So many things happened today! We went on three game drives, two in the morning, and one in the afternoon. We also visited a 4-year old orphan giraffe named Talla. I will focus on one event this morning. The day started early. We met at 6:30am under an open gathering place. A light, cool, mist hung over the grounds, and the thorny, bare trees appeared out of the fog like spectral visions. It was an enchanting sight, largely contrasted by the comfy looking center with couches and chairs. Bit by bit, people trickled in, and the atmosphere became rather lively. We had taken a little time to talk and prepare, but we were on our way to the early game drive by 6:35am. The savannah was damp, and the cold, wet air rushed through the open windows of the safari vans. I huddled against the cold with the provided blanket, and stared out over the tall grass, only punctuated by small, scraggly trees. These trees were dead, a remnant of the last severe drought. It was obvious however that the drought was a thing of the past, in the current settings. Much of the road was flooded with small puddles, and every now and then, an almost lake-like pool of water would appear in front of us. The drivers knew what they were doing however, and also knew the extent our land rovers could handle mud and water. We swept through the watery reeds, and left a wake almost like a boat. It made me wonder what could’ve been under the surface of the murky water. Most likely a collection of stones and reeds was underneath, but the small chance that a frog or snake could’ve been slithering or swimming by, made me stare out the window nonetheless. Our drive continued for a while through the thick fog. Small herds of antelope and a few birds made their appearance every so often, but other than that, there was nothing but a plain of tall grass as far as the eye could see- and, to be fair, that view was not very far. I was beginning to question the point of such an early morning drive, in the cold with almost nothing to see, when, suddenly, we were rewarded for our efforts. A low, slinking, and powerful back was visible cutting its way through the tall grass beside us. Lions. This was the second group we had seen on this trip. It was the group we had seen the other day, nearing the evening, but in the mist, they took on a different sense of mysticism and power. It was now that I made a wild guess as to why they were called “prides”. A group of small to medium cubs, and two full-grown, adult females. The land rovers pulled over to their side and cut the engines. In the silence, with the absence of the clamor of everyday life in the modern world; ringing cellphones, honking cars, and barely noticeable hum of electric lights, we sat amongst the wildlife. For a while, the two groups; a strange herd of three large yellow animals, with smaller, even stranger ones sitting inside, and a pride of around ten lions, watchful, but at rest. They knew who had the power here, and it wasn’t the intruders. Eventually, as we sat there in silence, the cubs decided all was well, and returned to business as usual- playing amongst the grass. With squeaking and mewling noises, not too different from the very house cats we humans own, they tumbled out, rolling over one another and batting with their large paws. It was wonderful to watch! -Ewon Today we left Daraja and started the last part of our journey on safari. Waking up early today, we had our last breakfast with the Daraja girls. The tea and bread were tasty as usual, and the Daraja girls were still as hospitable as they had been when we had first met. The girls are having exams today (it’s Saturday and they are still working!), but a lot of them still remembered to come greet and say goodbye to us. There were many girls whose names I did not know, but they knew my name. A number of handed the students thank you letters we wrote. Surprisingly, the Daraja girls also wrote us notes. At the end of the breakfast, all the girls came to hug us before they left to take their exams. It was sad to leave such a welcoming place, but I am sure our time together will be remembered by all of us, Priory students and Daraja students. After spending many hours on rough roads, we arrived at the Mugie Conservancy in the late afternoon. The late lunch was extra delicious after the long drive! A rainstorm came suddenly while we were eating, but it stopped right after we filled up our tummies and set off for our first adventure on a game drive. We had nice land rovers that did not have windows that might block our camera lenses. The canvas top of my land rover could be lifted, so my friends and I were able to sit safely on top of the vehicle and get an amazing view of the wildlife. Along the trip, Mrs. Parker drew some connections with the case studies we had in our Bioology textbook (active learning right there!). We saw zebras, gazelles, antelopes, elephants… but the most interesting animals we saw were the lions. We were lucky enough to see approximately ten lions. We saw two adult males, four females, and two pairs of cubs. We learned from the guides that one pair of cubs was 9 months old and the other pair was 3 months old. We parked about 20 feet away from the lions and watched quietly to observe their behaviors. The cubs played together, the female lion nuzzled the male lion, and another female lion would lie on her back to scratch herself. It was so interesting! Everybody stopped breathing for the amazing (and seemingly dangerous) view! After seeing the lions, the sun was about to set. All three land rovers parked around a giant tree and we all got out to have sodas together and watch the sunset. I is a tradition here to toast with friends at sunset, called a "sun-downer". Everybody was excited to talk about the various animals we saw along the road. It was a special bonding experience! The bonfire before dinner was very relaxing and people were excitedly talking about their day. During this time, I was reflecting on how I will miss my precious time I spent at Daraja. I will cherish my time at Daraja for my lifetime. I learned much from the Daraja students’ leadership, hospitality, and kindness. The safari experience is also memorable. Seeing animals in the wild is very different than seeing them in a zoo. Today was a day of ending one chapter and starting another new adventure. I look forward to more animal viewings tomorrow! – Chelsea *Remember to SCROLL for photos! See the finished desks below from the desk renovation project! Dear friends - We thoroughly enjoyed our last day at Daraja and can hardly believe we have been members of this amazing community for over a week. The students had a modified school day as the government of Kenya declared today June 15, a public holiday to allow