Teaching and Scouting, What????

Well, today was yet another amazing day for the world of teaching and scouting....An odd combination.  We visited the Red Rose School again to see the great children in session.  It was wonderful.  The kids are amazing and very excited about learning.  Margaret and I are going to be doing work there a few times next week in the mornings.  The one thing I have to say is teaching is hard work.  I cannot image teaching 8 classes a day times 5.  Wow, overwhelming with the amount of prep, attention  and patience needed.  

We had lunch again at Nairobi Java and off to the school....We had a productive day and most of our lecture curriculum has been completed and we are now into studio.  The artist/art work that we have shared with the students have clicked and they are getting it and able to tell about it.  40 students over the next week need to tell us about the top 20 from the 2 classes and 2 are researching Socrates, because we shared the painting, DEATH OF SOCRATES, by David with them.  Today is Thursday and we will have mostly studio starting today,  They really do well when they are drawing.  Tomorrow is a when we start painting and today, cameras get distributed to leads and they have a responsibility to make sure that they get all people involved in there team.  The first photos come back tomorrow.  We are excited.

Well, I am sure that you ask Why scouting.  Well on the way in and out of kibera, there is a Kenyan Scout center as the founder of the scouts in the US started the scouts here and loved Kenya so much that we wanted to be buried here and rests in Nyeri.  Well, I was a Scout, I only made it to Star and Margaret was a Girl Scout and she is definitely a more prepared person and it shows.  Scouts did her well.  So yesterday I said to Franco, do you think we can stop so I can get a badge that says Nairobi?, we did and oh my God.   Well they were having Moot Scout week where all of East African Scouts come together to do moot practice scouting, learning, etc and the Director in Nairobi and The Special Programme Commissioner were here, I walked in, asked for a badge, the called the director and it was history.  He had us in his office, the commisioner was so impressed that we would stop by that they made an immediate ceremony to make us the highest honor adult scouts possible, The Rovers, we were presented with Scarves in a ceremonial fashion, it got video taped and photographed, the made both Franco and David, world scouts, we all got badges and we brought around the whole camp to meet people and be presented to.  I was in shock.  All I wanted for Margaret and I was badges and we got so much more.  It is nice that people are so open to us.  They have asked us to come back any time and that it was luck that we were in town to be able to become official kenyan scouts which here is both boys and girls, they do not have a seperate organization based on gender.  They do lots of out reach and education on equality, hiv/aids, testing was being done while we were there and there was a magnet theatre group acting out information and education on AIDS/HIV and transmission and trying to breakdown the myths.  So impressive.  Who knew that Margaret and I would belong to the Kenyan Scout association??????

I hope all is well and I will write again tomorrow.  

Charles and Margeret

We are lucky humans to be experiencing Nairobi this way...

The Salvelburg retreat house is a delightful setting and the nuns of St. Johns run this joint, and do they run it...  Breakfast at 8, tea 10:30, lunch on your own, dinner at 7.  We mainly have not experienced dinner here because of me.  My snobbish tendencies prevents me from wanting to have dinner anywhere but Nairobi Java, the greatest place on earth in Nairobi and it is walking distance from our retreat house.  I have been there three times today. Three times, Breakfast for Fruit, Margaret and I met Ken for Lunch, then again for evening tea before we went off to dinner with Ken Okoth's fantastic and large famaily in what is called the Olympia neighborhood of Kibera.  Unlike some of the homes we have had the experience of visiting in the past, this was a nice 2 bedroom apartment, with your own toilet just for the family.  It was great.  His brother Jeff, whom went to Culinary school made a wonderful meal of lentils, a great tasting beef stew, wonderful home made chapatti bread and salad and for desert, fresh fruit.  it was lovely.  Angeline, Ken's mom was amazing and warm and welcoming.  Under her stylish shawl, she wore an Obama for President shirt.  It was great.  If I can figure out how to upload photos to the blog, you may see some pictures soon of this.  It was great.  His youngest niece was also adorable, Angelina, She and I are fast friends.

Ken's wife Monica is also her with him and they spend about 6 weeks a summer her an now for more than just Ken's Family.  Monica's family has retired her from Florence, Italy and they live in what I consider the high rent district of Nairobi called Leavington in a beautiful estate like setting.  A beautiful home, charming people and a nice glass of wine before we were off to dine with Ken's family. What is so amazing are the stark contrast present here.  Retirees from Italy, residents of Kibera.  All great and providing a real experience of the many types of Diversity here.  Monica's mother Madeleine, owns a bag shop in Adams Arcade  located where Nairobi Java is, and they are beautiful bags,  They used to design in Italy  Margaret walked in the store and the first thing out of her mouth was "you can never have too many bags".  From her mouth to God's ears for a proprietor of a bag shop.

