A lot has happened on the Shamba this month! The beans and lentils have been harvested, fields have been dug up and the foundations for the water tanks are being built. We were even able to sell parts of the proceeds for the first time. Furthermore, annual plans for the cultivation of the land have been drawn up and people from the community (“casuals”) help Boniface, the farmer, with the work. In this way, the jobs that are created as a result support each other!
A project of the heart is the “Library” – a library for the children. They love reading and are happy every evening when we give them books. Our vision: a place where all books are freely accessible, with the possibility to borrow books for a few days. After extensive discussions, we decided on a room that currently still serves as a “store”, i.e. a pantry for the housemother and father. We are moving it to a previously unused room, which will be renovated a bit for this purpose. The biggest challenge during this project was surprising: getting the cordless screwdriver repaired in order to dismantle or assemble shelves. Two weeks after the library was up and running, we had to move into the building of the old kindergarten, where in the evenings the children now snuggle up on the couch with books.
Every Monday we accompany the children to the Primary School (which is a 15-minute bus ride away) where we take over the “Guidiance and Councelling” lessons. What this means only became clear to us when 90-125 pairs of eyes looked at us expectantly and we were supposed to teach them ALONE. The art project for the younger classes provided a splash of color to the wall. After a couple of well-known artists were introduced and we talked about the benefits of painting, the children were allowed to paint. The results are beautiful and, above all, colorful!
At the same time, the older classes had sex education lessons. In small groups, we worked on topics such as the “dangers of drug use”, “changes in people during puberty” and “sexually transmitted diseases and contraception”. The students were very interested and asked exciting, culturally surprising questions, which led to long, lively discussions.
On Tuesday there will be the “Guidiance and Councelling” lessons, right next to the MCC, at the Secondary School. Here, the students are older (16-19 years) and the needs are different. The first topic the students wanted was “Peer Presure”, which we worked on in small groups of a maximum of 15.
Joseph and Mercy (the social workers) gave us the valuable experience of accompanying them on “home visits”. Here, the “Guardians”, i.e. the legal representatives of the children, are visited to inquire about the current health and financial status. These are usually distant relatives or neighbors. These families often face serious challenges, unfortunately also in terms of health. The MCC also supports the “Guardians” in order to bring lasting stability into the lives of the children. For this purpose, livestock (goats, rabbits or chickens) is donated, with which the families can breed and sell independently.
At the MCC, Emma takes care of the cattle and the kitchen garden. We help her as much as we can and learn a lot about field work and how to deal with animals. Julius, our chef, is also happy to receive regular help in the kitchen. Tomatoes and onions are chopped, tea or porridge is boiled and there is always something ready to rinse.
One kitchen project this month was “Fine Dining”. For this event, we first had to buy forks that no one had missed before. In addition, at such an event, the decoration on the tables should not be missing. Our aim here is to teach the children how to behave in a restaurant, such as the much-loved trips to the swimming pool. For a change from Kenyan cuisine, we prepared pasta with tomato sauce. Unintentionally, we reached for a tomato sauce with a sweet and sour taste while shopping, which fortunately suited the children just fine. So at least the food tasted good to them. Add a bit of music and the Italian flair was created.
Before meals, it is noticeable that the “Hand Washing Workshop” urgently needs to be refreshed. Now, colorful, self-painted posters above the sinks remind people to use soap and wash their hands thoroughly.
Other projects we had were door grinding, painting and painting in the basement. We have to admit, we didn’t think it would be so laborious! In addition, each child receives a memory envelope where they can store their photos and little treasures. We already gave them pens and erasers.
Thanks to generous donations from Germany, we have already been able to make some purchases. As already mentioned, we bought forks, pasta and sauce for the “fine dining” and every now and then there is banana milk, cake or peanut butter for dessert. In addition, there was a toothbrush cup, nail clippers for each child and a trash can for each room. A major project was the replacement of sagging mattresses for both the children and the employees. To visualize the new casual plan of the Shamba, Boniface, our farm manager, gets a magnetic board with whiteboard markers and magnets. He is also happy about new water hoses. Tables and a sofa have been ordered for the library, where the children can make themselves comfortable. In addition, the room desperately needs more light; the lamps are on their way. In the common room, a new pinboard now shines and framed pictures bring cosiness to the room. Jackson, our house father, diligently practices playing the guitar with the children in the evenings. So we bought a children’s guitar, on which they now strum happily. Julius, our cook, needs a new saw to split wood, as well as an axe and a wedge. Our housemother Susan can also be happy, because in the newly organized store baskets are now shining to create order.
A big highlight was the “Youth Support Kenya” – Football Tounier, where all 4 pillars of the YSK competed ambitiously against each other: the MCC, the Primary School, the Secondary School and even the Skill Center fought for the long-awaited trophies. With over 300 participants and more than 20 games of 15 minutes each, there was a lot of fun and entertainment on offer. For enough energy to play, there was soda, watermelon and glucose powder for everyone. After an emotional penalty shootout, Skill Center, the MCC Boys, Secondary Girls and MCC Girls won the titles in their age group.
At the end, the children can look forward to a trip to the outdoor pool, where in addition to splashing around, the “fine-dining skills” they have learned are put to the test.
Asante Sana for the great time!
Christian, Maria, Antonia und Anna
