Global Issues Service Summit in Johannesburg...

From March 23rd to 27th, Cora and I traveled to the American International School of Johannesburg for the 2012 Global Issues Service Summit. ISK sent a team of 14 students and 2 teachers and we experienced 3 full days of workshops, keynotes and activities. It was a fabulous experience and Cora met dozens of students from other schools in Africa. For our service day, Cora and I ended up on the same team and went to a local SPCA; there, we emptied a large container of pet food, swept out the container and then stacked everything neatly back inside (and then we were able to spend some time with the animals!). Johannesburg felt like a North American city, with very developed highways and shopping plazas; we didn't get to explore the city but we'll be back there in October for the AISA conference, so we'll be sure to see some sites then.

The birds of our yard...

This past weekend, after watching the movie The Big Year, I was inspired to take photos of birds in our yard. I wasn't able to capture a few regulars but here are some beauties: hadada ibis, blue-cheeked cordon bleu (male and female), red-billed firefinch (male and female), variable sunbird, olive thrush, white-eyed slaty flycatcher (male and female) and our resident chicken, Mrs. Cluckers.

Relaxing at Lake Elementita...

We spent a very quiet week at home for the March break this year, but Brian and I managed to slip away for one night to the very posh new Serena lodge on Lake Elementita. It was luxury camping, to say the least. In fact, the words "camping" and "tent" can't really correspond to the experience at the lodge. It was lovely!

Action in the Rift Valley...

A few weeks ago our ISK Habitat for Humanity team traveled for the day to the Vumilia IDP camp in the Rift Valley. The team was a very hard-working one, and we managed to build two full foundations, which is exciting. At the Vumilia camp, there are only about 20 homes left to build; at some of the smaller IDP camps near Vumilia, hundreds of families are still living in makeshift tents (they've been living in these for almost four years now). A few weeks later, Brian and I visited Douglas and his family. Douglas has been busy establishing a sandal-making business and he is creating some beautiful designs. It was nice to visit with him and take home several pairs.

From Ontario to Nairibi: books arrive for the Starehe Boy's School

After several months in a shipping container (special thanks to Dennis Hoekstra from Grand Rapids for allowing Freedom Through Learning boxes to catch a ride alongside his shipment!), dozens of boxes of books arrived in Nairobi two weeks ago. A large portion of this shipment had been requested by the Starehe Boys' School here in Nairobi, and both King's Collegiate and Durham Christian High School filled the requests and sent textbooks and supplies. Many thanks to all of our friends at these schools! On Saturday, Brian and I drove over to Starehe (using some newly-finished flyovers, better known as overpasses at home, which made the drive much less hectic and chaotic) and delivered the books to Charles, the head librarian, and some head boys. Chemistry texts, English book sets, whistles for the outdoor program and much, much more have now made their way into the hands of eager learners here. What a blessing! Check out the video!

Intercultural Trip #1: Marich in West Pokot, western Kenya

This past week, all of our family members were spread across Kenya on the school's intercultural trips. Brian kayaked at Mida Creek on the coast, Hannah hung out with her senior classmates in Watamu (also on the coast), Cora pedalled over 100 kilometres near Nanyuki (at the base of Mount Kenya) on a cycling trip, and I travelled to remote western Kenya with the Marich team. Our team built a footbridge through an organization called Bridging the Gap (http://www.bridgingthegapafrica.org/), installed a playground at a primary school, hiked Mount Kogh, played in the river and visited a very isolated (and unstaffed) medical centre. The Pokot tribe lives in this part of Kenya and many people still live in very traditional ways; conical houses dot the countryside and mountains and many people dress in traditional garb. We were so privileged to participate in the bridge opening ceremony, where the Pokot people danced and sang and included our group in the festivities. The bridge was a a very special project as it was a memorial bridge for Sharon and Margaux Brown. Sharon was the ISK librarian and, two years ago, was killed in an elephant attack near Mount Kenya along with her one-year-old daughter, Margaux. Jeff, Sharon's husband, is a wonderful person and was with us all week, working on the bridge. At the ceremony, the community honoured him, his wife and his daughter in such a beautiful way. It was an incredibly moving experience.

A taste of Scotland...

On the last Saturday of January, Brian and I attended a black tie Robbie Burns supper at the Muthaiga Club in Nairobi. For me, it was my first experience with the piping of the haggis and of many traditional Scottish songs. We felt transported to the highlands. Brian was decked out in his new custom-tailored tux and was definitely the most handsome man in attendance.

Books delivered to Kangemi!

Last week, Brian took several boxes of books to the Morningstar School in the Kangemi slum (very close to our Loresho neighbourhood). Our good friends Abel and Carrie Zwart had generously sponsored this Freedom Through Learning project, and we were able to buy desperately-needed textbooks for the Kenyan curriculum for this school. The teachers here work so hard, for so little pay; students from Kangemi struggle to come up with the most basic school fees. This delivery will have a radical impact on the children's educational experience, which is so exciting.

Hiking an extinct volcano in the Rift Valley...

On Saturday, Brian and I embarked on a 23-kilometre hike up to the rim of Mount Longonot (an extinct volcano that juts out of the floor of the Rift Valley), along the entire crater rim to the peak and back to the park gate. The hike was a bit longer than I thought it might be, and took about 5 hours to complete, but the peak afforded gorgeous views of the valley.