I kissed a giraffe and I liked it!!!

Fuzzy Whiskers!

Today was an amazing free day.  The group had several options to choose from and I selected "Plan B" which consisted of several local sights and museums.  Our first stop was the mall in Karen.  We had to pass through two security stations before we could enter.  Each person's bag was checked and we were "wanded" for metal detection (like we do at airports).  Once safely inside, we headed to our destination, the ATM to get Kenyan shillings for the day.

Safe and Secure at the Mall!

Our second stop was at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.  It is located in the Nairobi National Park and driving there we encountered baboons along the road.  To our left was forest, swampland and savanna, to our right a modern subdivision.  A bit surreal.  Sheldrick's is home to 24 orphaned wild elephants which are raised to approximately the age of 6.  At this age they are moved to Savo National Park and eventually they are released back into the wild a few years later.  The elephant orphanage is only open for one hour per day and for 500 shillings (approximately $5 US) you can watch the elephants be bottle fed, you can feed them grass and pet them as they walk by.  It was a memorable event and you can catch a glimmer of it on the video link below.

Lining up for Elephants!

Breakfast time!

Cute Orphan!

https://youtu.be/dR9pnTQtNSw

After Sheldrick's we went to a craft bazaar where we could eat lunch and do a bit of shopping.  Again, this quaint outdoor cafe style restaurant is located in a wealthy suburb but still the grounds were visited by monkeys while we ate.

A Chair made from Beads!

From lunch, we proceeded to the Giraffe Sanctuary were a raised platform allows you to come face to face with the world's tallest mammal, the Reticulated Giraffe.  They are kept in this enclosure as part of a breeding program to preserve the species.  The giraffes become quite accustomed to humans and will even eat out of your hands or "lips" as the case may be.  I have become quite notorious with the CanAssist group as the only one to french kiss a giraffe.  Hey, don't knock it until you try it!

Hello!

My Very Tall Friend!

Next we took a short drive to the Karen Blixen museum.  This is a National museum owned and operated by the Kenyan government and was once the former home of Karen Blixen a Danish woman who moved to Kenya during colonial times to start a coffee plantation.  Well, actually her plan was to start a dairy, something she knew something about but instead her husband, who came before her, decided to try coffee.  It is a long story but Karen ended up losing her farm and moved back to Denmark.  There, she wrote many famous books about her life in Africa, the most famous of which were combined into the Academy Award winning movie, Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.  If you haven't seen the movie you should watch it and you will see the beautiful landscape that we have the privilege of viewing first hand.

Gabriella approaching Karen Blixen's house!

I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills!

Finally, if all of that was not enough, we made one final stop at the Kazuri Bead Factory.  This women's cooperative employs over 340 women, many single mothers, to make and sell lovely clay beads.
Following the last stop we went to the local Nakumat, or mall, to purchase some snacks for the evening.  I wanted to pick up some Masala tea so I proceeded to the tea and coffee aisle.  A young man was working in the store and he seemed to he assigned the tea aisle.  He was neatly dressed and sported a bright yellow apron with a sponsored tea company logo.  I approached him and asked him what his favourite tea was.  Sheepishly he replied, "Oh, I don't take tea."  Another humorous encounter in the Nakumat involved two young women promoting a new toothpaste.  If you bought their product you could get a free t-shirt.  The t-shirt claimed that the toothpaste would give you "shinny teeth".  Many of us got one!
After a nice dinner we met up to enjoy some "party time" and to share our stories of the day.  Some of our large group had spent the day in the Ngong hills, visiting old friends and hiking to scenic vistas.  We all agreed that it was another memorable day!
The internet connection is weak and I am having difficulty uploading the images.  I will try to add them tomorrow.  Enjoy the text!

Long and Winding Road: Part Two!

