Tai vienas iš paskutinių mūsų savaitinių projektų didžiajame EVS projekte “LET THE GIRLS PLAY”. Po jo tik dar kelios savaitės darbo, suplanuota kelionė į Zanzibarą ir skrydis namo. Ir na gi va – projekto pabaiga, o mes pagaliau iš ties pirmą kartą dirbome rimtoje mokykloje, rimtai visą savaitę ir su rimčių rimčiausiomis 700 mergaičių. Sakydamas žodį RIMTAS, iš tiesų ir turiu galvoje, kad rimtas.
Mokykla įsikūrusi apie trisdešimt kilometrų į Šiaurę nuo Eldoreto. Aptvertoje didžiulėje mokykloje iš pirmo žvilgsnio viskas kaip rojuje. Ganosi karvės, yra futbolo stadionas, auga pušys, palmės, skraido įvairūs paukščiai, stovi bažnytėlė, visi šypsosi ir t.t. Tačiau pagyvenę ten savaitę, pamatėm, kad mergaičių buitis ir būtis – griežčiau nei armijoje. Keliasi penktą ryto, gyvena barakuose, mokosi nuo 7 iki 16, o po to eina į užklasinius klubus. Po jų grįžta į klases ir iki 9.30 ruošia pamokas. Miegoti – dešimtą. Kitą dieną vėl tas pats.
Ir visgi vieną savaitę mes praskaidrinom jų kasdienybę. Įsikūrėme mokykloje ir aštuoniese rengėm įvairiausius užsiėmimus. Kiekvieną vakarą skaitėm paskaitas žurnalistikos (aš), ekologijos (Justas), meno (Tauno) klubuose, šokom breiką Love šokio pamokose, kurios vyko bažnyčioj ir galiausiai atskiroms klasėms rengėm užsiėmimus HIV/AIDS ir lyčių lygybės temomis (Carlosas ir komanda).
Neapsakoma patirtis. Iš esmės po tokių užsiėmimų su 170 mergaičių lyčių lygybės pasirodyme ar po darbo su trisdešimt jaunųjų žurnališčių – realiai jaučiuosi pabaigęs pedagoginį universitetą.
Iš mano pusės tai tiek pasakojimo. Per savaitę su jaunųjų žurnalisčių bureliu išleidom laikraštį apie viską, kas vyko mokykloje. Tad šį kartą siūlau apie EVS pasiskaityti Nangili News žinias ir pamatyti viską Kenijos ateities moterų akimis. LET THE GIRLS PLAY.
NEWS
Moi Girls Nangili School
Moi Girls Nangili started in the year 1976. It was officially opened by a former president of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi. The school is sponsored by the Reformed Church of Kenya. It was opened mainly to help girl child education because girls are at a disadvantage in society.
By Dorcas Berryl
Day when European Voluntary Service Came
Conquering with main speaker Dan Mutuma that Nangili is a blessed school in Lugari district is not an offence. 7th of June started like any other day but after lunch the atmosphere totally changed.
At 3.10 pm, all Nangili school had sensed European smell. Students paraded behind the administration block ready to warmly receive the visitors. We were as silent as dead meat waiting for our head of the games activities to whisper a word.
The first greeting that he gave us was a clear indication that even he was as happy as a queen to receive visitors. We were all shocked to hear their names which sounded like aliens. Are you aware that the Kenyan can speak exactly like a white man? Dickson from Eldoret showed us wonders.
Our faces and appearance showed curiosity of waiting to know exactly what brought them to Nangili. Curiosity was killed down when volunteers said that their main aim was to empower the clubs in the school. They where interested in dancing, environment, journalism, art and straight talk clubs.
Are you aware that these people can speak a hundred words in a minute and they can dance like boneless creatures?
When we started our activities with them, we had an opportunity to discover this. After one hour of discussing about journalism, environment, art and dancing brake dance, everybody went for supper. After the meal, Form 1 and Form 3 were given a talk on gender equality and HIV/AIDS.
By Antish Antonia
Social Work by Carlos
On Tuesday, 8th June, the journalism club had a guest – a 26-year-old European Voluntary Service (EVS) volunteer, a social worker Carlos from Spain.
Carlos works with the Kenya Community Sports Foundation (KESOFO) and deals with issues concerning gender equality, environment and empowering girls. The project of the EVS is called ‘Let the Girls Play’.
In the meeting, Carlos talked about the difficulties all the volunteers go through while in Kenya: climate change, economical problems and lack of resource management.
He is also involved in handling HIV/AIDS cases. A volunteer usually teaches students to be careful while attending to victims so as they do not contract the virus.
In addition, the volunteer talked about the most common problems in a social work. In many cases, a social worker can not support people financially and it is the biggest issue in social work. A volunteer must always think about how to help the people without money.
‘A social worker must be a mediator between people with social problems and people who can help and support them’, said Carlos.
By Omuyaku A. Rose and Anita
HIV/AIDS Prevention Meeting
On 10th of June, some of us Moi Nangili school girls had a discussion about HIV/AIDS with two volunteers – social worker Carlos from Spain and volunteer Dickson from Eldoret in Kenya. We were taught about various things, such as prevention and measures we can take to prevent HIV/AIDS. Also, we talked about many more educational issues, about HIV prevention in Europe and various activities that are carried out in Kenya.
By Tella O. Kwamboua
Dances of Love and favourite chapati
On Wednesday evening, 9th June, some of the journalism club members joined the dance club. We found them practicing different styles in dancing. Their leader was Love, who is a dancer by profession. His home country is Sweden and he is twenty one years old.
