Juni – August 2025
Hello from Kenya! For our volunteer team, Mykolas, Anton, and Anna. Our time in Kenya is coming to an end and with heavy hearts we must say goodbye to the MCC and all the beloved people there after two months. Therefore, we want to summarize our time here in this report and share all the beautiful and special moments we have collected.
Karibu sana! (Welcome!)
The first volunteers of our group, Anton and Anna from Germany, arrived at the MCC on June 24 and were warmly welcomed there and immediately taken around the premises by the children. From then on, it was all about learning names! Not so easy when there are three Moses, two Catherines, and two Victorias, but after a week, everyone really had the names down. We arrived in the last week of the holidays, so the children stayed at the MCC all day, allowing us to spend a lot of time together right from the start and get to know each other well. Throughout the week, we also met the entire staff, who welcomed us warmly as well. Boniface took us to the farm, Emma showed us the rabbits and goats, and we got to help Julius in the kitchen. Since all the children are passionate football players, there was a multi-day football tournament, where we volunteers were allowed to play in our favorite teams. On the weekend, we experienced Chapati-making for the first time. Not so easy. … Boniface took us to the farm, Emma showed us the rabbits and goats, and we were allowed to help Julius in the kitchen. Since all the children are enthusiastic soccer players, there was a multi-day soccer tournament where we volunteers were allowed to play with our favorite teams. Over the weekend, we experienced Chapati-making for the first time. It’s not that easy to roll out a round Chapati! On Sunday, we attended the church service with the kids, which you really cannot compare to a German church service. A lot of singing and dancing took place, and the MCC kids even performed a dance. Our first project was to create name tags for the doors of the rooms. Everyone had a lot of fun with the colorful paints and brushes.
Karibu Mykolas! (Welcome, Mykolas!)
In our second week, the children went back to school, and we arranged our timetable with Mercy and Joseph. Without the children, it is quite quiet in the MCC! On Tuesday, we were allowed to accompany Mercy on a home visit. For us, it is always so interesting to see how the locals live here and what challenges they face. However, this family was a very good example of how the support from ‘Maisha Mazuri’ can bear fruit. Animals, such as rabbits, goats, chickens, and ducks, are provided, which the family can breed, sell, or use as a food source. In the home we visited, we found many baby rabbits and little chicks. The goat was also doing well. On Wednesday, our team was finally complete. Mykolas from Lithuania arrived and joined us directly on the first day at AMM Secondary, where we met Principal Nicholas and introduced ourselves in all the classes. In the afternoons, we helped the kids with their homework and participated in Mirriam’s Taekwondo lessons. On Friday, we went to Tala for the first time. Fortunately, Mirriam accompanied us, as the shouts of ‘Muzungo’ (Swahili: white person) and waving hands from all sides were quite overwhelming at first. On Friday evening, we ended the school week with a campfire, where we grilled sausages and bread-on-a-stick while singing Bonfire songs together. Since we volunteers also wanted to interact more with the secondary students, we organized a football tournament on Sunday, which everyone enjoyed a lot. It’s fascinating how well these kids play on the rocky, dusty ground often only with their flip-flops.
Bon appetito! (Enjoy!)
At the beginning of the next week, we then felt the political tensions in Kenya, as the children could not go to school on Monday due to protests by GEN Z. Fortunately, the situation had calmed down by the next day.
In the mornings, we helped Boniface with tilling the fields, Phillip with baking buns and mandazi, and Julius with washing and cutting sukumawiki. On Tuesday, we had an Italian dinner, for which we decorated the kitchen in an Italian style. Everyone was delighted with the spaghetti with tomato sauce and the Italian muffins for dessert.
In the math class of the secondary school, we felt like students again and tried to bring out our math skills, some of us being more successful than others. It was very interesting to see what the graduating class in Kenya learns compared to the graduating class in Germany. We also had the opportunity to visit the secondary clubs. From dancing to home science to poetry, everything was included.
