Friday 31 July 2015

Nairobi - 31st July

We arrived in Nairobi from Eldoret, a little late on the Fly540 plane.  See one of the evacuation notices below - the mind boggles!

We had arranged to spend the evening with Cory (Josphat's elder daughter), husband Gitahi and 15 month old Faith.

Our late arrival was no problem for Gitahi, who was meeting us at the airport, as he had had to battle through the evening rush hour traffic, and arrived at the same time as us.

It was lovely to see them all, and after we had eaten Cory's delicious meal, Gitahi dropped us off at our hotel.

Thursday 30 July 2015

Emotional Farewells - 30th July

Our last day at school, and we arrived a little later than usual as we’d had to pack.

Spent some time in the office, and saying goodbye to several members of staff.

Break time is ugi time, heralded by a hand bell!

This thin porridge is cooked every morning for all the children and some of the staff.  It is vital sustenance for many of the more needy children, and it goes down a treat!  There is little furniture in the dining room, so the youngest pupils carry chairs from the classroom on their heads.

We toured the classrooms giving each pupil a pen or pencil (depending on their age) as these are often in short supply.  It was great to hear the enthusiastic chant and claps from the younger pupils, the welcome invariably received by visitors.

It was an emotional farewell to the children and their class teachers.

We left Aquinoe for Eldoret airport, stopping off on the way at Matunda  (which means “fruit”) to see Josphat’s dad.  Meshak, Josphat’s uncle, came with us.  We’ve known him since our first visit to the school, and we always receive a cheery welcome from him at the gate.


More emotional farewells with Josphat and Hanifa at Eldoret airport before flying to Nairobi.

Wednesday 29 July 2015

Departmental equipment, Mandazi, Plaques & Dinner - 29th July

We distributed necessary equipment to various departments, which we had bought in town.

Mercy let out a squeal of delight when she saw the feather duster.  The library shelves and books have a fine red coating all over them, and we noticed that handling them was very messy.

Margaret, the tailor, was very pleased with everything we had bought, including two pairs of scissors.

As pointed out in a previous post, the cooks were in desperate need of protection for their hands - oven gloves.

We had decided to give all the pupils a treat - mandazi.  These are unsweetened doughnut-like snacks which are enjoyed by many Kenyans.

We had organised the mounting of commemorative plaques we had brought with us. These were put up in appropriate positions today.

This evening we were kindly taken out for a meal by the Chairman, along with several other Board of Management members. 

Tuesday 28 July 2015

Claps, bags and presents - 28th July

Clapping games are very popular at break times, especially with the girls.  We have enjoyed teaching them new clapping patterns.

Tina and Jean have loved the bags made by some of the pupils in the sewing club, and purchased one each today.

We brought with us presents for all the sponsored children, who were delighted with their gifts.  We also gave them photos of their sponsors.

Monday 27 July 2015

School and former pupil - 27th July

Morning was spent at school in Baby Classroom and office.

We wanted to check out the detail of the alterations made to the Baby Classroom roof beams, in preparation for installation of solar panels.  This needs some additional work.

Rest of the morning was spent in the office alongside Rachel, who looks after the administrative arrangements of the school.  We have known her for many years, and she is a fantastic person and good friend.

In the afternoon Josphat took us to the St Thomas Amuka Secondary School, where Naomi started in January.  Naomi is a former pupil of Aquinoe, and continues to be supported by her sponsors.  She has had physical problems including club feet, which were operated on a couple of years ago.  Naomi seems to be doing very well.

Her Grandmother has looked after her since she was very small, and we visited her home where we were treated to the most vigorous hand shake you could imagine, preceded by an almighty hand slap - and this from a seventy year old woman.  She was very appreciative of the financial support she receives, and presented us with a live chicken and a large bag of vegetables.  This is considered a great honour, so despite the fact that we have vastly more than she has, we could not possibly refuse. 

Sunday 26 July 2015

Staff Lunch 26th July

Highlight of the day was taking twenty one teaching and support staff to lunch.  Again we were ferried in groups to the Kitale Nature Conservancy, this time solely in Josphat’s car.

