St. Mary's Mission Hospital - Rift Valley

The shores of Lake Elmenteita is where you will find St. Mary’s Mission Hospital - Rift Valley run by a Maryknoll priest and doctor Fr. Bill Fryda. It is a beautiful setting with the lake framed by extinct volcanoes on one side and the escarpment of the Rift Valley on the other.

Lake Elementeita is a soda lake famous for flamingos and pelicans. It has no outlet so only tilapia fish are able to survive in its salty water. During the dry season when the water level falls, people “harvest” the minerals from the shore to sell to livestock owners for salt licks. It is a beautiful place. We wish we had brought along our binoculars. We could see patches of pink in the distance, but weren’t close enough to be able to see the birds.

The guest house.
We spent two nights there while I had a medical test. They have a guest house where people can stay while seeking medical treatment yet don’t need to be hospitalized. As we were checking in we were asking about the lake so they gave us a room on the second floor lakeside so we could view the lake from our window.

The mission hospital is extremely impressive. It’s only four years old. Fr. Bill Fryda is not only a Maryknoll priest but also a doctor. This is the second hospital he has established during his time in Kenya. His hospitals treat patients at cost in the Nakuru and Rift Valley area. In order to attract doctors and other medical personnel away from the big city comforts, the staff is provided housing for their families on the hospital grounds. Another amenity is a club house and a swimming pool for relaxation.

The women's ward.

We had a chance to meet Fr. Bill the first evening we were there. He was riding in his golf cart with his adopted granddaughter back to his house. We had a nice chat and he explained a little more about his work. His first hospital was built in Kiberia, the largest slum in Nairobi. (See our blog dated ********.) Once that hospital was running well, he felt called to open another hospital to help the poor in a rural area. Both hospitals are called St. Mary’s Mission Hospital.

Not only has he started the two hospitals, he opened a secondary school three years ago on the hospital grounds in Kibera, St. Mary’s School. The majority of the students in this school are bright street children who have been able to stay away from drugs, alcohol, sniffing glue and other vices so easily available to those who have no parents to guide them. They are on scholarship. During the month of December these students have no home to return to. So they go to St. Mary’s Mission Hospital – Rift Valley for the month where they are provided with housing, meals, meaningful work, free time and a beautiful setting away from the slum and streets. During the morning, they volunteer in the hospital. In the afternoons they enjoy free time including access to the swimming pool. Fr. Frieda laughed explaining they built the swimming pool before the chapel. Therefore they call themselves the church of the splashing water. The chapel is now under construction.

The day that we arrived was also the day that the 60 students from St. Mary’s School - Kibera also arrived. They stay in 8-man tents located on the hospital grounds. One of them, Kennedy, helped us check-in to the guest house. He later took us down to the pavilion near the lake so we could get a closer look. He was very articulate and a pleasure to chat with. Both evenings we watched a football (soccer) match between some of the staff and the high school boys. Some things are universal! What an opportunity for these young people and how lucky they are to be admitted to St. Mary’s School.

Confirmation of St, Anthony's Students

Since June, I (John) have been working with boys on Thursday afternoons after class

who wanted to join the Catholic Church. The boys also had another session after church on Sunday mornings with another teacher. During October and November they also met with a nun on Tuesday afternoons. I had decided between the Sunday lessons plus a daily CRE (Christian Religious Education) lesson in school that I would use my time on a more practical approach than theology. Besides, most Kenyans probably know the Scriptures better than I do. So, I used most of my time on what it means to be a Christian in daily life.

You have to realize Kenyan culture is very different from American culture. First, having open discussions with students is not a common thing here. Instruction is basically lecture or giving answers back to the teacher straight from the book. So it took awhile for most of the boys to feel comfortable participating in a discussion. One discussion was about taking an item like a pen from someone without asking and then keeping it. Another discussion is how to deal with a friend who does thiefs (steals) from you. I showed the boys how to pray the rosary. I made a copy of my favorite prayers and gave to them. Somehow I miscounted the number of boys and did not have enough. The next day I had a couple of boys who did not get their own copy of the prayers ask me for theirs. Many times I felt my time with the boys gave me more insight into the Kenyan youth culture.

