Previously we reported on a group of students raising money for a trip to Kenya, well they are there, and here is an email from them.....
Dear All,
Habari (hello and how are you) from Kenya!
We wanted to touch base with you all but to be honest, it's hard to know where to start. We arrived in Kenya last Friday evening and because time seems to expand here, we all feel like we've been in Africa twice as long as we have. We travelled through the Rift Valley to Nandi Hills and Kipriria Academy over the weekend, stopping in Naivasha for a visit to Crescent Island and all the animals (minus the carnivores) and the chance to see a lot of the country along the way.
Since we arrived in Nandi Hills Sunday evening, it's been welcome party after welcome party as everyone here is so happy and excited to see us. Right now, the sixth formers are teaching at Kipriria (they have mostly been taking lessons on their own, albeit in pairs, with minimal teacher input) and we really wanted to convey something, Rob and Sally and I, of how amazing they have been. Every single person we have met, and we have met a lot of people, has been so impressed by them both collectively and as individuals. Conor calculated that so far, they have given 12 speeches each to hundreds of children, parents, teachers and community members at a time and they have achieved so much in such a short space of time. We've never been so proud of a group of people and they're your students, too. We have two who don't want to leave.
Yesterday, Billy Liggins taught all about the solar system and he was so good that the headteacher, Mr Nyakundi, came to take notes for his staff. And Amy Khan in particular touches everyone every time she has to give a speech. We've visited another school, Kipriria's sister school, and been to town and for dinner at the home of the ex-headteacher Sally Sang who loves the fact that we have a Sally, too! She spent a day and a half preparing and slaughtered a goat for us, which is a real honour.
Kipriria has a director called Mr Yego and I've no doubt you'll be hearing all about Mr Yego. Larger than life (except actually, he's a very small person) would be one of way of describing him. He has trouble with Rob's name so he calls him Mr Rop instead which amuses us greatly and we've started to do the same (poor Rob!), thus perpetuating the whole thing. We have also discovered that in Nandi (the local language), Probo means problem! But we prefer Mr Rop.
The school has been so appreciative of all the resources we managed to bring and we've taken lots of photos and Rob's been videoing. The sixth formers have been learning some Kiswahili and are surrounded by children every break and lunch time. They spent all of their free time playing with them and teaching them football and speed stacking skills.
They don't know this yet but tomorrow morning, Kenya's national press is coming to cover our visit and the story of the project. The British Council phoned yesterday as they've been arranging it all for us. So The Priory is about to be known in Kenya and you couldn't have better representatives than these students who really say a lot for the sixth form especially.
The Chairman of the Kenya Tea Board, who owns the place we're staying in, is about to arrive.
Will try to send some photos later, but if not, see you next week.
