Sporting Day at Bosco Boys

A few days ago we had a sporting day at Bosco Boys. About 8 other schools came to compete in football (soccer), basketball, net ball, hand ball (it's like soccer, with a smaller ball and field, and you hold the ball and throw it into the net), and volleyball. The children get so excited when a camera comes out and they love taking pictures.



Vincent (boy with no sweater on with a blue tie)trying to explain something but as always it's just a joke.

The girls playing net ball. It's a sport only for girls and we had never seen it before in the US. It is like basketball but there's no dribbling or backboard behind the hoop. It's kind of silly to us but if you want to check it out just google it.

The girls


The boys

Our friend Maria


Our friend Ryan. He's so small but always has the biggest smile.


Another AMERICAN muzungu! This is our new friend Lisa from Oregon. She is volunteering at a school down the road (around a 15 minute drive) called St. Nicholas. It was fun to hear another American english accent and hear about her stories being here. She has been here for around 5 months and has one month remaining.



Susan and Pat

Madam Anjela - Class 2 teacher

Pat taught the girls the "Chris Joseph" pose


Little Katherine and Big Katherine... Once little Katherine found out she had the same name as Katie, she has been glued next to her.

First Month Today!

It is a month today in Africa! At times it feels as if time has flown by. Other times it feels as if we've been here forever. We really enjoy what we are doing here, have been exposed to many new things, have learned a little bit of Kiswahili, have met many new friends, and are excited for what is next to come. We miss you all!

Here are two recent pictures of things going on at Bosco Boys.


A picture from our little buddy Eric to Pat. Eric (the little boy from the post about the basketball games) came up to me yesterday and had this paper folded and said, "here". I at first refused it because I thought it was just trash. I had to go to the other part of the school so I left. He later came up to me and said, "Here!" I opened the folded paper, then immediately had a huge smile on my face. It was so nice for him to do that for me. The picture is of the school we're at. The top left corner says, "ART BY ERIC" and the bottom left says, "ERIC is for you Patrick".


This is a picture of our friend Rahim and some nuns from Northern Kenya. Rahim is from a family of a mom who is Catholic and a dad who is Muslim. He considers himself a Muslim but works with these Catholic nuns. The nuns run a shelter for mentally handicapped and mentally challenged children. He began to get very emotional when he spoke of the work the nuns do. He truly loves working with them and helping how he can.

First Visit to DBYES

This is our first visit to DBYES (Don Bosco Youth Educational Services). Fr. Sebastian (Fr. John Roche's friend who helped us come to Nairobi) runs this center and is doing a wonderful job. They put on retreats here for whomever wants to have one. He has told us even a few Muslims have come here and have enjoyed it. Another thing DBYES is in charge of media communications for the Eastern Providence of the Salesians. He has told us that most all media communications though go out of this place for all of Africa. They put out a monthly magazine, record worship music, record sermons to be sent out throughout the world, and are in the process of starting an internet radio show. It is a very quaint, serene, and beautiful place. The community there is small but very fun to be around. We hope to visit them once (or twice) a month.



katie ;)

Main building entrance

Enormous tree at the entrance of DBYES [look at the difference between the car and the tree BUT still nothing like the sequoias in California ;) ]


This a picture of their very nice recording studio at DBYES. Their philosophy is "to be 2nd to none". Fr. Sebastian's idea for this place is "not to be less than anywhere else". We really appreciate his philosophy, views, and ideas for the growth of not only DBYES but Africa as well.


This is a view of different posters they have put up at DBYES. They represent the stations of the cross (the story of Christ being condemned to death and resurrection). They are drawn in a way that represents problems of Kenya today. We took a picture of two of them because we felt they were nice drawings (and a bit funny too). We enjoy the picture of the babies in the womb with scissors.





This picture is of the construction of the new building at DBYES. The building will be rooms, a kitchen, lounge area, and more "indoor" space at the facility. It should double the amount of dorming and will be a beautiful addition to the retreat center. If you look closely at the men working on the stones you will see they are chizzling each one by hand. They literally have a pile of stones and the men are using a chizzle to make them the size they need.



The next 3 pictures are inside of the Prayer Garden. It's very beautiful, reflective, serene, and relaxing. It is full of beautiful trees, flowers, and other beauties of nature.




The DBYES chapel.


Picture inside of the church at DBYES


Something to ponder.