November 12, thirty-seven St. Anthony boys were baptized and confirmed into the

Catholic Church. Another school, Manor House, was also having a group being baptized and confirmed. Since many of the boys’ parents do not live near, there were few relatives attending the ceremony. I was privileged to be the godfather to 2 boys and sponsored 4 boys who were confirmed. After the ceremony we had a group picture of all our boys, sponsors and relatives in attendance.

We had refreshments consisting of a soda and what you would know as a dinner roll afterwards. I gave each of the boys a rosary as a gift to welcome them into the faith. One interesting note to this is that you will see people wearing rosaries as a necklace. The next morning as Cindy and I attended Mass at St. Anthonys we could tell who was baptized the day before by who was wearing their new green rosary.

Recessional led by the liturgical dancers.

Saiwa Swamp

Minh, a fellow Maryknoll Lay Missioner serving in Bolivia, came to Kenya to visit Mary and us, during November. We had a wonderful visit during the four days she was in Kitale. One day we visited Saiwa Swamp National Park located only about 20 miles away. It is the smallest national park in Kenya with an area of less than 3 square kilometers. There are no vehicles allowed in the park so you see everything on walking trails and observation towers built at strategic spots within the park. The park has a typical African wetland climate with two rivers, the Kipsaina and Kapenguria, feeding the swamp.

The national park was created to protect the habitat of the endangered sitatunga antelope and de Brazza’s monkey. Over 372 bird species have been spotted there. We saw many, but don’t really know much about birds. There are many small animals in the park including otters, aardvarks, civit cats, and servals that we didn’t get to see. However, we saw the rarest and most famous.

The sitatunga antelope has splayed hooves that allow it to walk on submerged vegetation. It is reddish-brown in colour with very large ears. It spends most of its day submerged resting in shaded areas. When in danger it submerges all by the tip of its nose. We were able to see one from a distance from one of the observation towers. It was a good thing we had brought our binoculars!

When you hear rustling in trees, look up because it is probably monkeys in the

trees. We were able to see De Brazza’s, colobus, and sykes monkeys. The de Brazza’s monkeys are also called swamp monkeys. They have rarely been captured because they are so good at camouflaging themselves when in danger. The colobus are easy to sight because they are black and white looking very much like a flying skunk. The sykes’ monkey is also called the blue monkey because its fur is grey to black in color.

Minh was a great guide. She was able to spot small interesting plant life along the paths including mushrooms, lichens, different type of mosses, and orchids. We picked up several varieties to bring home and plant in our garden, but I’m afraid most of them have died because it just isn’t moist enough right now. Perhaps if we were still early in the rainy season.

It was a fun outing that provided plenty of exercise and interesting things to see.
To see more photos click here.

Thanksgiving

It has been the tradition of the Maryknoll Lay Missioners to hold their annual regional meeting in Nairobi over Thanksgiving weekend. It gives us the chance to celebrate this American holiday with fellow Maryknoll priests and sisters. We arrive by Wednesday evening. Thanksgiving morning is a retreat of the lay missioners. This year it was led by Judy who helped us relax with yoga and meditation. That afternoon you are on your own. John and I went to the Nigerian High Commission to pick up our visas for our Christmas trip to see Katrina. The evening meal is the traditional Thanksgiving feast as best as we can do in Kenya.

We though you might like to see some photos from our celebration.

The Society House chefs and kitchen help: John, Jothem and Paul.

Mary visiting with Father Lance and Father Dick.

Ilona, Pat, me, Coralis, and Father Dick.

Kathy and Susan leading our sing-along.

Kakuma Refugee Camp

I don’t think any of our group was looking forward to visiting Kakuma Refugee Camp. We were expecting to see starving people, a hopeless situation. Photos you have seen on the news of starving refugees are taken at Dadaab Refugee Camp. It is in eastern Kenya near the border of Somalia with an estimated population of over 500,000! What we found at Kakuma Refugee Camp was nothing like that.

