New year, new volunteers! We arrived at the Maisha Mazuri Children Centre in the evening of the 7th of January and were warmly welcomed by all the kids. But our start in Kenya was unfortunately not the best… first our flight was cancelled, we were rebooked on new flights with two layovers and different arrival times. And on top of this, BOTH of our suitcases were missing in Nairobi even though we had separate flights. So the first few days were a bit chaotic and a minimalistic way of living… but everything worked out in the end, and when we got our things back we could finally settle down and feel like home.
Four weeks have passed now and it is crazy how time flies by. Our first week at MCC was also the first week the kids were back in school after the holidays. Therefore, we could use our first week to play and get to know the kids before the routines with homework began after a few days.
During our first days we were introduced to the different departments and staff members around the MCC. Since a lot of things are different from home, it was a lot to learn and much information to process. But quickly we got used to the new environment and got comfortable with help from the staff and the kids. In the beginning we also struggled with remembering all the names of the kids but now we have it!
On our first weekends we repaired the compost and deep cleaned the library with help from the kids. The kids and Emma (responsible for the animals and kitchen garden) showed us how to take care of the domestic animals and their stables.
In the first week we made a schedule together with Mercy and Joseph to organize our days when the kids are in school.
Monday mornings we assist Boniface at the MCC shamba with watering, weeding and picking Sukuma wiki, a spinach-look-alike, which is the vegetable we always eat with ugali. After that we help Julius in the kitchen with washing and cutting the greens so he can prepare it for dinner. On Mondays we also help Philip in the bakery making mandazi and buns. It’s always so fun working and learning in the different departments.
Tuesdays start with attending some classes in the AMM Secondary School. So far we learned about hatching eggs in an improvised incubator and we had some more agriculture and home science classes. We always learn so many new things and we are always welcomed by the students. Often we are included in the lessons and we are able to interact and discuss with the students. In the afternoon we join Philip in the bakery again to make some more buns or doughnuts. We already have some of the recipes and we will definitely try them at home, but maybe not with 5 kg of flour in one batch.
On Wednesdays we help the matron and patron in the morning with cleaning and organizing the children rooms. After Tea break we usually join Mercy for homevisits. Here we can find out how the children live when they are at home for holidays and also how their guardians are doing. Often it is the aged grandmothers who have to take care of their grandchildren because the parents died or disappeared. We are thankful for having the chance to see some of the homes to get an idea how the people live here and where the kids come from. But often we feel frustrated and sad because many households are very poor and many can only afford one meal a day. It really shows us the importance of MCC which is a safe place for the kids to stay. We also realize how privileged we are at home and we will take nothing for granted. After lunchbreak we assist Julius in the MCC kitchen with Sukuma wiki again.
Thursdays we spend the day in the AMM Secondary School. First we are in the bakery with Philip making even more buns. The bakery provides the Secondary, Primary, MCC and another primary school in the neighborhood with buns every day. So there is always a lot to do! After this we join the students for some technical subjects like computer science, business and chemistry. We can always learn something new from both the teachers and the students.
Fridays are our free days J We often go to Tala to visit the market and to buy so many fruits (it is mango season and we love it). We also went to Nairobi once to see what’s going on in Kenya’s capital city… it’s aaaaaaaa lot. We had a good time there and it was fun to see something different. Otherwise it is our time to relax, enjoy the Kenyan sun and to recharge our batteries.
Every evening after dinner we help the kids with homework and we open the library so those who are finished can read a book. It is always a nice and calm atmosphere reading with the kids.
Saturday after sweet potato breakfast we and some kids help Emma with the domestic animals. We have goats, chicken, rabbits and a few guinea pigs. One Saturday we also went to the shamba with all the kids and Boniface to enjoy Kenyan strawberries and to pick mangoes. In the afternoons its always chapati time. We help the kids to prepare chapati for dinner. It’s always a good vibe making chapati and listening to music. Weekend is the time for playing. Either it is outdoor games like soccer or badminton or games inside like table tennis or board games. Music and dancing always take place during the weekend as well.
Sunday we attend the church service with the MCC children. Church services in Kenya is totally different from the ones we know from home. Its loud, its dancing and singing and everyone is involved in some way. Usually the kids from MCC prepare a dance to perform. After lunch back home we have time to do some activities and projects. So far we did a competition, a tattoo session with temporary tattoos and a picnic near the river. On Saturday and Sunday evening its movie night where the kids can choose and watch a movie. We separate the kids by age so they can watch age appropriate movies. They are looking forward to it the whole week.
Last Saturday we joined a celebration in the AMM Secondary School. Last year the final students graduated with good results on their exams, so the celebration took place to motivate this year’s final students. The whole day we were preparing food. We also had the chance to see the process of slaughtering goats which were served on the party. It was a nice experience and we had a lot of fun during the day.
The previous week we had a visit from Barbara. She spend some days with us and we enjoyed having her here. One day we visited the AMM Primary School together with her and Mercy. It was nice to exchange some ideas and thoughts.
During our first weeks there was no patron but luckily patron Patrick joined our team two weeks ago. He got into the MCC family quickly and the kids seem happy about his presence.
An upgrade on the compound: the new walking paths are finished now and it looks great!
So far we had a great time and we are looking forward to the next weeks at MCC. You will hear from us in a month.
Lea and Emma
