Climbing Mt. Meru

Last weekend Mark, Jordan, Rylee, Kate, and I climbed Mt. Meru (14, 980 ft.)!  Although it was not as high as Kili, it was a much more technical climb and more physically demanding!

Kate, Mark, Me, Jordan, Rylee

Views on the way up

We walked through a game park on the way up to the summit and had to be escorted by a ranger in case we came across any animals.  This was a skeleton we found

Lunch break

View of the summit from Little Meru

On the peak of Little Meru

Sunrise at the summit

Tanzanian flag on the summit

Although it was cold, it was not nearly as freezing as Kili

View of Kili from the summit of Meru at sunrise

Kili and clouds: view from Meru

Ash cone

I did it!

Good-bye Amy and Arika :(

Last week was busy full of good-byes as Arika and Amy get ready to leave.  We took Sam (our Director), Happy and Catherine out for lunch which was lovely and we had a going away party at school with the kids.  Watching them say good-bye to the kids through tears made me realize just how hard it is going to be for me to say goodbye!  These kids and families have changed my life! 

Arika, Billy (Arika’s boyfriend from the States who is here for 2 weeks to visit), Amy, and myself went to mama Faraja's house (with god Love and mama God Love) for a goodbye/ thank you lunch. It was superb- not only the best food I've eaten in Africa (with chilli sauce to die for) but lovely company! Was great to see them all again and feel so welcomed. We supplied drinks and cookies but all the rest was the mamas! We had chicken and rice and pea stew and bananas and salad and chilli- so good!

Big headed astronaut, Ali

Taji is not too sure about the swings yet

Jeremia

I am going to miss Amy and Arika so much!  Us girls, with Sam, our Director

Other School Visits

Aside from teaching, I have been able to continue visiting the families of the kids at Cheka and helping out at other schools.  It is a whole other world over here!  It is unreal how fortunate we are.  We have also been to Jue and Nuru.  Jue is amazing!  The head mistress, Ester, is probably the most incredible woman I have ever met.  She is building a new school  with her own money and took out a $70,000 loan from the bank for it!  Arika and Amy have both sponsored kids at Jue and Ester sponsors about 40 orphans there herself!

 

GLORIOUS

CHETI

LASTING BLESS

So GREAT to be back!!!!

It has been wonderful to be back at Cheka!  Things are going really well.  It is remarkable the progress both academically and socially the kids have made since we got here 4 months ago.  It seems like a dream recently. Having the new classroom, all the supplies and new toys has made such a huge difference. Teaching now is incomparable to 4 months ago- I feel like we’re really making progress and any visitors we have of other volunteers are amazed. Cheka seems to be where it’s at, at the moment and it’s hard to believe just how far its come! We love going and working and it’s not stressful or frustrating, but fun!

We also have a new teacher; Happy. She is just trialing currently but it’s been great having extra help- a Swahili teacher for each class.  We have been building up how much Teacher Catherine, and Teacher Happy teach each day in preparation for when we leave and have been giving them lesson plans and structures! It’s good we have to do it now as you cannot rely on Cheka getting volunteers.

This past week we did get 2 new volunteers, Sara and Marie, from Quebec. They're great!  Having all the extra help means we can work individually with the students.  We are actually going to extend the day by half an hour to do extra work with the best students and those who are struggling (including 2 new students who arrived on Thursday!)

We had a meeting with our director and teachers this week to discuss the future of the school. It is in such a good position at the moment but we've got dreams and plans.

A website to organize sponsorship (to both private and public schools) and donations (for teachers salaries, porridge etc) and provide information about all the children is underway!  I will be able to give you more details later but we are trying to get all the info we need from schools and children's families at the moment.

We are also sorting salary payments for this month for Teacher Happy as she is just working voluntarily but she's been amazing and we want to have her paid as soon as possible. 

Arika with Faraja, Me with Godlove (no, contrary to what it looks like, he didn't fall off)!

Joanita on the new swing set

Billy

Robson working on counting

Jememia working on addition

Eppi, one of the kids who lives on our street.  She walks me home from school each day and then asks for money!

A typically walk to school

God bless the rains down in Africa!  This is the road we walk 45 minutes to school.  The locals love to laugh at us slipping and sliding all over the place!