A Brief Update

Sorry we have not been posting very often, but now that we are teaching daily at Agiro Primary School, it is more difficult to find time to make the four mile trek to Mbita for internet access. But here we are, so here is a quick update!

Lessons have been going quite well at Agiro. Ravi and I were asked to teach classes independently, but we decided that, since neither of us has substantial classroom teaching experience, we would be better off teaming up. We teach English to class six, and Social Studies to class five. The children are very smart, but many of them are shy, and our accents are quite different from the accents of their other teachers, so we sometimes have trouble getting through and getting responses. But overall, it is going very well - at the end of our first lesson (Social Studies), two or three of the kids asked us earnestly to stay and continue teaching. Through RECESS. They're so great.

Sadly, this is our last week at the school, and on Rusinga. While we are sad to leave, we are so happy with what we have been able to do for FROWG and Agiro with the funds you have helped us to raise. The toilet is nearly complete, and today Ezekiel opened a bank account for FROWG, so that we may deposit the money we have set aside for food security. We have replaced many broken cups and plates for the feeding program, purchased a new cook pot, and this week we will replace the uniforms of about half the students in the feeding program. We provided five soccer balls for the children, and eight frisbee discs, to be shared between the feeding program and the sports program at the school. Agiro did not have a soccer ball this year, and Mr. George, the sports teacher, is very excited to train his students properly.

We appreciate the generosity you have all shown so much, as do the children, and Ezekiel and his family, in providing stability for the program for a further six months. This was a particularly trying winter for Ezekiel - the program was running low on funds, while food prices rose due to a delayed rainy season (it was due in November or December, and has still not arrived), and his fishing business, which he draws from when necessary for FROWG, has struggled due to drought. In short, this was quite the opportune time for these funds to arrive.

Next week Ravi and I will be traveling for a while, so this blog may not be updated for a few weeks, but please keep an eye on it - when we have time to reflect more deeply on our time in Rusinga, we will certainly have much to say.

Thank you,
Ian and Ravi