Well the meat of our day was teaching even after all I have already written about.  A really great experience.  It went really quickly and intensely today.  We posed the question, "what does art mean to you?" yesterday and the form 1 class could not answer this question quick enough. They came prepared.  We introduced Leonardo DaVinci, not DiCaprio which is what I keep wanting to say and the Mona Lisa, Renoir and the Boating Party and Toulouse Lautrec and the Moulin Rouge.  The were engrossed. Students took away assignments to read up on artists and answer questions in class.  We also introduced drawing ans appointed Vice Presidents of black pencils and color pencils and these leaders are responsible for the distribution and collection to ensure that these pencils last for 2 weeks.  Accountability is a good thing and I am really excited to see what comes of it.  Today we also started Studio Sessions.  After Class with Forms 1, they had studio time to work on 2 assignments , drawing a figure of choice and something from imagination.  Wow, O almost had to tare the paper out of their hands to get them to go.  They also knew Renoir and Lautrec were French and I threw in a few french words and it was down hill from there.  En Chante, Je m'appelle (insert name), aurevoir.  I had no idea we would be combining French and Art.  Liz Grimm would be proud.  Margaret and I were running back and forth between classes once Studio started and the other class was in session. It was great feverish and hard work.  At 35 students per class, there is a lot to be done.  Margaret and I complement each other well in class, I am load and dramatic and see is calm and reassuring.  Her 12 years in the classroom experience show up clearly as an expert teacher and my excitement shows up for my passion  for Art and educating others as well, not to be tooting our horns, but I think we are working out well.

After class today, David Dinda, who actually feels like a son to me showed up to say hello,  He is one of the 1st grads of St. Als and Lynne Hirshfeld, Lyndon Dominique and I send him to Social Work College. He is great and we just connect every time we see each other.  He will spend time together after class and come to Savelburg for the night.

After dinner and the whole day of it all, Margaret and I are bouncing off the ceilings and are exhausted and at the same time, bed is the farthest thing from our minds.

More to come.... It is only getting More exciting and a bit overwhelming with all the contrasts.  From wine at an estate to wonderful familial dinner in the largest slum in the continent of Africa, it all represents Kenya.

Wow and more wow is all we can say

Sunday was off early to Mass at Nyumbani, the Kenya 2007 Group did not have an opportunity to see the grounds of the orphanage because of the rains we experienced last year.  What an amazing place and hard reality.  Out of 106 children, 105 are healthy and one is dying.  Sammy has 24 hour care and is really not well.  Your heart just sinks when you know that this terminal outcome is soon and that you can do nothing to help.  Can you only imagine how those at Nyumbani feel???? This is their life's work.  Sr. Mary Owen's was gracious to introduce us at Mass and the mass was very children centric.  The Italian Priest that held mass, was very wonderful with the children and it was great to see them so engaged.  They acted, the sang, the danced, and at the end of it all, they looked really loved and they are.  After that we met a woman from Williams, who has been working to adopt a child from Nyumbani for 2 years and has succeeded and will be returning home to Massachusetts with Bernard in a week.  She is the 1st person to adopt an HIV+ child from Kenya.  She has been on leave in Kenya for 2 years and it is becoming a reality for her.

After this lunch, Again at Nairobi Java, they just love us.  I write Love notes to them in each comment card and they all appear concerned and then ask Margaret what I wrote- We also heard from Ken Okoth, a friend from Georgetown and a Kenyan who comes and lives with his famaily in Kibera in the summer and during the academic year teaches at Potomac School and as an Adjunct in SFS.  We will dine with him on Tuesday.

Franco, our newest Best Friend and driver, took us on a city tour and a visit to the Nairobi National Museum.  It was great and Sunday is the best day to do this since there is no traffic down town.  What a great city with such interesting class dynamics and economics and the roads are at least nice in down town Nairobi.  

We ended up back at Nairobi Java for dinner.  That was yet again another great meal.  We will be able to recite the menu by the end of this trip.  

Today, Monday was a day of interesting situations.  We went to school as we planned and confirmed to teach at 10am to realize that we would not be teaching until 2pm.  As Phil said, what ever you planned for, be sure it will be different.  

Kibera seemed a little easier to me this time.  At least I knew what to expect.  I think for Margaret, it is equally hard and then once you get in the middle of it, it is still as hard as the 1st time.  Hard to know that these beautiful people live in such sqauler.  The students seems excited.  Form 1 (9th graders) are not as engaged as Form 2 (10th graders).  The Form 2 class, some remember us.  We are teaching them in a style that is very different.  We are engaging them and asking for response and they are not used to that.  They actually get lecture teaching.

Margaret and I are great teaching pairs, we pick up where they other leaves off.  After 2 classes of 35, we just looked at each other and felt tired!

Tomorrow we start Studio and Class instruction.  This is exciting.  

Prior to class, we went to the Text Book Centre were all go for supplies and it feels good to be contributing to the economy here.  We got most all that we need.  We also ate at Dorman's, Kenya's Starbucks.  Kenya coffee (great) and good food. Variety is necessary.

