Excitement City!

It's 22.20 and I'm in bed with the laptop. This is becoming a regular thing.

I am just so excited about the projects I am working on at the moment. The work we do, positively impacts over 30'000 children in the rural areas of Kenya and Uganda, not to mention their teachers, parents and communities. We make a MASSIVE DIFFERENCE.

I just can't wait to form my first partnership, to really get things off the ground. I'm hoping to hear some news tomorrow and I'm keeping literally everything crossed.

Did you know you can buy someone a completely unique gift this Christmas? Check out our Alternative Gift Catalogue, copy and paste the link below into your address bar.

In the catalogue you will find a selection of fun and practical gifts together with a range of stylish Christmas Cards. From life saving sanitary towels to indispensable pots of paint, each gift has been carefully selected by the young people we work with.

This year we feature introductions by the beneficiaries. Who better to highlight the difference your gift will make to the rural communities of Kenya and Uganda than the community members themselves! You will see that when you give a gift from Build Africa' online gift shop you give the young people we work with the chance to fight poverty and lead a better life.


http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/AlternativeGifts/index.php

An Unforgetable Friday!

Friday 4th December. A day I will never forget! We had an early start today, as we were being joined by the film crew for the Vodafone World of Difference. Muyoka and Frank joined us in the car on the journey, to capture some of my thoughts. As for the past two days, the drive into the schools was pretty bumpy! The schools are situated right out in the rural areas, sometimes an hour or so from the road.

We firstly visited Kapkures school again so that the guys could film the amazing difference the three classrooms has had on the school and the community. I was nearly moved to tears, when we got closer to the school, some of the children from the previous day were there, they were running up to the car and giving me high fives! The were genuinely so excited to see us again it was brilliant. When we got to the school I had a discussion with some of the parents. We had a joke and a laugh about my new name- Wambui! They loved it. It was really hard saying goodbye to the kids, although I met them just the day before I feel really attached to them.

We arrive at Morop Primary school just after 11am. The reception is warm, friendly and welcoming. The Headmaster shows me around the school, taking me into each classroom one by one. We have a lengthy discussion about the classrooms. Here, there are a mixture of buildings. So, there are classrooms constructed of mud with tin roofs. There are buildings that have been constructed by the parents, which are brick and have tin roofs. Of course these classrooms are of considerably better construction than the mud ones, however almost every single pane of glass in the windows are smashed. Finally we have two classrooms constructed by the CDF. These rooms have no roof. They house two tortoises! The tortoises don't have names.

The School Development Plan for Morop Primary School prioritised the need for an admin block. And so an admin block was constructed. The Headmaster, Deputy Head and all the Teachers now have a safe, clean, secure environment in which to work. A toilet block has also been constructed.

We settle for the handing over ceremony, and the children are clearly excited by the presence of the film crew. We witness some amazing tribal dancing by children of all ages. Six of the guests on the front row were invited up to dance- that included myself!!! Just before the ceremony comes to an end, the film crew and I head off to shoot the interview. We get as far as the first question, and the heavens open! The rain is immense, we take cover, and lunch is served.

We say our goodbyes to the Head, Teachers, Children and Community. These people are so grateful for the work that has been done so far. They are looking forward to the work that will be done in the future. Seeing the impact that the work has on the people is mind blowing. I know why I'm here and exactly what I need to do.

We need to finish off our filming for World of Difference, so I jump in the car with the film crew. We drive past Zebra on our way back to Nairobi! We stop just before the sun sets and head into a field. In the distance there are herds of Gazelles, Dik Dik and other amazing creatures. It was actually like being on safari, not in a jeep but on foot! The interview goes really well, and is if by magic when we finish up, the sun sets behind us. Beautiful. I have formed friendships with the camera man and the producer, and we decide to hook up over the weekend.

I have had an amazing, eye opening past three days. I cant wait to get back in the office on Monday and start researching into Early Childhood Development (ECD) for the 62 schools we work with. As of January 2009, the Government will pay for ECD Teachers which is fantastic. Lots of work to be done, I just cant wait to start seeing the impact of the work that I am doing on the children, parents, teachers and communities of the rural areas of Kenya and Uganda. Bring. It. On.

Kapkures School, Nakuru.

Day two of the field visit, and today we travel to Kapkures in the rural area of Nakuru in Kenya. We had a very warm welcome from the Headmaster, and the local Chief. I wont distract from the message I want to get across about the school, and the work that is being done, however I have to just get this bit out!

I walked into the Headmasters mud hut, to instantly see on the floor what can only be described as a pile of dead something. The hut smelt a bit like a zoo, with the stench of death in the air. I was staring at a mound of hooves, ears (one pricked up somehow???), gorgeous auburn and white fur, blood and guts. I honestly thought I was going to throw up there and then, and had so much difficulty sitting in there for what seemed like an eternity, with a dead I presumed goat lying on the floor next to me. Yuk. Yuk. Yuk. We went out to meet the pupils after about twenty minutes, I was so glad to get out of there!

The kids were brilliant, I was taking shots of them and showing them their photos on the screen, they were so unbelievably excited. I spent a good amount of time with them, until the Head decided he would rescue me and pull me away. I was quite enjoying it, however the handing over ceremony was about to start.

The school has 363 pupils (excluding ECD), with just 4 teachers. Work out the math and it's apparent that this school needs more teachers. They actually require 16, so they are massively under resourced. The great news is, that the learning conditions for the pupils have increased massively since Build Africa decided to work with them. Classrooms were made of mud. There is no such threat of rain currently, as they have not really had rain here for over three years. When it is windy, the children have to lye on the floor and wait for the wind to stop. How disruptive and frustrating for the teachers and pupils.

