Water Shortage

This is the first time we have run out of water in our house since we've lived in this house, for four years. This is the reason why.

Most houses in Kenya have a water tank to store water. On our compound, every house has its own water tank. Ours holds about 200 - 250 gallons. Even if water isn't running in the pipes from the city, there is usually enough in storage in the tank to hold you over.

For some reason this dry season the water isn't running. Although we were gone most of the month of November and all of December, we ran out of water. Obviously, the city is having trouble delivering water through the pipelines. Part of the problem is that when the water does flow the water pressure is so low that it can't run up to fill the tanks.

Fortunately we do have an outside tap that isn't linked to water tanks. So, six houses were using this tap to fill buckets when the water was flowing. We all found as many buckets and basins as we could and filled them so we'd have water to use.

Now we have a supply of water for washing dishing, drinking, and occasionally washing hands. In the meantime hand sanitizer works just fine.

We've learned that our kitchen tap isn't connected to the rest of the water pipes in the house. When the water was running at times we have running water in the bathrooms but not the kitchen. Figure that one out!

I'm happy to report that this weekend we have had a little more pressure and a little more water available to use. John has filled up the buckets so Alice can do our laundry and clean the house tomorrow. O'Cheing hasn't been daily washing out car. Instead,he is using a rag to brush the dust off of the windshield and doors. I noticed at school that it has a nice red roof from the dust.

Update on the Monkeys

The same week the monkeys got into our house, we found out they also got into Joe and Nancy’s managing to get a mango. Then they also got into Mahendra's (our landlord) There they got eggs and fruit. Not good. We’re an easy source of food.

Neither of us had seen the monkeys early in the week so we were hoping that they had moved on to better places. We weren’t so lucky. Thursday afternoon I chased a monkey out of the house. The good news is that he didn’t get anything. But he didn’t seem to be frightened of us. I took this picture of him sitting on the kitchen window ledge staring right at me. Our noses were less than 2 feet apart. The outside faucet is on the pipes that come into my sink. They have learned to climb up those pipes and scramble right in the window.

John decided to declare war on them. His sister Nancy had given him a slingshot for Christmas a couple of years ago. He got it out and got some ammunition (rocks) out of the driveways. He got off a couple of good shots at them, but also got his hand a couple of times.

Saturday morning I heard noise in the kitchen. Twice during the day John ran outside to drive them away. Every time we hear noise in the kitchen, we dash in thinking it might be monkeys. Who is going to win this war?

Fathers' General Assembly

I represented the Maryknoll Lay Missioners at the yearly General Assembly of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. I had a good time learning more about the Society and spending time visiting with the priests and brothers. The countries represented were Namibia, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan and Kenya. You could tell the priests were also enjoyed reconnecting with one another. Sister Teresa was also there representing the Maryknoll Sisters.

John enjoyed telling everyone that I had left him this week for 25 other men!

I had to give a 10 minute presentation on our organization on Monday. After that I was free to simply listen and take notes about things that might affect our organization. My impression is that we are facing many of the same problems as the Society: small numbers, distance,name recognition, priorities of those working abroad and those in the home office, confusion over finances and financial procedures, length of meetings, and representing the Catholic church in developing nations.

The highlight of the three days was the celebration of the Jubilarians. Two priests celebrated 60 years as Maryknoll priets, one 40 years and two 25 years. Afterwards we had a nice feast with entertainment. I wish I had some pictures of us dancing!

Strike Entering Week Two

As I reported last week, women teachers came to school last Tuesday to inspect girls' bags as they entered school. All went well although a teachers strike had been called. They were talking about returning on Wednesday to see what was happening. There were several teachers around Wednesday morning, but since then teachers employed by the Teachers' Service Commission (government employees) haven't been seen.

Our Board of Governors (similar to a local school board) hires and pays the salaries of teachers that haven't yet been accepted by TCS in order to keep our class size at 50 students. They are all young people that have graduated from university and are licensed to teach. However, it takes about 3 years before they are accepted into the government system to become members of TSC, basically because of bureaucracy and corruption.

Those BOG teachers and myself have been teaching since Thursday. I have heard the voices of several of the TSC teachers so they have been on the compound, but they have not been in their offices or in class. Saturday I asked one of the BOG teachers if he thought the TSC teachers were honoring the strike because they thought it was the right thing to do or because they had been intimidated. He replied that he seen a text message sent by one of the teachers' unions that threatened bodily harm if teachers broke the strike. (Most of the TSC teachers did teach during last year's strike until we were chased away by union officials.)

Who knows how long this situation will continue. The Industrial Court ruled on Friday that the strike was legal. Friday the Secretaries of Labour, Education and Treasury met with the two teachers' unions. They have reached agreement on 38 out of 39 issues. The one issue still unresolved is basic salary. The unions are asking for harmonization (equality) of salaries of all public servants. Unfortunately, many people in government jobs (many of whom are uneducated) receive far higher salaries than teachers, some up to 100 or even 200 times more.

