A St. Mary's College of California Student Spends Summer, 2019, As A Change Agent Volunteer in Majengo, Nyeri Town, Kenya (Part 1)

Hi there!

I set about to spend this Summer in Africa. I wanted to immerse myself among cultures that use Swahili for communication. I chose Kenya because of its cosmopolitan nature and its being the Eastern Africa hub.

You may want to visit the UN agencies, most of the embassies or just take in the diversity of nationalities? Come to Kenya. You will meet almost everyone from any corner of the world in general.

In my case, I wanted to do the more mundane. I wanted to meet refugees, asylum seekers, people living with HIV, Girls who have had children by the time they were 15 years, communities as they go about their chores.....you name it. 

Definitely, I also wanted to sample the local foods, take in the night life and most of all visit the vast Savannah areas from Marsabit, Samburu to Mountain Kenya. 

At a continental level, Africa has some very nice spots that one with a Summer bucket list should add.

At country-level, Kenya has some of the awe inspiring destinations. I went to many but Nyeri took the highest points. One, because while there I got a chance to engage in a social development consultancy on a volunteer basis.

I also got the opportunity to live with the Brothers of Christian Schools (Nyeri Community). They are a wonderful people. This same Community hosts St. Mary's College of California La Sallian Immersion Volunteers. So, when I got to see pictures of some students I knew from the College I was more the happier. One day, when I meet them I know we shall have so much to talk about.

The Director of the Brothers' Community, took me around the entire School complex. It is officially called: St. Mary's Secondary School, Vocational and Child Rescue Center (Nyeri, Kenya).

After the tour, I made up the decision to immerse myself in a task whose outcome was two fold:

1. To consolidate over 40 years of service into a service package that stimulates continued learning and sharing for the students who join St. Mary's S.S. (as they like to call it).

2. To work with the Brothers of St. Mary's S.S. Nyeri Community, develop memoranda through which tracking of progress at the Vocational Department of St. Mary's is possible.

This took me to different places of Nyeri because it was also a time to put in practice the saying: "Work, work, work without play makes Jack a dull person!"

Mount Kenya Summit

Nyeri Hill: A View of Aberdares Range

We would find time, every day for two hours to tend the gardens astride River Chania as if flows away from Mount Kenya

Wood Work at A Furniture Mart belonging to one of the Teachers at St. Mary's S.S., Nyeri

That day when what one planted sprouts profusely

Soccer time

Grassroots organizer, Tom!

Africa rocks!

St. Mary's College of California, Outdoor Barbecue

The sweat of thy brow

The fruits of one's hands