Poster making at our new project Jambo Jipya

The feeling everyone gets walking into Jambo Jipya is that of curiosity and excitement. Today was the first day bringing volunteers into Jambo Jipya; a school / orphanage of about 25 by 25 metres, squeezing in two hundred and fifty pupils, fifty of those boarders, and many teachers. The atmosphere is something of a bustling, overcrowded, and well laid out, energetic city.

On arrival we were given the task of poster making, after a tour of the classrooms, dorms and kitchen we found ourselves a snug corner in the boy’s dorms where we could get to work. We realised this was going to take a lot longer than expected, poster making was not an easy job. Luckily half way through our task we were interrupted by some small and not so small, curious figures at the door way of the dorm.

These children weren’t shy though, they wanted all information they could get: Whats your name? Where are you from? Does Obama live there? How long will you be here? How old are you? And with smiles of anticipation...Will you be here again next week?

So as we kneeled on the floor working, two little volunteers and two of the older boys; Ahkmiss and Salim, joined us willingly and within a half an hour the posters were completed and new relationships were bonded. These children had an air of calm confidence and politeness that made interacting with them fun, interesting and it made looking forward to the next visit to Jambo Jipya very easy.

Hannah Kelleher 2010

Poster making at our new project Jambo Jipya