It was a special day at North Buncombe Middle School with a visit from Ronnie Mdawida and Serah Mucha! I traveled to Kenya the summer of 2014 and stayed with Ronnie and Serah in their homestay in Nairobi. Serah planned my itinerary, arranged my school visits, handled my transportation, and took on the role of being my "Kenyan Mama" (even though she is much younger!), and also became my friend. Her husband, Ronnie took me to his village to stay with his mother in Wongonyi and to get to know the teachers and students of Wongonyi with visits to the schools. This other new dear friend spent time showing me Mombassa and the Indian Ocean along with Serah's wonderful brother, Steve. My trip mimicked the trip Western Carolina University students have been doing the last 7 years. So since I was traveling alone on this adventure it was such a gift to have such wonderful people to care for me while there... and continue to. Ronnie and Serah have helped me establish a school partnership with Wongonyi Primary School in Kenya. This is the village where Ronnie grew up and where my students have been writing letters and creating art for and vice versa.
I can't describe the feeling of this full circle actually having Serah and Ronnie visit my classroom. I was so grateful my graduate school WCU professor, Dr. Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki introduced me to them, wrote my letter of recommendation for the travel grant as well as the one to South Africa for summer 2016), and then was willing to arrange a visit to see me while they were in the US.
I can't describe the feeling of this full circle actually having Serah and Ronnie visit my classroom. I was so grateful my graduate school WCU professor, Dr. Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki introduced me to them, wrote my letter of recommendation for the travel grant as well as the one to South Africa for summer 2016), and then was willing to arrange a visit to see me while they were in the US.
All of my students had written postcards with original art on them that I collected in our "Postcards to Kenya" mailbox. We also collected assorted school and art supplies for them to take back to the village with a school yearbook and photos of the students. We presented them with these small gifts after their huge gift of speaking to my students in the school auditorium with an answer and question session afterwards. Having Serah and Ronnie share about life in Kenya, gently correct misconceptions, and educate students on the education system in Kenya amongst other things was a bigger gift to us than any physical thing we could ever give.
My students got to have a real global experience today that no textbook or video could give them. My students have an invitation to travel to Kenya for a visit, a base in which to grow their knowledge of Kenya and the greater world, and hopefully a more open mind as their thirst for global education is greater.
My students got to have a real global experience today that no textbook or video could give them. My students have an invitation to travel to Kenya for a visit, a base in which to grow their knowledge of Kenya and the greater world, and hopefully a more open mind as their thirst for global education is greater.