June 30 - Kawangware School

---

I was up at 5:30 am today. Showered and had an early breakfast in anticipation of being picked up by Charles and his driver at 10:00 am.

I was able to catch up no a little extra email this morning as well. As it turned out, Charles had a hard time finding the Sports Club and he did not arrive until about 10:45 am.

The drive was about 25 minutes, I think, and the Kawangware slum looked even worse than what I remember it on my two previous visits. There were some burned out building and the litter on the street and gutters seemed more extensive than before. We were able to drive right up into the school yard this time (last year we had to walk in from about a block away).

The children were playing in the yard and a few teachers came up to us. Introductions were made and we set out on a little tour through the compound. The school rooms seemed much smaller this time. Previously, the long building was divided only by curtains to create the separate classrooms. Now, large sheets of plywood made a more permanent division within. However, it gave the feeling of a much smaller space. Also, the American Women's Association has been donating large tables and chairs to act as desks for the children. These took up more space, although were much better for the kids to work on.

New additions to the school include a three-hole latrine and a small kitchen house in which the cook can prepare meals for the children. Also, another room within the complex has been rented to provide an office for the teachers.

I took my large suitcase of items to the teacher's office and started to unpack everything in front of Charles and Pius. When I was finished, and we could see everything that I brought, Charles assembled all the teachers for an official training session no the microscope that I had brought, as well as a few other small items.

I took them through all of the steps of setting up the microscope. Embarrassingly enough, I couldn't really get the microscope to work and I fiddled with it for over 20 minutes while they patiently waited to see what the big deal was. Many of the teachers had not seen a microscope before, and did not really seem to think that this strange looking item was anything special. I finally realized that the main table of the microscope, upon which the slide sits, was incorrectly aligned - blocking most of the view through the eyepiece. So I had to do a little on-the-spot field repair and rig up a temporary spacing shim to realign the table. This worked well enough make it work properly and I soon had the first sample slide of a piece of corn root lit for them to examine.

"...wow....oooooo....oooohhhh....," came the various responses from each of the teachers as they lined their eyes up to the eyepiece. A whole new world had just opened up to them. Next I showed a cross section of a pumpkin stem, and then a long section of a pine needle. The cells of the plant samples were clearly visible ad I discussed the use of increasing the power, adjusting the light, and so on.

I could see that they were trying to somehow relate to the size differential that they were seeing between the samples and their own normal experience. For instance, they knew what a REAL corn root was but I could see that they were having trouble relating that to the paper thin cross section sample on the test slide. I had to quickly figure out a way to bring their understanding between something they could tangibly contact to the view under the microscope. I reached up to the top of my head and, in a grand gesture, yanked a clump of hair from my thinning dome. They sat silently, examining my every movement and wondering what my mysterious actions were leading to. I showed them the few strands of hairs between my fingers, then grabbed a blank glass sample slide. A drop of water from my water bottle held the hairs in place on the slide and a cover slide was placed over top. I quickly slid the new sample under the lens and focused on the target. A clear translucent "tube" of hair appeared through the eyepiece and I passed it around for all to view. Astonishment, and laughter, erupted from each of them in turn as they made the connection between the hair that was once on my head and was now the subject of their scrutiny under the lens. They could now relate to the power that this new tool had given them and they immediately began asking more about how to make sample slides of other things they might collect.

We worked for another hour or so on various things and soon it was lunch time (1:00 pm). The kids ate rice while the ladies prepared "ugali" (corn flower prepared and cooked so that it is like mashed potatoes, but more "rubbery" and rigid in consistency) and greens for Pius, and I (Charles earns his income as a teacher at a school nearby and moves back and forth between that school and ours throughout the day in 1-hour intervals. During this period of time he was away teaching). Charles arrived back as we finished and we went out to film the children in the yard at play. Two ladies from the American Women's Association showed up to inspect the desks they had purchased. I had an opportunity to meet them and we chatted for awhile.

I then brought out the second skip rope that was donated by Heather and gave it to the kids. The girls immediately grabbed hold of it and the school yard broke out into a frenzy of skipping activities. I have lots of video to show on that as well.

Finally, Charles, Pius and I walked up to the apartments where some of the children stay. I had a tour throughout that facility and we discussed many things. Within an hour we were back at the school where I driver had returned to take me back to the Parkland Sports Club.

I got back at about 5:30 pm and went down to the main sports facilities where I had booked a sauna and 1-hour massage (for 600 Ksh = $10). The sauna was VERY hot and I cooked for almost 25 minutes in there. A quick shower and then to the massage. It was not a bad massage and was just what the doctor ordered.

Back at my room, I tried to repack all of the items that I am bringing back into my now emptied suitcases. Shortly into the process I realized that I had slightly more than what I could fit, and would need to do some careful repacking. I gave up the attempt and just went to bed. Another big day ahead of me in Kawangware......

---