First Work Week in Kenya

We finished up with the camp and immediately launched into a week of meetings to determine what we would be doing for the next several months. The plan is to write a number of concept papers outlining various projects that are planned which will be used to obtain funding. At the same time, we are redoing the website for the organization, helping start math clubs at secondary schools and universities, and planning mini-math camps. Other ideas include starting e-libraries, starting a mobile lab, distributing loaded flash drives and working more intensely with local schools. We met with the new principal of Bishop Abiero and will work intensely with those students starting on Wednesday.

The week was non-stop meetings day and night but Saturday afternoon, we got a small break and drove to Kenya’s only remaining rain forest. We weren’t there long- only from about 5 pm Saturday until 10 am Sunday- but we did a nice three hour walk to see the sunrise and the waterfall. We saw numerous Colobus, Red-tailed and Blue monkeys in the trees. Unfortunately, they were too fast for picture taking. We also left too early to see butterflies as they don’t come out until it’s bright and sunny.

David, Giovanna, Mel and Danny eating ice cream before dinner. We had stopped at the big supermarket before we got to the forest but the tiny refrigerator wasn't big enough so we had to eat it immediately. Ice cream is a huge treat here.

Scenes from the sunrise walk.

Wild ginger plant

Its fruit

and flower

We were on top of that rock for the sunrise

The waterfall had a lot of water flowing this time of year.

At the edge of the forest, people farm

This is a very common toy here-an old bicycle tire pushed along with a forked stick.

David cooking breakfast

Right before we left Kenya in 2012, we met Daniel, the son of the caretaker of the cottages in the rain forest, when he was several weeks old.  Now he's quite the little man!

Ants

Kenya Math Camp

The day the Ghana camp was over, we took an overnight plane from Accra to Nairobi-one of the most uncomfortable nights ever. 5 1/2 hours of flying in the middle of the night with all of the cabin lights on the majority of the time. We got no sleep but the sunrise was beautiful and we quickly flew on to Kisumu which is a quick ride from Maseno. When we arrived at David and Giovanna's house where we will be staying, our friends from Philly, Ron and Carla were already there. Carla had come to Kenya for a safari and to help out at the math camp and Ron came as well. The camp started that afternoon and we dragged our exhausted bodies over there and played card games with the students until 9 pm.
The nest day,  the camp sessions started and we were busy day and night until the following Saturday. We didn't feel quite as connected at this camp as we hadn't been there for the preparation and didn't teach any of the sessions. There wee however some very interesting sessions and the students were enthusiastic and motivated as at the other camps.. A highlight for us was having four girls there from Bishop Abiero, our former school. They were delightful girls and we had a lot of fun with them. We are looking forward to going back to the school this week and seeing many of our former students.

The sunrise from the plane,.

The first night at the Kenya math camp with Ron and Carla and students.

First full day at the camp. The students began participating immediately,

Monkeys are everywhere on the Maeno University campus.

As in the other camps, the students were divided into four houses with a different mathematician and color for each, That explains the green headbands.

Here we are with the Bishop Abiero girls-Esther, Sherine, Pacifica and Mercy

Group activities worked very well.

The students were divided into four houses for competition and Mel, Ron, Carla and I were house parents for different houses. These were the students in my house.

Ron's house

Balloons were used to teach spherical geometry

Playing a crazy game where each team member has to spin around a stake ten times and then attempt to run dizzily to the end of the field and back

She is dizzy.

The students got two sodas a day which seemed a bit excessive. They loved it however as they  rarely get to drink them.

Mercy, Pacifica nnd Shirlene, all from Bishop Abiero.

Pacifica from our former school, Bishop Abiero. She's a Form I girl (9th grade) so we didn't know her when we were there but did know he sister well and were delighted to find out that she will be starting at a university soon. .

Sharlene volunteered a lot.

The girls jumped rope during a sports session.

The boys played football (soccer to us)

This is Taiwo from Nigeria who was a volunteer and observer at the camp.

Without David there would be no math camps

Zach who was very instrumental in organizing this camp

Sherine from Bishop Abiero. Like Pacifica, she was a strong presence at the camp, volunteering and learning a lot.

Who is this man?

Santiago, the organizer during prep week.

Giving our certificates