It's late Friday afternoon and the Nelson Mandela Matatu is pulling out of the school yard. The energy amongst the peer educators is incredible. We are clapping, singing and shouting. The mat has to stop because the students have formed a human wall preventing us from leaving!
This was our last day at Mawe Secondary school, located outside of Rongai town. The school holds about 200 of the most enthusiastic and energetic kids we have ever seen. Teaching at Mawe this week has been an indescribable experience. Everyday when we pulled into the school, the students would start buzzing with excitement for the days lesson.
Their interest in the lessons and desire for knowledge was clearly evident in the amount of questions asked everyday in class and after school in the anonymous question box. The form threes that Bryan Mercy and I taught were so comfortable with us in the classroom. Sometimes we would just burst out laughing together in the middle of class.
Along with a thirst for knowledge, the students at Mawe also loved the daily psych games we played with them. Near the end of every lesson, each classroom would erupt in screaming, shouting, cheering and clapping. At one point the form twos in Dre, Ng'ok and Dave's class were "winding their toys" on top of their desks!
Teaching at Mawe Secondary School this week was something I will never forget. Seeing the students enthusiasm and energy is what keeps me excited and in love with teaching at these schools every week. I can't wait to see what next week's school has in store.
-Courtney (also referred to by Mawe students as Courty)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
one hundred and twenty plus one hundred and thirteen equals two hundred and twenty three.
VCT testing day at Seet Kobor with the students and surrounding community.
I apologize in advance for the length of this post.
As promised to our students, we held two free HIV/AIDS testing days yesterday, for the students and surrounding community of Lake Solai and Seet Kobor Secondary School. Our expectations were far exceeded at both locations, although I can only write about my experience at Seet Kobor, as the QHO/YESS team split up to help out and work at both locations.
When we pulled up to Seet Kobor in our matatu, we were greeted with a warm welcome from more students than we expected to see so early in the morning. We were grateful and appreciative that the students, even on a Saturday, were willing to come to school to get tested. Getting tested translates into one knowing their status, which is something we, in our curriculum each and every day, stress as something that has the ability to empower students,
“Getting tested empowers us by giving us knowledge about what’s going on within our own bodies. Getting tested regularly enables us to catch the virus promptly and begin immediate treatment, increasing both the length and quality of our lives. Knowing our status empowers us with knowledge that allows us to make informed decisions regarding our sexual well-being and the well-being of those around us. Even if we test negative there are still benefits, as counselors can provide information and resources that will help us stay healthy and safe in the future. And, if we test positive, we can take control of the virus, rather than letting the virus take control of our lives, by seeking out medical treatment and implementing positive behavioral changes in our lives. Ultimately, only by knowing our status will we be able to stop the spread of HIV, and achieve an HIV/AIDs free youth generation in the future.”
For those who are unfamiliar with the HIV testing format, it is routinely divided into three parts: pre-test counseling, the actual HIV test, followed by post-test counseling. The entire process is confidential, in that, you are given a number in replacement of your name, and the results are discussed privately between you and the counselor. At Seet Kobor, in an attempt to save time and allow more people to be tested, pre-test counseling occurred in groups and three people were tested at a time by each of the three counselors. It was humbling when we sat in on the pre-test counseling, whereby the counselors discussed information about the HIV infection and AIDS, and all of the details discussed were part of our curriculum. For this reason, our students, although nervous at first, were able to answer all of the questions related to the transmission, prevention and treatment of the virus.
After group counseling, the voluntary testing began. Some students were eager to line up and get tested, while others needed some time to prepare and make their decision to be tested. One of our students was extremely nervous to get tested, and preferred we get tested with her, so I did. Essentially, after being given an explanation of the test and the possible test results, one line representing HIV negative and two lines signifying an HIV positive result, your finger is pricked and a small sample of your blood is blotted onto the test strip corresponding to your number. Chemicals and other buffer materials are added to the strip to test for the presence of antibodies that may have developed as part of your immune response to the virus, and you are asked to wait for approximately ten minutes. The student I tested with was exceptionally tense and anxious, with both her hands and lips shaking. She could hardly stop looking nervously at the test once her blood was blotted. After each of our tests had been administered, the second person tested and I left the room, so we could have individual post test counseling based on our results. Regardless of one’s status, the counselors discussed ways to be healthy and how to continue living positively.
Now that I have been tested, I feel more comfortable talking about the importance of getting tested and encouraging my students to get tested. In the classroom, I will be able to touch on my personal experience, and offer advice with a better understanding of the process.
Finally, although students began testing right when they got there, most stayed the entire time we were there, even when they had their results and knew their status. A variety of games were played, including versions of volley ball and soccer, one million photos were taken, dance lessons were given to the Canadians and some students even showcased their hidden rapping abilities. The testing day also wasn’t limited to students, as we had a large variety of people come to get tested, ranging from siblings and friends of students, boyfriends and girlfriends who came together, and some of the elders of the community.
Overall, our testing day finished when we ran out of kits in the afternoon, testing over two hundred students and community members between our two locations. The sheer number tested in one day far exceeded our expectations and the totals from last year, and I am incredibly excited to see what we can do during out outreach week at the end of project.
kwaheri.
I apologize in advance for the length of this post.
As promised to our students, we held two free HIV/AIDS testing days yesterday, for the students and surrounding community of Lake Solai and Seet Kobor Secondary School. Our expectations were far exceeded at both locations, although I can only write about my experience at Seet Kobor, as the QHO/YESS team split up to help out and work at both locations.
When we pulled up to Seet Kobor in our matatu, we were greeted with a warm welcome from more students than we expected to see so early in the morning. We were grateful and appreciative that the students, even on a Saturday, were willing to come to school to get tested. Getting tested translates into one knowing their status, which is something we, in our curriculum each and every day, stress as something that has the ability to empower students,
“Getting tested empowers us by giving us knowledge about what’s going on within our own bodies. Getting tested regularly enables us to catch the virus promptly and begin immediate treatment, increasing both the length and quality of our lives. Knowing our status empowers us with knowledge that allows us to make informed decisions regarding our sexual well-being and the well-being of those around us. Even if we test negative there are still benefits, as counselors can provide information and resources that will help us stay healthy and safe in the future. And, if we test positive, we can take control of the virus, rather than letting the virus take control of our lives, by seeking out medical treatment and implementing positive behavioral changes in our lives. Ultimately, only by knowing our status will we be able to stop the spread of HIV, and achieve an HIV/AIDs free youth generation in the future.”
For those who are unfamiliar with the HIV testing format, it is routinely divided into three parts: pre-test counseling, the actual HIV test, followed by post-test counseling. The entire process is confidential, in that, you are given a number in replacement of your name, and the results are discussed privately between you and the counselor. At Seet Kobor, in an attempt to save time and allow more people to be tested, pre-test counseling occurred in groups and three people were tested at a time by each of the three counselors. It was humbling when we sat in on the pre-test counseling, whereby the counselors discussed information about the HIV infection and AIDS, and all of the details discussed were part of our curriculum. For this reason, our students, although nervous at first, were able to answer all of the questions related to the transmission, prevention and treatment of the virus.
After group counseling, the voluntary testing began. Some students were eager to line up and get tested, while others needed some time to prepare and make their decision to be tested. One of our students was extremely nervous to get tested, and preferred we get tested with her, so I did. Essentially, after being given an explanation of the test and the possible test results, one line representing HIV negative and two lines signifying an HIV positive result, your finger is pricked and a small sample of your blood is blotted onto the test strip corresponding to your number. Chemicals and other buffer materials are added to the strip to test for the presence of antibodies that may have developed as part of your immune response to the virus, and you are asked to wait for approximately ten minutes. The student I tested with was exceptionally tense and anxious, with both her hands and lips shaking. She could hardly stop looking nervously at the test once her blood was blotted. After each of our tests had been administered, the second person tested and I left the room, so we could have individual post test counseling based on our results. Regardless of one’s status, the counselors discussed ways to be healthy and how to continue living positively.
Now that I have been tested, I feel more comfortable talking about the importance of getting tested and encouraging my students to get tested. In the classroom, I will be able to touch on my personal experience, and offer advice with a better understanding of the process.
Finally, although students began testing right when they got there, most stayed the entire time we were there, even when they had their results and knew their status. A variety of games were played, including versions of volley ball and soccer, one million photos were taken, dance lessons were given to the Canadians and some students even showcased their hidden rapping abilities. The testing day also wasn’t limited to students, as we had a large variety of people come to get tested, ranging from siblings and friends of students, boyfriends and girlfriends who came together, and some of the elders of the community.
Overall, our testing day finished when we ran out of kits in the afternoon, testing over two hundred students and community members between our two locations. The sheer number tested in one day far exceeded our expectations and the totals from last year, and I am incredibly excited to see what we can do during out outreach week at the end of project.
kwaheri.
Bryan's Long-Awaited List of Subtle Cultural Similarities Between Kenyans and Canadians
Niaje wasee followers of the YESS/QHO never-ending blog! Since I've already mentioned some of the subtle cultural differences between Kenyans and Canadians, I thought it would be only be fitting to talk about the quirky similarities between our two cultures. After a great deal of thought, here are the top five:
1.We both sing along loudly to Celine Dion. It was so aweful I was debating jumping out the window of the moving matatu...
2.There are more Toyotas on the road than any other type of vehicle. I did see a Ford tractor once but that's about it for North American vehicles.
3.We both giggle at the male and female anatomy. Hahaha she said penis!
4.Kenyan like aren't immune to misuing like, the word "Like"
5.Both YESS and QHO believe that educating and empowering young people is the key to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS
Cheers,
Bryan
1.We both sing along loudly to Celine Dion. It was so aweful I was debating jumping out the window of the moving matatu...
2.There are more Toyotas on the road than any other type of vehicle. I did see a Ford tractor once but that's about it for North American vehicles.
3.We both giggle at the male and female anatomy. Hahaha she said penis!
4.Kenyan like aren't immune to misuing like, the word "Like"
5.Both YESS and QHO believe that educating and empowering young people is the key to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS
Cheers,
Bryan
half-way point already!
It’s so hard to believe that we are half-way through project already! I can still remember the first days of project when we were finalizing the schools we were to train and making the final edits to our curriculum. Now, after completing our training at three schools, we have put all notions of nervousness behind us and are eagerly awaiting the first day of teaching at our forth school while at the same time wishing time would stand still so that project would never have to come to an end.
This past week was full of great experiences. The school we were at, Mawe Secondary School, was full of exceptionally enthusiastic and energetic students. At our closing ceremony they literally would not let us leave! After Ng’ok and I gave the closing speeches the students started chanting for Ibra to come and say something. After Ibra gave a small speech and fired the students up with his psyc game, Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriap!, the students started chanting for Bryan to come and say something to them. This pattern would have no doubt continued until every single trainer gave a speech if it wasn’t for Ng’ok needing to wrap up because it was getting late. We ended the ceremony with the students promising that they would continue passing on the knowledge that they had gained from our training to their friends from other schools and to members of their communities. I cannot describe in words how amazing it was to feel the students’ energy and passion for the YESS program. It makes all of the hard work YESS and QHO have put into this project well worth it and tells us how effective the training is at empowering students to become peer educators in their own communities.
