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Final Post

The engineers finally showed up with the cement blocks that we needed to complete the stairs, so we spent the morning carrying blocks and finishing the front part of the stairs. The stairs are coming along, but unfortunately we have to leave them unfinished for Orkeeswa and another group to do when we leave. After our favorite lunch of rice and beans, we worked a little bit more and then challenged Orkeeswa to a rematch basketball game. This time, we won 25-18! It was a very fun way to end our time with the Orkeeswa students.

Final Tanzania Photos

At the end of the day, we had a goodbye ceremony. The Orkeeswa girls sang a Maasai song for us and then the boys tried to match them with their own routine. A few people from each school spoke and then we finished with the traditional Groton handshake. Although it was very sad, it was a good way to make sure we can say goodbye to every person who we might not see again. Everyone gave and received cards and jewelry with the students and got all the necessary contact information.

We are all very sad to leave Orkeeswa but very excited to come back home to warm showers and the food we’re used to. See you soon!

-Kelsey

A Hello with love from Kenya

This is Brandt and Laurie writing from Kenya.  What an amazing group of people we had together for this year's Orkeeswa/Groton exchange!  We feel so lucky to have been a part of it all.  On the last day before we departed we collected the poems that were written by the students and we wanted to post just a few of them for everyone to enjoy.  Here you can find both versions- English and Swahili!

I Will Guide You

By Tania, Anna and Ninayo

Long braids in your hair,

A visit to the city.

Where are you going? What will you do?

Stay in the bright orange tree.

I will teach you not to worry.

Take a leap of faith-

Open the window, go up to the roof;

Build a house, simple and big.

Don’t worry about the tools.

I will teach you how to use them.

Msuko mrefu ndani ya nywele zako,

Tembelea ndani ya mji.

Unaenda wapi? Utafanya nini?

Kaa ndani ya mti wa machangwa unao ng’aa.

Nita kufundisha usiogope

Nenda na matumaini madogo

Fungua dirisha nenda juu kwenye paa.

Jenga nyumba na kubwa usihofu kuhusu vifaa.

Nitakufundisha  jinsi ya kuvitumia.

Into The Past

By Edu, Baraka, Ngirung’a, and Britton

The water from the oceans

And the blueness of the skies

Gives me good blessings, good life.

Stars, planets, earth, moon:

Ancestors and grandparents, all in heaven.

I miss you, my family.

I want to give you peace,

So I will remember you

As the water from the oceans

And the blueness of the skies.

Maji kutoka baharini

Na rangi ya bluu angani

Hunipa Baraka; maisha mazuri.

Sayari, nyota; mwezi na dunia:

Ukoo,babu na bibi wote mbinguni.

Nawakumbuka wote familia yangu.

Nawatakia amani

Hivyo niwakumbuke

nyie kama Maji kutoka baharini

Na rangi ya bluu angani.

In The Future

By Alexandra and Scholar

Education for my mama.

Responsibility to family, to parents, to home.

Where are you going? What will you do?

Failure will change this future.

What will happen?

Only one thing, one thing.

Empowering women, our community.

So I will remember

To stay strong

For the education of my mama.

Elimu kwa mama yangu.

Majukumu kwa familia kwa wazazi na nyumbani

Unaenda wapi? Na utafanya nini?

Kufeli kwake kutabadilisha baadaye.

Nini kitatokea baadaye?

Kitu kimoja tu kitu kimoja.

Kuwawezesha wanawake, kwenye jamii yetu

Kwahiyo nitakumbuka

Kuwa na nguvu

Kwa elimu ya mama yangu.

