Hello everyone, this is Paul and Paul J.
Our first month at the Maisha Mazuri Children Centre is coming to an end and time is already flying by. We want to use this opportunity to give you an insight into our life as volunteers and report on the latest developments in the project.
Every year in early January the children from the Children’s Centre and Secondary School return from their long christmas holidays and report back to their respective contact points.
Our first few days were filled with new impressions. We were welcomed warmly by all the children and staff members, typical for Kenyas open hospitality. Since not all children return from their holdidays on the same day, we were able to get to know them one by one.
On our second day, all Youth Support Kenya employees met to discuss the new Wellfair conditions. This happens every year. Wellfair is an association of employees who voluntarily contribute part of their monthly salary to a common fund. The aim is to support each other during difficult or special life situations – this could mean hospitalisation and death, or marriage or the birth of a child.
Before the meeting commenced, everyone celebrated the reunion after their long break through cooking together, exchanging stories and enjoying a colourful buffet. For us, it was a perfect opportunity to get to know some of the members.
Every day there was something new to discover: The children’s favourite activities, the meals, first impressions of the farm and the small vegetable garden, and interacting with the animals.
Everyday life is slowly returning to normal, and while the children are at school, there is plenty of work for us. The social workers Mercy and Joseph, the two house parents Miriam and Patrick, as well as Emma and Boniface, who take care of the farm and animals, let us participate in their tasks with great enthusiasm. But it is always special to spend time with the children in the afternoons and on weekends. Their big smiles and everyday joy are truly contagious.
Our social worker Mercy is responsible for community work, which means paying regular visits to the children’s families to check on their current well-being. They discuss general problems and positive developments and, where possible, offer help and support. Many of the family members work as day labourers, and some can also work on the MCC when work is available, where they earn significantly more.
It was a wonderful experience to see how happy and hospitable the families were in inviting us into their homes.
The highlight of the month was the second weekend, when we cooked spaghetti Bolognese with the children. For many of the children, but also for staff members, it was the first time eating Bolognese. They clearly enjoyed it and we all had a lot of fun. The children helped us with the preparations with great enthusiasm and a little chaos.
In the end, everyone was full and satisfied, and we were also happy with the result – a successful day!
The following weekend, we had two more fun activities planned.
Since we want to do things not only with the children at the MCC, but also with the young people at the secondary school, we were excited to plan something for them. On Saturday, we organised a movie night for pupils of the neighbouring school. Many of them had asked for an action or horror movie and we were happy to oblige. Of course, a movie night also required some good snacks! It was great fun for everyone.
It is mango season in Kenya and on Boniface’s farm. The first mangoes were harvested on Sunday to round off the week. All children and us of course equipped ourselves with big bags and walked together the short distance to our farm. Upon arrival, Boniface was already waiting to welcome us and get the harvest started.
He climbed the trees to shake it so the mangoes drop down to the ground. Sometimes he used a long pole for help. All children rushed to gather the mangoes, pack them up and, of course, undertake a thourough quality control. It was a wonderful and very tasty experience.
Now our first month, full of wonderful and unforgettable moments, comes to an end. Stay tuned, February Loading…
Paul and Paul J.