Yesterday marked the pinnacle of this year’s project. We organized a HIV testing day for students from our first two schools, Lake Solai and Seet Kobor. These schools are located very far away from VCT centers (Voluntary Counseling and Testing centers) where one would go if he or she wanted to get tested and counseled for HIV. We operated our own VCT’s out of a health center in the Lake Solai community and out of Seet Kobor high school with three VCT counselors at each location. When we arrived in the morning to set up we were amazed to see that many of our students were already there waiting to get tested! As the day progressed, it was even more amazing to see many members of the surrounding communities come to get tested after only hearing about the testing day via word-of-mouth.
We ended up testing approximately 233 students and community members yesterday. To put this in perspective, last year at our final HIV testing day encompassing four secondary schools and community members, we tested a total of 168 people (which was a significant increase from the previous year’s testing day in 2007).
With half the target test group, half the resources and less than half the counselors, significantly more people were able to learn their HIV status and use this information to positively and productively continue to plan their lives. This shows how much YESS continues to grow as an organization in Kenya each year as a result of the hard work and dedication of every member of the YESS and QHO team, past and present. I cannot wait to see how our next testing day will turn out!
Nicole
This past week was full of great experiences. The school we were at, Mawe Secondary School, was full of exceptionally enthusiastic and energetic students. At our closing ceremony they literally would not let us leave! After Ng’ok and I gave the closing speeches the students started chanting for Ibra to come and say something. After Ibra gave a small speech and fired the students up with his psyc game, Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriap!, the students started chanting for Bryan to come and say something to them. This pattern would have no doubt continued until every single trainer gave a speech if it wasn’t for Ng’ok needing to wrap up because it was getting late. We ended the ceremony with the students promising that they would continue passing on the knowledge that they had gained from our training to their friends from other schools and to members of their communities. I cannot describe in words how amazing it was to feel the students’ energy and passion for the YESS program. It makes all of the hard work YESS and QHO have put into this project well worth it and tells us how effective the training is at empowering students to become peer educators in their own communities.
Yesterday marked the pinnacle of this year’s project. We organized a HIV testing day for students from our first two schools, Lake Solai and Seet Kobor. These schools are located very far away from VCT centers (Voluntary Counseling and Testing centers) where one would go if he or she wanted to get tested and counseled for HIV. We operated our own VCT’s out of a health center in the Lake Solai community and out of Seet Kobor high school with three VCT counselors at each location. When we arrived in the morning to set up we were amazed to see that many of our students were already there waiting to get tested! As the day progressed, it was even more amazing to see many members of the surrounding communities come to get tested after only hearing about the testing day via word-of-mouth.
We ended up testing approximately 233 students and community members yesterday. To put this in perspective, last year at our final HIV testing day encompassing four secondary schools and community members, we tested a total of 168 people (which was a significant increase from the previous year’s testing day in 2007).
With half the target test group, half the resources and less than half the counselors, significantly more people were able to learn their HIV status and use this information to positively and productively continue to plan their lives. This shows how much YESS continues to grow as an organization in Kenya each year as a result of the hard work and dedication of every member of the YESS and QHO team, past and present. I cannot wait to see how our next testing day will turn out!
Nicole
Reuben the Graduate
Hello Everyone,
This week I bring very good news. One of our good friends Reuben Kosgey graduated from the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology with a diploma in Accountancy on Friday. We were all fortunate enough to attend the graduation ceremony.
The school that Reuben attended was located just outside of Nakuru town, about 20 minutes from our house. It is also about a 20 minute walk from Ng'ok's house as well. So our plan for the day was to attend Reuben's graduation in the morning, go back to Ng'ok's house for lunch and then go straight to Mawe Secondary from there. The graduation ceremony was very cool, it took place outside at the foot of the college. There were tents set-up in a perimeter around where the graduates seated in the center. The ceremony began with a marching band, then 4 choirs sang and then there was a small fashion show followed by some dancing. It was really fun to see all of this as it was a little different then what you would expect at a graduation in Canada.
Everyone was excited to hear the speeches, because the second President of Kenya, Daniel Moi was due to speak. Once the singing and dancing was over, the introductions for President Moi began. Four different people introduced him, taking at least 25 minutes. It was quite the introduction. While this was going on we had congregated with Reuben in the field beside the ceremony so that we could take pictures of and with Reuben. Reuben was looking very smart in his suit and gown. He was also adorned with what Shauna and Deirdre have called "Tinsel Leis". Reuben was wearing three of these and there was a pink one, a gold one and a purple one. He was quite a decorated graduate.
By the time the intro's for President Moi were finished and he had finally taken the stage we had to go because we needed to eat lunch before we departed for school. So unfortunately we did not get to hear the former President speak, nor did we see Reuben walk across the stage, but it was still a very good time and we were really excited to see Reuben in the gown.
Seeing Ng'ok's house was also very cool. Ng'ok lives on a 40 acre property, where they grow maize and have several cows, a few goats and a chicken coup. Next time we go back to his house we have been told that we will get a chance to milk a cow. Some of us were more excited about that than others, but I'll leave names out of this.
Everyone is doing well here, we all had a great time at Mawe Secondary School, they were very enthusiastic and all the students participated in class very well. Saturday was our VCT testing day at Seet Kobor and Lake Solai. I was amazed at the turn-out that we had of both students and community members. In total 6 counselors were able to test 233 people over the course of the day. It was also a great opportunity for YESS/QHO to interact with the students of Seet Kobor and Lake Solai again. I had some great conversations with some of the students that I had trained. It was positive because we were able to answer any lingering questions that they still and we were also able to get to know some of the students on a more personal level that we would never have had the chance to do in the classroom.
Anyways I hope everyone is well at home, I look forward to talking to you soon and hearing stories from your summers!
David
This week I bring very good news. One of our good friends Reuben Kosgey graduated from the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology with a diploma in Accountancy on Friday. We were all fortunate enough to attend the graduation ceremony.
The school that Reuben attended was located just outside of Nakuru town, about 20 minutes from our house. It is also about a 20 minute walk from Ng'ok's house as well. So our plan for the day was to attend Reuben's graduation in the morning, go back to Ng'ok's house for lunch and then go straight to Mawe Secondary from there. The graduation ceremony was very cool, it took place outside at the foot of the college. There were tents set-up in a perimeter around where the graduates seated in the center. The ceremony began with a marching band, then 4 choirs sang and then there was a small fashion show followed by some dancing. It was really fun to see all of this as it was a little different then what you would expect at a graduation in Canada.
Everyone was excited to hear the speeches, because the second President of Kenya, Daniel Moi was due to speak. Once the singing and dancing was over, the introductions for President Moi began. Four different people introduced him, taking at least 25 minutes. It was quite the introduction. While this was going on we had congregated with Reuben in the field beside the ceremony so that we could take pictures of and with Reuben. Reuben was looking very smart in his suit and gown. He was also adorned with what Shauna and Deirdre have called "Tinsel Leis". Reuben was wearing three of these and there was a pink one, a gold one and a purple one. He was quite a decorated graduate.
By the time the intro's for President Moi were finished and he had finally taken the stage we had to go because we needed to eat lunch before we departed for school. So unfortunately we did not get to hear the former President speak, nor did we see Reuben walk across the stage, but it was still a very good time and we were really excited to see Reuben in the gown.
Seeing Ng'ok's house was also very cool. Ng'ok lives on a 40 acre property, where they grow maize and have several cows, a few goats and a chicken coup. Next time we go back to his house we have been told that we will get a chance to milk a cow. Some of us were more excited about that than others, but I'll leave names out of this.
Everyone is doing well here, we all had a great time at Mawe Secondary School, they were very enthusiastic and all the students participated in class very well. Saturday was our VCT testing day at Seet Kobor and Lake Solai. I was amazed at the turn-out that we had of both students and community members. In total 6 counselors were able to test 233 people over the course of the day. It was also a great opportunity for YESS/QHO to interact with the students of Seet Kobor and Lake Solai again. I had some great conversations with some of the students that I had trained. It was positive because we were able to answer any lingering questions that they still and we were also able to get to know some of the students on a more personal level that we would never have had the chance to do in the classroom.
Anyways I hope everyone is well at home, I look forward to talking to you soon and hearing stories from your summers!
David
V.C.T Testing Day, Great Success!
Day 31- QHO/YESS Kenya Project
On Saturday May 30th, we held a V.C.T Testing Day at the first two schools we taught at. V.C.T stands for Voluntary Counseling and Testing. V.C.T clinics provide free counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Unfortunately in some rural communities V.C.Ts are few and far between. That is the reason why we chose to run a testing day at both Lake Solai and Seet Kobor. The closet V.C.T is approximately an hour away from these two communities.
We divided our group of 17 into two and held a testing event at both schools. I went to Lake Solai, where we tested approximately 113 people (school population of 180) and at Seet Kobor approximately 122 people were tested (school population of 160). Overall, I would say yesterday was a HUGE SUCCESS. My experience is based on the Lake Solai Testing Day. Make sure you read Shauna’s blog post to hear more about testing at Seet Kobor.
It was a really amazing experience to host a V.C.T Testing Day for a rural community, where there is no V.C.T. I was so surprised by the turn out. We set-up our V.C.T Testing Day at the Lake Solai Health Clinic in the community centre. We were all set and ready to go by 11am and tested until 4pm. Students and community members kept arriving all day long. I think we were all surprised by the overwhelming and positive response from our students.
For each person to get tested it takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Testing includes pre-test counseling, an HIV rapid test and post-test counseling. We started off counseling in groups and testing individually but we had such large line ups that we had to start encouraging students to get tested in groups. Some students waited for hours to get tested. There was a soccer game going to kept students entertained while waiting, music playing from the matatu and group psyche games. It was so amazing to see how determined our students were to get tested and know their HIV status. I can honestly say the students of Lake Solai Secondary School understand the importance of going out and getting tested, and of knowing your HIV status. It is the goal of QHO/YESS that our students share this knowledge with family members, friends and fellow community members. Together we can educate others about HIV/AIDS and encourage as many people as possible to know their HIV status.
To end, I will leave you with one anonymous question from a form 2 student that brought me a smile:
“Thanks for what you have done today. You have changed my life.”
Till next week!
Deirdre <3
On Saturday May 30th, we held a V.C.T Testing Day at the first two schools we taught at. V.C.T stands for Voluntary Counseling and Testing. V.C.T clinics provide free counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Unfortunately in some rural communities V.C.Ts are few and far between. That is the reason why we chose to run a testing day at both Lake Solai and Seet Kobor. The closet V.C.T is approximately an hour away from these two communities.
