This morning I woke up to the beautiful sight of Mount Kilimanjaro. From my grandparents’ campus we have a clear view of the grand landmark. In a week and a half, my dad will be climbing it alongside some of the other volunteers. After a delicious breakfast with a view, I walked around the campus to see what has changed since I last was here. In the past two years, my grandparents and the other sponsors have added a primary school as well as a nursery. There is also a hospital in the process of being constructed. Below I have included some photos of highlights around the campus. The pictures really don’t do it justice. In contrast to the intense poverty that sits outside the gates of The Kimana School of Leadership, our campus is immaculate. I've included some photos of the campus below, including my grandparents' house, the greenhouse, the main entrance, and the beautiful gardens.
Around 10:00 this morning, my dad, Angela (one of the chiropractors), and I began to pull children from their classroom to adjust them. My dad explained to the kids what he would be doing this afternoon and had a conversation with them about the importance of aligning their spine. We led the children out to a shaded area and began our work.
Around noon, I walked over to see the children in “baby class”. Baby class students are from ages 3 to 5. Needless to say, they are precious! These kids were even more eager than the elementary students to touch my hair and grab my arms. To try and instill some sense of organization, I taught the kids “Ring Around the Rosie”. After about three or four verses, they got the hang of it.
This is my favorite photo from today. As I was walking to see the baby class, I watched these two children grasp hands and lead one another back to the classroom. I noticed that all around campus, children were arm-in-arm with one another or had their arms around each others' shoulders. There is a profound sense of friendship and bonding among the students here.
Towards the end of the school day, my dad spoke with the teachers about leadership and commitment to higher standards of education. To hear him speak so passionately about the mission of Kimana School of Leadership was inspiring. It was an excellent reminder of why I am out here contributing the goals of my father’s non-profit, Dreamweaver International.
Discovery of the day: The end of a braid looks like a paint brush, and when it's a white girl's hair it just so happens to be really soft! The kids got a kick out of using my hair to "brush" their face.