Monkeys, Impalas, and Kitchen Stoves (posted by Elizabeth)

Hello from the Kenyan travelers!

Our Monday began with a 7:30 a.m. van ride to Ndere Island National Park, "The Island of Serenity and Beauty" - a subtitle coined by their free brochure. The van ride, like any Kenyan mode of transportation, was a jostling but entertaining experience. We saw much of the countryside on our route, and loved getting photos of the rocky terrain. (Seriously, the rock formations are fantastic!) Ndere Island is located in Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria. We took a little boat ride over to the island (our boat driver/island guide told us that the same boat was used to take 11 bulls to slaughter yesterday. That boat can handle a lot of weight. I was relieved to hear that my extra slice of bacon at breakfast wouldn't sink us.). We hiked through the bush and into the grass, crested a lovely hill or two, and scoped monkeys and impalas in the distance. Apparently, there were also hippo and crocodiles, though I have seen no photographic evidence to date. In our number were Adele, Ann, Suzanne, Ellen, Elizabeth (me), Bernard (our faithful driver), Leah (the Umoja Project Assistant), Linda (Umoja Project Deputy), and Leonard (a primary school teacher). We had a wonderful time, and I even came away with a v-neck tan.

This afternoon, we met with female teachers representing 13 different primary and secondary Umoja schools. We gathered at St. George's Sianga Primary School, where the Umoja Project has recently donated a stove for the use of the school lunch program. We saw where the guardians and teachers helped feed the children. We also briefly met the guardians of children in the school (guardians are those adults who take care of vulnerable children who have lost all adult family members who could care for them). Our meeting with the teachers went very well. They shared very openly about the issues and problems surrounding the girl child. These women are amazing. They teach and oversee a number of classes, and some serve as link teachers for the Umoja Project. The stories and concerns they shared reveal a great deal of care and concern for the young girls and boys in their schools. We are grateful for their time today and for their gifted work every day. We hope our conversations may lead to further conversations and ideas down the road.

Our evening closed with dinner back at the boarding house dining room table. We are all a little sleepy, but looking forward to what tomorrow and the next days will bring.