As we approach Olives on our first day a volleyball net greets us, supposedly for the kids but all too quickly GVI volunteers and Olives staff took over the pitch. Perhaps if Olives teacher Michael’s scoring hadn’t jumped from 8-5 to 21-5 in a single shot we would know the victors.
Volleyball at the new school
John and I exited the game only to be hit by wave upon wave of kids eager for the ‘men’ to pick them up, swing them round and round, then run back and forth between us for our spinning talents. It was not long before we sought solace in the shade! In the meantime Barbara and Susan got to hear the girls singing and then got a game of hopscotch going.
GVI volunteer John being mauled by Olives students
Kieran with an Olive's student
A young boy, Brevan, who I had met at Sunday school came and sit down next to me very quietly while another, Pascal, got to work on my digital watch. He loved finding out what all the different buttons did and the electronic squeak it produced. When I got my camera out I was amazed at his professionalism; getting the other kids into specific poses, zooming in and out until he was happy with his shot.
Experiements in photography with Kieran and the kids
Being with the kids was a huge amount of fun. Before I saw the school I though the kids would be depressed, a Comic Relief like scenario of the typical African community. But the kids were just so full of joy and excitement at running around and playing any game at all that I couldn’t help but laugh along with them, even when they dragged me to the ground.
One of our gorgeous students with his crown built with GVI volunteers
As we walk back through the villages the usual chorus of “How are you?” comes from all around. All the children of the village run up to greet us in this way, with some of the more adventurous boys running up and tapping our hands so that we end up in a game of chase. Not all of them are in school due to it being the summer holidays but I definitely look forward to the prospect of teaching soon, even if the prospect of controlling the limitless energy is a bit daunting!
- Kieran Aldred
Kieran and the exhausted volunteers escorted through the village by young residents
My first impressions of Olives, Mombasa
0 comments:
Post a Comment