Although no one ever wants to live in a refugee camp, the conditions at Kakuma were decent. Perhaps that is because the camp has been in existence for almost 20 years. We actually came away from our visit with a positive and optimistic feeling. The refugees are not locked behind gates and barbed wire fences. They are free to come and go as they please both within the camp and outside. There are educational and employment opportunities within the camp, however they are a limited resource dependent upon funding.

First a little background, Kakuma Refugee Camp is located in northwestern Kenya 95 kilometers from the Sudanese border. It is also close to Ethiopia and Uganda.

This area is located in a harsh climate. Kakuma is the Kiswahili word for “nowhere”. The average daytime temperature is 104 degrees. It is in a semi-arid climate where no agriculture is possible. Kenyans who live in this area are the Turkana, nomadic pastoralists who raise goats and camels. There is not enough water or vegetation to support cattle.

Kakuma Refugee Camp was established in 1992 for Sudanese Refugees. Refugees are people that have been forcibly displaced from their home countries due to war or persecution. Many of you have probably heard of the Lost Boys of Sudan. This is the refugee camp where they lived. Today the population is about 83,000 consisting of refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Uganda and Rwanda in an area covering 13 square kilometers.

The camp is administered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Other organizations involved are: World Food Program (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Windle Trust Kenya (WTK), Film Aid International, and Salesians of Don Bosco in Kenya.

Our host for the day was Father Luke, a Salesian priest. He runs the director of the Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre. At this centre they offer training in Computer, dressmaking, electrical installation, masonry, metal work, motor vehicle mechanics, plumbing, secretarial and carpentry. However, the most popular classes are English. This is because English is the official language of the camp. During the past calendar year they have enrolled 602 students.

Here are some of the statics Fr. Luke shared with us:
• There are 250 live births a month.
• Monthly, there are 1500 new arrivals including some transferred from Dadaab.
• Many of the refugees are unaccompanied minors.
• The majority of the adult Sudanese have returned to South Sudan since independence. However, they have left their children behind because there are more educational opportunities available in the camp than in South Sudan.
• There are twelve primary schools and only one secondary school within the camp.

When refugees arrive they are provided with a tarpaulin with which to construct a home. It is then up to them to build a more permanent structure as time goes on. Food is distributed once a week.

To ease tension between the refugees and the Kenyan people who live outside the camp, 20% of the services offered in the camp are designated to go to the locals. This has greatly helped the situation. The day after we visited there was going to be a food distribution to the Turkana who are also suffering from the drought. I met a young Turkana computer student at Don Bosco. She had completed secondary school and qualified for university. While she was waiting to be admitted to the university she was taking a computer diploma course.

Click here to view more photos.

Agricultural Show 2011

Saturday we went to the Agricultural Show in Kitale. Think of county fairs or the state fair. Kenya holds three agricultural shows every year: Nairobi, Mombasa and Kitale. The primary purpose of these shows is to showcase agricultural methods, innovations, and products. The majority of Kenyans are subsistence farmers trying to raise enough maize and beans to feed their family for a year. It is the highlight of the year for many Kenyans.

Because rain was threatening, we were there a little over an hour. It probably isn't much larger than the LV County Fair. There were four barns of cattle. We

went through one of the major seed companies test plots to showcase their seeds and other agricultural products. There is a real move to encourage farmers to plant those crops that were once indigenous to Kenya and used for food before the coming of the white men. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, the seeds are much cheaper and no chemicals or fertilizers are required. We even bought a bag of toasted amaranth. It should make a good addition to the granola that I make for our breakfast.

One of the fascinating things we saw was an irrigation system for small plots.

I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but it uses a large bicycle pump to power the irrigation system. By pumping like you would to fill a tire, it causes the water to flow through the hose to the sprinklers. The cost was about $30.

A bigger, more elaborate system used something similar to a stair master exercise machine. There were two pedals on a stand. You pump the pedals up and down and the water flows. It cost about $80. Amazing simple technology to meet a need.

You can’t get away without buying something. I bought a new basket with a lid for $2 and a couple of necklaces.

This is a coffee bush.

Here is tea.