We divided our group of 17 into two and held a testing event at both schools. I went to Lake Solai, where we tested approximately 113 people (school population of 180) and at Seet Kobor approximately 122 people were tested (school population of 160). Overall, I would say yesterday was a HUGE SUCCESS. My experience is based on the Lake Solai Testing Day. Make sure you read Shauna’s blog post to hear more about testing at Seet Kobor.
It was a really amazing experience to host a V.C.T Testing Day for a rural community, where there is no V.C.T. I was so surprised by the turn out. We set-up our V.C.T Testing Day at the Lake Solai Health Clinic in the community centre. We were all set and ready to go by 11am and tested until 4pm. Students and community members kept arriving all day long. I think we were all surprised by the overwhelming and positive response from our students.
For each person to get tested it takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Testing includes pre-test counseling, an HIV rapid test and post-test counseling. We started off counseling in groups and testing individually but we had such large line ups that we had to start encouraging students to get tested in groups. Some students waited for hours to get tested. There was a soccer game going to kept students entertained while waiting, music playing from the matatu and group psyche games. It was so amazing to see how determined our students were to get tested and know their HIV status. I can honestly say the students of Lake Solai Secondary School understand the importance of going out and getting tested, and of knowing your HIV status. It is the goal of QHO/YESS that our students share this knowledge with family members, friends and fellow community members. Together we can educate others about HIV/AIDS and encourage as many people as possible to know their HIV status.
To end, I will leave you with one anonymous question from a form 2 student that brought me a smile:
“Thanks for what you have done today. You have changed my life.”
Till next week!
Deirdre <3
Saturday, May 23, 2009
sema.
two schools down. four to go.
my goodness.
teaching so far has been UNREAL.
my first teaching experience began at lake solai secondary school with half of the form two class. i can’t even summarize how i felt after teaching our first kit, life skills, on day one. each day it only got better, as the students slowly began to feel more comfortable with reuben and i. more questions in class were answered, and more importantly, more of their questions were asked.
last week we taught at seet kobor, and we were with half of the form three class. this school was full of energy right from the beginning, and their enthusiasm and interest in the curriculum translated directly into the questions they asked.
the student’s questions, whether asked during class or after each lesson anonymously, have had a huge impact on me thus far. the questions cover wide varieties of topics, including but not limited to life in Canada, what makes students university material, inquiries about the effectiveness of condoms, clarifications regarding various stigmas and stereotypes involving HIV/AIDS, others asking for relationship advice and some confiding in us their personal problems at home or in their community.
these questions, to me, are a direct reflection of the student’s courage, resilience and curiosity. to the best of our abilities each day, we have answered these questions and given advice to them. i can only hope that the students have learned something from reuben and i, as thus far, i have gained and learned so much from each and every one of them.
kwaheri.
my goodness.
teaching so far has been UNREAL.
my first teaching experience began at lake solai secondary school with half of the form two class. i can’t even summarize how i felt after teaching our first kit, life skills, on day one. each day it only got better, as the students slowly began to feel more comfortable with reuben and i. more questions in class were answered, and more importantly, more of their questions were asked.
last week we taught at seet kobor, and we were with half of the form three class. this school was full of energy right from the beginning, and their enthusiasm and interest in the curriculum translated directly into the questions they asked.
the student’s questions, whether asked during class or after each lesson anonymously, have had a huge impact on me thus far. the questions cover wide varieties of topics, including but not limited to life in Canada, what makes students university material, inquiries about the effectiveness of condoms, clarifications regarding various stigmas and stereotypes involving HIV/AIDS, others asking for relationship advice and some confiding in us their personal problems at home or in their community.
these questions, to me, are a direct reflection of the student’s courage, resilience and curiosity. to the best of our abilities each day, we have answered these questions and given advice to them. i can only hope that the students have learned something from reuben and i, as thus far, i have gained and learned so much from each and every one of them.
kwaheri.
Kwaheri Seet Kobor
Hello everyone,
I think I'm echoing a few previous posts when I say that I can't believe how quickly time is going by! We have already been on project for 3 weeks and have completed training at 2 schools. This last school (Seet Kobor) was really amazing, the students participated and were very willing to answer questions in class. There level of participation also served to show that they were really absorbing the material that we were teaching. For those of you who don't know exactly how our training program works I will give you a run-down.
The goal of our training is that we teach our 5 day curriculum to the students with the hopes that they will then go into the community and teach others what they have learned. Through this method we can reach a much larger group of people. I really saw the value of this method of training this week, when the students in my form 3 class all handed back their blitz forms, which contain a list of the 5 people they plan to share their newfound knowledge with.
Furthermore, we are planning to arrange a VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing) day for Seet Kobor and Lake Solai next Saturday. Because these two schools are so rural they don't have as much access to VCT's (where you can get tested for STI's and HIV/AIDS) as some of the other schools that we will be training at. When we brought up this idea with the students yesterday they were all very excited that they would have an opportunity to get tested if they like. They also expressed interest in brining other members of their communities to get tested. Again this really drove home the effectiveness of the method of teaching and empowerment that we are using.
Reuben, Ibra and I will be taking the logistic role with helping to organize the VCT. What this entails is arranging for a location to hold the testing, arranging for the counselors to come out with testing kits and arranging transportation for everyone to and from the schools. We are targetting mostly students and we will be holding one VCT at Seet Kobor and one at Lake Solai. I am really excited to see this get underway and I will have much more details next time I post on the blog. I'm also excited to see how many students actually come out and get tested, because this will help us gauge how effective our teaching is in promoting students to get tested.
Anyways that is all for this week. I hope everyone is doing well!
David
I think I'm echoing a few previous posts when I say that I can't believe how quickly time is going by! We have already been on project for 3 weeks and have completed training at 2 schools. This last school (Seet Kobor) was really amazing, the students participated and were very willing to answer questions in class. There level of participation also served to show that they were really absorbing the material that we were teaching. For those of you who don't know exactly how our training program works I will give you a run-down.
The goal of our training is that we teach our 5 day curriculum to the students with the hopes that they will then go into the community and teach others what they have learned. Through this method we can reach a much larger group of people. I really saw the value of this method of training this week, when the students in my form 3 class all handed back their blitz forms, which contain a list of the 5 people they plan to share their newfound knowledge with.
Furthermore, we are planning to arrange a VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing) day for Seet Kobor and Lake Solai next Saturday. Because these two schools are so rural they don't have as much access to VCT's (where you can get tested for STI's and HIV/AIDS) as some of the other schools that we will be training at. When we brought up this idea with the students yesterday they were all very excited that they would have an opportunity to get tested if they like. They also expressed interest in brining other members of their communities to get tested. Again this really drove home the effectiveness of the method of teaching and empowerment that we are using.
Reuben, Ibra and I will be taking the logistic role with helping to organize the VCT. What this entails is arranging for a location to hold the testing, arranging for the counselors to come out with testing kits and arranging transportation for everyone to and from the schools. We are targetting mostly students and we will be holding one VCT at Seet Kobor and one at Lake Solai. I am really excited to see this get underway and I will have much more details next time I post on the blog. I'm also excited to see how many students actually come out and get tested, because this will help us gauge how effective our teaching is in promoting students to get tested.
Anyways that is all for this week. I hope everyone is doing well!
David
Somewhere in the Future
"Everyone needs to close their eyes and imagine themselves in the future"
I'm standing in front of my Form Ones at Seet Kobar Secondary school on Friday. Its the end of the lesson and we are wrapping up everything we have learned this week. They have their eyes closed, seating in their wooden desks, some are squinting, trying to peak at me at the front of the class. They are all in uniform. Navy blue sweaters, and red ties are scattered across the student collective. Its raining outside, but for this moment, the rain has slowed a little and its only tapping lighting on the tin roof of the class room.
"Everyone, is picturing themselves in the future. I want you to see yourself right now, see how successful you are, see that you have gotten to exactly where you wanted to be. Do you know why you have gotten there Form One? You got there because you worked hard to get there and you didn't let a single thing stop you."
Some of the students have opened their eyes and are looking at Bryan, Mercy and me. I want these students to know so badly, that they have the power to succeed in doing anything they want. I want them to know that we believe in them, and that they should believe in themselves.
"Knowledge is power Form Ones, and you now have knowledge. You have the knowledge you need to go out into your communities and start changing other peoples lives. Start spreading this information you have learned so that more people can benefit from this knowledge. Spread the knowledge you have learned about HIV/AIDS, about gender roles and responsible sexuality and as a generation of youth from Canada, Kenya and everywhere, we are all going to start making change"
At this point most of the kids have opened their eyes and we are all standing there together in the classroom, red dirt floors, cloudy chalkboard, the rain still falling on the tin roof.
I think this was where I realized how lucky I was to be standing here in this moment, with these students. Together we were all excited. We were all excited because they were ready to go out and create change. I think at that point the students began to feel like everything Bryan Mercy and I had been teaching them this week was clear. I think we helped them to realize what an important role they played in helping to create change in their communites and their own lives.
To say the least, it was the most amazing feeling ever. I'm so thankful to be here in Kenya, teaching with the YESS members and together helping these students to realize their potential and to realize that they have the power to make change and in their lives.
"So Form One, I'm going to ask you a question. Are you somewhere in the future, do you look much better than you look right now?"
The Form Ones burst out in unison many with smiles on their face chanting back,
"I'm somewhere in the future and I look much better than I look right now!"
-Courtney
I'm standing in front of my Form Ones at Seet Kobar Secondary school on Friday. Its the end of the lesson and we are wrapping up everything we have learned this week. They have their eyes closed, seating in their wooden desks, some are squinting, trying to peak at me at the front of the class. They are all in uniform. Navy blue sweaters, and red ties are scattered across the student collective. Its raining outside, but for this moment, the rain has slowed a little and its only tapping lighting on the tin roof of the class room.
"Everyone, is picturing themselves in the future. I want you to see yourself right now, see how successful you are, see that you have gotten to exactly where you wanted to be. Do you know why you have gotten there Form One? You got there because you worked hard to get there and you didn't let a single thing stop you."
Some of the students have opened their eyes and are looking at Bryan, Mercy and me. I want these students to know so badly, that they have the power to succeed in doing anything they want. I want them to know that we believe in them, and that they should believe in themselves.
"Knowledge is power Form Ones, and you now have knowledge. You have the knowledge you need to go out into your communities and start changing other peoples lives. Start spreading this information you have learned so that more people can benefit from this knowledge. Spread the knowledge you have learned about HIV/AIDS, about gender roles and responsible sexuality and as a generation of youth from Canada, Kenya and everywhere, we are all going to start making change"
At this point most of the kids have opened their eyes and we are all standing there together in the classroom, red dirt floors, cloudy chalkboard, the rain still falling on the tin roof.
I think this was where I realized how lucky I was to be standing here in this moment, with these students. Together we were all excited. We were all excited because they were ready to go out and create change. I think at that point the students began to feel like everything Bryan Mercy and I had been teaching them this week was clear. I think we helped them to realize what an important role they played in helping to create change in their communites and their own lives.
