Olmaroroi
Hi all! We took a little break and headed to the Maasai Mara game park for two nights. Originally a few sponsors had planned to travel with Tuko Pamoja to Maasai Mara for the Great Migration during a July trip to Kenya. They were unable to come this summer but since we had already booked we kept the reservations. We had a great time with our driver Thomas and our Maasai scout Letipat; both have become dear friends. We nearly saw the “Big Five” but just missed the leopard twice. The massive amounts of wildebeest made up for it easily and perhaps being chased by a buffalo…now that we can laugh about it.
Recently Virginia had been asked by a teacher, Jerusha, if we could help supply her school with porridge. The most beautiful thing about this is Jerusha had been teaching at Osupuko but we never officially met her. The teachers are often busy, their class is interrupted by visitors (us!), or they are in the staff room on break and we don’t like to bother them. At any rate, this is the second school that Osupuko asked us to help—they sent us to Kimuka as well. I love this community.
The school didn’t have tea for us so they presented us with Maasai shukas. So kind and generous!
We drove the 10 km on mostly tarmac, with only a few tricky spots. When it rains it definitely becomes less passable, as Virginia and Wangari have already experienced. We were thankful for some sunshine to not only keep the rain away but also the cold. And it is cold!
When we pulled up to Olmaroroi all the children were outside playing, laughing, running, or kicking a rag football. We looked at the time, 11:00-ish, and there was nothing to eat. We introduced ourselves to the senior teacher, Mary, who gave us some history of the school and the challenges they are facing daily. One thing that Mary mentioned was the lack of water. During the rainy season the school is OK but during the dry season they must buy water from their neighbor’s borehole. Not the most ideal situation for a school of 167 children.
One of their nearly empty water cisterns
They also have two children with learning challenges. One is in a wheelchair and not able to walk. The Maasai bush here is covered with rocks and often mud. The other child is intellectually disabled. The school has incorporated both children to make sure they are included. There are also three children who are orphans due to HIV. They live safely with family members but have little to no resources. The school welcomes these kids without fees to make sure they are learning too. This spoke to us deeply and we appreciated their sensitivities.
Olmaroroi has also opened up boarding facilities for 38 girls. They call it a rescue center. It was impressive and definitely needed. The matron does an incredible job of caring for these girls. The rooms were immaculate and the bathrooms very nice. Definitely a safe space for these girls to land, protecting them from early marriage and dropping out of school.
Another huge challenge is lack of food. Githeri, a maize and bean mix, is provided by a Korean church in Kenya but it’s only enough to fill the pupils’ cups halfway. We saw many grade 9 kids, especially the boys, who seemed very hungry. The children come from far away on foot so whatever food they have eaten in the morning, if any, is certainly burned off by the time they walk to school. Githeri is served at 12:40 pm.
What’s left of githeri, for 2 weeks for 167 kids
Soo…we presented the good news of supporting this school with porridge daily! The teachers and children were so happy! The school got even more excited when we called them to the car for their first batch of unga and sugar. We told them to bring their cups to school the next day. It feels so great to know that they had full bellies this week. As Bryan has reported before, this food support has helped bring more learners to school, it has improved their grades, and helped drop the pregnancy rate in young girls. What an easy way to love.
The happy chef with her large sufuria (cooking pot)
The boys smile after unloading the unga
One of the many, many things I cherish about this country and its people is their attitude. Kenyans are happy and positive, almost always optimistic. When you’re having a bad day, it’s often answered with “Take tea” or “All will be well.” This school is a true testament to this attitude, and we’ve seen it before. Olmaroroi has so very little but what they do have they use to its fullest. Thank you for your help in helping! Follow us for more updates here on the website or on Instagram at tuko_pamoja1. Thank you for following along. Tuko pamoja!