Together with the kids, Anton and Mykolas organized an obstacle course. There’s no chance of running through it as quickly as some of the kids. We used our free day to visit Nairobi. Over the weekend, we witnessed a chicken slaughter. Five chickens had to be sacrificed for dinner, but as Jackson would say: ‘Don’t worry about the chicken.’ On Saturday, Director Jimmy Kilonzi paid the MCC a visit, giving us the opportunity to introduce ourselves. Anton and Anna took the kids for a run. On Sunday, we attended the secondary school church service, where a lot of singing and dancing took place. On Sunday evening, we turned a classroom into a movie theater and watched ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ with the secondary students. Of course, popcorn and juices were also included.
Hongera! (Congratulations!)
Our fourth week started with a meeting with Mercy, Joseph, and Nicholas, where we talked about our donations and our planned projects.
We did a home visit, which was much more shocking than the first one. It was the first time for us to see a family that cannot afford three meals a day. It is very interesting to see the circumstances from which the kids come.
In the evenings, we started doing handwriting exercises with some of the kids to improve their academic performance. For one evening, we prepared a quiz where the kids then competed in groups. What does Julius prefer – buns or mandazi? (Answer: it’s buns;))
On Saturday, we were able to witness a graduation at the Skills Center in Malaa. It was wonderful to see so many young people completing their education. All the children of the MCC were allowed to participate and performed their Taekwondo skills together with Anton. On Sunday, we set off for Nairobi, as we would be climbing Mount Kenya starting Monday.
Twende! (Let’s go!)
On Monday we set off for Mount Kenya. We had four days of hiking ahead of us. Our team consisted of two guides, two porters, and a cook. It was a unique experience. All the cold, the effort, and the early rising were forgotten when, on the third day, we stood for the sunrise on the highest mountain in Kenya. The trip was very beautiful, but at least as wonderful was returning to the MCC and being welcomed by all the children. In the following days we planned more for the secondary school, as they had finished their exams and would soon be returning home. Nevertheless, Anton baked German bread with the kids on Saturday, which everyone found very delicious. On Sunday evening, we had a quiz with the secondary students, where even the teachers sometimes didn’t know the answer.
Kwaherini! (Goodbye!)
Since Monday was the last day of Secondary, there was a big football tournament where the forms (classes) competed against each other. Form 4 remained unbeaten until the final against the Staff Team, in which Mykolas was celebrated as the top scorer. We ended the evening with another part of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ The next day was time to say goodbye, which was not easy for anyone as we had formed real friendships with the Secondary students. The rest of the week, we spent our time again with the MCC kids who had already started their holidays. We made bracelets together and, with Phillips’ help, made very delicious cinnamon rolls that we ate as a snack while watching a movie. Over the weekend, with the help of the older boys from the MCC, the washing lines of the Secondary were replaced. On Sunday, we set off on our last trip. We visited the football stadium in Nairobi to watch the game Kenya against Congo – Kenya won 1:0!
Hakuna matata (No Worries!)
On Monday, we set off to the Masai Mara National Park. We were lucky and saw the Big 5. When we returned on Thursday, we showed the kids photos from our trips in a small presentation. Over the weekend, Anton and Mykolas started working with the kids to realize one of our larger projects: a workbench. Anton had already bought all the tools in Nairobi, and now it was time to build the table. The workbench is meant to be in the Homescience classroom of the Secondary school and will be available for the Secondary students who have more practical assignments in their new schedule, as well as for the staff of the MCC, in case something needs to be repaired. We also repaired the volleyball net of the Secondary school, as the posts were rotten. On Sunday, we had another bonfire.
Asante sana! (Thank you!)
Our last week at MCC. We can hardly believe how quickly time has passed. For the last week we had planned a lot of projects. Every afternoon, a different group was allowed to go to the supermarket in Nguluni. It’s fascinating how much you get for 100 shillings. We also continued to work on the workbench, which was completed on the Saturday before our departure and was also inaugurated directly. Anton built a wooden ship with the kids, which we let float in the river. With Joseph’s help, we also took care of the delivery of new fabric for the curtains of the secondary. On Friday we officially said goodbye in a small “farewell meeting”. We are very grateful for the time at MCC, it is a wonderful place and we will miss each and every one of them. Asante sana!
Mykolas, Anton and Anna
