Kenya Diaries – Day 11 (Part 1)

On Monday morning we were ready and waiting at 9:30 for our transport to the slum project. Hotel reception received a message from Anne that they were slightly delayed.  They eventually turned up some time after 11 just as we sat down for a drink. After a quick tea, we set off. I think it was Emma who described this journey as a theme park ride.

The ICRI 4 x 4 was driven by Ben who obviously committed his soul to the Lord every time he got behind the wheel. He overtook, undertook, swerved across 4 lanes of traffic, swerved round potholes and slammed right across a dirt central reservation, missing other vehicles by inches. I vividly recall at one point 2 buses coming straight at us on the wrong side of the road. We swerved at the last second.  As we sped on, the neighbourhood degenerated, the roads became more pothole than tarmac and at times we bumped along the dirt, sometimes 3 or 4 vehicles abreast. Eventually we turned off the ‘road’ onto dirt tracks and drove across a wasteland, narrowly missing a donkey cart. Avoiding boulders, we bounced on past ever more ramshackle dwellings, finally coming to rest in a cloud of red dust outside the “Jubilante Kids Educational Centre”

We were welcomed by the principal, Pastor Stephen, who handed us a printed timetable for our visit which included several speeches. Anne apologised for being late (only 2 ½ hours!). Pastor Stephen assured her it was no inconvenience even though it transpired that he had reconvened the school specially for our visit during the school holidays and asked the parents to come and meet us. They had all been sitting out in the baking heat for the previous 3 hours.

Pastor Stephen gave us a guided tour of the school facilities – four 3 metre square breezeblock and concrete rooms with no electricity or water. He told us that each room holds up to 17 pupils though I couldn’t quite understand how this would be possible. There was a toilet and a hand wash station but no running water. The children aged from 3 – 8 years had all dressed up in their uniforms (those that had some). There were a lot of knitted red jumpers and one little guy in a knitted balaclava – in 28º heat.

ICRI had provided a water container and health education so the children wash their hands after using the toilet, playing in the dirt outside and before eating. This has had a siginificant effect in reducing disease.