Helpful Hint: One of our former intern's father gave us advice to put ashes down a pit latrine to reduce the smell and amount of flies. We have done this and it has decreased the flies significantly!
Righteous and Nevaeh have been attending the local nursery school. Children here begin at the age 3, the long school days starting from 8am-4pm. The learning style is to repeat things over and over which enables them to remember quickly and for each child to be a the same level. At this young age I find it to be rather successful but as they grow older this way continues. The student learns to memorize many facts and information but doesn't learn to question why. It is also in the culture's power distance not to question a teacher, pastor, or any leader. The good aspect of this is leader's are respected very highly. The negative is that 1) students do not learn to problem solve/think critically and 2) when someone in authority is inefficient in their job or doing something wrong, it is inappropriate to approach them making it hard to hold one another accountable, or even offer to help teach in a more effective way. What I have been convicted of time and again is that I am not here to make things more like America, but instead to live out the love of Jesus and become more like Him. I need His help with this everyday. As we have more and more opportunities to work alongside people in the community I have felt led to discuss and ask questions about things I notice and am concerned about. With this being a very indirect culture I always need humility and wisdom how to go about it and also to realize issues are have never been communicated about. This might be the first and only step I am suppose to take and if so I want to do this the right way for the culture.
The children's day include many breaks including a time to take porridge at 10am, lunch at 1pm, and naptime in afternoons. One observation I have is that the children wear wool hats, and thick jackets when to me the morning's are just a 5 degree lower temperature than it gets to be later on in the day. I do really agree with school uniforms here so that there is no discrimination between children who can not afford more than one outfit verses those that can afford more. With all schools, by law there has to be a certain amount of space outside for sports and activities to be used on a daily basis. It is exciting for me to watch children learning at the many schools we have gone to and remember just a little over 10 years ago it was not free for a child to go to school therefore prevented so many from going to receive an education. Now it is illegal for a parent not to send their children to primary school. I have met a sweet girl whose testimony is that she was 8 and taking care of the goat on her families farm when the Kenyan law enforcement came to her home to tell her parents they must allow her to go to school. She is now attending high school and one of the top students in her class. She is very blessed to have the opportunity to learn in school. I know there are countless other stories like hers and shows this country is changing.
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