Ben planting an olive tree at Irigithathi Primary School on the last day of teaching
I didn’t know what to expect of Kenya before I got there. My concept of Africa was as ill informed as any person’s who hasn’t yet visited. My preconceived notions of Kenya were taken apart quickest by watching the primary school students interact with one other. There was something instantly relatable to me in seeing a 4th grade boy scold his friend for swiping his beanie and using it to clean the chalkboard. In his place, I wouldn’t have appreciated that either.
As a group, the girls also stood out to me by self-policing interactions on the playground. Fun in any game was spread to as many kids as possible, and any trouble-makers were quickly scolded and forced out. Each of these interactions was a relatable human experience and, after tweaking a few details, can be transferred easily into modern adult life in America and anywhere else.
Ben and Emily's Standard Five students smiling for one last picture
Emily and I were both stuck by the vibrancy of local politics in the area. I got the feeling that while people in the U.S. can choose to become detached from local issues, Kenyans are more affected by them whether they like it or not. One major issue affecting the area is the spread of illegal liquor. It has made a large impact because of its cheap price, high potency, and dangerous side effects. It costs a fraction of the price of the cheapest bottle of beer, gets a person black-out drunk quickly, and eventually causes blindness. This sort of issue creates a ripple effect that extends from its users out to the children we saw at the primary school, and to the teachers that we spoke to. It doesn’t take much imagination to predict how children might fare at school during the week if their parents haven’t been at home, or have been otherwise occupied by a problem like the bootleg liquor. Students might show up hungry, sick, or neglected, and it’s up to the teachers to care for them out of their own pockets. The amount of support and care given by not just the educators, but the whole community, to the children was as staggering as it was uplifting.
Ben and Emily with the teaching staff at Irigithati Primary School
The students at the secondary school tended to have a more mature attitude towards schooling, I noticed. The Hansen Scholars, in particular, show the world what exceptional students should be like, even in the face of the hardships that poverty creates. The amount of extra effort needed to excel in such a setting beggars belief and illustrates how anybody can become a better student if they work hard enough. Pride in being hard-working is a trait I found common to Kenyans during my visit and is something I greatly admire.
The thirteen Hansen Scholars