There is a large restaurant and bar area, and we were allocated a room of our own.  Josphat had organised a variety of food – chicken, ugali, chapati, chips and greens with gravy (or soup as it’s known locally) followed by bananas.  The sweetest ones here are tiny.

The meal was followed by speeches and group photographs.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.


Saturday 25 July 2015

Kitale Nature Conservancy - 25th July

Saturday!  Not a normal school day, but one on which we were due to take some of the younger children and their teachers to the Kitale Nature Conservancy.

Many of the children had been ready by eight o’clock, some of the day pupils having urged their parents not to be late.

When we showed up, just after nine, the excitement was palpable.

In fact, we left the compound, in several batches, closer to 10:30.

Ninety five pupils and nine adults were ferried by minibus and car.  We counted thirty seven packed into one of them – a tight squeeze!

Several of the children with disabilities, some in wheelchairs, were included.  In fact, the terrain was not easy in places, and two of the children were carried.

The day was a real treat for all.  Apart from the educational benefits of learning about the environment, they loved being away from home/school.

The park protects animals born with various disabilities, that would be unlikely to survive outside it.

Apart from seeing the animals, all loved taking a river boat ride on one of the three boats available.  Even the Head and Deputy Head teachers enjoyed their spell of paddling one of them.

The swings and roundabouts in the playground area were, of course, a big hit.

We finished  our snack comprising bread and fizzy drinks just as the afternoon rains arrived.  We all ran for cover in two thatched huts.  A horse and several donkeys joined us under an adjacent tree, but two goats jumped over the wall onto a bench occupied by teachers!  Squeals and laughter followed.

The rain relented for a short while allowing us to return to school for a late lunch.

Friday 24 July 2015

Shopping and school - 24th July

In town we bought some much needed supplies for the tailoring department, and more equipment for the library.

Back in school we:

  • Met Jacinter for a long chat about the sponsored pupils
  • Investigated light bulbs, covers and sockets re energy saving
  • Checked out baby class ceiling and roof in preparation for installation of solar power
  • Experienced our first hail in a thunderstorm - sounded like fire crackers on the iron roof
  • Were met by the usual excited gaggle of children!

Thursday 23 July 2015

Tailoring Department 23rd July

The tailoring department is run by Margaret.

She has 2 pupils with special needs who have produced some simple creations.

There is also a sewing club with 11 boys and girls who come along enthusiastically at the end of afternoon school.  They have been making kitenge skirts, shoulder bags and place mats.


Pupils have use of 2 sewing machines and Margaret would like to order another special multi functional one.

The pupils also sew by hand.

We hope to purchase some more basic equipment in town.

Wednesday 22 July 2015

Boda Boda 22nd July

There are various means of public transport in Kenya.

The matatu is a mini bus which tends to hurtle around mostly between towns or suburbs and the centre of town.  It is usually packed to the rafters and races along to get to the next stop before its rival.

There are of course ordinary taxis.

The most interesting are the boda bodas.   These might be bicycles or motor cycles which you can see lined up in town with their owners eagerly awaiting the next fare.  Sometimes there are so many that you wonder how they can make a living.

We decided to take the plunge and use these this afternoon.  The young drivers were most considerate, and drove carefully into town.  Luckily we arrived just before the heavens opened.

Our fortune however deserted us on the way home, and despite waterproofs we arrived drenched.

Apparently the name first appeared as "border border" when vehicles travelled through no man's land between Uganda and Kenya.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Meetings, meetings, meetings! 21st July

Some brief, some long.

First of the morning was with Mercy and Teresa in the library.  After some discussion about lending processes, we set about sorting cards and tickets.  Much cleaning to remove red dust was required: feather duster now on our shopping list!

We were honoured to be invited to Board of Management meeting, where we were warmly greeted, and appreciation was shown for the work of the charity.   Amongst discussion points future projects were considered.

The afternoon saw us at the District Education Offices where funding for a disability friendly environment and specialist equipment was discussed.   This could include paving the compound and the provision of wheelchairs.