There was an ugly article in toady's paper coming from the Secretary of Education. He was quoted as saying the reason union officials wanted hired basic salaries for teachers is because that would increase the amount of money coming into the unions and therefore affect their salaries.

The unions and TCS are summoned to appear in court on Wednesday to resolve matters. However, it's a common occurrence for a party not to appear in court when summoned claiming unforeseen circumstances.

John's school, Weaver Bird, hires their own teachers so they don't have any TSC employees. Therefore, they are teaching classes. The unions have threatened to close down the better private schools also. I don't think they will have the ability to do that.

Meanwhile, the 366 girls that have reported to St. Monica's continue to work in their classes independently using notes from last year's students and materials they have.

Let's pray the strike will come to an end soon.

Seatbelt First

I had a first today. I often give fellow teachers a ride if I see them going to or coming from school. This afternoon I picked up two of them in the school driveway. The back door of my car was stuck so I had to unfasten my seat belt to get it open. As they were getting into the car, I was refastening my seat belt. To my amazement, they both fastened theirs! I've never seen a Kenyan put on a seat belt.

Students Return to School

The headlines in today's Daily Nation: Schools paralysed as teachers demand fresh salary talks with Labour minister and >Teachers keep off class as strike starts

Today is the day students across the country are supposed to return to school. However, the teachers are on strike. It is a confusing situation. Parents are unsure whether or not to send their children to school.

I got a text yesterday afternoon telling me to report to school this afternoon to inspect belongings as the girls report to school. I wasn't for sure whether I should go or not.

The teachers' unions use force to ensure all teachers are striking. Last year during a strike, St. Monica's teachers were teaching although we weren't supposed to be. One day I was in the classroom when a man appeared at my classroom door. I naively thought he must be a parent. After I finished what I was saying I went over to see what he wanted. He politely informed me that teachers were on strike and no one was to be teaching. He was a union official. I got by with it because I'm white. The rest of the teachers saw the union officials and ran away from the school so they wouldn't get beaten.

I called a fellow teacher this morning and she said she was going. So I went. I didn't know what to expect. Everything was fine. By the time I left school, 200 out of 600 girls had reported. I'm sure the small number was due to parents not knowing if it was safe to send their children and if they would even be allowed to stay at school.

Several girls called ahead and got permission to come in their home clothes. (Students must be in full school uniform. No home clothes are allowed.) There was fighting among people due to the strike in their home area and they were afraid to dress in the school uniforms for fear they would be harassed and not allowed to take public transport.

After talking to several teachers today, it looks like most of us are going to report to school around 10:00 tomorrow morning. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) hires all government teachers. They have ordered that a roll call of teachers be taken every day so they know who is on duty. However, the unions are threatening violence for anyone caught teaching.

Today the largest teachers' union is meeting with the Secretary of Labour. Technically, they don't have any right to be talking to them. The people they are negotiating with is the TSC who determines their contracts. The next meeting between the unions and the TSC isn't until Friday. Meanwhile, the Kenya National Association of Parents has received a court order blocking the strike.

Meanwhile, those students who are at school will continue to stay for now. Tomorrow girls will be doing thorough cleaning of the dorms and classrooms so no teaching would be going on anyway.

We pray the strike will end soon.

Prayer Day for Form Four Students

Before the Kenya Comprehensive of Secondary Student exam is taken, a Prayer Day is held. Parents and well wishes are invited to attend. A mass is said for student success and the rest of the day is spend with students visiting with their families. We held mass in our unfinished dining hall. It was packed. I'm guessing there were 800+ people attending for our 154 candidates.

Students are dancing into the dining hall for mass.

Charity is our class prefect. She is in charge of student discipline, record keeping and any other tasks the teachers would like her to complete. Each prefect spoke for a few minutes encouraging fellow students to do well on the exam.

I was asked to speak on behalf of the Form Four class teachers.

Parents bring new items for the students to use when taking the exam: pens, rulers, clipboards, geometric sets, etc. The priest blesses them at the end of mass.

Afterwards, parents and students share the food they have brought enjoying the company of one another.

How Did you Spend your New Year's Eve?

On New Year's Day we needed to go to a nearby mall in Nairobi to book our bus tickets for the return trip to Kitale. We were chatting with the taxi driver and asked if he saw in the new year. His answer wasn't a typical American response.

"Yes, I saw the new year in at church. We were giving thanks for all the blessings we received in 2014."

I wonder what percentage of Kenyan bring in the new year in the same way? Several students has commented that they spent New Year's Eve at church. I had thought that perhaps it was a special celebration for the youth. Perhaps it is more widespread than I had thought.