Fifty people under a tree

Our volunteer literacy programme with Kenya Connect today is for a group of parents with children from 0 to 5 years old, together with unaccompanied children from pre-primary classes. We’re expecting a small group. How naive we are. There are fifty people waiting for us under the shade of the trees.

I’m happy to join in as well as observe the session leaders as they run a wonderful set of welcome songs, storytelling, singing, talk time and goodbye songs. Sitting amongst the Kenyan people here is hilarious. I suddenly realise that several of the very young children have never seen a white person before. They are horrified. My thin nose, pale eyes and ghostly white skin seem to be seriously off-putting for them.

Here’s a child eyeing me with what seems to be a mixture of mild upset and suspicion. I wave but that seems to make it worse. Their mother smiles while her neighbour gives me a sympathetic look.

Luckily Kenton has no such response to my colleague Liz:

I’m not sure about Promise, though. It’s great for me to be experiencing the strangeness other people feel about me coming from a different culture and looking visibly different.

I’m already in love with the sense of style and the joy of pattern and colour in materials here, and this mother and child sum up all that is wonderful about that celebration.

One of the most encouraging things is the number of fathers here. Jobs are difficult to get, being without work is a real problem, and long hours and long journeys to make a living are common. Their commitment to being here to further their children’s chances is wonderful. There are smart men in beautiful suits, smart shirts and ties; there are trendy young men in baseball caps. All are here to learn how best to improve the life-chances of their babies and young children. Many have walked a long way. Some have interrupted their working day.

It’s inspiring, and we have so much to learn from their commitment.

If you would like to help Kenya Connect you can visit them here and donate here. They have an Amazon Wishlist for the basics of paper, pencils, and books. Please support them if you can. Even a small purchase makes a huge difference to children who have very little. Thank you.