The Griot's Corner Cafe: 2019-10-13

Sunday 13 October 2019

A St. Mary's College of California Student Spends Summer, 2019, As A Change Agent Volunteer in Majengo, Nyeri Town, Kenya (Part 2)

I am a student at St. Mary's College of California. I first heard of the De La Salle Brothers in 2014 through a person who took me under his roof, at a very nice apartment in San Francisco, CA. Pardon me, I was a live-in care provider who according to my first contract was only to live-in during the weekend.

As it turned out, pretty much the way life can turn about, the gentleman decided I stay until one of us departed. I was grateful for this gesture and kept on praying for his longevity.

This blog, is my testimony of how my life as a new American has been imbued with catalytic enthusiasm and focus. This is not to say that my life in Africa was any lesser as far as enthusiasm went. I guess, one can say that life anywhere brings with it challenges, necessities, battles, victories, foibles, intricacies, motivators and demotivators.

I got the opportunity to meet and study under the De La Salle Brothers finally in 2016. I was introduced to the Lasallian Core Values at St. Mary's College of California.

However, I shall be amiss if I did not start with a story about the gentleman who allowed me to become his live-in care provider and one who allowed me to look at life's twists and turns positively.

As a new American, I am so happy I got to see the parts of life that give one the glimpse into an American lifestyle that is so empowering.

To work as a live-in care provider, affords one opportunities to learn the intricacies of American life that is hard to know of unless one is set in a home. A home, where one learns to use space, time, intellect, hands and interpersonal relational skills as well as forming the emulable attitude of a survivor.

I learnt how to prepare Texan Ranch/Farmer meals, the difference between lunch and dinner and all those Texan kitchen and table chores that make foods available. The notion of food security is very central to a meaningful existence. This galvanized both of us even further.

You guessed right, my host was a Texan. He was a retired Berkeley Professor of Calligraphy and Art. A well traveled person, who told me he regretted why he never went to any African country at all. Yet, he had gone to all other continents, not once or twice but many times.

I re-assured him that Africa lives in everyone of us. Because, we were all the African Eve's children. This reassured him and he set about reading anything and everything on Africa. The two years I spent with him, made me rediscover myself and instilled in me a respectful fearlessness to lead a better life every minute. This man, taught me to dig deeper, strive harder, laugh heartily, venture further and always learn something new as well as courting humility. He always said: To be humble is the next breath of life.

He also introduced me to the De La Salle Brothers! They also go by two other names: The Christian Schools Brothers or The FSCs.

The Brothers taught me further, the richness of God, the bounty in form of talents before us and how as humans we can proactively love each other even if we are not known to each other. All it takes for a happier life is manners, good conduct, dignity and respect for one another. I thank the Christian School Brothers for that inertia and love.

I traveled to Kenya for the Summer. I got the chance to work with refugees, students and people living with HIV in Africa. I lost most of my luggage and with it all the pictures where I was with the refugees and Persons Living With HIV.

My sojourn, was split into two episodes.

So, I was lucky the pictures where I worked with St. Mary's Secondary School in Nyeri, Kenya were taken by a Brother. I am so grateful for his kindness!

My story will be more around my work within and around St. Mary's S.S. which is headed by Brother Peter Kombe, a very energetic, focused and benevolent mentor to all who meet him. I personally, am so happy to have met him and the opportunity to meet and live with three other Brothers who ran the institute as a team. All the Brothers, have a long list of achievements behind them. All of them have been teachers, mentors, directors and friends to many all the time they have served as Brothers. St. Mary's S.S in Nyeri is a complex right in the middle of Nyeri Town. The school provides both liberal and Vocational Courses. When you get the chance and time, visit the Brothers or if you can take time off and spend your holidays at St. Mary's S.S., Vocational Training And Child Rescue Center.

I know how to evaluate social development entities, I have skills in training communities to address self determination and economic issues and engage in Poverty eradication drives.This time around I was interested in linking student vocations to communities. I set out to work with a Brother who was in-charge of the Vocational Department. My goal was to contribute to organizing the Vocational Department into a catalyst stimulating quality learning. My tips ranged from how to make schedules, work plans to writing blogs.

I hope through the pictures and more blogs you will walk with me and enjoy the experiences I share with you. More blogs are on the way. Enjoy!

Visiting Mount Kenya, wondering about many Kikuyu and Maasai who must have past around here 1000s of years back!

Nyeri Town's Majengo Low Cost Housing Area

Nyeri CBD

Majengo at a place called "Wetemere!" Meaning cut, slash and make your own plot!

St. Mary's S.S. in Nyeri is one of the La Sallian Schools in Africa.

St. Mary's S.S. in Nyeri is one of the La Sallian Schools in Africa

Seniors about to do Exams to join Tertiary Education Institutes

Low Cost Housing

Low Cost means lawlessness and squalor

Low Cost can mean going hungry for days

Low cost can mean living in damp buildings for years on end

Low cost can mean no roads to one's home

Working with locals to lift communities out of poverty is a starting point.

Working with locals to lift communities out of poverty is a starting point. Key Informant on many matters in Nyeri Town

A go to person on many matters in Nyeri Town

The Aberdares in a distant from Ihururu Hill

St. Paul Minor Seminary and Nyeri High Secondary School brace the plains

Kamwenja Teachers' Training College in the middle ground after the lines of coffee!

Kingongo residential area in the making

Results Oriented Management By Objectives Tools developed specifically for St. Mary's S.S., Vocational and Child Rescue center OVC Support Focal Point Office

We were welcome to Mrs. Njonjo's home who is a treasure trove of folklore. One day, I shall come back and collect all Kikuyu and Maasai lores

Results Oriented Management By Objectives Tools developed specifically for St. Mary's S.S., Vocational and Child Rescue center OVC Support Focal Point Office

Gardening Tom!

The people grow all their food and this is right next to River Chania as it flows from Mount Kenya

Artisanry

Curious Tom!

Fresh Vegetables

A memorable view

My Garden

St. Mary's S.S, as people know it here

This school provides quality education that makes a whole person. Their Motto: "Give us a boy, and we give you a man!"

Experience the solemnity of a Kikuyu Catholic Mass

Visiting a repair garage belonging to former students of St. Mary's S.S.

Taking participants through a Results Oriented Management By Objectives Training. It is ideal for re-organizing, streamlining and mainstreaming activities. For those who embrace inclusion, diversity and dignity affirmation principles, these are the tools to prepare your staff.

Gathering For Mass

Jolly Tom

Tom says hi!

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!"