Love started learning dance in the year 2001 and he finished his studies in 2004. Two years ago, he started teaching students to dance and about the importance of dancing.
He teaches break dancing and his best music is: soul, funk and hip-hop. Love told us that if one dances well, he or she might benefit from it. One of the good things that he benefits from dancing is money because sometimes he is invited in well-paid shows. Moreover, he told us that if someone is a good dancer, he or she might get good money.
When we asked him what kind of a person qualifies to be a dancer, he told that anyone can be a dancer so long as he or she does practice, is flexible, strong and also believes in him or herself that he or she can dance. Being free is what makes dance more interesting to Love.
Thereafter, the dance was joined by two ladies, Kristi and Helen who are twenty two and thirty years old, respectively. The ladies come from Estonia in Europe and the main aim of them to come to Kenya and particularly to Nangili is to help the girl child play.
When we asked them how Kenyan food had affected them, they told us that it had negatively affected them at first causing some of them to have diarrhoea.
Other things they said about Kenyan food were that their favourite Kenyan food is mokimo, chapati and ndengu.
Written by Nancy Glorious
Estonian artist in Kenya
On 9th June, I was in the art club and it was fun and people were drawing beautiful pictures. They said that they like drawing all the time. The art teacher Tauno taught them that if they want to draw, one must read any story, image, see any picture and then draw. His home country is Estonia and he does not work because in his country there is less demand in arts and music. He came to Kenya to volunteer and if he got a job in arts, he would go and become a teacher in Africa. And if he gets a teaching job in Estonia, he will also go and work.
By Brendah
Save our Environment
On Wednesday 9th June 2010, Justas talked to the environmental club members about climate change.
He said climate change has been one of the major causes of global warming, and the causes for this are high rates of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Pollution is mainly caused by industries, deforestation, transport, agriculture, buildings and waste.
All these activities are conducted by man, so the solution to these problems must also be found by man. Some of the solutions are waste recycling, clean technology, reducing leaded oil and natural heating. If only these measures are taken, our mother earth will be saved from the wrath of climate change.
In the environmental club, members were able to discuss more about negative and positive impacts on the environment.
Justas also told us that the measures to take are to create awareness, plant trees and practise all the positive effects towards the environment.
Report by Cess and Sally
Africa Needs to Change its Image
Africa’s image has been tainted for many years. Poverty, war, diseases and hopelessness have been the face of the African continent. Foreign donors think that Africa cannot survive without their aid.
Many people think nothing good can come out of Africa. This is not true. Africa has lots of unexploited potential. Large tracks of virgin land are full of minerals or could be formed. In addition, Africans are highly talented people, although most of the talents are “undiscovered”.
There are great musicians and athletes from the continent. To prosper, as a continent we need to export our abundant resources and change out tainted image. South Africa has been in the frontline in building Africa’s image. Other countries should follow suit. The country has proved that by a major international event such as the World Cup, which happens to start today on the 11th of June 2010.
This is an example of refurbishing Africa’s image. If other countries just put the corruption aside, they will be even greater than the “G8”. They should redeem out continent’s bad image. Let’s be proud of who we are and where we come from.” Najivunia kwa mafrika”
Written by Alice Wakuhi
LETTERS FOR EDITOR
Why Moi Girls Nangili?
Has someone ever wondered why something special always happens in Moi Girls Nangili? Has anyone ever sat down and thought about how blessed Moi Girls is? If yes, then we have every reason to be happy, to celebrate, to pass well and to thank our Almighty Lord.
We receive visitors starting from powerful speakers to volunteers from the European Union. Wow! Some schools wish to have this privilege but it is all in vain.
Despite the fact that the volunteers were here once before, they came back again. Is it not love, care and longing for Moi Girls?
Generally, we are lucky to have some of the volunteers who are professionally qualified in different fields. Tauno from Estonia with the art class, Love from Sweden with his dance class, Lithuanians Justinas with environmental and Mykolas with a journalistic skills. These are few but to mention.
Just ask yourself, why is it always Moi Girls Nangili?
By Lenna
Coming of the Europeans
They came on Monday, which was 7th June 2010. Six men and two females. I did not get most of their names but I managed to know some of them. They include Kristi, Helen, Carlos, Mykolas and Justas. I sincerely like them and they are just amazing.
On Wednesday, we had a nice time with Kristi, Helen and Johnny (Tauno) when we talked about gender equality. I was happy and managed to learn more, especially when we acted the play and I managed to be a “man” in the couples. I have now decided that I will study hard so that in future I will be able to fight for our rights as women in society.
I also managed to join the ecology talk by Justas. Though I do not do geography, I managed to grasp some knowledge about factors affecting climate change and also their solution. I learned that burning plastic waste, deforestation and industrial pollution affect climate change and planting trees, recycling materials, filtration of gases in industries are ways of solving climate change.
I managed to discover that most of you are still young and that people in the European Countries normally practice gender equality. Sometimes, men do the cooking as the women will wash utensils or they will end up doing/sharing every chore together.
Finally, I was glad to learn more from you guys. Especially our journalism leader (Mykolas) and the way he behaved on Wednesday evening although he was not feeling well was somehow funny. I like Kristi and Helen because I was proud they managed to know my name “Anette” and that made me feel cool on Wednesday night. Otherwise, it was a pleasure having you guys with us. I will really miss you when you leave. Bye.
Reported by an Aspiring Journalist
Anette Form Three East.