It was a bright day in the capital city of Kenya...Nairobi. The sun was dazzling; it was so bright that it was impossible to see ahead of us. Today was the day we were going to see Sister Ann in Kiambu. It was a long drive there and the heat was overwhelming. St Paul’s has for many years been supporting Sister Ann and her work in schools in Kenya and I thought since we were going to Kenya, it would be an honour to meet her. Kiambu is an hour’s drive from Nairobi and the side roads were bumpy and dusty not anything like in London.
I was curious to meet Sister Ann and wondered how she looked and I wasn’t sure how welcoming she would be. As we approached the Church we saw a Mzungu, the Swahili word for a white person, with a beaming smile. I immediately knew who she was. Her warm hand shake made us all feel welcome.
She spoke the local language very well and everyone around her treated her as one of them. In fact, I felt out of place as I did not understand the language but I used some of the words I had learnt during my holiday. Sister Ann showed us round the marvellous house, the garden where she grows vegetables and the church next to the house.
In her office, Sister Ann explained what she does and showed us the school reports of the children she helps with school fees. Sister Ann seemed very confident, but there was a part of me torn apart when she said that she could only take the children who have high grades and can’t take everyone. It made me feel sorry for those who didn’t make it. Sister Ann introduced us to Simon who had just finished his O-levels and is waiting for his results, he also told us of his dream of wanting to be a teacher.
We are so lucky to be here in England and have a school to go to; most of the children in Kenya don’t get this privilege and having been there I am even more grateful for what we have here.
Ty Irungu