This year, Build Africa have constructed three classrooms, and a toilet block in the school. The classrooms are comfortable, clean, safe from the elements. The children, parents, teachers and school management committee are all so grateful and thankful of the work that has been done. Next year, another three classrooms will be built which is fantastic.

I was honoured to plant a tree in the grounds of the school. This was pretty emotional, I didn't expect to be doing this! A piece of history has been planted, and I will no doubt visit the school in ten years time to see how the tree is getting on!

Overall a fantastic day, it is great to get an insight into WHY this charity is so amazing. WHY do we care? Because the people here care, and we are offering our support and partnership in order to help them achieve their goals.

My First Field Visit

Wow, what a day today was. I am just in awe, we visited Kanorero school in the rural area around Nakuru today. It was my first visit to the field, to discover the impact of the work that has been done so far by Build Africa.

We set off early, whilst driving we spotted monkeys on the side of the road, waiting to be fed. We also spotted some Zebra, which was amazing! We arrived at the school around 11am.

Greetings were warm and thankful. I managed to get loads of photos. The biggest thing for me was, the 425 children who attend the school have just 4 teachers. Until the support came in from Build Africa, the classrooms were constructed of mud. Literally, mud huts. Can you imagine working, learning in this environment? The fantastic news is, now the school has 3 classroom blocks and a new toilet block. Amazing, the school will have a further 3 classrooms built in the course of next year.

It didn't come to my attention until a few hours in to the handing over ceremony, that actually the very well behaved children sitting in front of us, shouldn't actually be here. It was a holiday for them, yet the some parents and children had managed to get themselves to the school, to show their appreciation for the work that had been done so far. All around us there were families farming, fetching water. It was their choice to be here, and that was something in itself.

Sitting listening to the Headteacher, the School Management Committees, George our Country Director, it was an almost overwhelming experience. You honestly cannot imagine how much of an impact, working in partnership with schools in such rural ares, can have.

One of the most touching parts of the day, was hearing how some of the children actually wanted to re sit their past year, just so they could learn in one of the newly constructed classrooms. Bless them.

I really can't wait to see the next school tomorrow. Until then, over and out.

Fire Devastates Restaurant in Upper Hill Nairobi

Yesterday lunchtime we were driving towards the Upper Hill Area of Nairobi. I spotted a huge plume of flames in the direction we were going, and as we got closer it became apparent that this was not a small fire. People were gathering close to the area, the Police and Ambulances were struggling to get through. No sign of the Fire Engines at this point. I'm not sure how long the fire had been roaring, I think it had just started.

Joseph, our driver drove slowly past the restaurant. I was absolutely ******* myself! I managed to get a few shots on my phone, although they do not really show the intensity of the fire. At the exact same time as we drove past there was a massive explosion, about 20 metres away from the car. Joseph put his foot down, people were screaming and running frantically away from the fire. All I could think is that I hoped to God no one was in the building. I was shaking, I've not been that close to a fire or explosion before. I can't imagine what it was like for the people inside the building.

We finished our meeting and after about 45 minutes the Fire Engines were on their way to the scene. Joseph explained that this is one of the major problems in the City. Sometimes rescue can take up to two hours to arrive. Absolutely devastating.

The good news this morning is that no one was seriously injured. One person was harmed in the fire. I sigh a massive sigh of relief, now on with some work.

Tears and Film Crews

(This blog was written last night- posting this morning now I have the internet)

Oh my! Yesterday was sooooo difficult! I knew saying goodbye was going to be hard, so I'm not sure why or how I managed to cry for the majority of the plane journey!!! (It may have something to do with watching the film- My Sisters Keeper???) It felt strange to have the film crew there, and I think Nils and my family felt as if their personal space was being invaded a touch, so we decided to do a mock 'Saying goodbye.' There were tears flowing, even for that part, however when it came to the real thing, you could really feel the intensity of the emotions between us.

Thanks and love to Nils, Mum, John, Ange, Ian, Jan, Tim, Char and Tash. For those who couldn't be there to see me off, family and friends you know who you are... I will miss you madly; I couldnt do this without your love and support. You rock! Each and every one of you. And I love you MASSIVELY!!!

My First Week in the UK Office

My World of Difference placement started last Monday 9th November, at the UK office of Build Africa, based in Tunbridge Wells. Well what can I say about the team? Without sounding too sucky, they really are a fantastic bunch of people. They all work their socks off for such a brilliant cause. They have welcomed me, and really made me feel part of the family. There are some truly special people working here, and I am really glad I chose to work with them on my World of Difference year.

Build Africa is a dynamic young charity, working with the people of Kenya and Uganda to escape poverty through education and business enterprise. Within their Build A School programme they currently work with 62 schools, in the rural areas of Kenya and Uganda. This is not an organisation who goes to Africa to build a school. Build Africa develop three year school development plans. We build classrooms, staff rooms, toilet blocks, water supplies and accommodation for teachers. We provide desks, books, equipment and teacher training. The local community leads each project. We train and support school management committees and work closely with parents to ensure that the children receive the best education possible now and in the future.

My role over the next year will be two- fold. I will be working closely with the Director of Programmes- Jo Thomas, and with the field team out in Kenya and Uganda. Broadly, I will be working on Programmes and Fundraising. My aim is to apply my current skills, experience, passion, enthusiasm and desire to succeed to this role, enjoy every minute of it, and make a difference to the young people of Africa.

I am really excited to have joined right now, some of the team are working on developing the website. The website is great- http://www.build-africa.org.uk/ take a look! A huge amount of work is going into the schools section, watch this space for updates!