Day 15: Class, Safari and Fearing for your Life

Breakfast has become my absolute favorite in Kenya, french toast and coffee again!! We walked to school and met with the head teacher in her office where we broke up and went off to teach class. Josey and I took the 8th grade class. The head teacher had said to give them hope so I wrote on the board:

"It'll cost you nothing to dream and everything not to."

I tried to start a discussion about the quote but all the students just sat quietly and stared at us. We asked everyone to think of goals they had and then we were interrupted by the deputy teacher and Connie. They led a pen-palship with 2nd graders from Minnesota who had sent them letters. Josey and I did our best to help the students read the writing and understand what they were saying. The students replied and colored pictures for them. One of the students asked the deputy teacher if she could keep one of the magenta crayons. He shook his head no. It reminded me again of where we were and how much we take the simple things for granted.

After the pen-pal session was over we tried to continue our discussion. Silence. Josey asked what time lunch was and everyone laughed. We heard a bell similar to that on an ice cream truck, again everyone laughed when we asked what it was.

We saw Isaac and Sarah walking by and called them in. Both gave their opinion on what the quote meant. After they left everyone went around and said one of their goals, which were all career oriented. The students wanted to be teachers, electrical engineers, doctors, pilots, nurses and the like. By then class was almost over so I wrote one more quote on the board:

"Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something else

is more important than fear." ~Ambrose Redmoon

I explained that that and the previous quote were two that helped me to keep dreaming and to face my fears in order to achieve my dreams, like going to Kenya.

We headed for chai and sorted through our recreation equipment. The kids were out in the yard playing and we could hear them all screaming. We looked out to see 6'4" Pat running around with his arms in the air, he was being chased. It was hilarious to see. He finally made it over to us and Josey had to go fill her water bottle. She made it half way across the school yard before she was surrounded and forced to stop. We watched her try to make her way to the water pump but she had a circle of school children around her at least five people deep on either side. I told Pat to run out there and distract them but then Connie stepped out to take a picture. Like the flip of a switch they all screamed and ran towards Connie. This is where their discipline came into play as apparently there is a line thats not to be crossed and we were on the other side because just like that all the kids stopped twenty feet shy of Connie. Connie stood there and took pictures while Josey ran to the water pump.

After chai we joined the kids in the school yard to teach them how to play our favorite games. I choose wiffle ball along with Josey and Kate. It was a bit more tricky teaching a game they had never seen before but eventually it started to make sense to them. I found Esther, who stayed in the same house as we did and I taught her how to pitch. She really was a natural at it, I was surprised.

I tried to rotate to teach a different game but instead got surrounded by a bunch of girls. They touched my hair, asked me questions about home and tried to teach me new phrases in Kikuyu. When they found out I had a husband they were shocked that he hadn't come with me. It was a common theme in Kenya, everyone told me to come back and bring my husband next time. I would like to do that very much.

Eventually I wandered over and semi-assisted Tara in teaching gymnastics. It was fun to watch both boys and girls get such a thrill over a few basic gymnastics moves. Shortly again I was surrounded, this time with Brandon. We taught them different was of giving high fives. The "up high, to the side, down low, too slow!" was their favorite and everybody wanted in. I continued to high five about fifty kids before I heard my name being called. It was time to pack up.

From there we piled in the vans and went to the Sweetwater Sanctuary. We did a short game drive through the park seeing giraffe, elephant, zebra, ostrich, rhino, impalas and several others.

We took a tour of the chimpanzee orphanage as well as a quick stop to visit a blind black rhino. After spending a week in Kenya somewhat living the Kenyan life it felt weird to be doing such touristy things again.

We did another short game drive as we raced out of the park. You have to be out by 6:30pm before nightfall so that your headlights don't disturb the wildlife.


We stopped at the equator for photos. There are apparently several "equator" signs that are located in places other then the equator, merchants put them there in order to get tourists to stop. Luckily our guides knew which ones were the right ones.
We didn't get back to the school until dark. Nancy had been waiting for us for over a hour. We had planned to go into town that night and get her hair done but it was too late. Instead we spent our last night together at the house and I made sure to get pictures of everyone.


I was able to call Amos with Nancy's phone. It was funny that I was too nervous to walk to the outhouse at night but there I sat in the backyard under the light of the stars talking on the phone like I was at home. I told Amos I was sorry we had gotten back too late for us to visit his wife's salon. I got his mail and email address so that we could keep in contact. I also had previously told him I would give him some of my bandanas so we made plans to meet in town the next day.

I ate dinner with the family and a random older guy was there. He asked me if my father was rich, I told him no. He asked where I lived in the states and I told him. Esther brought me a piece of paper and said he wanted my address written down and he gave me his. Nobody specifically told me who this guy was. I thought first about giving him a fake address but didn't because both Nancy and Purity had my real address and they might not understand why I wasn't comfortable. I thought what's the worst that could happen.

I was outside on the phone with Amos again and when I finished Nancy came out and told me that that man was rude and that I didn't have to be friendly with him. I told her it was too late, he already had my address, she apologized and we headed back in. (In Kenya, anyone is welcome in anyone's house for as long as they chose to stay, they do not need to announce themselves before coming over.) I gave Esther a note to give to her classmate that had passed me a note earlier in the day asking to be friends. I couldn't believe our time in Kambi was finished. The old man finally left and we went to sleep.

No more then ten minutes after we were all in bed I heard men's voices outside the house. There was a pound at the door and men talking in Kiswahili. Purity was replying to them but I couldn't understand a word. More words were exchanged and I called out to Nancy asking if everything was okay. She told me she was going to check.

My heart was racing!! I quickly grabbed my headlamp and got up to make sure our bedroom door was locked. I went over and sat with Tina on her bed which was farther from the door. We were both scared and sat in the dark listening to words we couldn't understand.

Nancy called out my name, "Janelle?"

"Yes?" I replied.

"They are here to see you!"

"Why? Who is it?" I was freaking out.

"They want to talk with you."

"Who is it?" I asked again.

I couldn't completely understand but I heard Muthoga's name in the reply so I thought it was Muthoga. Still a bit nervous I turned on my headlamp and with trembling fingers I unlocked the door and headed out. It was dark in the room and I squinted to see the faces of the three men. All I saw were three unfamiliar faces and a gun.

"I don't know these people," I told Purity and Nancy as I started to back away.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm Joseph," the man holding the gun replied, "I'm the local security and I'm here to check on your safety. Muthoga sent me."

They asked me my name and we exchanged a few words in Kiswahili. They asked me if I felt safe in Kambi and told them that this was the most nervous I had been the whole trip. They thought it was funny. I wanted them to leave. He just kept saying that he needed to hear that I felt safe from my mouth so that he could report it back to his government.

Telling me you're with the police or government was the last thing they should've said in an attempt to make me feel safe. Word on the street is those are the two most corrupt things in Kenya. Finally after replying to all of their questions they left. I was still freaked out, Nancy and Purity said it was okay. I went back to the room, told Tina what it was all about, locked the door and went back to bed.