After teaching, back to Nakumatt Junction for more stuff, Kazuri beads from the shop, more supplies and more tea.  The tea is also great.  We then went to get the laptop and are back at Nairobi Java for Dinner and Update....We will eventually eat at Savelburg--For those of you that have been on this trip, the food is like Pedro Arrupe, enough said.  

We also will be dining with Father Superior of East Africa, Valerian Shirima this coming Saturday and we will be dining with Sr. Mary Owens of Nyumbani on Monday of next week.  We can tell this will be a great experience for us because thus far it has been wonderful.

Charles and Margaret

It feels like we have returned home

Margaret and I landed today and were greeted by Franco Sego, our new friend and driver for the following weeks.  Thanks to Anne Wangari (formerly of JRS) she arranged for him to be our driver.  

Outside of Margaret being ill on the DC to London leg of our flight due to potential food poisoning, we arrived all in one piece.  We had almost 8 hours in Heathrow and thanks to Margaret's pre flight research got us into the Serviceair lounge for small dollars, we had a place to kill time, sleep, watch the Olympics prior to the next leg of our flight.

When we arrived and the met Franco, I think for both of us, it sunk in, "this is real".   It was really nice to have someone pick us up and I have to say that it is much nicer to just have 2 to maneuver than 14 like last year.  I realize that Jane should be made a saint for herding this cattle of Academic/Administrative types through Kenya.  

We checked in to really nice accommodations at the Salveburg Retreat Center, blocks from the Loyola House were we will dine with Father Superior of East Africa, Valerian Shirima next Saturday.  A great man whom is the head of the Jesuits for East Africa.  

After we checked in, we started our day at, of all places, Nairobi Java.  It felt like home.  Kenya feels like home.  Where we are staying is just blocks from the Adam's Arcade district.  

From there off to Nakumatt, the greatest "all things" store ever to buy water and things that assure that we will not starve though I could go for a good week of starvation, though we need to make sure Margaret eats every meal!

After this we went to Pedro Arrupe and had tea with Deborah Moijoi, "oh dear Lord, Charles and Margaret, what are you doing here!"  It is always great to hear her voice and those that have been here, know what I mean.  We had tea and made plans to see her family next weekend.  We also had the privilege of meeting Fr. Jim, head of Pedro Arrupe.  Great man whom we may see at Nyumbani tomorrow.  

After that, we went on the overwhelming adventure to the Kazuri Bead Factory tour and shop.  I resisted until later, Margaret made a great purchase. 

From Kazuri back to Salveburg for some rest and now we are back to Nairobi Java for a nice dinner.

In my conversations with Margaret, it feels like we have already experienced a sense of returning home.  I never thought I would feel this way about Kenya.  Home is always where my family is and being a Navy brat, home can move, and for me, home has moved a bit.  This is now one of mine and Margarets homes.  

We have internet via Nairobi Java and Salveburg so we will be in contact via the blog hopefully daily, even if we are getting our tea here in the evenings.  

Best wishes and Be well,

Charles and Margaret

We leave today

All,

Just want to let you know that, speaking for myself, I am packed and ready to go.  Very minor things to do.  I was on the phone with Margaret last night at a little after 11pm discussing clothing if that might explain our night of prep.  

We look forward to sharing wonderful stories with you and hope to be able to keep this blog updates as much as possible.

Thanks to you all for the support that you have provided to make this trip possible for us all.

Be Well,

Charles and Margaret

36 Hours before we leave for Nairobi

Margaret Halpin and I are about 36 hours away from Departure on our way to teach at St. Al's in the Kibera Slum in Nairobi Kenya.  It is about to be an amazing experience and although it feels like there is so much to do, I think that we will get on that plane at 11 pm on Thursday eve prepared for the experience before us.

We are teaching art to Forms 1/2 (9th/10th graders) whom do not have access to an art curriculum.  It is very exciting.  St. Al's serves AIDS orphans in a college preparatory school environment in the middle of the Kibera Slum  The Kibera Slum is the largest slum in the continent of Africa housing 1 million people in a little over a mile large area with no running water or electricity.  These beautiful people are so hopeful and full of life and it is exciting to be able to teach them something that they do not have access to and that will help them develop in ways that will help them think and visualize the world differently then they do today.  I never imagined that when I went to art school that it would result in helping those that live in the Kibera slum in Nairobi.  This is for sure part of the adage that any thing is possible and you have no idea how your experiences in life will impact you or others.  Both Margaret and I have art backgrounds, she an NEA Fellow and Art teacher for 12 years and myself an artist whom received my degree in painting and had a residency at The San Francisco Art Institute and kindergarten art teacher for 2 years.

We are staying at the Salveburg Retreat Center in Nairobi and we have a driver named Franco.  Both the accommodations and driver have been arranged by my dear friend Anne Ndirangu.  I am grateful for everyones support.

As we are able, Margaret and I will try to keep the blog up to date.  We are unclear on what/where we may have email access.

Be well and thanks to all of you whom have been so supportive of our return to Kenya to teach art.

Charles and Margeret