Rashma and I have been in Kanyawegi, Kenya
for almost 6 weeks now. It’s crazy how
fast time flies. I don’t think 6 weeks
is enough for us to get anything done here. We did accomplish going into
schools to teach primary students (Standard 6,7,8) about HIV/ AIDS but we are
uncertain of the effects this will have on the children. We made the decision to go into the high
schools this year because we felt that it is necessary for high school students
to get sex education and HIV/ AIDS talk so they can make safer decisions. Unfortunately, Kenyan government is against
condom demonstrations even though most teachers/ parents know that their kids
engage in sexual behaviours. We talked
to several teachers who told us that they are aware but they just choose to not
see them. They are also afraid that
talking about condom use will encourage sexual behaviours. Their concerns are understandable but if the
behaviours are inevitable due to hormones and nature, it is better to educate them so they are aware of
the risks beforehand. This way, the teenagers will know how to avoid contracting HIV or how to prevent spreading by understanding the importance of condom usage and also how to use it properly. We heard crazy things about condoms from the students such as having little holes on them.
Another big problem in Kenya is lack of
teachers. Also many teachers do not care for
the children’s future. Teachers’ job is
so crucial because they may potentially have the power to change someone’s life
in a positive or negative way. Unfortunately, many are corrupt and they focus on acquiring
more money or goods from parents. They
let others do all the “donkey work” and cruise along, hoping that life will
continue to be good. Also, Kenya lack
teachers that can teach English. Even though English is an official language in
Kenya, many don’t know how to speak/ write English properly. I met a secondary school student who didn’t
understand simple phrases in English… I don’t know how he is going to make it
past this year since all the exams are in English. Today, I asked a teacher his opinion on of what should be done to fix this problem. He suggested a change
in the policy to make sure that English is properly taught in classes and make sure that the students/ teachers don’t speak in mother tongue. There are these kids I met during my 2nd
day in Kenya. Dadi, who is the oldest is 9 and he does not
speak any English. I am not sure how he
is getting by in school.. but today I asked Stephen to tell Dadi that he should
learn English. I hope he remembers this
mzungu and tries to learn it. Later, I was told by Stephen that students learn english in grade 4-5. I also saw
a halfie kids at Lisuka primary school today.
He is half white, half black and both of his parents passed away so he
lives at an orphanage. The teachers said
that he is very bright and smart. He
doesn’t get made fun of in class which was my biggest worry. The discrimination
does not exist here because the Luo people think of light skin as very “smart”
(attractive).
Dadi
Photos with the deputy and Chris-George
