Flight from Nairobi to Kitale

Last week when we were traveling from Nairobi to Kitale we took a small plane.


Due to the weather, we weren't able to get very high, but John was able to get some great photos of landmarks.

south side of Nairobi


Kibera, one of the largest slums in Nairobi


Mt. Longonot, an extinct volcano


escarpment of the Great Rift Valley


Lake Navisha and greenhouses that grow flowers for the European market


Curio Valley


natural forest vs. farming


more greenhouses


Almost home in Kitale

Election March 4, 2013

Today, March 4, 2013, is Election Day in Kenya. The polls are open from 6am to 5pm.
There are six positions on the ballot: President/Deputy President, Member of National Assembly (MP), Woman Representative, Senator, Governor/Deputy Governor, County Assembly Ward Representative. Today has been declared a public holiday so people can vote. As in the US, many people are glad the day has arrived as they are becoming tired of all the campaigning done by candidates.


Father Joe asked if any of us would like to go with him to a polling station not far from the Maryknoll Society house here in Nairobi. His small Christian Community is helping to monitor the election at that polling station so he knows several of the workers. So I (John) decided to go along to see.


As we approached the queue (line) of voters it looked to be about 100 yards long. Then we noticed it turned around the corner onto another street. As we walked around the corner we saw over a hundred yards of people in queue on this second street. There we visited with some Carmalite Sisters in queue whose compound is across the street from the Fathers. We rounded the second corner and saw a line at least 50 yards with more people queuing. We estimated about 1000 people were in queue outside the gate of the compound where the voting was done.


We asked various people what time they arrived. One lady said 3:00 (we think that was the time she left home, but many do not have watches to know the exact time). Many said 5:00.

Shortly after we arrived there was a commotion. They had opened the gate to the compound to allow a group of people onto the grounds to vote. There was pushing and shoving as the newest arrivals took their places in queue and those that had already voted were allowed to leave the compound.

On the way home we saw Joshua, one of the guards at our compound. He had just voted and showed us his pinky finger which had been marked with indelible ink to show that he had already voted.


A couple of observations of the journey: A) The people were very patient waiting in queue even though they had been in queue for many hours and would continue for many more hours. B) I did see some people reading Bibles, prayer books and praying a rosary while in line. C) A couple of people were actually reading a book. That is very unusual as Kenya doesn’t have a reading culture other than the newspaper. D) Very few people had water bottles, a concern since some will be without water for many more hours.

The government has done a great job with civic education about the election process. The IEBC (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) has done much work to ensure that is a fair election.


This is the procedure: Once a voter reaches the voting table their fingers will be checked for signs of indelible ink that would show that they had already voted. Then they will check to see that the voter has been biometrically identified and registered at that polling station. The next step is to verify their identity via their national identification card. Then they will be issued the six ballots. The voter will mark each of the ballots and insert them into the appropriate colour coded ballot boxes. Finally their index finger will be marked with indelible ink and they may collect their identity card as they leave the polling station.

President Kibaki has asked that people vote and then return home and stay there for the rest of the day. If there are questions as to the validity of the results, that they be settled in the courts and not on the streets.

We continue to pray for a free, fair and safe election in Kenya.

Flowering Trees in the Dry Season

It is currently the dry season, but there are many flowering trees and shrubs. I don't know the names of most of them, but I thought you might like to see some that I saw on my walk this morning.

Valentine's Day Kenyan Style

Thursday mornings at 7:30 is time for class meetings. It is a chance to once a week discuss issues that arise among the students. I, as class teacher of Form III East, often attend.

When I walked in the door of that classroom I was treated to a visual delight! The room was decorated in red and pink flowers. Almost every single girl had picked red and pink flowers on the compound and used them to decorate for that special day. Some girls had flowers in their hair, others used containers to create vases for their desks while still others had a garland of flowers across the top of their desks. Viola, a girl that sits in the front center row and even used some kind of gold glitter to highlight the edges of her flowers. Don't ask me where she got the gold glitter (someone's make up perhaps, which is forbidden) or how she was able to so delicately spread it on the tips of the petals.

I don't think there was a single bush that still had a bloom left on it. As a teacher, I was given several blooms by the girls. My Form II West sent several for Mr. Korb so he wasn't left out.