Game Day

The holes in our hearts from Laurie and Brandt’s swift departure this morning were quickly filled by the bright faces of the Orkeeswa students. The day began with yet another disappointing lack of fundi and supplies, but in true Groton-Orkeeswa fashion we were soon out on the basketball court and makeshift cricket field. Yes, you read that correctly; we engaged in a “jolly good” game of cricket that was headed by new British physics teacher, Phil. We then split into eight teams and exhausted our sporting abilities playing a round robin tournament of Netball, Basketball, Volleyball and Football (or if we must say, “soccer”). It was a close call for a while there, but it was the orange team that came out on top. We then broke for lunch where Groton students were ecstatic to find that rice and beans was on the menu after a slew of ugali (corn flour and water) and makanda (corn mush and beans). To our dismay, Fred announced that there would be a little more dirt digging before we could continue with our activities. Luckily we were a feisty crew and got the work done in under half an hour. Then it was back to team against team and boy, were we ready. This time we took the more artistic approach and participated in a singing and dancing competition. The stakes were high as we fought for the grand prize of bottles of soda pop. In the end the teachers took the democratic approach and it ended in a three-way tie. Back at the lodge we were fortunate enough to hear from Robert, Orkeeswa’s first and current Headmaster. His story was an inspiration to us all and made us really appreciate how difficult it is for these students to receive an education. We are all busy tonight writing letters in anticipation for our woeful goodbyes tomorrow. We hope all is freaky fresh back in the US of A. Word to all da homies.  Mimi & Reed

4th of July in Tanzania

Happy 4^th of July! As our trip is winding down, it is sad to think that we are leaving in three days. Today, we had another very eventful day that started with surprise cereal boxes on the breakfast table to celebrate our country’s birthday. The individual boxes of Honey Pops, Corn Flakes, Fruit Pops, and Fruit Rings sweetened the start of everyone’s day.

When we arrived at Orkeeswa, while waiting for the Fundi to arrive, all Groton students paired up with one or two Orkeeswa students and wrote a poem using lines that Laurie chose from the one on one speaking exercise we did last week. It was amazing to recognize some of the lines that we spoke and also to see how different they seemed out of context. After choosing lines to create the first 8 lines of the poem, we were given the opportunity to choose new lines, repeat already used ones, or write our own to complete the last two lines of the poem. One of the most amazing aspects of the exercise was how Laurie asked our Orkeeswa partners to translate the poem into Swahili (for some reason, they all sounded so much more beautiful spoken in Swahili). Some of the poems, both in English and Swahili, are going to be added to the Orkeeswa and Groton websites.

After the writing, we all jumped back into the concrete to finish the first layer of stairs. It was really cool to see the dried steps we made yesterday and to finish the first layer for all four steps. We still have a bunch of work to do, but Ferdinand, the leading Fundi, is optimistic and says that we can finish by tomorrow.

After lunch, the Groton and Orkeeswa students performed the short plays that they wrote and directed. The plays that were about 5-8 minutes were hilarious and ranged from a science experiment gone wrong in a hair salon to a family reunion at the disco. It was really fun to perform them after a week of hard work and creative thinking.

Before we returned to E’Manyatta for the night, we took part in a jewelry sale organized by Peter and Mze full of beautiful earrings, bracelets, necklaces, stars, coasters, and other ornaments and objects, all made by the mamas of Orkeeswa students. It was amazing to be able to buy such beautiful jewelry but also to know that the money spent is going straight back into the community to help our Orkeeswa friends and their families in so many different ways. We were all amazed to learn that one mama made over 200,000 Tanzanian shillings!  

Laurie and Brandt are leaving tomorrow morning, and we are so grateful for all of the work that they did prior to this trip and during our time in Tanzania. From getting us all together in the airport to making trips to the clinic and organizing interesting and fun activities, we cannot thank them enough. We all hope that they have an amazing time in Kenya and continue their African adventure safely.

--Olivia 

4th of July Drama Performance

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Blog 9 Tuesday July 2

Do you know your personality temperament? Are you an E or I? S or N? T or F? J or P? Well, after an intriguing afternoon activity we all felt inclined to take the Kiersey test for ourselves. After 70 seemingly identical questions we were classified in our respective categories. This test then inspired many questions about the effect of culture on personality/temperament and the differences we have encountered between students at Orkeeswa versus students back home. An interesting thing to ponder...

We had a nice day off of work due to the absence of the Fundi (engineers) and instead occupied our time with a large basketball tournament that culminated in a Groton vs. Orkeeswa face-off. The preliminary games were won by the sly but powerful team dubbed The Pride of Lions before we separated by schools for the championship. After four antagonizing quarters filled with many fouls and hopeful shots, Orkeeswa came out on top with a narrow win. We now have plans to rematch later this week, in which we’re sure Groton will pull through for the win.