Cultural Day

In an effort to create national unity, the government is encouraging the
organization of Cohesion Clubs in secondary schools. Two St. Monica’s girls attended a workshop over August holiday. As only four students from the entire

Trans Nzoia district were allowed to go, it was quite an honour. They are now

ambassadors to other schools to encourage the establishment of Cohesion Clubs. The purpose of these clubs it to bring together students of all ethnic groups. They need to recognize the importance of their ethnic heritage, yet realize the importance of national unity. Kenyans need to see themselves as Kenyans first rather than members of a particular tribe that can be manipulated against one another.

Last Saturday the Cohesion Club held the first ever Cultural Day at St. Monica’s. Each class worked together to prepare a presentation of song and dance. They were to use dances from their people, community or tribe.

It was an amazing day enjoyed by all probably the highlight of the school year.

I’m afraid the photos don’t do justice to the dancers. Most classes combined songs
and dances of two or more tribes. The smiles and joy on everyone’s faces was priceless. You couldn’t believe the enthusiasm of the audience. Occasionally the teachers would join in voluntarily as the spirit moved them or as they were invited by the group. Even I got into the act several times!

Typically there is a leader of the dance. This leader stands in front of the group. They begin the song and the rest of the group responds so it is a give and

take between the “caller” and the group. The drummers then join in once a rhythm is established.

The flexibility of Kenyans is amazing. We’ve written before about loving to watch

the liturgical dancers at Mass. That is nothing compared to what they can do! What natural rhythm. What beauty and grace in their movements.

The girls enjoyed the day so much they have requested to hold a Cultural Day every term.

Concern is Touching

Today is the beginning of the Agricultural Show held in Kitale. Nation-wide there are three such shows in Kenya: Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kitale. Think of the state fair. The primary purpose is to showcase and promote agriculture. There are permanent booths that display universities, banks, seed companies, etc. Then there are small individual booths selling food items, crafts, agricultural products, furniture, and novelties. Student groups come to perform in the grandstand during the day and professional entertainers come at night. For the children there are games, carnival rides and camel rides. We understand it is the highlight of the year for many Kenyans.

My Form II students have always asked me about current events as we start class. Earlier this week they asked if I would be going to the Agricultural Show this weekend. I told them that we would probably visit on Saturday. (The Showgrounds are less than a mile away, so it is easy for us to attend.)

This morning these girls told me that we shouldn't go because they are worried about our safety. As you probably know, Al Shabab is a Somalian terrorist group that has members in many African countries. The newspapers here have been filled with stories lately about their infiltration into Kenya and recruitment of young men now that Kenya has declared war on Al Shabab and invaded Somalia. Another teacher yesterday told them that it wasn't a good idea to go to the Agricultural Show because it was a large gathering and therefore a possible target.

I assured them that we would think twice about going. If we went it would be in the morning, not late afternoon or evening when the big crowds would be there.

I was really touched by their concern about us. We are aware of possible danger, but it is much more likely to occur in the larger cities than in Kitale. Just like in the US, we are aware of circumstances, are smart and take safety precautions. The US Embassy in Nairobi does a great job of alerting us of possible dangerous areas and giving us the latest information about the possibility of threatening situations. We are not worried about our safety but it is sweet that the girls want to take care of me.

Puns

Our world and our students' worlds are so different.

I needed to teach a lesson on puns to my Form IIIs. My sister occasionally sends comic strips she cuts out from the newspaper. I had saved several of them thinking I could use them as a teaching aid.

I started the lesson with the definition of a pun and gave a few examples:
* A backward poet writes inverse.
* She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off.
* With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
* A pessimist's blood type is b-negative.
As English is the girls' third or even fourth language, we spend a lot of time clarifying meanings of words. The dictionary is our best friend.

Then I decided to use one of those comic strips from my sister. It showed a teenager walking around holding an avocado for about six frames. In the last frame he goes into the dining room where his parents are seated. He asks, "How much longer do I have to hold the guacamole?" His dad says to his wife, "Never send Norman to make a taco."

