On Friday I picked up the furniture for the adult education classroom in Ilkiloret that was made in Ngong – 12 tables, 1 cabinet and 1 desk. This particular fundi was recommended by someone on Wezesha’s board so I thought he would be able to cut the mustard, I was unfortunately mistaken. He forgot to make the teacher’s desk, the cabinet leaves a lot to be desired and is not what I had designed, and a few of the tables have obvious flaws. It’s to be expected really, most of the furniture here is poorly made, or maybe my standards are just too high – thanks Dad!
I got a lorry from another board member who owns a hardware store and the driver, George, and some helpers proceeded to pack it.
Amazingly everything arrived in Ilkiloret intact. The hardware store had provided one helper, but unloading the lorry was a three- person job and there were no able-bodied Maasai men around, so I got to do the honors. About a half hour later we were back on the road to Ngong, smellier and lighter than we started out and that meant George could drive faster on the road that in many places is not actually a road. My back ached by the time I was back in Ngong. I could write my name in the dust on my arm…lovely! And below is a picture of what I wiped off my face!
Next week I will go down on Wednesday afternoon and help Janet clean and arrange the classroom. My first class will be on Thursday, January 19. With the new building I’m expecting a lot of new students and hopefully the former students will come more regularly. The real test of a teacher is how much his/her students remember after a school break. I also have to cram of course…I had learned a lot of Maasai and Swahili vocabulary… where did I put those notes!
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