Our afternoon was spent creating our drama productions to be performed on Thursday for those waiting with great anticipation.

Although we may be behind on our work, this nice day off was a refreshing interruption from our daily routine. Hope all is well at home.

-Reed and Alexandra

P.S. Please comment if and when the royal baby is born. 

Marshmallow Challenge Photos

July 2, 2013

Blog 8 Monday July 1

After a very exciting weekend of eating traditional Maasai meals by candlelight, herding farm animals, and playing various games at our home stays, we woke up today morning eager to get back into our normal routine.

We arrived at Orkeeswa especially early, and immediately jumped in hoeing and pick axing, shoveling dirt, and carrying it in buckets. By lunchtime, we had almost finished the main steps (after moving each one back 10 inches to accommodate the drainage system), and had started constructing the drainage. The new drainage system is intended to collect rainwater, and rather than let it flood the basketball courts or even just redirect it elsewhere, it will collect the mostly dirty water in a large container for watering the garden.

We enjoyed a typical lunch of ugali and beans with the Orkeeswa students; we talked and laughed together, and played games like “ninja” and danced. After lunch, we split into groups for different afternoon activities. One group played netball, and the other had acting lessons with Laurie in preparation for 8-minute plays on Thursday.

Upon arriving back at E’Manyatta, we went into town to buy snacks and drinks at the Tumani shop, and listened to a very inspirational talk from Elly, a fourth-form student at Orkeeswa. Coming from harsh economic situation in which she had to work as a house girl for a little cash each day, with determination, dedication, and a little luck, she changed her life by getting herself into Orkeeswa. She even attended a trip to the United States as one of only eleven students from all of Tanzania, as part of the AfricAid program.

Now relaxing and resting at E’Manyatta, we look forward to another week working side-by-side with the Orkeeswa students in building their steps and drainage system. We hope that we’ll be able to further get to know the students, and enjoy our time in Africa.

Peace.

Derek and Suzy

P.S. Fraser really wants to know the College World Series results, and Derek is very concerned with how the St. Louis Cardinals are doing. Anybody want to update them, perhaps the Hungry Hungry Hippo?

Drama Photos - Monday

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Cindy's shots from the weekend.

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Sunday: Millennium Development Goals Excercise

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Blog 7 Sunday June 30th - Home Stay Experiences

Supai! (sayipa). We just came back from an amazing home stay at Christina Seth’s boma. We collected firewood, fetched water and harvested beans. We also found our new favorite food: freshly picked sugarcane from the grandmother’s farm. We had so much fun playing with the little kids and blowing bubbles all around the boma. We also got a lot closer to Christina and her sister Paulina (Shangazi). After cooking dinner, we had an hour long bonding session in the kitchen. Today, we went to church and introduced ourselves to the entire congregation IN SWAHILI!

-Layla and Tania

Howdy all! It’s Reed, Laura and Mimi back from our homestay at Agnes and Agnes’ home (if you’re confused – so were we). The three of us spent our days gathering firewood from up the mountain and carrying it on our heads back to the boma, collecting water, cooking and playing lots and lots of games – exhausting our “camp-like” sensibilities. To our great surprise Agnes’ aunt, who lived next door, had a house equipped with electricity, television and even wifi! This is where we spent our evenings; very comfortably, we might add. All in all it was a rewarding experience.

P.S. Callie Fiertz, congrats on the graduation (whether it has already happened or is happening in the next couple of days). Love ya sis xx

- Reed, Laura and Mimi

I had an amazing homestay at Ndeeray and Ninao’sboma! We spent our day collecting water, beading, and playing soccer with the fifteen children under age seven. Anna R. and I learned a few lively songs in Swahili and learned how to carry a baby on our back using a kanga (cloth with many uses). The parents were very welcoming, the kids were incredibly adorable, and many pictures were taken!

-Anna T.

We are back at E’Manyatta after a wonderful homestay with Naihorwa and Bertha! We spent 2 days collecting water, firewood, cooking, and playing with beautiful little babies, and we are so grateful for this unique experience. We especially enjoyed getting to know our gracious hosts through family dinners and snuggle sessions, and we are definitely going to miss our new family.

