I’ve titled today powerless, partially because we had no power all day until about an hour ago (6pm). That spoils the day when you are planning on teaching all day in the computer lab. As if that weren’t far enough off the grid, my watch decided to die. No computer. No phone. No watch. No power.
What I did have, nevertheless, was a good day spent connecting with staff and students.
Immediately after chapel, about 20 staff volunteered to meet with me to discuss the role Facebook can/will play in getting more people around the world involved in the ministry. We talked about the impact of the things that they do on a daily basis. They absolutely have a profound impact on a local level, but I helped them understand that they can shape lives and influence others across the globe through social networking. These guys already have Facebook accounts and we set up a plan by which they can systematically and purposefully share what they do with others.
Please take a minute to visit the MITS Facebook page to connect with the ministry. Also, the staff members welcome you to become friends with them. I will list below, the staff members who’d like to expand their Facebook network. If you’d like, send them an invite and suggest your friends do the same.
Moses Okoth
Brian Ochieng
Helen Muga
James Mwangi
Jackton Omondi
Victor Otieno
Willis Odhaimbo
Nzioka Okendi
Joel Njue
Charles Ndonyi
Kennedy Atsiaya
Kenneth Wambugu
Robin ndunda
Elizabeth Wangari
Irene Akinyi Otalo
Phillip Kariuki
Patrick Saulo
There’s two things I’m hoping for after our time together. I hope they are able to share weekly what they do. You’ll be amazed and grateful to read about their successes and challenges. I also hope that they will begin to see a benefit to sharing, in the form of making new friends, receiving encouragement and seeing that the work they do matters beyond their local community.
After the staff met, I got to teach the computer skills students a photography lesson. We met from 10 am to 1 pm. Again, with no power. We did have four cameras that had just enough battery life to last the duration of the class. The focus of the day was portrait photography. I used a few whole brain teaching techniques that made the fun and very active. The kids had a good time and showed a great deal of interest and improvement during the course of the day.
Looking back, there wasn’t a single moment where I thought to myself, “these are just street kids.” They asked great questions, loved the hand’s on assignments and worked very well with their learning partner. This is a tribute back to the teachers that have been working with them in their classes.
I should post a photo or two at this time, but I’m just too tired to go back to the room and get my camera bag. I’ll post later some of the pics that the kids took in class.
Now about being powerless.
The first hour of the day, immediately after chapel, was spent in a staff meeting listening to the teachers deliberate about what to do concerning two very difficult situations:
1. What do we do about a former student who is only 19 years old but has three small children to take care of? Do we help her get a job? Can she take on a job? Do we help her get her own place to live? Do we give her another chance here?
2. What do we do about a 12 year old girl who is living on the streets and has just discovered that she is pregnant? Do we bring her in to live in Kamulu with the older, teenage girls? Do we find another place to take her in?
I like to think that I have a lot of answers, but not this morning. There are no easy answers when the questions look like this. I guess the questions I think I had the answers to in the past might not have been big enough problems.
As I listened to the staff members talk on each side of both issues, I was just amazed at the wisdom present. Most staff members are younger or much younger than I am. I knew they had it together, but today I realized what a treasure they were. I cannot imagine having to make such difficult decisions like they do…as often as they do.
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