Kariua

We posted in a blog, on February 20th, about a slum we went to. It was the same day we went to Karen Plains and the Twiga (giraffe) Park. This trip to Kariua was our first stop of day and it was truly an eye opening experience. Being in Africa so far we have definitely seen a difference from America. Going to a place like Kariua makes Bosco Boys seem like a 5 star hotel. You continue to be exposed to more levels of "poverty". We had recently also talked to Fr. Makarious about his life travels. He for a while went to a refugee camp in Sudan. He said being there makes a slum like Kariua seem like a 5 star hotel. Amazing.

Kariua, as we found out, was once a street in Nairobi. Over time people began living on the street and thus is became a slum. The entire slum is maybe a hundred yards long and ten yards wide with homes on both sides. In the middle there is a small path way to walk through with a gutter of used, dirty, smelly water. The school there has been there since the slum was built. The Salesians are in good terms with the people and the school is one of the first projects the Salesians started in Nairobi.

We walked all the way through the slum. The entrance is now occupied by other people who needed an area to live in. As you get further into the slum there is the school on the left. It literally is 4 different sheds squeezed together. There is one building for an office, another for storage, and two for classrooms. Once you pass this you get into the neighborhood. There are homes and there is a restroom at the end of the slum for everyone (around 300 people). The water once used in the bathroom just flows down the gutter to the exit of the slum. Literally on the other side of the wall, towards the rear of the slum is the city streets of Nairobi.

We went with Fr. Sebastian, Fr. Harry of Amsterdam, and our friend Ludo. Apparently Fr. Harry has been to Kariua before but maybe 20 years ago. Fr. Sebastian used the opportunity to bring the children some chocolates, check up on the school, and show us this Salesian mission.



This is Kariua slum. In the picture is Patrick (a friend of the Salesians who watches over the school/area), Fr. Harry of Amsterdam, Ludo of Amsterdam, and us.


This is a picture of the slum entrance. Through this window is the classroom the children use.


As we walked in the children began singing us a song. It was something like "how are you? how are you? welcome here" (something like that)


The little girl on the bottom left of the picture (in the gray sweater) was so funny. She had the biggest smile on her face and all the children were amazed to see so many "muzungu" (white person). Fr. Sebastian brought them some chocolates and they were so happy to get some. Each of them took the smallest bites to savor this treat of treats.


Just a view of the walk way through the slum.


Some of the children allowed their picture to be taken. Many times, as we have been told, you must ask before you take a picture of someone. Many people will charge you a fee for taking their picture, if you do not pay they (the villagers) may attack you. Taking pictures of the boys at "Bosco Boys" is free though, they are our friends. The Salesians are in good terms with the people in this slum because they provide schooling for all the children. There are other slums in Nairobi that can be very dangerous due to drugs, weapons, and gangs.


The space between the shacks is only a few feet with a stream of dirty water going through the middle. I (Pat) slipped my foot into the water, twice, accidentally.


We took a picture as we were leaving.


An older painting. "If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else"

Fishing in the backyard

Recently we had some free time, Fr. Makarious and Lucia suggested fishing. Then a lighting storm started and the rain was pouring. Going outside with a medal rod didn't seem like the safest thing to do, so we didn't. When the storm passed, it became too late to drive to the local fishing pond. We then decided to go to the small duck pond in the backyard. There are some small fish there so we tried it out.

View from the back porch of Gil, Katie, Lucia, & Fr. Makarious.


First cast


Lucia & Fr. Makarious


Katie thinks we'll get a fish. Makarious is such a baby, he wore gloves because he didn't want to touch the worms (bait). He thought they looked "yucky" and not like the ones he was used to using in Canada. haha



Just some pictures of the surround area.
This one is another angle of the new "work shop" building.

A picture of the pig farm. (They're in the shed)

The garden.


Gil thinks he is an "American Cowboy"


Some quacktastic pictures of the bata (duck).



It's getting late and still no fish.


In the end, all we caught was a piece of leopard printed cloth.

Fr. Sebastian

On Sunday, Feb. 28th we finally met Fr. Sebastian. Fr. Sebastian is the friend of Fr. John Roche (Pat's teacher in high school). Fr. John and Fr. Sebastian became friends while studying in Rome from 2004-2006 (I believe). Fr. Sebastian is the one who helped arrange us coming to Nairobi. He works at a Salesian home down the road called DBS (Don Bosco Youth Education Services). We sat down with him for a while, had a wonderful conversation, and we are glad to have a new friend in Nairobi.

march mustache madness

its started! i myself will be participating in "2010 - the yearD of the bearD" But I hope all that can be apart of the mustache madness do

-katie




wwtd - what would tom do?