its Muslim citizens to prepare to mark celebrations of Idd-ul-Fitr, the feast that ends the holy month of Ramadan. Students had some classes, some campus service, some free time, and Daraja’s muslim students were off campus during the day. Public schools were closed today. We started our day by having our second Priory-lead English class with students. Today we focused on prose. Students had three prompts to choose from and wrote 1-2 paragraphs on the prompt of their choice. We wrote, gave feedback, and shared aloud our stories. We plan to create a literature magazine similar to the Priory Muse with the poetry from our first lesson, and creative writing from our second lesson, including writings from both Daraja and Priory students. Mr. Bessin left a copy of the Priory Muse with the students so they could imagine the final product and perhaps be inspired by the work of their peers. After a tea break, we turned our focus to on-campus service. There were two main projects for the day – painting and desk renovation. Daraja and Priory students worked together on both projects. During the painting project, we learned how to make paint using the red soil on campus, mixing it with some dry cement, and adding some water. We re-painted three small buildings using the home-made paint and many hands. The desk renovation project was lead by Priory parents Sani and Jill. Sani is a master carpenter, and Jill is handy at everything she puts her energy into! We took apart nine dilapidated desks, painted them, cut new arms, sanded new arms, and put edging on the arms. Sani plans to finish putting the new arms on the desks before leaving campus tomorrow! During a bit of afternoon free time, Jill taught Daraja students how to make banana bread. She lead a group effort to make banana bread for 120 students, plus staff and volunteers. We also got some hands-on experience working in the kitchen with the kitchen staff. Jill, Eva, and Sani learned how to make sweet rolls which we eat each morning for breakfast. Free time also included dancing, followed by a movie. A stay at Daraja would not be complete without several Daraja dance parties. The students are incredible dancers and their energy and spirit is infectious! We will miss these dance parties! Several students have commented that the Daraja students work harder than any students they have ever witnessed, and that they also balance that with joyous celebrations daily. We had one final dinner with our Daraja hosts and during our day gave each host a note of gratitude for their incredible hospitality during our stay. During our evening reflection, I asked the students to reflect on two questions as they begin to pack their bags. How does it feel to say goodbye to the young women and staff of Daraja? What are the most important lessons you will remember from your time at Daraja? - Christine * Remember to SCROLL DOWN to look at photos! Our day began by a short walk from Daraja Academy to a nearby camel boma (ranch). The ranch owners had about 20 adult camels and several young ones. The family that owned the camels demonstrated how to milk a camel. Several of us milked the camels and also tasted the milk. The milk does not have to be pasteurized and can be drank right from the camel to the cup. To us, the milk seemed thicker and sweeter than cow’s milk. After a short break we drove to Laikipia Permaculture Center (LP). LP farm was founded in 2012 with the goal of using and teaching sustainable permaculture practices. LP uses only sustainable practices, works with local women’s groups, and holds classes to educate the community about sustainable farming and building practices. Some examples of sustainable practices that we saw included using plant barriers to stop erosion. The barriers are designed so that the water entering the site penetrates the soil rather than running off. LP has a refrigeration system wherein a small well is dug into the earth surrounded by charcoal. The charcoal is saturated with collected rainwater and when the water evaporates it produces a cooling effect that in turn keeps the contents in the well very cold. LP educates the local schools on the importance of producing their own garden-grown food. To generate income, LP sells fruits and vegetables to the community and produces cactus jam, cactus wine and cactus fruit juice to sell. It partners with local women's groups to create honey, and sell handmade crafts. Laikipia Permaculture is a partner with the Twala Women’s Cultural Center that we visited on Tuesday. LP purchases the cactus fruits and aloe grown at Twala, and creates commercial products. In the late afternoon I made a private trip to Ol Gir Gir Primary School (OGPS) where we visited as a group yesterday. When I visited OGPS it was a real “eye-opener” as Mrs. Parker described it. The students had few pencils, the teachers had little chalk, 5-6 students shared one book, and there were holes in the classroom roof. The students walk from miles around to attend school. The students seem to have a positive attitude and a desire to learn. Today, I purchased a case of pencils and several boxes of chalk and delivered them to the school. I arrived just as school was letting out and the school superintendent asked me to hand them out. The kids lined up and I probably passed out 350 pencils. They were all very appreciative and stood around looking at me afterwards. The students seemed very happy and it was a very rewarding experience. – Craig (Priory parent attending the program) *The Priory student group along with the help of Priory parents Jill, Sani, and Craig who are on this journey with us, chipped in to donate and get supplies for both Ol Gir Gir Primary School and Daraja Academy. Additionally, the Priory group brought many donations of sports equipment, books, school supplies, and sports uniforms from our Priory community at home. THANK YOU for the donations as they are being used well here! The Priory student group toured the Daraja farm in the afternoon, and met with the head of the farm Paul. Paul gave an incredibly informative tour, filled with details and visions for growth of the farm. The farm provides much of the food for Daraja and only three staff work the farm. Highlights of the afternoon farm tour included seeing the Daraja outdoor classroom building with charcoal coolers, the student’s agricultural plots, the chicken coup with 225 beautiful chickens, a calf that was one-day-old, tons of food crops, and evening milking of the cows. *You will also see photos below of a Priory lead English class with Form 2 students. We lead a class today, before heading to the camel boma, focusing on communication and collaboration in which students wrote a poem together working with similes and metaphors. |