Do you know how long it took to explain American culture so they could appreciate the humour? I needed to tell them what a taco is, what guacamole is, how to make it, how to eat it, even what "hold the _____" means. About five minutes into the explanation I wondered why I had ever started. However, the girls loved the lesson. As I was leaving class that day one of them said, "That was a fun lesson."

During my research on puns I discovered a website that has a pun a day. I think we'll start lessons for the next week or so with a pun. What a great way to encourage vocabulary and critical thinking.

A funny side note - the girls made me reexplain how to make guacamole so they could write down the recipe. Some of them even jotted down what is in a taco. I wonder how many of them are going to try them over December holiday?

Lorugum Confirmation

John O'Donoghue and I had the opportunity to travel with a media team from Maryknoll to Lodwar. The media team was made up of three people all photographers and two of them produce a radio show, Voices of the World, for the Maryknoll Society (Fathers). They came to Kenya to focus on the ministries of the MK Fathers, Sisters, Lay Missioners as well as the famine in Kenya. We traveled to the Lodwar dioceses because that is one of the areas that is experiencing extreme drought in Kenya.

Lodwar is located in the north western part of Kenya in an arid area receiving less than ten inches of rain a year and is considered to be a hardship area. Unless you are located next to a river which holds water year round, nothing grows there. All food and supplies must be brought in. Very few people live in this area. The tribe that does is known as the Turkana. They are pastoralists raising cattle, goats and a few camels roaming wherever they can find food and water for their animals. They are a marginalized people being so far removed from major cities adn government services. Many of their children still do not have the opportunity to go to school. Women are able to earn some income from their beautiful woven baskets and mats.

You can see one of the dry riverbeds we crossed to get to Lorugum. When it rains they have terrible flash flooding as the soil can't hold any water. It is all sand.

This is a typical Turkana home built out of brush. As they are nomadic people it doesn't need to last long.

It was an insightful and interesting trip. On Sunday we had the opportunity to travel with Bishop Dominic Kimengich to celebrate confirmation at Lorugum, one of the outstations of the diocese. Bishop Kimengich has been bishop there for less than one year so this was the first time he had visited the parish. They were thrilled and he was warmly received. Bishop Kimengich is young, energetic and seems to be deeply aware of the needs of his people. You should have heard the excitement when he danced with the women at the end of the Mass. They danced all around the church celebrating together.

The Turkana still hold on to many of their traditional ways of life because they are so far removed from the rest of the country. Missionaries didn't even come into this area until the early 1960s! I loved the bright coloured clothing and jewelry.

After Mass we enjoyed lunch with the two different groups of nuns who work in Lorugum. They run a clinic and secondary school. Later that afternoon we visited Turkana Girls' Secondary School. While we were there we met with the Form IV

(seniors) girls. They were beginning their KCSE exams on Tuesday. We had a short assembly where all addressed them for a few minutes wishing them luck. The highlight was the Bishop blessing each and every girl regardless of religious beliefs. As he said, "You are all children of God and we want what is the very best for you."

As we returned to Lodwar we were greeted by these men on their way to some sort of celebration.

Click here for additional photos of this day.

Father Joe's Visit

As I’ve written before the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers are celebrating their centennial this year. As part of their celebrations, Father Joe Healy came to Kitale this weekend with two cameramen as they are making a documentary about the work Maryknoll is doing in Kenya. He spent Friday visiting our ministry sites.

Kathy was thrilled with the way things turned out for her. She is now working at St. Raphael Clinic in Matisi, a slum of Kitale. On Monday they opened a maternity ward at the hospital with a Mass by Bishop Crowley. Can you believe that on Friday morning their first baby was born. During his visit Fr. Joe was able to bless this special baby whose name is Raphael.

Nothing quite so exciting happened while he was visiting our schools. While at St. Anthony’s he was able to address the entire student body while they were still on morning parade. Fr. Joe is a real sports enthusiast so the boys were excited to have someone discuss sports. He visited John’s maths classroom and decided that he didn’t want any part of teaching high school maths but was able to tell a couple of stories.