To say the least, it was the most amazing feeling ever. I'm so thankful to be here in Kenya, teaching with the YESS members and together helping these students to realize their potential and to realize that they have the power to make change and in their lives.
"So Form One, I'm going to ask you a question. Are you somewhere in the future, do you look much better than you look right now?"
The Form Ones burst out in unison many with smiles on their face chanting back,
"I'm somewhere in the future and I look much better than I look right now!"
-Courtney
Habari gani?
Day 23 of Kenya Project - Saturday May 23, 2009
Mambo!
Well now we have finished teaching at two schools. I can’t believe how fast time is flying by here. We have been in Kenya for just over 3 weeks now, but it feels like we have been here FOREVER! The school we taught at this week was called Seet Kobor Secondary School. The school was approximately an hour and 20 minutes from our house. I would say that this week was a huge SUCCESS. I feel like I improved in my abilities as a teacher in just over a week. Each time I teach I learned something new about what works in the class, and what are effective ways to teach the material. I guess I also have become more confident in my abilities.
Here is a copy of an anonymous question from one of the students that I received this week:
“I really appreciate you teaching, we have learn more enjoy the teaching it is like we have now weapons ready for war that is ready to face life with courage. I think we will miss you a lot.”
Hearing this response from a student really makes me happy and validates the work of QHO/YESS. Some of the issues presented in the classroom can become overwhelming and at times I wonder how we can tackle all of them. But hearing a response like the one above from a student just makes me smile. If we can get through to one person, make a difference in one student’s life, to me it is all worth it.
I have so many experiences that I want to share with all of you but it is hard to type them fast enough. Hopefully you can follow my thoughts. Hope all is well back home. Talk to you again in a week.
deirdre <3
Mambo!
Well now we have finished teaching at two schools. I can’t believe how fast time is flying by here. We have been in Kenya for just over 3 weeks now, but it feels like we have been here FOREVER! The school we taught at this week was called Seet Kobor Secondary School. The school was approximately an hour and 20 minutes from our house. I would say that this week was a huge SUCCESS. I feel like I improved in my abilities as a teacher in just over a week. Each time I teach I learned something new about what works in the class, and what are effective ways to teach the material. I guess I also have become more confident in my abilities.
Here is a copy of an anonymous question from one of the students that I received this week:
“I really appreciate you teaching, we have learn more enjoy the teaching it is like we have now weapons ready for war that is ready to face life with courage. I think we will miss you a lot.”
Hearing this response from a student really makes me happy and validates the work of QHO/YESS. Some of the issues presented in the classroom can become overwhelming and at times I wonder how we can tackle all of them. But hearing a response like the one above from a student just makes me smile. If we can get through to one person, make a difference in one student’s life, to me it is all worth it.
I have so many experiences that I want to share with all of you but it is hard to type them fast enough. Hopefully you can follow my thoughts. Hope all is well back home. Talk to you again in a week.
deirdre <3
Charles Minor
On the way home from school, we usually give ride to a student named Charles Minor. Charles is a form 3 (grade 11) student at Seet Kobor Secondary School and has to walk three hours each way to get to school because closer schools were full to capacity. He told us that he sometimes has to fend off hyenas using rocks and sticks when the sun goes down.
Charles is a very bright student who seems to have an uncanny thirst for knowledge and a knack for languages. Everyday he has brought his notebook with specific words and phrases in French that he wants to know, and asks Leah and I to translate for him. He is picking it up surprisingly quickly.
Today Charles asked me what province Queen’s University was in. I mentioned that it was in Ontario, and that Ontario is right to the French speaking province Quebec. I was stunned when his response was:
“Didn’t Quebec want to succeed from Canada several years ago?”
I couldn’t believe that a form 3 student in rural Kenya would know about the political history of Canada. I am confident that with his unquenshable drive to learn, Charles will get into a university and will do great things in his life.
Kwaheri!
-Bryan
Charles is a very bright student who seems to have an uncanny thirst for knowledge and a knack for languages. Everyday he has brought his notebook with specific words and phrases in French that he wants to know, and asks Leah and I to translate for him. He is picking it up surprisingly quickly.
Today Charles asked me what province Queen’s University was in. I mentioned that it was in Ontario, and that Ontario is right to the French speaking province Quebec. I was stunned when his response was:
“Didn’t Quebec want to succeed from Canada several years ago?”
I couldn’t believe that a form 3 student in rural Kenya would know about the political history of Canada. I am confident that with his unquenshable drive to learn, Charles will get into a university and will do great things in his life.
Kwaheri!
-Bryan
Time Flies!
Hello!
After a second incredible week of teaching at Seet Kobor Secondary School my favourite moment would have to be the conversation Leah and I had at the end of the week with the school's guidance counsellor and Principal. They told us how valuable they thought the YESS program was because they thought the students felt much more comfortable asking questions to their peers than to their teachers or other staff members at the school. They were very interested in continuing the partnership founded between the school and YESS this week and we discussed many ideas for outreach activities that the students could participate in during our outreach week at the end of project. My favourite part of the conversation was the ending when the guidance counsellor told us that many of the students had come up to him throughout the week and personally told him how much they enjoyed the YESS program and how much they had learned and gained from the curriculum and the peer educators.
The students at Seet Kobor were great; some of the most enthusiastic and energetic I have seen! They asked the most thoughtful, intricate, and precise questions which shows how much they were analysing the curriculum, extrapolating from it and applying it to their own lives.
This past week went by so quickly - I couldn't believe it! Next week will mark the half-way point of project. I hope the second half will be just as great as the first!
Nicole
After a second incredible week of teaching at Seet Kobor Secondary School my favourite moment would have to be the conversation Leah and I had at the end of the week with the school's guidance counsellor and Principal. They told us how valuable they thought the YESS program was because they thought the students felt much more comfortable asking questions to their peers than to their teachers or other staff members at the school. They were very interested in continuing the partnership founded between the school and YESS this week and we discussed many ideas for outreach activities that the students could participate in during our outreach week at the end of project. My favourite part of the conversation was the ending when the guidance counsellor told us that many of the students had come up to him throughout the week and personally told him how much they enjoyed the YESS program and how much they had learned and gained from the curriculum and the peer educators.
The students at Seet Kobor were great; some of the most enthusiastic and energetic I have seen! They asked the most thoughtful, intricate, and precise questions which shows how much they were analysing the curriculum, extrapolating from it and applying it to their own lives.
This past week went by so quickly - I couldn't believe it! Next week will mark the half-way point of project. I hope the second half will be just as great as the first!
Nicole
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Mambo!
We have just completed our first week of teaching at Lake Solai Secondary School. The daily commute to this school takes over one and a half hours (in good conditions) over bumpy dirt. Unfortunately our average commute to Lake Solai has been significantly longer due to getting repeatedly stuck in the mud, three flat tires and a wheel falling right off our matatu on two occasions.
Our first classroom experience was something that I will never forget. Mercy, Courtney and I were working with the Form 4 students (grade 12) and while they were shy at first, became much more comfortable with us as the week progressed. They were so attentive and genuinely interested in learning (seeing as they were staying after regular school hours to listen to us). Courtney and I struggled with slowing down our speech to ensure that the students understood our strange accents.
The most thought-provoking and validating experience of the YESS/QHO project to date came when Mercy, Courtney and I read our anonymous questions from our first day of teaching. Unlike anonymous question boxes in Canada, we received relevant and intelligent responses from almost every student. Many students asked about misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, others asked for relationship advice, some were inquiring about condom use and one or two asked how to handle situations involving abuse. One student even discussed how some HIV-positive individuals felt discriminated against in their own community. Here are several questions copied exactly as they were written:
Is it bad to eat in the same plate with a person with HIV/AIDS?
I understand that HIV can be prevented by the use of condoms but I can not believe it. Please explain to me I need assistance?
Is it true that when infected person have sex with young lady get recover?
It seems evident that the students have so many questions to ask, but few resources that they are comfortable using to help them get the answers. After reading the questions, all the blood sweat and tears put into this project by every one of us became instantly validated and it seems like nothing in the world can be more rewarding than empowering these kids find the answers they seek. I’ll leave you on one of the funnier questions that we received:
Niaje Bryan could you please look for me a girlfriend from Canada? If yes, meet me at the gate there for more information. Thanks.
We have just completed our first week of teaching at Lake Solai Secondary School. The daily commute to this school takes over one and a half hours (in good conditions) over bumpy dirt. Unfortunately our average commute to Lake Solai has been significantly longer due to getting repeatedly stuck in the mud, three flat tires and a wheel falling right off our matatu on two occasions.
Our first classroom experience was something that I will never forget. Mercy, Courtney and I were working with the Form 4 students (grade 12) and while they were shy at first, became much more comfortable with us as the week progressed. They were so attentive and genuinely interested in learning (seeing as they were staying after regular school hours to listen to us). Courtney and I struggled with slowing down our speech to ensure that the students understood our strange accents.
The most thought-provoking and validating experience of the YESS/QHO project to date came when Mercy, Courtney and I read our anonymous questions from our first day of teaching. Unlike anonymous question boxes in Canada, we received relevant and intelligent responses from almost every student. Many students asked about misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, others asked for relationship advice, some were inquiring about condom use and one or two asked how to handle situations involving abuse. One student even discussed how some HIV-positive individuals felt discriminated against in their own community. Here are several questions copied exactly as they were written:
Is it bad to eat in the same plate with a person with HIV/AIDS?
I understand that HIV can be prevented by the use of condoms but I can not believe it. Please explain to me I need assistance?
Is it true that when infected person have sex with young lady get recover?
It seems evident that the students have so many questions to ask, but few resources that they are comfortable using to help them get the answers. After reading the questions, all the blood sweat and tears put into this project by every one of us became instantly validated and it seems like nothing in the world can be more rewarding than empowering these kids find the answers they seek. I’ll leave you on one of the funnier questions that we received:
Niaje Bryan could you please look for me a girlfriend from Canada? If yes, meet me at the gate there for more information. Thanks.
School Numero Moja
Hello from a cyber in downtown Nakuru Town,
I can't believe that our first week of teaching has already come and gone. It was an exciting week to say the least. Everyone was really excited to get into the classroom on Monday and also probably a little bit nervous about how everything was going to work. As it turns out everything went smoothly, at least for Monday. I really felt that the students were able to comprehend what we were teaching and the language barrier was much smaller than I had anticipated. Monday is the day we teach our Life Skills skit and after we left the school I was excited and couldn't wait to go back. The school we were teaching at was called Lake Solai Secondary School, it is about a 2 hour drive from our house (rain dependent), and is quite rural. I was teaching in a form one classroom (the equivalent to grade 9) with Deirdre (Dre as she now goes by) and Ng'Ok. Both were excellent teaching partners.