Form III Academic Day

Yesterday the Form III parents were invited to school for an Academic Day. The purpose of this special day is to update the parents on the progress of their daughters, explain school policies and expectations and allow parents and teachers to discuss student progress. It's similar to our parent teacher conferences.

When the parents arrived, they first went to the registration table. There they met their daughters and were given a schedule for the day, a checklist of items their daughters were supposed to have, and a copy of the latest exam results for all the Form III students.

They then went into the classrooms for a desk inspection using the checklist of items each student is expected to have.
Any items that were not found, are to be purchased when the girls go home for midterm break in about two weeks. Items included notes starting from Form I in all subjects, copies of past exams that have been corrected, extra assignments done,revision books, ruler, pens, etc.

After 10:00 tea teachers were available to meet with parents. Tables were set up in the grassy area for this purpose. It was in a nice shady part of campus with a cool breeze coming through. Just like conferences in the US, parents traveled from teacher to teacher to discuss their child.

In the afternoon, a general forum was held in the same area. The deputy principal spoke as did the president of PTA, the class teachers, and several other teachers. My job was to give the vote of thanks at the end.

Of course the highlight of the day as far as the girls were concerned was the food their parents brought as well as shopping. The only food girls can keep at school are bread and fruits, but on this day, there parents are allowed to bring in any food that they like. The rule is that the girls must eat all of it that day. Nothing can be saved for another day if it isn't fruit or bread. Many of the girls were thrilled to be able to enjoy chips (french fried) and chapati.

Lunch was then served for parents and daughters. I'm guessing not too many girls ate the school lunch!

Observations since returning to Kenya

My colleagues seem genuinely surprised that I have returned. I know that before we left many of them asked if we would be returning. Even though I assured them that we would be back, they didn’t seem to believe me.

We wanted to see snow while we were in the States so we could take pictures to show our students and fellow teachers. Andrea and Melissa were great and helped us take several. Upon looking at the photos of us dressed warmly and standing in the snow, even John holding a snowball, they asked, “How can people survive there?” Keep in mind, they don’t have any way to heat their homes here. I’m sure they are thinking it must be a cold inside our houses as it is outside.

I was told it wasn’t appropriate to tell someone how many children that you have. Instead you simply say you have many children. How many times I have broken protocol because when I introduce myself I usually tell that I have two daughters!

It is considered indecent to expose your knees and shoulders. One day at school the sleeve of my dress had flipped up so that the top of my arm was exposed. A woman coworker caught my attention and motioned for me to pull down my sleeve so that my upper arm wasn’t exposed.

There is a mama who sells fruit to our girls during lunch time. I understand she had a daughter who attended St. Monica’s. Every day she brings a large basket balanced on her head filled with mangoes or avocados or whatever fruit is in season. Sometimes she hires a bicycle to bring more fruit than she can carry on her head. She is a kind woman and always has a smile and greeting for me. Her English is limited as is my Kiswahili. Even though, we still communicate as well as we can. The other day I asked to buy some avocados from her. She sold me the avocados but then gave me some bananas in addition. She wouldn’t take any more money for them. She exemplifies the generosity of so many Kenyans. They have so little, but are willing to give so much.

I had a Form II student ask to see me earlier this week. I told her she was able to come and see me any time. We scheduled an appointment for the next day during lunch. As we chatted, she revealed that her family wasn’t able to pay school fees for this term. In fact, they haven’t paid all of last year’s fees. When it was time for her to return to school this year, they were only able to scrape together about $3 for her to do her back to school shopping. Of that $3, she had earned almost half of it herself by doing a neighbour’s washing. She had no pocket (spending) money and was out of toilet paper, Vaseline, sanitary pads, and someone had stolen two pair of her socks. She asked if I would help her out and get her those few things. Of course, I did. She was so appreciative.

New Year's Greetings

We just returned from a wonderful visit in the States being able to celebrate the holidays with family. It was also good to reconnect with friends and spend time catching up with the latest that is going on in their lives.

Now it is time to think as much as we can like a Kenyan.

One of the “traditions” in Kenya is sending New Year greetings through text messages on phones. Here is one that I received from one of my coworkers.

May God mark you for glory,
Tick you for honour,
Note you for blessings,
Name you for favour,
push you for wonders
till you fall into plenty of happiness.
Wish you and your family a blessed 2013!

Now that's a New Year's greeting!