Love,

Alexandra, Holly, and Olivia

Georgia, Suzy, and I stayed with Esther and Yuster at their boma. The first night we milked a goat and learned how to cook rice and beans over an open fire. After several games of Uno and Banana Grams we went to sleep and woke up early the next morning to collect water with their donkeys. Also, we collected firewood and carried it on our heads for an hour! Esther’s mom was super welcoming and made us earrings which we’ve been wearing for the whole day.

Love,

Kelsey

Anna T. and I had an amazing weekend while staying in Orkeeswa Village with Ninao and Ndeeray! We arrived and were immediately greeted by both of their families that included at least 15 young children together, including Baby Samuel ;). We enjoyed eating corn stock, milking goats, and getting water with the donkeys. Anna and I really bonded with our kind hosts and their families through making friendship bracelets and drawing. I had a great time at my first home stay in a boma and will always remember this experience!

-Anna R.

After being warmly invited into the Samson family, we went on a hike up one of the nearby mountains; after three hours of tiring climbing, on the top of a mountain we enjoyed white bread, Coke, and a spectacular view of the rolling plains of Monduli and the nearby bomas. Upon returning back to our own boma, we started playing a little sandlot baseball with herding sticks and freshly-picked lemons. Wrapping up our visit, we had an amazing homemade meal of potato stew, spaghetti, and beef.

-Derek and Wells

Fraser and I were lucky enough to be invited for the weekend to the house of Orkeeswa students Edo and Ushumo. Unfortunately Fraser was not able to make it for the first night because of a slight fever, so the first night was spent alone. Despite not having any other Groton students with me, the family of the boma was extremely welcoming, and I had a blast herding cattle and having dinner with the father of the household. The next morning Fraser showed up, and after a spirited game of the card game: “Last Card,” the rules of which still befuddle me, we took a hike all across the village. The day ended with a trip to another student, Lenga’s boma, and another spirited dinner with the Father of the household. Overall Fraser and I had a wonderful weekend, one that we will not likely forget for many years.

-Britton and Fraser

Friday Photos - Dirt, Dancing and Home Stay Departures.

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Blog 6 Thursday June 27

 Mambo! Today was a fairly average day on the work site at Orkeeswa. I’m happy to report that the cornrows looked much better after settling for the night. The morning began a little late as Holly, Olivia, and Anna R. forgot to set an alarm (again), but we arrived at the school in time to get an hour or two of work done before teatime. The work today involved measuring and leveling off the steps we have carved into the hillside, and some more bucket carrying of course. Most of the Groton girls have learned to carry the large buckets on top of our heads and a few of us, channeling our inner Maasai women, have even started to practice balancing them with no hands. The Orkeeswa girls are delighted to help us, offering their shawls as cushions to put under the buckets and politely trying to contain their giggles as we struggled.

We split into groups at teatime for our daily language exchange, but mine turned into more of a reunion than a Swahili lesson. While I was introducing myself to the group of Form 4 boys I was sitting with, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a vaguely familiar face but before I could sort out his name, the boy embraced me and shouted, “Lucy! Lucy!” Although his face fell noticeably when I explained that I was Lucy’s younger sister and not the goddess herself, Lais seemed content that we are at least related. We worked hard for another two hours until lunch, and were then rewarded not only with a change from the usual rice and beans but also with our groups for the homestays tomorrow. At the end of the day tomorrow, each group of two or three Groton students will journey to a different Orkeeswa student’s boma (neighborhood), and live with them and their family until Sunday afternoon. The next blog on Sunday will surely be filled with more details and stories about these homestays. Our last activity at Orkeeswa today was a small group, story-telling session with the Form 4 students where I was again paired up with friends of last year’s crew, Lota and Lais. Laurie instructed us to talk about the person we love most, and Lota charmed me with his poetry. We ended the day with a professional Swahili lesson from Osotto, a young man studying to become a history and Swahili teacher at university.

          Hope everyone is keepin it real back in the homeland.

--Georgia

P.S. Many inquiries about the identity of Sir Hungry Hungry Hippo. Give us a hint: what country are you currently in?