A safari to Africa usually includes a visit to a game park or two to witness the incredible biodiversity of the wildlife here.

I have done that several time. This visit has been about people. I have been to 21 different schools, clinics and community organizations during the three weeks I have been here.

The only wildlife I have to share are birds and butterflies and cows on the road. The odd monitor lizard scurried away from me but too quickly to get a photo.

There were also a group of Evangelists from the southern U.S. here at a God Loves Kenya festival but I didn’t get photos of them. One of them was trying to get me to go to a parents and children camp somewhere in Northern California. I told him my “children” were all about 40 with families of their own. “How about a couples camp then?” he asked. Just to see what he would say, I asked if they include same-sex couples. You might imagine the look on his face and his response makes a longer story than I can relate here. What fun.

Tonight I rode on the back of a piki piki (motorcycle taxi)to Rusinga Island for a “Happy Hour” and chat with friends. On the way back to the Guest House where I was staying, the sun was setting over Mfangano Island. Nice breeze. New meaning to waiting till the cows come home. They seemed to be coming home too! Enjoy the ride.

In the past few days I have visited many elementary schools in rural Kenya. Most are overcrowded and in need.

If a family has money or are in an urban centre, there are private schools that may provide a reasonable teacher-student ratio, clean surroundings and teachers that are not well paid but at least can eke out a living teaching school.

This classroom in a Government-funded school is for about 60 kids. They sit on the floor.

Unfortunately that is not the case in many rural schools, particularly those in the public system. The government-funded schools may have 60-80 students per classroom. Often the infrastructure is quite simply deplorable.

Some classes at this school are held outside. It is better than the classroom that is hot and dirty and crowded.

Classrooms are in poor repair. Latrines are full or dirty or both. There is little access to clean drinking water and classes are not well ventilated, crowded and hot. Teachers are poorly “motivated” by very low salaries. There is a general lack of supplies, text books, even syllabus books for the teachers.

These pupils are being taught in a CanAssist-funded school. Class sizes are manageable, the students have desks. The classroom is rudimentary but clean and the kids receive good teaching.

Privately run schools do better. The children are in smaller classes but the teachers are even more poorly paid, often by contributions from the parents. In one privately operated school I visited the fee for the 40% who can afford it is 600 Kenyan Shillings ($6.50 US) a month. Another 30% pay half and an even more vulnerable 30% pay nothing. I challenge you to run a school including supplies and salaries for 120 children on $450 a month.

This is a classroom constructed by CanAssist in 2012. The school still lacks complete furnishings for these classes.

Through CanAssist we have attempted to help several elementary schools, private and public by constructing classrooms, providing furnishings, latrines and water. Today I bought a few text books for one of the schools and will buy more next week.

These kids need help. There are so many of them and their government is stretched to provide only rudimentary support. Those in rural areas go unattended. It is sad.

The children and teachers are grateful for even modest contributions to help them continue. Sometimes it is frustrating but we will continue thorough the CanAssist African Relief Trust to attempt to improve educational opportunities for as many East African children as we can. Would you like to help?

This is my 14th trip to Kenya since 2003. On my first visit I would never have imagined that I would return so often. Between visits there are things that get shelved in the back of my mind but quickly come back when I return. Anyone who has traveled here will relate and if you have not visited East Africa here is a taste of what I hope you get to experience some time.

Eating pineapple every day, every meal. Pineapple that was picked yesterday and actually tastes like pineapple.

Sitting in the dark in my room at night so not to attract the little lake flies that are everywhere but drawn to the light.

Being the only mzungu on the Main Street and not realizing it until someone says “good morning white man” or a woman shakes your hand and then scampers away to yell to a friend “I just greeted a mzungu”.

Piki piki motorcycle drivers who want to take you anywhere, everywhere.

Hearing the occasional hippo grunt in the lake just in front of my room.

Incredible sunsets every night.

Waking up to the sound of birds outside my room. Seeing fish Eagles along the shore of the lake every day.

Sleeping under a bed net and remembering to take my meds every day because of the significant risk of malaria.

Kids wanting to pet my hairy arms.

Chapati.

Thinking I am getting a tan but finding that it all washes off I’m the shower.
Sleeping with the patio door beside my bed wide open and listening to the waves and the fishermen out on the lake at night.

Stoney’s Tangawizi, a Coca Cola ginger soda I have only found here.

The occasional 3 ft long monitor lizard suddenly scurrying out of my way through the long grass.

Kids squealing with glee when I show them the photo I  just took of them.

Little drops of lizard poop in the bathroom but no sign of its owner.

No ice cream.

Frequent Electrical blackouts.

Remembering to brush my teeth with bottled water.

Donkeys and cows wandering unattended in the market, Main Street and even in the middle of a highway.

Feeling embarrassed and almost ashamed that I am often treated with special privilege only because I am white. Actually pink is more accurate after the equatorial sun exposure.

It is always a treat to visit the Kanyala Little Stars School on Rusinga Island. I have been dropping in to this school for the past 8 years and it has been interesting to see it grow and prosper. The school was started by Benta Odihambo, a local widow and ex-teacher who poured her heart into trying to improve the education of vulnerable kids in the community.

For a long time, she struggled to make it work but in the past few years, with support from CanAssist and other individuals and organizations the school has grown to 290 students all the way from age 4 to Grade 8.

The newest addition of classrooms to Kanyala Little Stars school. Still a bit of outside finishing to to but it is a sturdy and spacious building.

This year we were pleased to provide funding for a building that houses two classrooms. Since the property is running out of space, provision was made with a strong base to eventually be able to move upward.

The school has had academic success with their grade eight students standing at the top of the local district and third out of ninety in the sub-county in standardized exams done to determine admission to secondary school.

Benta Odihambo’s sons, Blasto and Samwel accept the donation from the St Mark’s congregation in Barriefield to purchase sanitary pads for the older girls at the school.

The women of St Mark’s Church in Barriefield, just outside Kingston, have formed a special bond with Kanyala Little Stars and I was pleased bring money from these women to the school for purchase of sanitary pads for the older girls – a program that has dramatically improved attendance for these girls, one of whom topped the girls marks for the district.

I have missed having a visit with Mama Benta this year – she died unexpectedly in mid 2013, but the family continues to manage the school and attempts to keep the high standards.

Yesterday I paid a visit to the S.P. Geddes Early Childhood Development Centre near the fishing village of Kamin Oningo on the shore of Lake Victoria in Kenya. The school has been named after my late father who, through the CanAssist African Relief Trust, funded construction of classrooms, a latrine, water tank and fencing for the school.

Dad’s name is emblazoned on the school gate and a Canadian flag flies proudly beside the Kenyan one in the school grounds.

In addition, when I visited the school two years ago there was a little fellow who they had named Stewart Geddes, in honour of my Dad. This child is now about 2 1/2 years old and wanders around the school like he owns it.

When you ask him what his name is he replies “S.P”. Now this is particularly endearing to me since my mom always lovingly called my Dad “S.P.” I got to have a visit with him and even a cuddle when he fell asleep on my lap. Any parent/grandparent will know just how special this is.

 I also visited the community fishing village where CanAssist provided a latrine where before there was none. The Beach Management Unit Chairman reported that it was being used and maintained and that just the day before the Public Health Officer visited the community and commented how this was a grand health improvement.

I plan to return to the school next week. A Kingston family has asked me, on their behalf to set up a small feeding program at the school to set up better nutrition for the 120 kids who attend. I will work on that and hopefully have photos of the children enjoying a nutritious lunch later in my time here.