Today we went to two primary schools in the Kimana area. The first school we visited was a private school that had around 200 students. I noticed that the kids seemed more tame here and followed directions significantly better than students at some of the public schools we visited. We spent the morning dancing and playing jump rope. I mostly was working with students ages 6-10, but there were some older and some younger than this. While I was busy with the girls, my dad was teaching the boys how to play baseball.
In the afternoon we went to a public school with over 1,000 students. I found it a little overwhelming to be amongst so many children, especially when they are all curiously grabbing and pawing at my skin. They had a fascination with my hair again, as many of them had never seen long, blonde hair. Many of them told me “you are smart”, which I later found out is how they often compliment “mzungos” (white people).
At this school, I helped my dad teach baseball to the 8th graders. Watching my dad explain the logistics of the game, it occurred to me how foreign this sport was to the Kenyan children. I tried to put myself in their shoes as they were viewing the baseball diamond and hearing the different terminology for the first time. If I were one of them, I would have found all this new information overwhelming and very confusing! Nonetheless, the students listened intently as my dad explained how the game works.
When we got out on to the field, it was chaos. There were about 50 kids in the 8th grade class and another 80-100 students that were observing. Trying to organize the students was incredibly difficult, but we did the best we could to instill some order in the process. Once we had some sort of line formed and positions assigned out in the field, the students were able to have their first experience playing baseball!
When we got out on to the field, it was chaos. There were about 50 kids in the 8th grade class and another 80-100 students that were observing. Trying to organize the students was incredibly difficult, but we did the best we could to instill some order in the process. Once we had some sort of line formed and positions assigned out in the field, the students were able to have their first experience playing baseball!
Before we left, we passed out balloons to a handful of the students. Once other kids saw the bright colored balloons being distributed, there was a stampede of them headed towards our truck. Tiny fingers reached towards me, desperately trying to grab a little piece of joy. To them, a balloon is the greatest thing in the world. I think about an American child who would play with a balloon for a couple minutes, get bored with it, and go on to play with their motorized car or flashy Barbie doll. Seeing the children get so much enjoyment out of a gesture so small really put things in to perspective and made me appreciate how fortunate I have been throughout life.