Driving to school on Tuesday everyone was excited and anticipated having a similar day to the one we had on Monday. Unfortunately when were about 20 minutes away from the school the road got incredibly muddy due to the rain which had fallen the night before. It was so bad that the road became impassable and we ended up walking to the school on foot. We invariably showed up a little late and had to cut the lesson short. Everyone was quite dissapointed with this turn of events, but everyone also handled the situation very well and demonstrated how flexible a group we have.
Wednesday is our day for teaching the HIV kit, which is our most important kit. We left the house an hour earlier than we needed to so that we could combat any adverse road conditions. Thankfully we arrived on time and had no travel issues. Wednesday was the first day that I could really feel that the students were understanding what we were teaching. They answered questions correctly and were much more active in the classroom than they had been in the previous two days. This just served to build our confidence with teaching the material that we were teaching. Unfortunately at 5:00 pm the thunder started to boom and we were forced to make an early exit, lest we spend the night a Lake Solai. This was another minor set-back and I felt bad that we had to leave because I still had so much more to teach. Once again our group of trainers showed our resilience and everyone reacted well to the change of plans.
Thursday we were unable to teach because the rain had fallen so hard the night before that the roads were most certainly impassable. So, with the permission of the school we were able to come earlier on Friday to make up for lost time. This was a very successful day, we were able to finish up the HIV kit and get through all of our Responsible Sexuality kit. I think that many of the students learned things that they had never been taught before and a lot of misconceptions were dispelled. This was echoed by the responses that we recieved in the form of anonymous questions. We received positive comments and many thanks for what we taught. The questions also illustrated a genuine knowledge of the material we had taught, which was very comforting because it meant that all of our efforts had paid off and the students had been able to grasp our main points.
Because of lost time we also came back to Lake Solai early on Saturday morning. Unfortunately the student turnout was lower than we expected because many students had responsibilities outside of the classroom on Saturday mornings. However, it was still successful and we were able to teach all the students who were present. We will once again be going back to Lake Solai this afternoon to do a final wrap-up with all the students. I'm very excited for this as I think are all the trainers and all the students. Then after visiting Lake Solai we will drive 40 minutes back up the road to Seet Kobor, which is our second school.
Overall the experience at Lake Solai was very positive. While we experienced some difficulties both students and trainers responded well. I was really impressed with this and I couldn't think of a better group of people that I would rather be training with. I think that everyone was also able to learn alot from the students at Lake Solai and we will be able to apply this when we teach at Seet Kobor beginning this afternoon. Until next week... Kwaheri.
-David
I can't believe that our first week of teaching has already come and gone. It was an exciting week to say the least. Everyone was really excited to get into the classroom on Monday and also probably a little bit nervous about how everything was going to work. As it turns out everything went smoothly, at least for Monday. I really felt that the students were able to comprehend what we were teaching and the language barrier was much smaller than I had anticipated. Monday is the day we teach our Life Skills skit and after we left the school I was excited and couldn't wait to go back. The school we were teaching at was called Lake Solai Secondary School, it is about a 2 hour drive from our house (rain dependent), and is quite rural. I was teaching in a form one classroom (the equivalent to grade 9) with Deirdre (Dre as she now goes by) and Ng'Ok. Both were excellent teaching partners.
Driving to school on Tuesday everyone was excited and anticipated having a similar day to the one we had on Monday. Unfortunately when were about 20 minutes away from the school the road got incredibly muddy due to the rain which had fallen the night before. It was so bad that the road became impassable and we ended up walking to the school on foot. We invariably showed up a little late and had to cut the lesson short. Everyone was quite dissapointed with this turn of events, but everyone also handled the situation very well and demonstrated how flexible a group we have.
Wednesday is our day for teaching the HIV kit, which is our most important kit. We left the house an hour earlier than we needed to so that we could combat any adverse road conditions. Thankfully we arrived on time and had no travel issues. Wednesday was the first day that I could really feel that the students were understanding what we were teaching. They answered questions correctly and were much more active in the classroom than they had been in the previous two days. This just served to build our confidence with teaching the material that we were teaching. Unfortunately at 5:00 pm the thunder started to boom and we were forced to make an early exit, lest we spend the night a Lake Solai. This was another minor set-back and I felt bad that we had to leave because I still had so much more to teach. Once again our group of trainers showed our resilience and everyone reacted well to the change of plans.
Thursday we were unable to teach because the rain had fallen so hard the night before that the roads were most certainly impassable. So, with the permission of the school we were able to come earlier on Friday to make up for lost time. This was a very successful day, we were able to finish up the HIV kit and get through all of our Responsible Sexuality kit. I think that many of the students learned things that they had never been taught before and a lot of misconceptions were dispelled. This was echoed by the responses that we recieved in the form of anonymous questions. We received positive comments and many thanks for what we taught. The questions also illustrated a genuine knowledge of the material we had taught, which was very comforting because it meant that all of our efforts had paid off and the students had been able to grasp our main points.
Because of lost time we also came back to Lake Solai early on Saturday morning. Unfortunately the student turnout was lower than we expected because many students had responsibilities outside of the classroom on Saturday mornings. However, it was still successful and we were able to teach all the students who were present. We will once again be going back to Lake Solai this afternoon to do a final wrap-up with all the students. I'm very excited for this as I think are all the trainers and all the students. Then after visiting Lake Solai we will drive 40 minutes back up the road to Seet Kobor, which is our second school.
Overall the experience at Lake Solai was very positive. While we experienced some difficulties both students and trainers responded well. I was really impressed with this and I couldn't think of a better group of people that I would rather be training with. I think that everyone was also able to learn alot from the students at Lake Solai and we will be able to apply this when we teach at Seet Kobor beginning this afternoon. Until next week... Kwaheri.
-David
Gender Specific Discussions
After an exciting, unpredictable, and challenging first week of teaching, the YESS-QHO team has demonstrated their unfailing passion and respect for this project and have proven to be a flexible team willing to do whatever it takes to make this year the most successful year yet. The first week of teaching at Lake Solai Secondary School came with the regular challenges of the first week of teaching as well as additional weather challenges and time restraints. These challenges limited our time in the classroom and forced us to change our schedules last-minute. These circumstances could understandably cause some apprehension and frustration. However I think I speak for everyone when I say that the second you stepped into the classroom, these challenges seemed to melt away and the only thing you could focus on was the students and how much you hoped they would gain something positive from the YESS team.
This past week Mumbi, Ibra and I taught a Form One (grade nine) class underneath a large tree in the front school yard. At first the students seemed very shy however by the second day of teaching, the students seemed a bit more comfortable and I was really hoping that they would open up even more during the 'Gender Specific Discussions' we were planning for the end of that lesson. At the end of the lesson, Mumbi and I took our female students to a separate spot outside and sat cross-legged on the grass in a large circle. We started the discussion by giving each girl and opportunity to talk a little about herself and Mumbi and I did the same. We then gave them an opportunity to ask us anything that they wanted and emphasised that no topics were off limits. In the past, these discussions have been some of my favourite aspects of project because often the girls felt comfortable enough to ask about many things that they would not have felt comfortable enough bringing up in the classroom. On this day, however, the form one girls were not talking. Mumbi and I tried every tactic we could think of to get the students to open up including telling them that they could whisper their questions in our ear, telling them that they could ask Mumbi in Swahili, and giving them the opportunity to formulate a group question so that no single student was singled out- none of which worked. In a final attempt, we handed out anonymous question papers and said that we would close our eyes while they wrote their questions down on paper for us to answer. When I picked up the pile of papers that accumulated when they were finished writing I was surprised and relieved to find that each girl not only wrote one question for us, but many wrote 2, 3, or 4 questions on a single question sheet.
We answered every question that afternoon and by the end of the discussion, the girls were giggling, giving their opinions and asking questions openly without fear of judgment. Throughout the remainder of the week, they were a lot more interactive in the classroom and did not hesitate to talk with Mumbi and me one-on-one. This change in demeanor and confidence was without a doubt well worth all of the challenges we faced this past week.
I am very proud of each individual working on this year's project. Everyone's compassion, dedication and flexibility amaze me daily. This next week brings a new school; Seet Kobor Secondary, and a new slew of challenges and opportunities that I am sure we will face head on with passion and understanding.
- Nicole
This past week Mumbi, Ibra and I taught a Form One (grade nine) class underneath a large tree in the front school yard. At first the students seemed very shy however by the second day of teaching, the students seemed a bit more comfortable and I was really hoping that they would open up even more during the 'Gender Specific Discussions' we were planning for the end of that lesson. At the end of the lesson, Mumbi and I took our female students to a separate spot outside and sat cross-legged on the grass in a large circle. We started the discussion by giving each girl and opportunity to talk a little about herself and Mumbi and I did the same. We then gave them an opportunity to ask us anything that they wanted and emphasised that no topics were off limits. In the past, these discussions have been some of my favourite aspects of project because often the girls felt comfortable enough to ask about many things that they would not have felt comfortable enough bringing up in the classroom. On this day, however, the form one girls were not talking. Mumbi and I tried every tactic we could think of to get the students to open up including telling them that they could whisper their questions in our ear, telling them that they could ask Mumbi in Swahili, and giving them the opportunity to formulate a group question so that no single student was singled out- none of which worked. In a final attempt, we handed out anonymous question papers and said that we would close our eyes while they wrote their questions down on paper for us to answer. When I picked up the pile of papers that accumulated when they were finished writing I was surprised and relieved to find that each girl not only wrote one question for us, but many wrote 2, 3, or 4 questions on a single question sheet.
We answered every question that afternoon and by the end of the discussion, the girls were giggling, giving their opinions and asking questions openly without fear of judgment. Throughout the remainder of the week, they were a lot more interactive in the classroom and did not hesitate to talk with Mumbi and me one-on-one. This change in demeanor and confidence was without a doubt well worth all of the challenges we faced this past week.
I am very proud of each individual working on this year's project. Everyone's compassion, dedication and flexibility amaze me daily. This next week brings a new school; Seet Kobor Secondary, and a new slew of challenges and opportunities that I am sure we will face head on with passion and understanding.
- Nicole
Hakuna Mata-tu
"The vibrations in this matatu are loosening the mucus in my lungs!" Dave shouts over the bumbing bass as we drivethrough the busy streets of Nairobi in our "Ghetto Army" themed matatu. We have just stepped off the 8 hour planeride from Amsterdam and the QHO travellers are sleepy, excited and just a little confused when we all pile intosomething none of us have seen or experienced before- a Kenyan style taxi called a matatu.
A matatu, the word not directly translating into english, can best be described as public trnasportation thatis bigger than a taxi but smaller than a bus. Picture an old VW winnabago outfitted with a sweet sound system,strobelights, black lights and decals all over the interior and exterior. A matatu works similar to a bus, stoppingall over the city to pick up people who pay about 20 shillings to cross town.
