Its Incredible What One Family Can Acheive In 3 Weeks!
marnie teaching a music lesson
Today is our last day together as a full Aussie team. Meg, Gary and Marnie have already been here for over 3 weeks and they are heading back home tonight. Marnie and Meg (Meg is a deputy principal) have already been missing a bit of school at home in Australia so they have to get back. We’re going to miss them.
Its 10am here – We just came from a cheery school assembly at Kiandu primary where the students played a little recorder tribute to us and they all got to say goodbye and thank you to Meg, Marnie and Gary for their contribution. As part of this assembly our Aussie team were just given their Kikuyu (the local tribe) names.
Gary, Marnie and Meg have been such an incredible gift to Kiandu. It’s actually
gary, meg and marnie at the harambee
quite amazing what these guys have achieved in 3 weeks. Marnie’s music program was a roaring success. In fact we have heard that there is apparently only one other school who has a recorder group in Kenya and apparently they get paid to play at events! Now our Kiandu recorder group is determined to take their place as the best! The music program has given the kids at Kiandu primary a chance to learn an instrument, to read music, to work together as a band with singers and perform at an important event. They have a teacher here who is going to continue the music program from here.
Garys experience as an engineer has been absolutely invaluable. Its amazing how much of the school farm project has come together in such a short time. One huge greenhouse has been
erected and the trenches for the irrigation are laid already thanks to 200 parents from the community getting together to help get things done quickly and efficiently. Gary has laid out all the budgets, planning and projections for the future to ensure the farms success and hopefully in the next few months food will be growing and the school feeding program will be launched so that no children at Kiandu primary school go without food. Our Host Mother here, Mary, will be overseeing this project when Gary is gone.
Meg has also spent her last days in Kiandu facilitating some amazing programs for teachers and students.
Bye Bye guys! Safe onward journey!
For me, Lena and Kellie things are just ramping up. We are launching the ’shine’ program this weekend. We’ll be training 90 teachers (and the district education office for this area) to implement the program in their schools. Lena is so busy teaching computers and drama and will be assisting us this weekend also.
greenhouse almost completed. Great work Gary!
Meg with kids at Kiandu primary