Two hours after leaving the school we were once again bounced around on the paths which pass as roads.  Imagine being in the wilderness on a rugged road and the lights go out.  The sun drops quickly below the horizon and suddenly it is pitch dark.  We pitched and swayed at an alarming pace of 10 -20 kms per hour.  At one point we approached a truck blocking the road, which caused some alarm for our Masai guide, Eunice.   She was worried about bandits.  Someone we managed to squeeze by and continued to proceed.  We encountered, not one, but two more broken down vehicles, each time without incident.  The drive home was a bit shorter due to the fact that we made fewer stops and had no blown tires.  Finally, we were back!  Everyone had a quick dinner and went to bed.  We all complained of our "sea legs".  Despite being on stable ground we all felt that the world was rocking wildly back and forth.  It was an amazing adventure, a once in a lifetime opportunity, a chance to see a Masai community living in the traditional way.

On our way out, passing a small Masai village.

Acacia tree and cactus in foreground.  Masai goats in the background.

Heavy rains cause much damage.

More livestock and acacia trees.

A Long and Winding Road: Part One!!!

Yesterday I was too tired to blog so tonight I will try to catch up.  On Friday, January 29th, we got up early for a planned 4 hour drive into the Rift Valley to a remote Masai community where CanAssist has built a school for the local children.  When the driver said it would take four hours, in my head  I planned on 6 based on my previous experience with rural roads in Kenya.  I was not far off.
We boarded the bus around 8:15 and left Karen for a short drive to Ngong, where we picked up, Eunice, our guide for the day.  Leaving Ngong we saw the preverbal hills in front of us.  Turning right we left the tarmac and that was the last we saw of a paved road for 11 hours.  Very quickly the dirt road began to descend into the Rift Valley, a massive geological fault line stretching almost 6500 km across the African continent.  The further we got into the Rift, the the rougher the roads became.  Within a few hours we had our first mishap, a flat tire.  We took this opportunity to use the bathroom, Kenyan style, each of us choosing our own bush!  Not far down the road we approached our second problem, a large wet hole riddled with ruts of unknown depth.  Again, we unloaded the bus and used the conveniently located bathroom (men in the front and women in the back).  While we waited we met a Masai woman driving her donkeys along the road.  The donkeys were transporting food for the animals in her village.  She said that she walked 30km each way.  We were again all humbled and impressed.  In the photo you can see her traditional vibrantly coloured clothing, such beauty in the heart of the savanah!!!  The drivers did some work to fill in the ruts, then made a mad rush through the hole.  Luckily, they made it and we were on the road again.  Several hours later we turned off the dirt road and began to navigate on a barely visible dirt path into the village.  We were all relieved to find ourselves at the school some 6.5 hours later.  The school is named after Judith and Alex Adam and Judith is with us on this trip.  What a thrill it must be for her to return again to see the progress being made!
As we arrived, we were greeted by the entire community.  All of the school children, some 175 of them, were lined up in an orderly row on the left hand side and all of the faculty and parents were lined up on the right.  We were asked to enter the complex through the middle while the children sang and the adults began to follow us singing and dancing.  It was very overwhelming and I certainly felt unworthy of such a greeting.  As a teacher, I know how much work was put into these preparations.  Very quickly we lined up, and passed two women.  One wet our hands with water from a bucket, the other rubbed our hands with soap on a stick then the first rinsed them.  We went inside into one of the classrooms which had been converted into an eating area for us.  The women had prepared an excellent lunch of two types of meat, beans, chapati bread, spinach, and coleslaw.  We were each invited to have a soda or what we would call a pop!
After lunch we went back outside and several speeches were made, gifts were exchanged and the older students danced a traditional Masai dance for us.  I had a chance to chat with a smaller group of students and I taught them a song which we sang together.  It was a wonderful few hours.  Unfortunately, we had to cut our visit short due to the long drive home.  Part Two to follow!!!

Ngong hills

Driving down into the valley.

Oops, a flat tire!

Oh my, a huge water hole!

Driving Little Miss Donkeys!

Maddy makes a friend!

Traditional Wardrobe!

Meeting the Children

Wonderful students!

