Observation

Two Friday's ago I was able to observe Hannah student teach at Daystar Mulandi Primary School. I say student teach because that is what Hannah was told she was going to be doing. In reality, she is the teacher. Mulandi is a very new school and is going through the transition of a private school to public one. Some of the teachers are paid by the government, but many are paid by parents...or should I say not paid by parents...which is why many teachers just do not show up. Why would they if they aren't being paid? For the eight different grade levels/classrooms, there are usually only about 4 or 5 teachers who actually show up each day to teach. Hannah's classroom is shared between grades 3 and 4 with only a tin wall dividing them. Watching her teach has really inspired me. She was completely thrown into a new environment with barely any help or materials to work with and she has truly thrived! She even talks with a Kenyan accent to make it easier for her students to understand her. Some of them may not listen to her at times (because she does not hit them) but just from observing her at work, I can tell that they really do love her. How could they not? She is putting time and effort into their learning and truly cares about their success. They especially love it when she teaches them some sign language (gestures) and I love hearing all of her stories and seeing pictures of their work. I'm sure Hannah will be able to see great progress in some of their work over her weeks of teaching there. 

Hannah's students saying "I love you" in Sign Language.

In Kenya, the education system is test based. Hannah's students prepare and prepare all to take one test in grade 8 to see if they can go to high school or not. It is all riding on one test. This is the same with high school. Kenyans can tell you their high school grade with one letter. They take one test and that test determines their grade for all of high school and determines whether or not they are able to go to University. Even at Daystar, my grades are based 60% or more on one test at the end of the semester. I have never wanted to write a paper more in my schooling career. I do write papers, but they are usually in groups and aren't worth much of my grade. Kind of frustrating for an American student. 

I really love the conversations Hannah and I have about teaching opportunities and how we both never truly understood the education system and its challenges until being here. Even just yesterday Hannah's student teaching placement was at risk because the public school system in Kenya was going to go on strike (a fairly regular thing here.) God is SO good though. Right when she thought she was screwed (for lack of a better word), she was able to meet a woman named 'mama' Joy from Red Rhino Children's Home down the road from her school. About 11 children from Red Rhino attend Mulandi and Hannah was able to go and visit the home after school one day last week. Then, on Sunday Hannah, Becca, and I were invited back to visit again. (If you want to see pictures of the children we hung out with follow the link to Red Rhino's website and search around the site for pictures, they are all there). 

Coloring with kids at Red Rhino

My gentleman for the day. 

Going to Red Rhino was such an awesome experience. We were able to meet David (the man who started the home), play & dance with the children, eat lunch with Joshua and Michael (two boys around 8 yrs old who were called our hosts/gentlemen all day haha), tour the boys house (they are phenomenal!) and have chocolate cupcakes and pineapple sweets for Abigal's 12th birthday. The children are so loved there and well taken care of. I wanted to take them all home with me, but knowing how well off they are there really opened my eyes about a lot of things.

While we were there and talking to David about Red Rhino, he offered Hannah a proposition. There is a one room school house on Red Rhino's land that the children used to use for class so he let Hannah know that if the strike happens that she can teach the kids from Red Rhino (11 of which already attend the school she was placed at) in the school room. They are an official NGO and have all the paper work she would need. How sweet is that? God truly provides when we need Him to. Thankfully the strike did not happen and the children of Kenya are in school today! Still, that is an awesome testimony of God's provision. 

I saw Sweetie last night walking home from Red Rhino with Hannah and Becca. She has her little head shaved now and is as adorable as ever. I can't wait to go and hangout with her again when I have more available time. 

On Friday, Becca, Hannah, and I are getting on a bus at 5 am to go into town on the opposite side of Nairobi to observe in a Christian school. We will not get back until around dinner...which realistically means that we won't be back until 7 or 8 pm. Kenyan time. I'm still adjusting. I am really excited to be able to see this school though! 

I am also looking forward to hopefully being able to visit an orphanage in Kibera (the largest urban slum in Africa) and to visit an institutionalized orphanage for children with special needs. Basically, I just want as much exposure as possible. It is heart breaking but heart warming and hopeful at the same time. Hope. This word has never meant so much to me before.