Kenya: Week 11 Pre-Service Training
All About my Homestay
For these 11 weeks of Pre-Service Training, I have been living with my host family. I gave details about my homestay family members in the Kenya: Week 2 PST blog post. What I haven’t been able to detail, for my own personal safety and security, is the house itself and the community I am living in. So, here you go! I have been living in the market town of Jebrock and the village community of Musiri. The most identifiable landmark in Musiri is “The Big Rock” or “Givavei Stone”. Mama Margaret’s home was about a 20-minute walk from Jebrock Market. In this market I could get basic goods, but if I wanted specific items or a larger selection of items, I had to walk to Gambogi Market (about an hour walk from Mama Margaret’s) or Kiboswa Market (about an hour and a half walk from Mama Margaret’s).
These markets had different market days which also helped determine which market to go to depending on when I was available. A market day is the day when all the vendors are selling their products and vendors from out of town come with their products to sell as well. I found Gambogi was best for specific food items and snacks while Kiboswa was good for clothes. Kap Chem Gung, the secondary school I completed my teaching training at, was about a 40-minute walk from Mama Margaret’s. I could either get there from a shortcut or the main road. I could only take the shortcut when it hadn’t rained in a while because it would get a bit washed out. The main road was a very hot walk because there was no shade, so I preferred the shortcut whenever possible. Kap Chem Gung is in the Nandi language and it means “Without A Leg”. We tried to get the backstory on this name, but were never provided an explanation 😊
Monday
We started the week with LPI practice at Andy and CiCi’s house today. I wrote about what the LPI is in the Week 4 PST blog post. All of the education volunteers and our different Language and Culture Facilitators (LCFs) came. The LCFs gave us each two practice LPIs and in between my sessions I made a new friendship bracelet pattern and watched “The Great British Baking Show”. When I finished my practice sessions, I walked to a local duka to get a banana, peanuts, and a soda for lunch. When everyone was done with their two practice LPIs, we walked to Jebrock Market and I found a pair of jeans and a dress. Back at Mama Margaret’s, I studied language then Dan and I started watching “Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” during dinner.
Tuesday
We went to the training center today to have training sessions in the morning followed by our official LPI test. I think I did well enough to pass, but we won’t get our results until next week. The package my parents sent me arrived today, so it was nice to finally have that in my possession. A group of us went into town to celebrate being done with the LPI and it was a great end to the day.
Wednesday
Our sessions at the training center began with a presentation on Deaf culture by Savannah and her LCF. Since being in Kenya, I have been given a sign name. You can only be given a sign name by someone who is deaf. Sign names are typically related to some letters of your name and/or an identifying physical feature you have. To make my sign name, I make a fingerspelled “H” and tap it to my ear twice. This refers to the earrings I always wear. After this session, we had education training until lunch followed by down-time. In my down-time, I started watching “Good Will Hunting”. When we returned to our homestays, I helped Dan make chapati and our skills are definitely more refined now. After dinner, I taught Dan the new friendship bracelet pattern I learned and we had to pause to continue tomorrow because he is getting so good and we are learning a more complicated pattern now.
Thursday
I prepped my laundry before going to teacher training. After lessons all morning, I planned for my Life Skills lesson for tomorrow. Each of us was provided a Life Skills Manual to be able to draw lessons from. The idea is that we will be able to share these lessons in the schools we are teaching. There are seven parts to the manual: Background and Introduction, Peer Education, Facing Facts about HIV/AIDS and STDs, Communication Skills, Decision-Making Skills, Relationship Skills, ang Bringing it all Together. We were tasked to teach four Life Skills lessons in small groups to children in our homestay communities, and I organized a lesson on assertive messages and responding to peer pressure and persuasion. After picking up bajia and coke, I walked to Andy and CiCi’s to pick up my kitenge from the tailor. I got a two-piece outfit and my top fits but my pants needed some alterations, so she took them with her to return to me tomorrow. At home, I finished my laundry and took a nap. At dinner, I got more of Mama Margaret’s story, and I have so much respect for this woman and am so thankful I got her as my host mama.
Friday
I was able to sleep in today, so I watched an episode of “S.W.A.T.” and started watching the new season of “The Crown”. At 10, Dan, Darren, and I walked to the Musiri school soccer field for our first Life Skills lesson. Andy and CiCi and their host brother Barack met us there and CiCi brought mandazi. After our lesson, we went to Andy and CiCi’s and I taught the kids how to make some beginner friendship bracelets. Savannah came over and we ate lunch then went to Mama Margaret’s to cut our jeans that we got from the market. When she left, I started to pack up my room because we leave on Sunday. We had our second Life Skills lesson of the day at 4 and after this lesson, we worked on a mini puzzle that Lucas had brought. I stayed here until right before dark so Dan could play with his friends. When we got back to Mama Margaret’s, I continued to pack and the tailor brought my kitenge outfit with the final alterations. It fits great and Mama insisted she take many photos and Dan said I looked like a Nigerian (a compliment 😊). Dan and I finished watching “Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” to end the day.
Saturday
I was able to sleep in again so I watched another episode of “S.W.A.T.” and started a new friendship bracelet. Mama Margaret made pancakes for breakfast and I washed my water bottles and dried out my water filter before packing it up. Dan and I then took his soccer ball to Lucas’ house and we played catch for a little before going to the Musiri soccer field to play soccer for a few hours. After lunch, I walked to Jebrock to meet up with Savannah and Marissa and we walked to Kiboswa Market for their market day. We bought pineapple upon arrival and departure because it was so delicious the last time we were here. In the market, I found two dresses and a top and Savannah found a popsicle. On the way back home, we met up with Sophie and Laura and walked home on a new, shortcut path. On it, we saw the start of a circumcision ceremony which is a walking procession. No one is allowed to photograph the group. In the group are the boys, leaders, and a group of people in full body costume with holes for their eyes. There were so many people lined along the road to watch this procession pass by and we were very lucky to have been able to see this. Back in Jebrock Market, I stopped to sit and have a soda before continuing home. At Mama Margaret’s, Dan, Darren, and another one of their friends were over and Dan had me connect my phone to the speaker in the house and play their favorite Kenyan songs (it was a vibe 😊). For dinner, I made ramen, Dan made cabbage, and Mama Margaret contributed fries and pancakes. It was my first Kenyan girl dinner and I fully approve. Dan and I watched “The Princess Bride” and Mama Margaret gave me an “I am going to miss you so much” speech. The feeling is very mutual. I am going to miss this family very much.
Sunday
I spent the morning finishing my packing and cleaning the room thoroughly. I arrived at Mama Margaret’s with 4 bags and am leaving with 11 (yikes 😊). I wrote Mama Margaret and Dan a letter and left them on my night stand. Dan and I had lunch together and watched our last movie, “Pocahontas”. The van came to collect me and my belongings and Mama Margaret, Dan, neighbor Sylvia, Shelton, Hansel, and other neighbors on the street came to say goodbye. It was very emotional for me. I will miss this community. Back at the training center, we unloaded and organized everyone’s belongings then walked to town and had a fun afternoon at the local Chinatown to close out the week.
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