At St. Monica’s he visited my Form I English class for a few minutes. We then went down to the playing field and sang several songs for him. Of course in Kenya, you don’t just sing you must dance. At one point even John O’Donoghue and Fr. Joe got into the act.

Sunday Maryknoll was honored during the 7:00 am Mass said by Bishop Crowley. That evening we all had a wonderful meal at Karabuni Lodge with the Bishop. It truly is an honor to be a part of the Maryknoll family.

To see more photos click here.

Escort

I never cease to be amazed at how the English language can be so different in another place.

Class had just been dismissed for tea. I hung around outside the classroom door because I needed to collect papers from a few of the girls. Instead of running to the dining hall to get their tea, about four girls sat down on the grass to bask in the sun. This is our conversation.

“Aren’t you girls going to go get your tea?” I asked.

“No,” they replied, “we don’t have an escort.”

Laughingly I said, “I’ll take you down to the dining hall and be your escort.” There was no reply. So I continued, “Did you get in trouble or something? Is there some reason you can’t go to the dining hall?”

Then they started laughing, “Since we don’t have anything to take with our tea we don’t want it.”

“Oh, you want something to eat with your tea, bread or something. Is that right?”

That is one time the Oxford Dictionary didn’t help me!

Here’s another example that I’ve run across several times this week as I’ve graded compositions, but this one is in the Oxford Dictionary. I had no otherwise but to go home. Definition of otherwise: choice.

Visit to Ortum

We’ve had a guest in Kitale. Maria, a registered nurse, is thinking about becoming a Maryknoll Lay Missioner. She is here for three weeks to see the reality of health care in Kenya and opportunities for future mission. Kathy has done a great job scheduling visits for her. Last week they traveled to Ortum to visit the

Mission Hospital and Nursing School there. Since I didn’t need to go to school that day, I asked if I could tag along. It was a beautiful trip and informative visit.

In 1956 the Kiltegan priests and Daughters of the Holy Rosary, both Irish mission organizations, started work in Ortum. Ortum is in West Pokot located about two hours north of Kitale in the Cherangani Hills. There they established a mission church, schools and a hospital. Later they added a nursing school, one of the best in Kenya.

The hospital and nursing school were impressive. The Sisters still run both

institutions. The nursing school has about 100 students. Because they are so well trained, when they complete nurses’ training they are snatched up in the job market. The hospital is well equipped and offers many services not found elsewhere. One of those is a place where expectant mothers can come and live for free while they are awaiting the birth of their baby. Since this area is sparsely
populated and people must travel far through mountains by foot, if women wait until they are in labour to come to the hospital, they won’t make it on time to deliver!

The people native to this area are the Pokots. Because they live in a remote area many of them still follow traditional ways of life. It is a goal of Bishop Crowley, to help educate these people to improve the quality of their life. I do have several girls from West Pokot in my classes.

The Pokots are divided into two main groups. The Hill Pokot live in the Cherangani Hills (where we were) and practice both pastoralism and farming growing maize. The other group are the Plains Pokot who live in arid plains where they herd cows, goats and sheep. Whether a pastoralist or a farmer, wealth among the Pokot is measured by the number of cattle one has. Cattle are used to barter and to pay bride price (dowry). As long as a man has enough cows to offer, marrying more than one wife is allowed.

Dairy products such as milk, butter and cheese are the staple diet of the Pokot.

They make porridge from wild fruits boiled with a mixture of milk and blood from cattle. Cattle are seldom slaughtered for meat because they are more valuable alive. Pokot women traditionally wear colorful necklaces and beaded headgear, brass jewelry and big loop type earrings whereas men wear just a few wrap garments and cowhide capes and shirts. Pokot warriors wear red clay on their hair with feathers.

To see more pictures of the area around Ortum, click here.

Ft. Jesus and Old Town Mombasa

While in Mombasa, we spent a day enjoying some historic sites there: Fort Jesus and Old Town. The word Mombasa means “Island of War” which aptly fits as there

have been many battles and intrigues involving its ownership. It is one of East Africa’s oldest settlements. Some claim settlements have existed there for at least 2000 years.