Monday 20 July 2015

The Library - 20th July

The main activities today were in the library.  Mercy is fairly new to the post of librarian and she is ably assisted by Teresa, a former student of Aquinoe, who has now just graduated from secondary school.

We have been very pleased by the number of books on the shelves, and also by the fact that the library is being used on a regular basis by all classes.  Timetabling allows 1 or 2 periods per week for each pupil.

There has been a large influx of books since the library was set up in 2010.  At that time all books were classified according to the simplified Dewey system and a lending system set up.

We chatted to Mercy and Teresa who will be busy over the next few months bringing the system up to date.  We visited town this afternoon to buy the necessary stationery items to achieve this.

The torrential rain this afternoon, which nearly drowned out conversation in the library, was even heavier than yesterday.

Tina had a Skype session from the school with her husband Charlie and a friend Carolyn in Scotland.  The children were amazed that this was possible, and had great fun communicating with them.

Sunday 19 July 2015

Occupational Therapy 19th July

The occupational therapist visits pupils at the school 3 days per week.  At present he has 7 pupils on his case list.

His treatment room is in the resource centre and we observed most of them being treated today.  The treatments include massage, muscle stimulation, manipulation and using a variety of equipment to encourage the development of fine motor skills.


When Dennis came to the school he could neither walk nor talk.  He can do both now although he is still rather unsteady on his feet.

After Noah received treatment from Daughlas, he exhibited his counting skills with wooden numbers, and his expertise with threading a lace.

Best of all they both always appear to be happy.

At the of the session Daughlas promised to provide us with a list of equipment that would benefit the department.

Incidentally, there was much needed torrential rain for half an hour this afternoon.


Catch-up part 2 19th July

Josphat was up early to try and sort a problem with lack of water in the house.  Fortunately he succeeded in time for us to have a shower.

Being Saturday, there were no classes at the school, and various groups of staff and pupils came to Josphat’s house to receive  gifts of garments.

Football strips of various sizes, donated by Cameron, one of Tina’s relatives, were given to pupils. These were all from top UK and European clubs and national teams.  Other shirts had been donated by an organisation in the UK that collects used kit and passes it on to disadvantaged children.

Tina and I also brought out tee-shirts, sweatshirts, woolly hats and high visibility jackets, which we passed on to house mothers and other support staff. These had been donated by Sheena, a former volunteer.

All of the recipients were thrilled and we took numerous photos of everyone.

Josphat took us to Saiwa Swamp National Park in the afternoon.  Kenya has several famous wild life parks, but this less-known one is the smallest.  It is known for its protection of Sitatunga, a rare and endangered semi-aquatic antelope.  Unfortunately we arrived at the wrong time of day and didn’t spot any!







Catch up part 1 19th July

I believe my net book is now not just sick, but defunct.

Having written two days’ worth of posts on it offline, ready to upload when the opportunity arose, I can’t even access that now.  I’ll try to summarise, using Tina and her tablet.

On Friday (17th July) we had a meeting with Josphat, the chairman of Governors and another board member.  We were welcomed  and able to talk  briefly about the school.

When the chairman left (he is a busy doctor), the rest of us toured the school, meeting staff and seeing pupils in the classrooms.

The welcome from the pupils was delightful and it was great to meet the staff, some of whom we knew from previous visits, like Meshak (Josphat’s uncle) at the entrance gate, and Sara, special needs teacher.

The play equipment is clearly a hit, as pupils rushed down to use it at the lunchtime break.
As ever, loads of photos were taken, and the pupils jostled to get themselves in front of the camera, eager to be snapped.

The new dining room is up–and–running and seems to be working well, although more still needs to be done: tiling the floor, acquiring furniture, applying a finish to the walls and purchasing another smaller cooking stove to supplement the  2 larger ones.

The tailoring department appears to be flourishing, with attractive creations made by  children following the tailoring course, and also by pupils who belong to the sewing club.

We took note of specific areas which would benefit from maintenance.

Friday 17 July 2015

Kisumu to Kitale - 16th July

Josphat had work to do a the university campus in Kisumu so he dropped us (Hanifa, his lady friend, Tina and me) off at the museum in Kisumu. 

