August Diary
Holidays!
Being August, all the children were on holiday, enjoying day after day of clubs, games and other treats. Our older children who attend boarding schools were back and it has been great to see them all. They worked around the home every morning, helping staff in the kitchen, grounds, bakery and thrift shop to name just a few. They have really enjoyed doing this and have a good work ethic!
Mashimoni
The pupils at Mashimoni Squatters School in Kibera enjoyed two weeks of craft sessions taken by the volunteers Doris Watt, Pauline Stephens and Puffin Hepworth. The sessions included mask-making, paper sculpture and much more and were enjoyed by all the children and volunteers who were very impressed by the children’s enthusiasm.
Music Boost
Starting Thursday 7th, we were visited by musical director and dance choreographer Hellen Mutawali for a three day instructional course, regarding our children’s music and dance moves. She worked a lot with the choir and taught them to improve their musical production, vocal skills and moves.
Tour to the Town
On Sunday 10th our teenagers took a trip to Nairobi city centre, by public transport to familiarize themselves with the Central Business District. This has taught them some life skills for when they leave KCH. The tour was lead by two of our children who are now through the transitional phase and work in the city. The trip ended with the chapel youth concert: a great treat!
Suswa Sports Day
On the 12th of the month, the Solia Masai Girls Centre held their annual sports day. It was an amazing day, and the 57 girls at the centre were joined by a bus full of helpers and participants from KCH, including 15 girls from Thomas Barnardos House. The races were a great success, they have great athletic abilities! Races included the relay, the dressing-up race, the blindfolded race, tidying up race and many others. The parents and staff also took part in a relay and a tug-of-war. After all the hard work, everyone was treated to rolls and sodas at the centre. All left very happy and impressed!
SALT and church Events
On Tuesday 15th, the SALT group of students from Nairobi University who attend Mamlaka Chapel visited KCH for a three-day event with the children over ten years. They taught very meaningful teachings through playing and having fun. By co-operative games the children learned to share and enjoy each other’s company while serving God. Then on Thursday 14th, Nairobi Baptist Church came to KCH and held a Sunday school event, involving playing games and interaction with each other. The universal peace federation church initiative also placed our children among many children from different children’s homes, a whole day of fun and talent in our Sorsbie Hall. The children had great fun despite the cold weather. On Sunday 31st, all children went for a concert at Don Bosco church. It was put on by the youth of the church and was an excellent afternoon!
Outings
Once again, a group for KCH was invited to watch the Phoenix theatre group perform, this time a comedy. It was very humorous and the children appreciated the outstanding irony of the play. And on the 28th House three went swimming at Sadili Langata. This was possible as it was a donation from Teresa Mwihaki’s sponsor who gave a birthday treat. They had great fun!
Freedom from Fistula
On the 22nd around one hundred children took part in the Freedom from Fistula walk, raising awareness about a week long camp at Kenyatta hospital which was offering free Fistula repair treatment. The event was joined and opened by the Assistant Minister for Health, Mr Mungutana and was a very fun day! All the children really enjoyed the experience and their participation in an event for such a good cause was greatly appreciated.
Adoptive Parent’s Meeting
There was an Adoptive Parent’s Association launch on Saturday 23rd which was a great success. It was even featured on Kenyan national television news! It was a well arranged event that shows the commitment of our very effective adoption society. The director of children’s services, Mr Ahmed Hussein graced the occasion.
Prizegiving
On 29th August, the prizegiving for term two was held, rewarding hard work and achievement from the past few months. Prizes were awarded for improvement in exam marks, good work in the houses, homework, those who received the pizza reward the most often and for the highest performers in the end of term exams. Those who received three or more prizes were invited for a special prize – an outing which they are sure to enjoy after a hard term’s work.
Teenager’s Trips
Also on Friday 29th, our teenagers went on a clean-up of Nairobi River in the morning. It was an activity meant for cleaning up the environment and to raise awareness that people should avoid dirtying and littering the river in future, as it is a health hazard. In the afternoon of the same day, the teens and those who were actively participating in August’s events went to the Bomas of Kenya for the debut of a drummer, at the invite of AMREF. The following day, our teenagers visited Kwetu Children’s Home where they performed community service and were very satisfied by the end of it. The importance of helping others was the point put forward to them as they are growing older.
As you can see it was a busy holiday but very enjoyable!!