Being in a matatu is unlike any other transportation I've experienced before. I can describe it like being in areally loud dance club except no one is really dancing and the club is on wheels. Many matatu drivers pimp their ridesby choosing a theme and covering the interior and exterior with decal, in hopes of appealing to the youth. We'vestarted keeping track of some of the most amazing matatu themes we've seen to date. These include:
1)The "Ghetto Army" Matatu
2)The Nelson Mandela Matatu
3)The Obama/Osama Matatu
4)The "Pain is Love" shout out to the Emos Matatu
5)Other Matatus showing pictures of Shakira, lil wayne and many other celebs
The music in the matatus is probably what makes them so much fun to ride in. There nothing quite like pulling up toyour destination in a huge Nelison Mandela themed matatu with 90's rap remixes we all forgot existed blarring on the sweet sound system, the bass pumping so hard in the back seats, you almost smack your head on the cross bars. Drivingto my first school last Thursday in Lake Solai was pretty amazing. The kids would run out of their houses when theyheard the music in the distance, similar to an ice cream truck, and then dance on the side of the road to the music playing from our speakers.
This week I learned that a matatu has the same capabilities as an army tank. After getting stuck in the mud about 7 times this week and the wheel falling off the matatu, I have learned that matatus are hardy little creatures that can drive through just about anything. Kudoes to our driver, Kim, who oddly resembles Pharrell from NERD, who is by far the best driver I've ever seen.
I'm always excited when the QHO/YESS team hops into a matatu and departs for the next eye-opening, amazing experience.It's like getting into the wooden roller coaster at Wonderland everyday day of my life. I don't think stepping onto a bus in Kingston will ever be the same.
A matatu, the word not directly translating into english, can best be described as public trnasportation thatis bigger than a taxi but smaller than a bus. Picture an old VW winnabago outfitted with a sweet sound system,strobelights, black lights and decals all over the interior and exterior. A matatu works similar to a bus, stoppingall over the city to pick up people who pay about 20 shillings to cross town.
Being in a matatu is unlike any other transportation I've experienced before. I can describe it like being in areally loud dance club except no one is really dancing and the club is on wheels. Many matatu drivers pimp their ridesby choosing a theme and covering the interior and exterior with decal, in hopes of appealing to the youth. We'vestarted keeping track of some of the most amazing matatu themes we've seen to date. These include:
1)The "Ghetto Army" Matatu
2)The Nelson Mandela Matatu
3)The Obama/Osama Matatu
4)The "Pain is Love" shout out to the Emos Matatu
5)Other Matatus showing pictures of Shakira, lil wayne and many other celebs
The music in the matatus is probably what makes them so much fun to ride in. There nothing quite like pulling up toyour destination in a huge Nelison Mandela themed matatu with 90's rap remixes we all forgot existed blarring on the sweet sound system, the bass pumping so hard in the back seats, you almost smack your head on the cross bars. Drivingto my first school last Thursday in Lake Solai was pretty amazing. The kids would run out of their houses when theyheard the music in the distance, similar to an ice cream truck, and then dance on the side of the road to the music playing from our speakers.
This week I learned that a matatu has the same capabilities as an army tank. After getting stuck in the mud about 7 times this week and the wheel falling off the matatu, I have learned that matatus are hardy little creatures that can drive through just about anything. Kudoes to our driver, Kim, who oddly resembles Pharrell from NERD, who is by far the best driver I've ever seen.
I'm always excited when the QHO/YESS team hops into a matatu and departs for the next eye-opening, amazing experience.It's like getting into the wooden roller coaster at Wonderland everyday day of my life. I don't think stepping onto a bus in Kingston will ever be the same.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
What's the Difference Between Me and You?
Sema everyone!
(What's up in Swahili)
So for the sake of our readers, the QHO team devised a plan to break up our blog post so you don't have to read the same thing over by eight people! Before I begin my post, I just have to say that I am so lucky to be working with such a talented and genuine group of individuals from YESS (and of course QHO). I'm having a great time, and I find it excruciatingly frustrating that I cannot properly express my experience with you via emails and blogging.
Since many of you might be wondering what living in a house with 9 Kenyans and 8 Canadians is like, my topic is:
Bryan's Ongoing List of Subtle Cultural Differences Betweeen Kenyans and Canadians
1) Some Kenyans sleep with the lights on: This is to prevent being bitten by mosquitos at night. They also usually sleep with the covers completely over their heads for further mosquito protection. The other night was the last one up and turned out the lights without thinking. Then after getting into bed I heard a soft buzzing over my head. So I got up, turned the lights on and went back to bed!
2) Kenyans have the ability to sleep with very loud music in close proximity: Reuben and Steve share a single bed in our room. Amazingly, Reuben passes out with Steve blaring reggae about a foot away from his head.
3) Kenyans always close the bathroom door when its not in use: I knock every time, and nobody is ever in there...
4) Kenyans dress well all the time: Albert (who takes care of the house) has been seen mowing the lawn in dress pants and a button-up shirt and this morning, Vanice scaled down 250 meters of a steep crater wearing high heels and a purse... Impressive is an understatement!
As for what it's like to live in a house with 9 Kenyans and 8 Canadians, Courtney said it best when we arrived here:
"It feels like we're on Big Brother". Only without the cameras.
Nakupenda,
Bryan
(What's up in Swahili)
So for the sake of our readers, the QHO team devised a plan to break up our blog post so you don't have to read the same thing over by eight people! Before I begin my post, I just have to say that I am so lucky to be working with such a talented and genuine group of individuals from YESS (and of course QHO). I'm having a great time, and I find it excruciatingly frustrating that I cannot properly express my experience with you via emails and blogging.
Since many of you might be wondering what living in a house with 9 Kenyans and 8 Canadians is like, my topic is:
Bryan's Ongoing List of Subtle Cultural Differences Betweeen Kenyans and Canadians
1) Some Kenyans sleep with the lights on: This is to prevent being bitten by mosquitos at night. They also usually sleep with the covers completely over their heads for further mosquito protection. The other night was the last one up and turned out the lights without thinking. Then after getting into bed I heard a soft buzzing over my head. So I got up, turned the lights on and went back to bed!
2) Kenyans have the ability to sleep with very loud music in close proximity: Reuben and Steve share a single bed in our room. Amazingly, Reuben passes out with Steve blaring reggae about a foot away from his head.
3) Kenyans always close the bathroom door when its not in use: I knock every time, and nobody is ever in there...
4) Kenyans dress well all the time: Albert (who takes care of the house) has been seen mowing the lawn in dress pants and a button-up shirt and this morning, Vanice scaled down 250 meters of a steep crater wearing high heels and a purse... Impressive is an understatement!
As for what it's like to live in a house with 9 Kenyans and 8 Canadians, Courtney said it best when we arrived here:
"It feels like we're on Big Brother". Only without the cameras.
Nakupenda,
Bryan
orientation week = success
Hello!
After a wonderful first week filled with so many exciting experiences, I can't think of just one thing to write about!
One of the memories that will stand out most to me from this week is the Kenya- Canada culture night that we had as part of orientation. The Kenyans and Canadians each prepared a presentation of their respective cultures. The Canadians went first and presented on Canadian geography, slang, food, celebrities, holidays, and most importantly, maple syrup. The presentation concluded with pancakes topped with real maple syrup from Canada and a joint performance of the Canadian national anthem. Reuben (a returning YESS trainer) was quick to remember the special "vocal percussion" section of the anthem that we taught him last year and belted it out at the top of his lungs.
The Kenyans prepared a spectacular presentation that went into the early morning hours! :) We learned about sports, school, geography, history, food, music, dress, artwork, politics, and the Kenyan national anthem just to name SOME of the topics! The two presentations were very informative, comical, and really allowed us to learn a lot about each other and brought us together as a team.
The other events that have rounded out our orientation week have been wonderful. We've visited 4 of the 6 schools we will be training so far and have had great reception at all of them. The students seemed really excited to have YESS come to their schools for the first time and are eager for us to return. Practice teaching has been fantastic this week; all of the peer educators are wonderful teachers and will be extremely effective in the classroom and will without a doubt connect with their students.
We start at our first school on Monday; Lake Solai Secondary School and we cannot wait to begin.
Nicole
Somo la kiswahili ( Swahili Lesson Number 1)
Karibu!
We have officially been in KENYA for nine days now. I still find myself having moments where I
stopped and think:
1)WOW I am in Kenya
2)WOW I am just beginning one of the most life changing experiences with sixteen of the most amazing individuals I have ever meet
This is my first blog post and I am busting with thoughts, ideas and experiences to share with all of you. This blog post is in tribute to Sammy, the amazing chef of Flamingo Heights. Sammy is a trickster! He is great at teaching Swahili although he has tried to teach me as well as the other Canadians “Hakuna Matatu” instead of “Hakuna Matata”. The thing I love most about Swahili is that it is phonetics. Most times I can guess correctly how a word is spelt and it makes sounding out words MUCH easier than any other language I have ever learned. Sammy, as well as the Y.E.S.S members have been helping us Canadians learn some Swahili words. Here is a brief summary of what we have learned so far:
Moja- one
Mbili-two
Tatu-three
Nne- four
Tano- five
Sita- six
Saba- seven
Nane- eight
Tisa- nine
Ten- kumi
Eleven- kumi na moja
Twenty- ishirini
Sukumawiki- “push the week”, vegetable (looks similar to spinach, but has a very unique flavor)
Nyamachoma- grilled meat
Mandazi- breakfast donut
kuku- chicken
Chakula killikuwa kitamu sana- the food is very delicious
Naije wasee- hey guys, what’s up?
Sawa – do you understand?
Sindio- are you with me?
Sema- talk to me
Poa- cool
Mzuri sana- good
Vipee- how’s it going?
Sasa- hey
Samahenee- excuse me
ndio- yes
Hapana- no
Asante sana- thank you very much
Sawa sawa- okay
Pole pole- slowly
Tafadhali- please
Pole- sorry
Mambo- hi
Karibu- welcome
Jambo- hello
Habari- greetings
Usiku njema- goodnight
Lala salama- sleepwell
Habari ya asubuhi- good morning
Habari ya jioni- good evening
Furaha yakupatana nawewe- it’s nice to meet you
Jina langu ni – my name is
Jina lako ni- what is your name
Habari yako- how are you?
Mzuri sana- I am good
Jewewe- and you?
Kwaheri- goodbye
Hakuna matata- no worries
Badoe- can mean anything, even substitute a name
For the past week we have been busy practice teaching, getting to know each other, learning the teaching material inside and out, and learning pyche games from each other (which can be used in the classrooms!). The Kenyadians taught us Canadians how to count in Swahili by a simple counting game. On Monday afternoon, we all layed down outside on the grass and tired to count to 10 and then 20 in Swahili as a group. The task may sound easy but it actually ended up occupying our attention for quite some time. The trick to the game is we have to count to 10 as a group without communicating who is going to say which number and there can be no order. This past week has been so AMAZING! I have just loved getting to know all the Y.E.S.S members and I am just itching to get into the classrooms. I am super pumped for the next six weeks!
Hadi wakati mwingine!
