The township of Naro Moru
Naro Moru Mixed Secondary School - location of our project
ODFL partnered with SEANET (Sustainable Environment and Agriculture Network) to build the classroom.
Classroom construction began in May, 2007.
Naro Moru is located on the west side of Mt. Kenya.
Money raised from student donations in the United States funded the classroom construction.
High schools that participated in fund raising: Los Altos, St. Francis (Los Altos), Gunn (Palo Alto), West (Bakersfield), and Centennial (Bakersfield).
Many volunteers from the community donated their labor as well.
They are now ready for the US students to come help build!
All the students at Naro Moru Secondary School await our arrival.
Parents and community members also gather to greet us.
Local women sing and dance traditionally as we enter the school grounds.
Flag raising ceremony
A few of the students run the sound system for the Kenyan teens' performances.
School grounds - the principal's and assistant principal's office.
Other classrooms.
Inside a freshman (Form 1) classroom.
Classroom at the elementary school next door.
Most Kenyans are devout Christians.
The science lab room.
The principal, F.G. Kamau
One of the science teachers
Students in their uniform
My "sister" - Cecilia
Solomon
Getting our hands dirty.
We had to use sledge hammers to break large rocks to fill this trench.
Preparing the classroom walls for painting by sanding.
Trip leaders, Muthoga and Ms. Bolton.
Paint, paint, paint!
A mid-morning snack of fresh fruit and donuts.
Um, how's that macheti helping you paint, Evan?
Setting up the grid for the world map.
Are we done yet?
Out on the field during P.E.
Students are anxious to have their photo taken with an ODFL member.
Two of the teachers.
Santa Clara University sent along soccer equipment to donate.
The girls soccer team comes in to try on shoes.
The boys soccer team received donations as well.
We had to make due with what we had, but the boys didn't seem to mind wearing the womens' uniforms.
We are invited to participate in soccer practice.
The elementary school on one side of the high school.
Kids from the elementary school on the other side of the high school.
We divided classroom donations between various schools in the area.
Real soccor balls are a hot item vs. kicking around plastic bags tied into a ball.
Trying pop rocks for the 1st time.
Pop rocks!
Lunch time conversation
Time to walk home to spend time with our host families. There were always a number of kids wanting to escort you home.
There were the children that would gather at my house after school to see and play with the wazungu (white people).
My house - very luxurious!
My family.
Jane - our "grandmother"
Stella - our 21-year old "sister"
Cecilia - our sister who attends Naro Moru Secondary
My "brothers" - John and Sam
We were fortunate to have cement floors in the house instead of dirt.
My bedroom. The nets were to keep out mosquitos.
In the kitchen cooking chapatti.
Stella prepared the meals and took care of the household tasks.
Traditional dinner with ugali (right).
Inside the living room.
Our "shower"
The dish rack
We were one of the few families without a cow. A pen was being built for one.
It took a while for this child to not cry when he saw us - he'd never seen white people before.
This little guy was such a cuddler!
Margaret dances with the boys. They loved American rap and R&B - we listened to it all the time.
One of the neighbors
Coloring books were a big hit!
Visiting Muthoga's home for dinner
Learning how to wash clothes...
and how to milk a cow!
Wahome and his mother; one of the host families who invited us to dinner
Meeting a Kikuyu Mau Mau freedom fighter.
These men have not cut their hair since Kenya recevied their independence from Britain.
Normally it is worn twisted in a turban, but he let his hair down for us.
Going to visit the Mau cave hide out and meeting place.
The rebels would meet here in the 1950's to plan their next attack against the British.
It is estimated that over 50,000 Kenyans died fighting for independence.
Back on the farm (shamba) with my family.
This is their water source during the dry season or drought.
Cutting sugar cane to gnaw on.
Machetes are used to remove the cane bark
Stella cooking dinner
Local cabbage truck - these things were huge!
Inside the only house with electricity.
My grandmother gave me this poncho to keep me warm.
Our last evening together.
Charles and I
You'd look like me too if you hadn't seen a mirror or running water in 3 weeks!
CeCe helps me dig a hole for the tree they want Margaret and I to plant
They laugh at my inexperience with a hoe.
Our trees in the yard
We were asked to give them a name - rafiki means "friend"
Margaret names hers peace, love, and understanding.
Mike #1 and Rebecca #1
Mike #2 plants his tree at the school
Same outfit, different tree; the school had all ODFL participants plant trees
The closing ceremony
Elementary school girls from next door perform at the ceremony.
Tokens of thanks
Ribbon cutting ceremony
The finished product - beautiful!
Saying good by to my family
Posing with one of the biology teachers
Mrs. Drungo, the assistant principal
We could have never done it without Muthoga!