There was an exhibition building, an aquarium and some animals in the grounds.  We felt sorry for many of the animals in captivity but were entranced by some baby tortoises that had hatched out recently.  Apparently they have to be separated from the adults to protect T
from being eaten.

We stopped off to see Maria, Josphat’s older daughter on the way to Kitale for a short while before reaching Kitale at sunset.


The landscape became much more varied from abut half way, with more upland/mountains in the distance and more vegetation. 

The crops, especially maize, were looking stringy and unproductive, evidence off the lack on rain in the last month or so. 

Grey clouds gathered in the evening giving hope of rain but it may be too late for these crops and the local farmers.

Great scenes of joy ensued when we arrived at Josphat’s to be greeted by our lovely friend, Rachel!

Maseno and Kisumu 15th July

Josphat works at Maseno University, near Kisumu.  He has a house on the university campus there, as well as at Kitale, the town where the Aquinoe Learning Centre is located. 

We’ve stayed at the Kisumu house before but it’s drawback is that it has no running water.  Josphat is slightly annoyed at this as the students don’t have this problem! 

Tina and I had therefore been booked in to a room for two nights at “The Club” just a few minutes away.

We walked locally in the morning and took photos at the Equator marker, while Josphat gave some lectures.


The afternoon saw us in Kisumu, the second city of Kenya, doing some shopping and then eating at one of the many restaurants on the shores of Lake Victoria. 

Tilapia is the local delicacy, cooked beautifully with a variety of vegetables and served with ugali - the maize-flour staple of much of southern and eastern Africa. 


We also managed to acquire wifi access and a SIM for my phone thanks to the assistance of a very helpful guy in Safaricom by the name of Baraka. 




Pity I can't get on to a browser!

Delays and Technical Problems

I've had real problems getting on to the Internet, never mind accessing emails or making posts here.

I've been writing sort pieces daily off-line, though, so will attempt to upload them now!

Delays and Technical Problems 14th July

The last two days seem to have been full of delays for one reason or another. 

Dave kindly drove us to Heathrow but there were even longer delays than usual on the M25.

We left London late - but weren’t too bothered as we were due for a long stop-over in Abu Dhabi.
We eventually found somewhere to rest in Abu Dhabi airport that wasn’t too uncomfortable and had a meagre amount of shut-eye.

Second leg of the plane trip was half an hour late leaving, which wasn’t too bad until we were informed, thirty minutes into the journey, that there was a “small technical problem” and we would be returning to Abu Dhabi.
At least "Tiny Ted", on his first adventures abroad, enjoyed Abu Dhabi!

Three hours after arriving back we were “called” again and set off in a different aircraft.
We were pesimistic about arriving in Nairobi with enough time to catch our flight to Kisumu but ground staff were very laid back about it and we began to believe that all would be well.

Plenty of time, until we arrived at the Domestic Terminal (1) to find a notice indicating that our carrier, Fly 540, had moved operations to Terminal 2 and there was no shuttle bus in sight.

We took a taxi to the terminal (good job, as walking wouldn‘t have been the right option), arriving with ten minutes to spare, and hurried through yet more security, only to find that the Kisumu flight was delayed by thirty minutes!

Josphat was in the arrivals hall to meet us, along with Peter, his brother, and Hanifa, his girlfriend, Hanifa.  How great it was to se them.

We drove to Maseno for some refreshment and a  good chat.

Monday 13 July 2015

Ready, steady, go!

Tina and I (Jean) set off tomorrow on our trip to the Aquinoe Learning Centre via Abu Dhabi. 

We viewed with horror the number of items laid out for us to take - apart from our own meagre belongings, that is.  So enormous was the mountain that we made separate piles - "definite", probable", "possible" and "leave at home".  We were amazed to find that, not only did we manage to pack everything in the first three categories into our bags, but we didn't (we hope!) go above our weight limit.  We shall see at Heathrow.

A little friend will be accompanying us on our adventure - Tiny Teddy, or Bolton Bear, as he is sometimes known.  Somehow he found his way into my bag when last visiting my grandchildren and indicated that he would like to travel!