Working in Africa

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Spencer Durland- Report #1 (September 2008)

In June 2008 we commissioned Spencer Durland for his year in Africa. Spencer and the other two volunteers had a safe and uneventful trip to Nairobi on July 23rd. They had about 10 days at the Children's Home in Nairobi. Spence found the children at the orphanage completely charming and engaging. He was out playing soccer games with them within 48 hours of landing. He said many of them played barefoot and without any shin guards.

Spencer described their first venture into the city outside the orphanage compound as walking into chaos, with all manner of vehicles and pedestrians sharing the thoroughfares in a noisy, confusing mass of humanity.

Orientation sounded intense with Swahili language lessons as well as teacher training. They all prepared lesson plans and then entered the classroom in the Children's Home to try out their newly honed skills. One day the World Teach volunteers accompanied outreach workers (part of the Leo Toto outreach program sponsored through the Children's Home)) who provide health services and counseling to HIV+ children and their families in some of the most impoverished communities which surround Nairobi. It was the group's first exposure to shanty towns and meeting children and families who struggle to survive in the bleakest of living environments; Spencer indicated it was an eye opening experience.

Recently the volunteers moved out to the Nyumbani Village in Kitui Province (~3 hours outside of Nairobi and a 45 minute bus ride from the town of Kitui). This remote area is more basic in its "amenities" - no running water and electricity a few hours each morning when the generator runs in the school building, bucket showers and hand laundry. The volunteers are living in one of the cottages which make up the village; 'Senator' arrives each morning on his bicycle to stoke the outdoor cooking fire and make their tea for breakfast. Spencer has negotiated with someone from a neighboring village to purchase their eggs to add variety to breakfast fare. A recent farewell party for some other volunteers involved the slaughter and roasting of two goats, which Spencer says he documented in detail on film; he also said goat sausage was pretty tasty. Last weekend Spencer attended a wedding. The children have been on a mid-semester break this past week so the new World Teach volunteers' lessons have focused on environmental and sustainability projects, such as charcoal filtering of laundry and bathing "grey water" for use on crops. Soon they will assume their more permanent roles in the classrooms - probably with standards (?grades) 4-7.