Judith being recognized!

The school!

Children waiting to perform!

Beautiful girls request photo!

He is not so sure!

Good-bye too soon!

I am here!

Hello, my friends.  Jambo!  I am here.  We made it safe.  It was a 6 hour flight from Toronto to Amsterdam and an 8 hour flight to Nairobi.  It is 12:15 pm here so this message will be short.  I enclose a few pictures of the journey and a video message.  Sweet dreams everyone!

https://youtu.be/AkqguqYy5OQ

Number One Rule: Be Flexible

We made it to the airport at 12:15 for a 6:10 pm flight, only to discover that our flight has been delayed for unknown reasons and we are now leaving Toronto at 8:45. We have been assured by KLM staff that we will still make our connection in Amsterdam despite having less than one hour to make it from one gate to the next.  I switched some of my luggage to ensure that I will have a few basics with me in case we make it but our luggage does not.
This first glitch emphasizes the importance of being flexible on this journey.  There will be many schedule changes to deal with, I'm sure.  In the meantime I have the company of good people and Starbucks coffee!!!

The Group Awaits!

Packing is Almost Complete!

Today I made the rounds, some last minute shopping, visits and good-byes.  Had a chance to pop by the school and thank the students, once again, for their kind support.  Then it was home to pack my hockey bag and suitcase.  The hockey bag is packed with sports equipment; uniforms, soccer balls, basketballs, air pumps, shoes, etc.  My suitcase is almost ready as well.

Tonight I sat down to check my email and received the first of, perhaps many, trip updates and schedule changes.  Our first full day in Kenya involves a road trip to one of our school projects.  The route was planned in advance but early rains have necessitated a change.  The roads in rural Kenya are often quite bad but when the rainy season hits they frequently become impassable.  Check out the pictures of our planned route and you can see why we are now taking a longer way around.

As Helen Keller said, "Life is either a grand adventure, or nothing!"  I have signed on for the grand adventure.  Stay tuned my friends, stay tuned.

Results are in!!!

I am back from counting money with Karisah and Lily, two students in Ms. McLeod's class.  This morning the envelopes were collected from classes and when the total donations were counted they amounted to $319.37.  Wow!!  Our "2 Weeks 4 Change" campaign was a great success.  Thank you to the entire school community for your generosity, kindness and caring.  Together we did it, together we made a difference.

Support from Every Direction!

Wow, time is flying and I will be flying off on my grand adventure very soon.  I have been busy this past week collecting supplies to take with me.  I am so impressed and humbled by the kindness of others.

In addition to the support from our director, I have also received support from Senior Administration.  Andre Labrie was able to secure the donation of a lap top computer which I will present to the Headmaster (Principal) of the Geddes School in Kenya.  It is a much needed item that will help him to do his job more effectively.  Thank you Andre!

I have also received the donation of three sets of basketball uniforms from Kingston Impact.  These will outfit three Primary Schools (grades 1-7) in rural Kenya and Uganda.  Thank you Kingston Impact.

Catherine Carson, VP at Lancaster Public School has donated some gently used sports equipment which will be greatly appreciated by young sporting enthusiasts in Africa.  Thank you Cathy!

Cheryl Dempster, through her contacts, secured the donation of two hockey bags which will be used to take additional donations and supplies.  Andrea Branch, office coordinator at Yarker Public School donated her daughter's used hockey bag and Mike Lumb, ETFO President, donated one more bag.  We are ready for transport!  Thank you Cheryl, Andrea and Mike!

ETFO, Limestone Local, made a charitable donation of $500 to CanAssist which will be used to purchase school supplies for the schools we will visit on route.  Teachers are a caring group and our concern will stretch far and wide, thanks to this generous donation.  Thank you Limestone Executive!

My Uncle Doug has been collecting used soccer balls which I have deflated and will be taking with me.  I will also buy and deflate a few basketballs (my favourite sport) to go as well.  Thank you Uncle Doug!