Till Next time!
deirdre a.k.a dre <3
We have officially been in KENYA for nine days now. I still find myself having moments where I
stopped and think:
1)WOW I am in Kenya
2)WOW I am just beginning one of the most life changing experiences with sixteen of the most amazing individuals I have ever meet
This is my first blog post and I am busting with thoughts, ideas and experiences to share with all of you. This blog post is in tribute to Sammy, the amazing chef of Flamingo Heights. Sammy is a trickster! He is great at teaching Swahili although he has tried to teach me as well as the other Canadians “Hakuna Matatu” instead of “Hakuna Matata”. The thing I love most about Swahili is that it is phonetics. Most times I can guess correctly how a word is spelt and it makes sounding out words MUCH easier than any other language I have ever learned. Sammy, as well as the Y.E.S.S members have been helping us Canadians learn some Swahili words. Here is a brief summary of what we have learned so far:
Moja- one
Mbili-two
Tatu-three
Nne- four
Tano- five
Sita- six
Saba- seven
Nane- eight
Tisa- nine
Ten- kumi
Eleven- kumi na moja
Twenty- ishirini
Sukumawiki- “push the week”, vegetable (looks similar to spinach, but has a very unique flavor)
Nyamachoma- grilled meat
Mandazi- breakfast donut
kuku- chicken
Chakula killikuwa kitamu sana- the food is very delicious
Naije wasee- hey guys, what’s up?
Sawa – do you understand?
Sindio- are you with me?
Sema- talk to me
Poa- cool
Mzuri sana- good
Vipee- how’s it going?
Sasa- hey
Samahenee- excuse me
ndio- yes
Hapana- no
Asante sana- thank you very much
Sawa sawa- okay
Pole pole- slowly
Tafadhali- please
Pole- sorry
Mambo- hi
Karibu- welcome
Jambo- hello
Habari- greetings
Usiku njema- goodnight
Lala salama- sleepwell
Habari ya asubuhi- good morning
Habari ya jioni- good evening
Furaha yakupatana nawewe- it’s nice to meet you
Jina langu ni – my name is
Jina lako ni- what is your name
Habari yako- how are you?
Mzuri sana- I am good
Jewewe- and you?
Kwaheri- goodbye
Hakuna matata- no worries
Badoe- can mean anything, even substitute a name
For the past week we have been busy practice teaching, getting to know each other, learning the teaching material inside and out, and learning pyche games from each other (which can be used in the classrooms!). The Kenyadians taught us Canadians how to count in Swahili by a simple counting game. On Monday afternoon, we all layed down outside on the grass and tired to count to 10 and then 20 in Swahili as a group. The task may sound easy but it actually ended up occupying our attention for quite some time. The trick to the game is we have to count to 10 as a group without communicating who is going to say which number and there can be no order. This past week has been so AMAZING! I have just loved getting to know all the Y.E.S.S members and I am just itching to get into the classrooms. I am super pumped for the next six weeks!
Hadi wakati mwingine!
Till Next time!
deirdre a.k.a dre <3
mambo.
so, i've been in KENYA for just a week, and i already feel like i've lived here forever. if i were to even just summarize all the amazing things i've learned, seen and done, it would cost me millions of shillings and take you hours and hours to read. so, in the interest of time and space, we have decided to each write posts about some of incredible things we've experienced so far.
none of these experiences would even be possible without our YESS family, and i would like to take the time to give a brief introduction for each of these unique and fabulous individuals. soon they will each have their own profile and you will be able to read more about them. but for now...
the YESS family.
Ibra: his experience in the classroom is evident when he teaches, and he is quite the storyteller, especially when it comes to genies.
Mercy: has the ability to remain calm, cool and collected when need be, but with music she is able to let loose and can dance forever.
Mumbi: has a bubbly, lovable and talkative personality, and also loves dancing anywhere and everywhere, especially in the matatu.
Ng'ok: the brains behind the operation, always looks 'smart' when running millions of errands, visiting the many important people and places involved with our project.
Reuben: the "master of the lions", has the most contagious smile and has recently become my expert sudoku partner.
Sammy: our cook, always helps us "kill hunger", cooking delicious Kenyan meals, with spiced Chai tea being his specialty and our favourite.
Steven Rono: the student turned trainer, whose energy, enthusiasm and raps in the classroom get all the students psyched up and excited to learn; outside the classroom he always has many 'sweet messages' as he puts it, and you will definitely experience some of those soon.
Tony: the king of any and all technology in the house, plays a key role in the monitoring and evaluation department; and he is also the resident DJ of our 'Flamingo Heights' residence
last, but not least
Vanice: a sweetheart and amazing teacher, who recently managed to climb a crater in heels, has her twenty-first birthday tomorrow... BEANS.
these brief introductions can hardly do these individuals 'justice' as Reuben would say, but look forward to hearing more from each and every one of them. in only a week, the QHO and YESS trainers have become so close and comfortable with each other. this connection that we have already formed can only strengthen our partnership, and hopefully will be translated into excellent teaching in the classroom.
i feel so fortunate to be here and to have met such wonderful people. together we have become honorary KENYADIANS, and i am extremely excited to teach and work with everyone for the next two months.
kwaheri.
Pre-training at Seet Kobor
Mambo,
In an effort to reduce repitition between everyone posting on this blog, we have divided up the topics that everyone is talking about. I will be talking about my experience handing out pre-training questionnaires at one of the schools we will be teaching at in 2 weeks time, called Seet Kobor secondary school. The matatu ride (see Courtney's posts for more on matatus) was about an hour long on a bumpy dirt ride into very, very rural Kenya. Some of the YESS trainers even expressed surprised at the fact that people were living this far out. Six of us (Ibrah, Leah, Deirdre, Mumbi, Bryan and I) got dropped off at Seet Kobor and the matatu continued down the road with some of the trainers to visit another school (Lake Solai), which we will teach at on Monday.
We arrived at Seet Kobor and were greeted warmly by the principal and guidance counsellor. Students crowded at the windows of their classrooms to see who the new visitors were. The students were then called into the field and they stood an apprehensive distance away from us, waiting to hear what we were coming to do. Ibrah broke the ice with a good speech detailing what QHO and YESS do and the students began to warm up to us. The students were then asked to return to their classrooms and we divided into 3 groups of 2 to hand out questionnaires in each class.
The pre-training questionnaires are very important to our training because it gives us an indication, not only of how much the students already know, but also of how much they have learned when their answers on the pre-training survey are compared with those of the post training survey. These questionnaires are therefore a very important part of our monitoring and evaluation because they help us show that what we are teaching is being absorbed and is effective.
Deirdre and I went into a classroom together, it was a form 3 class (or equivalent to grade 11). At first the students were a little unsure of us, so we began with a game (balance the ball for those of you who know what that is). The students quickly began smiling and laughing and joining in on the game. We then gave out the surveys and the students filled them in. Typically, at this point we would psyche the students up a little bit more and then head home, but in our case we had to wait for the matatu to return from Lake Solai before we could go. So Deirdre and I had about an hour with the students. We told them a little bit about Canada and they asked some questions that they had, they all seemed very intrigued with what we had to say. We told them about ice hockey and poutine (poutine might have gone over their heads a little as gravy is a foreign concept). We played a few more psyche games with the class to end the day and all the students left with huge smiles on their faces and seemed very excited for us to return and train them.
Once we had left the classroom we spoke with the guidance counselor and he said something that confirmed for me why I had joined QHO in the first place. It has to do with the power of youth teaching youth. What he said was, "When I talk to them about sex, the students stare at the ground, but when you come in talk to them about sex they are all eager to hear what you have to say". This really motivated me for the coming 6 weeks and raised my level of excitement to begin teaching. I think I speak for all of the YESS and QHO trainers when I say that we are so excited to get into the classroom and begin putting what we have worked on for the last 6 months into action.
To add to the excitement surrounding Seet Kobor, the school itself is located on a hill at the base of a mountain range, overlooking the Great Rift Valley, you can see for miles and I don't think I can adequately explain just how amazing the view is, so you will have to come see it for yourself. That's all for this week, I look forward to posting again soon.
In an effort to reduce repitition between everyone posting on this blog, we have divided up the topics that everyone is talking about. I will be talking about my experience handing out pre-training questionnaires at one of the schools we will be teaching at in 2 weeks time, called Seet Kobor secondary school. The matatu ride (see Courtney's posts for more on matatus) was about an hour long on a bumpy dirt ride into very, very rural Kenya. Some of the YESS trainers even expressed surprised at the fact that people were living this far out. Six of us (Ibrah, Leah, Deirdre, Mumbi, Bryan and I) got dropped off at Seet Kobor and the matatu continued down the road with some of the trainers to visit another school (Lake Solai), which we will teach at on Monday.
We arrived at Seet Kobor and were greeted warmly by the principal and guidance counsellor. Students crowded at the windows of their classrooms to see who the new visitors were. The students were then called into the field and they stood an apprehensive distance away from us, waiting to hear what we were coming to do. Ibrah broke the ice with a good speech detailing what QHO and YESS do and the students began to warm up to us. The students were then asked to return to their classrooms and we divided into 3 groups of 2 to hand out questionnaires in each class.
The pre-training questionnaires are very important to our training because it gives us an indication, not only of how much the students already know, but also of how much they have learned when their answers on the pre-training survey are compared with those of the post training survey. These questionnaires are therefore a very important part of our monitoring and evaluation because they help us show that what we are teaching is being absorbed and is effective.
Deirdre and I went into a classroom together, it was a form 3 class (or equivalent to grade 11). At first the students were a little unsure of us, so we began with a game (balance the ball for those of you who know what that is). The students quickly began smiling and laughing and joining in on the game. We then gave out the surveys and the students filled them in. Typically, at this point we would psyche the students up a little bit more and then head home, but in our case we had to wait for the matatu to return from Lake Solai before we could go. So Deirdre and I had about an hour with the students. We told them a little bit about Canada and they asked some questions that they had, they all seemed very intrigued with what we had to say. We told them about ice hockey and poutine (poutine might have gone over their heads a little as gravy is a foreign concept). We played a few more psyche games with the class to end the day and all the students left with huge smiles on their faces and seemed very excited for us to return and train them.
Once we had left the classroom we spoke with the guidance counselor and he said something that confirmed for me why I had joined QHO in the first place. It has to do with the power of youth teaching youth. What he said was, "When I talk to them about sex, the students stare at the ground, but when you come in talk to them about sex they are all eager to hear what you have to say". This really motivated me for the coming 6 weeks and raised my level of excitement to begin teaching. I think I speak for all of the YESS and QHO trainers when I say that we are so excited to get into the classroom and begin putting what we have worked on for the last 6 months into action.
To add to the excitement surrounding Seet Kobor, the school itself is located on a hill at the base of a mountain range, overlooking the Great Rift Valley, you can see for miles and I don't think I can adequately explain just how amazing the view is, so you will have to come see it for yourself. That's all for this week, I look forward to posting again soon.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Riap!
