Kambui

The weekend was very quiet; just spending it at Brakenhurst (where I live) relaxing like a true Kenyan! With lots of time and not much to do proved to be quite difficult for me! It was a real in sight of how to survive with no technology for the weekend, and time seeming to remain still but it was preparing me for the busy and challenging week I have this week.....

On Sunday an induction was given to a new mission group that arrived from Australia that are part of the ACTS (christian volunteers) program. This week I am on project with them all week which includes a large scale of challenging things to commence. Stay tuned!


Kambui School for the Deaf

Monday morning soon came round and was a very early start,  we drove for an hour and a half down very holey, bumpy roads was a long and interesting journey! It was over come with great scenery; going further into the rural area seeing more of Kenya and the beautiful scenery that didn't know Kenya had. Stopping of to see endless fields along the way of coffee beans and tea leaves seeing how its grown was really interesting, more so for all those tea and coffee lovers, can't say I count myself as one of them! But was rather amazing!
We soon arrived at Ngewa Health Centre where we meet the local health workers that were coming with us to Kambui school.

We finally arrived at Kambui School where over 300 primary students board and 35 secondary students all of which are unable, and never been able to hear or speak. As we arrived all these little heads peered out of the classroom windows, the thing that struck me the most was the silence it was the quietest school I had ever seen, it was so surreal with hundreds of children and complete silence.
We had come to get rid of malaria, by getting rid and preventing further mosquito infestation to help these children from being affected by the disease any further, and to improve their living and learning environment.

We had a meeting with the head teacher and some of the staff who taught us some Kenyan sign language and told us a little about the school. Some of the things that I heard just broke me for these children. These children have been put in this school as they are unwanted as the parents are unable to relate to them with not being able to communicate with them, they are seen as casts off. The majority of the children have had attempted to commit suicide, just the day before the head teacher see a girl sititng by herself to go over and find rope around her neck and trying to strangle herself. The children have no self worth, they see that they have no reason to carry on, the children are disturbed by there home lives and generally depressed with no hope.

We then began to fumigate where the children lived where over 50+ children lived in one room in such poor conditions. With blue overalls, face masks and tanks on our backs we looked like we were ghost busters! This was then followed by the classrooms which were so different from England's!

We then meet with the children to give them a health talk which was translated by the head teacher into sign language followed by giving them tablets for dewarming.

We then had a lunch of rice and beans and some unknown contents!
In the afternoon we had p.e and games with the children it was the quietest play ground I have ever been in for that amount of children! This time with the children was really special but very hard with not being able to communicate and trying to sign best as you could for them to understand you, and with them signing to you and you not being able to understand was also frustrating for them.

There soon becoming lots of laughter and tapping me constantly for my attention to take pictures of them posing, they just loved their photos! There was one child especially who would not let go of me! Being able to spend time with the older ones and making them smile and taking an interest in them could just see such a difference, these children really needed this. Letting one of them use my camera sure made his day.

It really amazed me when the children began dancing for us with such rhythm and one of them drumming when they have never heard sound and was so amazing! Was not the case when we were asked and made to dance for them, we were only put to shame!

It was really hard to leave these children, they are such incredible children that are so gifted and incredibly special if only they knew that. It made me realise how we take listening and speaking for granted and what a privledge it is to be able to voice how we feel and what we think and to get by in life.

However the staff look after the children well and are finding ways to help them the best they can with counselling sessions to try and help them. A company has contributed money to hold sign language lessons for parents, local docotors etc to be able to communicate with the children this could make such a difference in realtionship with the children.

Also on a positive not the school is now safe and mosquito free from our work for 6-12 months.

All the photos will be added to my facebook page.