March 1, 2019

Today marks the end of our first week of teaching here in Kenya. The experience although quite different from Canada has been amazing thus far. My first impression of Rugatene Primary school was that everyone was so welcoming. Both the staff and the students were genuinely excited to have us at their school and I was just as excited to be there.

I have been so impressed by the dedication and ability level of the students. I am fortunate enough to be working with many different grade levels here in Kenya from grade 2 all the way up to grade 8. I have found that it doesn’t matter what class you are in the students are all so engaged. They seem genuinely happy to be learning which makes my job much easier! They listen attentively and are always ready to answer any question you ask them. They are also eager to hear stories of Canada or share their own experiences with me. They are especially interested to hear about the snow and cold temperatures in Canada. Everyone here in Kenya is surprised that I can wear short sleeves as many of the teachers and students are bundled up in sweaters or winter coats.

This semester Rugatene is participating in athletics which is almost identical to track and field in Canada. This means that I was able to watch and be a part of the team selection. In Kenya everyone gets a chance to try out for the team as participation is mandatory and the selection is held during school time. The students are divided based on height instead of based on age like in Canada.

The students patiently waiting for the teachers to measure their height so they can be divided into groups for the athletics.

Although the events are similar to here in Canada it was amazing to see the work that goes into preparing for the events. The students are involved  in everything from carving poles with a machete for the pole vault to marking the running track off with wood chips. Although they do not have a lot of the equipment we have in Canada they are still able to participate in all the events.

When the students actually began participating in the events I was amazed by the ability level. I have never seen students that could run so fast or jump so high. I was also impressed by their work ethic. When they fell or were unhappy with their performance they were quick to pick themselves up and try again.

A few of the senior girls competing in the high jump event while their peers watched 

It was also great to see how much support the students had from their peers. Because athletics is a school wide activity it meant that for some events there were over 100 kids cheering their classmates on. That level of excitement is contagious.

By the end of the day I was sunburned and tired from cheering on the students but it was definitely worth it. Seeing the hard work and pride on the students faces is something I will not forgot. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work with these amazing kids and I look forward to what the next 4 weeks will bring!