessed they were - Africans seem to know how to harmonise instinctively and love to sing - everyone joined in.
Then it was time to go and as we left the crowd followed us, singing and clapping in a traditional send off.
Kathele says goodbye
Farewell from the crowd
I suspect that Kathele hasn't had the opportunity to be too close to anyone white before (although the teacher told me that there had been US AIDS workers at the big school) - a little hand would creep out from time to time and rub the skin on my arm, or hold my hand, and my glasses, ring and bracelets were very closely examined. He also brought me out all his school books to show me how he was doing.
Josephine goes about a kilometre and a half to collect water every day (on foot) and they are building another two rooms for the house, which currently has one room. The existing room will become the kitchen when they are finished. The rooms aren't joined together, just located close to each other. They have planted silky oaks around the house compound and farm in a small way - maize and vegetables such as peas and beans. The plants are only watered by the rains.
Such a different world, and people who have so little by western standards and yet who still revel in the joy of living and of family and friends.... It all makes you think
love to all
Lyndall
