“Until We Meet Again”

By: LeJon April

We were eager to arrive at Kajiado and spend time with the girls. As we pulled up to the blue iron gate we looked out the window to see who would greet us. We drove through the gate slowly on the bumpy road and soon arrived at the door. The big hall reminded me of a plantation field deep in the south of America. Many of the children appeared to be happy. They were running around and playing, listening to music, reading, and completing homework. They were comfortable with each other and at peace with the simple presence of their friends. As we entered their community all eyes were on us. They wondered who we were. Out of nowhere familiar faces ran up to us and swung around our necks to give us warm hugs. We were happy to see them again. I looked around for a young girl who was disappointed when I left the last time. Soon, she appeared, she came up to me and gave me a big hug and smile. I was glad she was there, I knew today would be better than the last time when we left.

We quickly got started. Prior to our arrival, the girls had placed each chair in our unity circle. Everyone sat down and we began to introduce ourselves with our names and then by acting out an animal. The kids laughed as we went around the circle trying to be as creative as possible. We soon began to learn stage directions. This is always my favorite part of the day! The students loved this activity and it was beautiful to see them all running to find the correct place to stand on the stage. I felt confident, that they were more aware of theatre vocabulary and stage directions. We all enjoyed this activity.

Soon the students began to work in small groups. Some students worked on building their confidence by creating I AM statements, to edify themselves and others by identifying positive attributes about themselves. Other students went on to work on learning scripts and other students went on to create Kenyan tutus to go with their performances. All of the students were eagerly engaged.  They were very excited to make their tutus. I felt like this activity allowed them to make something that was their own. The kids were also excited to perform their scripts and I AM statements in front of the camera. They all gathered quietly for their moment to shine.

I was able to appreciate their curiosity and enthusiasm. I realized that the girls at Kajiado are teenagers who can sometimes be easily distracted, but at the same time, can be engaged by meaningful activities where they are able to interact with their peers and express themselves  more, in ways, that are relevant to their development.

December's broken heart

When I first went to Kajiado last December, I felt the girls were very quiet and to themselves. They would barely speak. They were very concerned with where Naima was. The would ask over and over again, “where is Naima?” They wanted to work with Naima and it was clear that she had built a circle of trust with them. This time around, I felt the girls were happy to see familiar faces, but I also felt that they would have appreciated more activities where they could be “free” and where they could be children, laugh, sing, dance, and play more. When I left last December, when It was time to say goodbye, I felt the girls were disappointed in me for leaving. One particular participant who I felt I connected with the most, refused to tell me goodbye in December. This broke my heart, but there was nothing I could do. I was very pleased today to see her again and when it was time to leave she gave me a hug and told me with a warm smile goodbye. All of the girls hugged me and told me goodbye. I was pleased as we left Kajiado with our departure. Until next time!