The Truedell "2 Weeks 4 Change" fundraiser ends today and I will be meeting students to count the money that has been donated by our kind and caring community.  Thank you TPS!

On a final note, I will leave you with a motivational picture and Youtube link.  The picture was taken in a small park near St. Catherine's, a site where a memorial plaque was purchased and installed to honour my mom.  As I approached the hiking trail leading into the forest I spotted this sign and the message couldn't be more true.  Thank you all for your kindness!


We will also be visiting the St Catherine School in Siaya District.  Just for a bit of background on that one, here is a Youtube Video about it.     https://youtu.be/Elim1_TRYDs

Today's Message to Students!

Today I sent the following message to Truedell Public School students via their caring teachers.  My request to post this on classroom Smart Boards should lead to some interesting discussions.  In my experience, students feel so empowered when they realize that they can make a difference for others.  Even small contributions can have a meaningful and lasting impact.   Caring actions improve everyone's lives and they make our world a better place.  Please show that you care today through your actions and in your relationships with others.  Together we can make a difference.

Support from our Director!

Today, I am pleased to share this picture of our new Director of Education visiting Truedell.  Ms. Rantz stopped by to hear about out "2 Weeks 4 Change" fundraising campaign and to lend her support through a personal donation of change.  Her arrival brought excitement to the class and gives support to the belief that, "Together we can make a difference"!

Karisah and Quentin educate Ms. Rantz about our campaign!

Looking Ahead

Jambo

Here is a video that John Geddes took last February as he rode home through Mbita Town on the back of a motorcycle.   This is one of the villages where I will be going with the group from CanAssist.

Watch the video link below to get a flavour of life in Kenya and Mbita Town.  I will be in this town for five nights.  

Enjoy. 


https://youtu.be/TC5LMDzJw9A

Counting Change

Today I met with three of Ms. McLeod's fabulous students to count the change collected so far.  It was interesting working with the students to sort the change into piles.  We managed to squeeze in a little math and for some of the students it was their first time to roll coins in paper wrappers.  Our grand total, so far, is $67.31.  Announcements and reminders will continue next week and our final collection will be next Friday.  Every little bit helps.  Together we can make a difference!

2 Weeks 4 Change

We are approaching the end of the first week of our two week fundraiser to buy supplies for African schools.  Ms. McLeod's grade 6/7 students have been busy writing and announcing daily messages to help educate the school population about the cause.  Envelopes were delivered to all classes and posters were displayed throughout the school. Mrs. Pinder, our fantastic Principal, took our message to the Truedell Parent Council and they were interested and supportive of the campaign.  Tomorrow students will visit classes to collect the donations that have come in to this point.  Tomorrow, I will meet with students to count and process the change.  Together, we will make a difference!

Burke Overvelde making an announcement about the fundraiser!

Wed. January 6th, 2016

Preparation continues for my upcoming adventure and for the fundraiser happening at Truedell Public School.  Today I spent the morning making posters to advertise our campaign.  Then, I worked with the students in Ms. McLeod's grade 6/7 class.  We developed an action plan and discussed how to get our message out.  Students identified key information to be included in daily announcements and they will work on these tonight for homework.  Our campaign has begun.

Trip Preparation: January 4th and 5th

Yesterday I started preparing for my trip to Africa.  One of the most important things to consider when travelling to other parts of the world is the potential exposure to health issues not found in Canada.  One of the main concerns, when travelling in Subsaharan Africa is malaria.  I visited the Travel Health clinic on Portsmouth Avenue and got a Yellow Fever shot, malaria pills and an antibiotic prescription.  All of my other inoculations were up to date.

Today I met with the wonderful students in Mrs. McLeod's Grade 6/7 class.  We are going to work together to plan, organize and run a short two week fundraising project, entitled "2 Weeks 4 Change".
Over the next two weeks we will collect donated loose change which will be used to purchase school supplies for kids in Kenya and Uganda.  The students were eager and excited to get started.