Hello everyone, Hope you know that this is very first Kenyadian on this blog. I am so excited to be doing this again this year. I know for sure that Ibra ( the dream) is gonna live up to the name?
I would like to say kudos to the wonderful team we have this year, Nicole, leah, Brian , David,Shauna, Court, and and Senait. There is something big going to happen this year! If you are not in Nakuru this year, then dont worry becoz tha posts are gonna be too many for you!
I would like to say kudos to the wonderful team we have this year, Nicole, leah, Brian , David,Shauna, Court, and and Senait. There is something big going to happen this year! If you are not in Nakuru this year, then dont worry becoz tha posts are gonna be too many for you!
Kariboo Nakuru!
Without trying to sound repetitive, we have arrived safely in Nakuru where the project will be taking place.Its interesting to note that Nakuru is home to about a million people, yet it is not classified as a city in Kenya but a town. The drive was incredible, as we passed gazelle, warthogs, zebras and magnificent views of lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru, speckled withm hundreds of pink flamingos!
Our new home is incredible, and is a house that is up to my mother's standards of space and cleanliness. Some of the bedrooms have incredible views of Lake Nakuru, and our spacious back yard is inhabited by two tortoises.
The most exciting part of yesterday was meeting the other YESS trainers. I am sharing a room with Reuben, Steve and Tony, Dave is staying with Robert (who has not arrived yet, so Ibrahim kept him company), and the three females trainers are named Mumbi (pronouced Moombi), Mercy and Vanice.
Tonne and I are sharing a mosquito net together, and we ended up staying up until two in the morning chatting. As we were going to sleep, I asked him if he wanted to get the lights, and he seemed very surprised by that. Apparently having the light on lowers your chances of getting bitten by mosquitos (maybe because they are attracted to the light instead of you). So we slept with the lights on!
Tomorrow is when the real work begins, and we are all thrilled at the prospect of living and learning about each other for the next two months. I also plan on becoming fluent in swahili by the time I leave!
Cheers, Bryan
Our new home is incredible, and is a house that is up to my mother's standards of space and cleanliness. Some of the bedrooms have incredible views of Lake Nakuru, and our spacious back yard is inhabited by two tortoises.
The most exciting part of yesterday was meeting the other YESS trainers. I am sharing a room with Reuben, Steve and Tony, Dave is staying with Robert (who has not arrived yet, so Ibrahim kept him company), and the three females trainers are named Mumbi (pronouced Moombi), Mercy and Vanice.
Tonne and I are sharing a mosquito net together, and we ended up staying up until two in the morning chatting. As we were going to sleep, I asked him if he wanted to get the lights, and he seemed very surprised by that. Apparently having the light on lowers your chances of getting bitten by mosquitos (maybe because they are attracted to the light instead of you). So we slept with the lights on!
Tomorrow is when the real work begins, and we are all thrilled at the prospect of living and learning about each other for the next two months. I also plan on becoming fluent in swahili by the time I leave!
Cheers, Bryan
What They Said...
Nicole, Dave and Senait have done a very good job of expessing pretty much everything I have been feeling and going through in the last two or three.. ( I don't have any concept of time anymore) days.
So all I will say is already I know that the next two months will bring about some of the most amazing experiences of my life and that I am truly blessed to be working with the people on the QHO/YESS team. The are all amazing and when we begin our teaching next week I cannot wait to see what everyone brings to the table in their own unique way.
Kenya is beautiful, I think I'm in love.
-Courtney
So all I will say is already I know that the next two months will bring about some of the most amazing experiences of my life and that I am truly blessed to be working with the people on the QHO/YESS team. The are all amazing and when we begin our teaching next week I cannot wait to see what everyone brings to the table in their own unique way.
Kenya is beautiful, I think I'm in love.
-Courtney
Back in Nakuru, this time with a view of flamingoes!
Hi Everyone!
We arrive in Nairobi on Friday night and the familiar smiles of Ng'ok, the YESS director, and Reuben, a YESS peer-educator, were at the airport to greet us. We made the journey to Nakuru yesterday, up along the side of the Great Rift Valley with a gorgeous view of the fields and a volcano below. Then we descended into the valley and arrived in Nakuru to find the lake here full of flamingoes. It turns out that where we will be living for the next 8 weeks looks out over the lake and national park - gorgeous!
This is the time that we have been working towards and waiting for all year long, when the 2009 QHO and YESS teams would finally meet! We have spent the last two days sharing about our organizations, countries and cultures and there will be more of that to come! OH! and trying Kenyan food of course! Our week ahead looks as though it will be a busy one with finalizing our teaching curriculum, visiting the schools that we will be training and firming up all of our plans. But the energy in our house is high and full of excitement. Everyone is eager to get to work and finally get into the classrooms.
I am so happy in be back here in Nakuru, Kenya!
We arrive in Nairobi on Friday night and the familiar smiles of Ng'ok, the YESS director, and Reuben, a YESS peer-educator, were at the airport to greet us. We made the journey to Nakuru yesterday, up along the side of the Great Rift Valley with a gorgeous view of the fields and a volcano below. Then we descended into the valley and arrived in Nakuru to find the lake here full of flamingoes. It turns out that where we will be living for the next 8 weeks looks out over the lake and national park - gorgeous!
This is the time that we have been working towards and waiting for all year long, when the 2009 QHO and YESS teams would finally meet! We have spent the last two days sharing about our organizations, countries and cultures and there will be more of that to come! OH! and trying Kenyan food of course! Our week ahead looks as though it will be a busy one with finalizing our teaching curriculum, visiting the schools that we will be training and firming up all of our plans. But the energy in our house is high and full of excitement. Everyone is eager to get to work and finally get into the classrooms.
I am so happy in be back here in Nakuru, Kenya!
Hello from Nakuru
We have just arrived in Nakuru today, after travelling from Nairobi yesterday. Travel was via matatu's. For those of you who don't know what a matatu is it is a minivan-like bus that carries 15 passengers. Each matatu is themed and so far the best themes have been the 'Ghetto Army' matatu and the 'spymaster' matatu. To go along with these themes the matatus are painted in all sorts of colors and often depict pictures of people (such as Mr. T or Shakira). The weather is hot and the scenery is gorgeous. The drive from Nairobi was incredibly beautiful as we were bordering the Great Rift Valley, which contains large volcanic mountains as well as scenic lakes. We moved into our house in Nakuru yesterday and met YESS. I'm happy to say that YESS is one of the nicest groups of people I have encountered in my life, they are very welcoming and very friendly. I really look forward to getting to know each of them better over the coming 2 months. As of yet we have not done a lot of project related activities, but these will begin as soon as we finish settling in to Nakuru. I'm looking forward to practice teaching with YESS and then on Monday teaching in our first classroom. So far my experience has exceeded my expectations in every way. I greatly look forward to our first day of teaching, as this is why we came. Thats all for now, I hope everyone is well and I will write again soon.
Ugali Power!
Hello!
So much to say and so little time! We have safely arrived in Nakuru, Kenya; a place which we are delighted to call home for the next two months. The weather has been lovely, our house is beautiful, and most importantly the YESS/QHO Kenyadian family is finally together again. Our house is full to the brim with excitement about our upcoming project (as well as dance lessons, high jump competitions and music playing from every corner).
This year's peer educators have been lucky enough to already try several kinds of Kenyan food thanks to Papa Shirash, aka shocolocobangoshee (at least 20 letters!), aka Sammy our beloved cook. We have mostly settled in and are eagerly leaning about each other's cultures, backgrounds, goals and ambitions. The real work starts tomorrow, when we will be starting our departmental work surrounding Monitoring and Evaluation, Training, and Logistics. We will also be practice teaching this week, pairing up with our teaching partners, visitng all six schools we will be training at, and working on building team spirit and partnership.
It has been a fantastic start thus far; better than anyone could have hoped for! I cannot wait to see what the next few weeks will bring.
Love,
Nicole
So much to say and so little time! We have safely arrived in Nakuru, Kenya; a place which we are delighted to call home for the next two months. The weather has been lovely, our house is beautiful, and most importantly the YESS/QHO Kenyadian family is finally together again. Our house is full to the brim with excitement about our upcoming project (as well as dance lessons, high jump competitions and music playing from every corner).
This year's peer educators have been lucky enough to already try several kinds of Kenyan food thanks to Papa Shirash, aka shocolocobangoshee (at least 20 letters!), aka Sammy our beloved cook. We have mostly settled in and are eagerly leaning about each other's cultures, backgrounds, goals and ambitions. The real work starts tomorrow, when we will be starting our departmental work surrounding Monitoring and Evaluation, Training, and Logistics. We will also be practice teaching this week, pairing up with our teaching partners, visitng all six schools we will be training at, and working on building team spirit and partnership.
It has been a fantastic start thus far; better than anyone could have hoped for! I cannot wait to see what the next few weeks will bring.
Love,
Nicole
"sometimes people get so upset or overwhelmed with emotion that they find it difficult to properly express themselves." --life skills kit, training manual '09
what better to explain what i'm going through right now than the book which will become my bible for the next eight weeks? i came across this phrase while reading over the curriculum on the plane from toronto to amsterdam and realized today that it is THE most accurate way to explain my current situation. i've never smiled so much in my life. being in kenya with the entire yess team has brought me to a whole new level of happiness that i never imagined i would experience while being here. the catch is, we haven't even started teaching yet! we're currently in nakuru, the town in which we'll be teaching for the next eight weeks, and let me just start off by saying that the group of yess members here are taking such good care of us! everything around us is so beautiful, its almost hard to be able to take it all in. yesterday's drive here (to nakuru) was amazing, and the house was even more spectacular. the kenyans (particularly sammy) have been patiently trying to teach us some swahili, which i plan on busting out when i get home. this week is orientation week when we practice teach with everyone and figure out who will be our teaching partners. i can't wait to finally begin! the passion and energy of each and every yess member assures me that these upcoming two months will be some of the most memorable of my life. hope you're all doing well, wherever you are.
senait
what better to explain what i'm going through right now than the book which will become my bible for the next eight weeks? i came across this phrase while reading over the curriculum on the plane from toronto to amsterdam and realized today that it is THE most accurate way to explain my current situation. i've never smiled so much in my life. being in kenya with the entire yess team has brought me to a whole new level of happiness that i never imagined i would experience while being here. the catch is, we haven't even started teaching yet! we're currently in nakuru, the town in which we'll be teaching for the next eight weeks, and let me just start off by saying that the group of yess members here are taking such good care of us! everything around us is so beautiful, its almost hard to be able to take it all in. yesterday's drive here (to nakuru) was amazing, and the house was even more spectacular. the kenyans (particularly sammy) have been patiently trying to teach us some swahili, which i plan on busting out when i get home. this week is orientation week when we practice teach with everyone and figure out who will be our teaching partners. i can't wait to finally begin! the passion and energy of each and every yess member assures me that these upcoming two months will be some of the most memorable of my life. hope you're all doing well, wherever you are.
senait
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