Due to the importance of the natural harbour ships from Arabia, Persia,Yemen, Iran, India and even China created major trading center in Mombasa. Traders from countries to the East were interested in spices, gold, ivory, millet, seamum, coconuts, and slaves. The Kiswahili language is said to have originated here as a language of trade with words derived from Arabic, Indian, Portuguese and English.

Much later the Europeans realized its economic value. Vasco da Gama stopped there in 1498, however, he wasn’t allowed to enter the port. Almost a hundred years

later, Portugal obtained dominion and built Ft. Jesus to protect its interests. The fort was the main hub for trading, a prison for slaves, and protection for their own soldiers. The popular trade goods at that time were spices, cotton, coffee and slaves.

The Portuguese were overthrown by Omani Arabs in 1698 after being under siege for two years and nine months. And then in 1887 the British took control of the city. Between 1631 and 1875 the fort was won and lost nine times.

The Portuguese sailed under the flag of the Order of Christ, not the Portuguese flag, since they regarded themselves as representatives of Christendom. So it was natural that they named it Fort Jesus. Ft. Jesus was built in the shape of a man

as viewed from above. It was the first European-style fort constructed outside of Europe designed to resist cannon fire. A quote from the brochure pretty well sums up the fort’s history, “Fort Jesus has suffered a history of murder, siege, starvation, bombardment and treachery that makes our modern world of hi-jacking and thuggery seem quite tame.”

Old Town is located just outside Ft. Jesus. It is filled with buildings influenced by Islamic and Portuguese architecture. The carved wooden doors and balconies are beautiful.

For additional photos click here.

Fire at St. Anthony's

As I was walking to school this morning the only fire truck in town was going towards St. Anthony’s. When I got to school I knew something was wrong as there were many motorcycles and no kids in class.

As I passed the academic block I could see the fire truck near one of the

dormitories plus students and some adults standing around. One of the dorms had caught fire between 5:00 and 5:30. The fire department was putting out what was left of the fire. Luckily the boys were at morning preps in their classrooms. Thank God no one was injured. About 120 boys lost all their belongings.

While an emergency Board of Governors meeting was being held I went to all the form 1 and 2 classrooms and told them how sorry I was about the fire but my prayers

were answered that no one was hurt. We can replace clothes, books, etc. but not human life. Other teachers were busy consoling and helping boys who had lost things. Parents and people from town started coming to see the damage.

We had a school assembly after the BOG meeting. We had speeches of encouragement from the principal, acting head of school board, head of PTA, plus some other officials who were around. After parade we had tea break. After I "took" my tea, I headed back to the dorm area. Some parents and more town people were coming to see the damage. Some of the boys were able to go in and try to get their locker (trunk) out of the dorm. Finally I decided I might as well go into my math classes and do some review at least that might keep them busy.

After lunch I went back to the dorm area. The dorm had finally cooled down enough that all the boys could get their trunks out. Most the boys only found ashes in their trunk or things were so badly burned that they were not salvageable. One boy was really upset so I let him use my phone to call his parents. You could see the relief on his face as he was able to visit with his mother. I even received a call from a parent who was concerned about her son so I had Moses call his mother. The media here is not real reliable and likes to sensationalize. She had heard that some boys were killed in the fire.

After lunch I had learned the following. The boys whose dorm caught fire would double up or use bunks of boys who have not returned to school yet because of the

teacher's strike. One of the counselors told me that a few of the boys were depressed because they knew their parents had used all they had to put the them in school and did not have any money to replace what they had lost. PTA will set up a fund to buy some of the things the boys lost. And finally, we will start exams tomorrow morning.

One thing that really struck me was a comment I heard. "Yes, it was a bad loss for the boys, but they need to learn to move on with life." Another one told me that there is much tragedy and one might as well learn at an early age to keep moving forward with their life. Not quite what I would hear in the States in the same circumstances.

I really feel for the counselors, the teacher who is head of boarding, the principal and teachers who stepped up to help. They really had a load on their shoulders today. My heart also goes out to the boys who lost things in the fire and all the boys. I am sure many will not sleep well tonight. But God did bless us in that no one was injured.