The Land of the Mau Mau

After leaving cold South Africa last June I was welcomed by the friendly Kenyan sun. Kenyans have always been known as the friendliest people of Africa and when I felt that sun on my body I finally realised where the source of their warmth came from.


Nancy Munyi greeted me with the whitest of teeth. Without even asking she grabs my luggage and told me that we were going to take a matatu. She asked me if we had this mode of transport back home and I told her that we called them taxis. She laughed, because taxi's in her country where our cabs back home. Our journey to Kitengela was a long one. Kitengela is on the outskirts of Nairobi, in one of my travel guide books it said that it is an hour’s drive. However, this book clearly did not know that Africa had its own time and we arrived at Kitengela two hours later.


When we arrived at the boarding school I was greeted with curious eyes and eager hands. The boarding school was actually a five bedroom house and 10 children turned this little house into a home. "People always ask me why I and my twin sister Phyllis started this school and all I say to them is that it was that we understand the hardships of special need children in our country. Both of our last born are dyslexic. It was the most natural thing to do". “I guess a mother always knows, right”? Nancy agreed with a smile on her face.


Woken by the voices of children I knew that it was school. A choir of "good Morning Teacher Allison" greeted me as I dragged myself to the bathroom. It made me think if there was ever a time in my life when I was excited to go to school.

It was my first time working with children with dyslexia, autism and ADHDD and I would be lying if I said that I was not nervous. However, the more time I spent with them all that medical jargon striped away and all I saw were children. These were children who had a hunger for learning. At times the line between teacher and student was blurred. We all had something to learn. We all had something to share.

There were times when my patience was tested. An easy sum like 2+2 would take us an entire day to understand, but the eagerness in their eyes kept me determined. I could not fail them.

From Monday to Friday I was Teacher Allison, but the weekends were mine. I spent this time with the locals in the area. Kitengela has a big Maasai community. Most of the Maasai have been forcibly removed from their homes so that they can make way for tourists and their ever flashing cameras. However, they still stay true to their culture. One will find a Maasai walking in the bustling Nairobi city barefoot in his colourful dress. In a place where everyone has opted for a western style, this is special.

 

It was when I saw a statue of Deden Kimthati that I remembered that Kenyans have had a very violent past, but this had not hardened their hearts at all. Coming from South Africa, it seems like most of us are paying for the sins of our fathers and those of others too.

Deaden Kimthai was the leader of the Mau Mau Rebellion. They were revolting against British rule. They had a fighting spirit that took the British and the rest of the world aback. Hmm, who would think a group of people fighting in a jungle would actually give the Brits a run for their money.

 

When I arrived at the school I saw the children playing soccer. Nancy embraced me like her prodigal daughter. I told her I was only gone for the weekend, but she said that she had missed me. She made me some chai (chai is tea in Kenya, but it's not made the conventional way). As we sipped away with the echoes of children’s laughter making its way into the house I told Nancy about my busy weekend in town. Nancy stared at the blank wall and said to me: "People have asked me how I find the strength to teach these kids. Most of the time its church going people who prophesise every Sunday that they love God, But how can you say you love God when you can't love another human being. I mean, you haven't even seen God. But you see people everyday."


With the sweet taste of Chai lingering in my mouth that was when I realised that the fighting spirit of the Mau Mau never died. That spirit was in the lady who sold avocados up the road, it was in Maasai who have decided to stay true to their beliefs, it was in Nancy who only sees her family on weekend and give her all to these children, it was in these kids who learn in ‘shack make believe classroom’ and prove all the scientists and academics wrong for their will is stronger than any ‘proven fact’. Yes, the Kenyans do get their warmth from the sun, but the sun burns too.