Westridge Girls School H2O for Life trip to Kenya!
On March 17th, our H2O for Life trip to Kenya started with long flights from Los Angeles, California for the Westridge Girls School and their teachers, Gigi Bizar and John Cross; and a flight from Minnesota for H2O for Life founder, Patty Hall. We met in Amsterdam for our final flight to Nairobi.
Ella, Maddie, Ashley, Rachel, Siena, Maddie, Sophie, Maya and in front, Karina
We were glad to have a few hours to stretch our legs in the Amsterdam airport to get ready to “enjoy” the next 8.5-hour flight. We were a bit delayed on our departure but landed in Nairobi at 9:30 pm Kenya time. After a long line in customs, the task of finding luggage and changing money, we were finally on our way to the Wildebeest Eco Camp, arriving by midnight!
Wildebeest is a tented camp in Karen located on the outskirts of Nairobi away from the bustle of the largest city in Kenya. (and the traffic!) The setting is beautiful, with monkeys and amazing sounds of birds and frogs early in the morning. Monkeys were in the trees near the restaurant and later in the day perched on the railings around our tents. We were advised to be sure to keep our tents zipped or we might lose items to the visiting monkeys.
Wildebeest Tented Camp
Our plan was to be ready to leave for our first school visit to Gikambura School by 9:30 am. The teachers and girls began showing up on the veranda for a delightful breakfast around 7:30 am. It was a cool morning, but no rain! We had been watching the weather for the past 2 weeks, and it had been constantly raining throughout Kenya. Raining a LOT!
We wore our hiking boots or old tennis shoes as we expected the school compound would be muddy- and we weren’t disappointed!
Before heading to Gikambura, we stopped to visit the Kenya Rainwater Association office, our implementing partner within Kenya.
We learned that providing water, sanitation and hygiene education impacts not only the school but has an impact on the entire local community. Students are healthier with access to clean water, less time is spent gathering water, particularly by girls, toilets are accessible and gender friendly, gardens are a possibility increasing access to school lunch, and the hygiene education learned at schools is carried home with the students. Amazing what an H2O for Life service-learning project can accomplish! And of course, through their H2O for Life service-learning program the Westridge Girls learned to appreciate their own water resources, and are very conscious of the need to conserve and protect our resources.
Outside Kenya Rainwater Association offices
Florence, The Communication Director for KRA accompanied us to Gikambura School. She was a wonderful resource and answered all of our questions. Stephen Ngigy, head of KRA. was unable to accompany us as planned due to the severe rains in Kenya. He was out in the countryside tending to breached dams and projects that needed immediate attention. The rains caused many problems as we will share later in our journey.
Gikambura School is located about 30 minutes North West of Nairobi. We turned down a bumpy dirt road and finally reached the sign for the school.
We were greeted by hundreds of smiling students who were waiting to meet us. After ceremoniously signing the guest book, and meeting the Principal, we were joined by the standard 7 students for a tour of the water facilities.
We visited the gardens, made possible because of plentiful water year round, and visited a typical classroom. The younger students carried a table out to the school yard so that we could prepare to complete a water monitoring experiment with the students from Standard 7. We collected rain water from one of the tanks that is filled from the larger tank provided by Westridge Girls School.
The students broke into small groups and each group completed a water monitoring experiment measuring the turbidity of the water, the temperature, the pH and the dissolved oxygen. The results were downloaded later in the day to a global website. The experiment allowed the students to work together. Lots of smiles and giggling going on.
This water monitoring kit is available to all H2O for Life schools upon request! Join us to learn more about your own local water resources.
At the end of the experiment it began to rain. We all took shelter in a classroom, where the 7th graders sang to us, and in return Westridge girls sang to them. Westridge also did a school cheer which the students really liked!
Finally, it was time to say good-bye. We passed by the kitchen area where beans and rice were being prepared over a 3-stone fire. There was a lot of smoke, and it was hot! Some of the students receive meals from the school and others bring lunch from home. Teachers are provided a meal by the school.
We presented the school with 2 indestructible soccer balls from One World Futbol, and said our good-byes. It is an experience we will always remember.
