James
In Daaba, I spent the afternoon with a young man who really represents a hopeful future for this society. James is a product of the schools, and has recently graduated secondary school. Despite many, many obstacles, James and his parents have made education a priority in his life. This kid is sharp! Upon learning I was from Canada, he asked which province I lived in. He then proceeded to recite the names of the prairie provinces, and the names of the tribes of the various indigenous peoples in Canada. How many high school students could name a single province in Kenya or the name of tribe here?
James has aspirations to go to university. He has good grades, and has applied, but at this point he needs the tuition money.
I think that James is a clear example that the education model is working. James has passionate opinions on the state of his people. He is acutely aware of many of the inefficiencies in agriculture, the disparity in wealth, and the destructive cultural practises that create barriers to improvements in the standard of living for Kenyans. Here is a young, intelligent man with a vision and the motivation to help. And he understands many of the nuances. I think I am most inspired by this realisation; I know you always hear that the key to fighting poverty is education, but it’s not just lip service, it’s true. I just hope that James is given the opportunity, and the freedom, to use his talents.
Segera Mission
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| Leon runs the dispensary and clinic at Segera |
This is one of the most surreal travel experiences I’ve had. I am typing this in front of my tent on the savanna while two angry impalas are involved in some kind of noisy altercation not thirty feet away. They are making one heck of a racket, grunting and kicking up dust. The whole thing is probably over a girl. It’s rather distracting. Oh, sounds like the fight is over and they’ve made up. “This chick ain’t worth our friendship, dude”.
Today’s destination was the Segera Mission west of Nanyuki. A Better World has recently partnered with this mission to help provide much needed infrastructure: ultimately classrooms, a computer lab, library, and water tower.
The road to Segera was intense. I know road complaints are starting to develop into a theme on this blog, but I mean, come on. My dad kept saying, “just wait, it gets worse”. I’ve got a profound respect for this robust little Toyota van and driver Charles. I’ve come to believe that together, the two of them can get us anywhere. We wove slowly through the Kenyan countryside - the Laikipia plateau - to find the mission: a beautiful, well-tended homestead. The place has a farmhouse feel. There is fresh paint on the walls; the grass is green and trimmed short; there is laundry blowing gently on the line; there are flower beds and well-cared-for trees throughout the yard; the delicious scent of cooking wafts from the kitchen window.
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| Little David was brought to the mission seriously malnourished and close to death. A couple years later, and he is a rambunctious little rotter! He's even going to be part of the presentation at the UN's FAO Health Conference! |
Richard, who runs the mission and hails from California, greeted us and invited us to see the construction of the classrooms. It was interesting to see the process in action, so different from construction back home. There were perhaps 15 or 20 workers on the site; some were laying bricks, others were preparing the walls to receive lintels above the doors and windows, and still others were parging the interior walls. The construction is being supervised by Steve from Birmingham, UK. Steve is doing a great job, despite certain challenges like a strong slope and a lack of a good sand supply for the concrete and mortar. These classrooms, built by ABW with funding from University of Lethbridge students are merely the first building of a planned education compound that we will be looking to pursue in the next few years.
Currently, there are 194 students and 6 teachers at the school. This is a private school, with a highly-developed curriculum. It is currently rated #2 out of more than 40 schools in the district.
The school, however, is just one aspect of Segera’s impressive operations. After a wonderful, home-cooked meal, Amy gave Rob and I a tour of the mission. Amy is from Chicago and is on a somewhat full-time missions trip. She looks after the mission’s 8 resident orphans. These kids are so cute, well-behaved, and clean. A few of them had come up to talk to Rick and I, and one little guy asked him, “Can I have your watch?” Rick responded, “Can we have your shoes?” At which point he promptly kicked off his shoes and gave them to me. I told him they wouldn’t fit.
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| Segera Mission |
We saw another example of a failed garden - this time the harvest had been utterly destroyed by baboons. The garden looked like it had been big and bountiful - what a shame. At dinner, in brainstorming ideas to help the mission, we thought it would be a great idea to raise money for them back home by having individuals or companies sponsor sections of a baboon fence to protect the one-acre garden plot. It might be a fun, fresh approach to fundraising. And everybody hates baboons, right?
Arguably, the real jewel of the Segera is the medical clinic. There is a well-stocked dispensary, a labour and delivery room, an injection room, and even an ambulance for transporting serious cases to Nanyuki (down the brutal road). Leon, who runs the clinic, told us that they treat nearly 600 patients a month, many suffering from parasites, malnutrition, or HIV. He also told us that about 100 babies are delivered here every year. In fact, on that very afternoon, a beautiful baby girl was born here. Rob and I were introduced to the little girl and proud mom - both healthy and happy. This clinic represents somewhat of a paradox. The government of Kenya does not provide on-going funding for operations, and yet recently awarded the clinic a top service award. I’m not sure how the government can recognize good health delivery and then not provide ongoing funding. In my mind, the clinic is operating as a hospital: why not fund it like one? The problem, I suppose, is that the area is populated mainly by squatters, who don’t pay taxes. These people have been displaced for various reasons and are living on the plateau ranchlands. I imagine they are not a high priority for the government. While they do provide medication to the clinic, they do not fund any operations, despite the acknowledged high level of care it is providing.
If you’re interested in the mission and the good work that they do, I would encourage you to take a look at the website and consider whether this is something you’d consider supporting. Segera is perennially cash-strapped, mostly because the 30 staff are supported only through donations. Even small donations can help.
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