Arrived Alive

Well, here I am. In Kenya!
It's hard to believe it wasn't long ago i was sitting in Canada and now am halfway around the world!
The plane rides went smoothly with no delay. The KLM airline took super good care of me. Each flight had a drink, a little snack and a drink, a meal, a drink, a big snack box/small meal and a drink. On the first flight the snack box was all breakfasty with a bagel, creme cheese, granola bar ex. but on the second flight there was soup and some sort of salady pasta type thing. I didn't want the box so instead the stewardess brought me some mini chocolate bars and a granola bar. So they took really good care of me.

On the second flight I became friends with a UN worker who is a Kenyan national so that was very interesting. I asked him a lot of questions about the country and his opinions on the people (like me) who are white and come to try and help for a couple months. When you looked around on the flight you could tell there were a lot of people either going on safari or trying to do some humanitarian work. I thought, if I was someone from this country I wouldn't know how I would feel to have all these people come who thought they could come for a few weeks and fix everything. Anyways we talked for a while. He explained that there is starting to be a problem with something they like to call "slum tourism." Many people come to just see the poverty. A lot of tourists will hand out cash or supplies to the people in the slum, they are trying to help but actually doing the exact opposite. So many people are learning to just say "give give" to the tourists that they are not doing anything to help themselves.
Basically what I got out of the conversation was that the best thing that I can teach the kids at the school is essentially that they don't really need me.. if that makes sense. Also that giving out free handouts is not helpful, I need to offer skills not money.

Today I learned that I am no longer going to be working at New Adventure school but at a different school on the other side of Kibera. The reason for the change is that, a girl from here is already working at New Adventure, and a team of 14 Americans has recently come to help do some work there. I am definitely not needed there, and quite honestly when I heard there were that many North Americans there already I wasn't overly ecstatic about going. I am working at a school that is run by a local church. There is a Kenyan man that works here named Daniel who is basically a big brother to everyone here. He is a bodyguard and advisor. Because he is Kenyan he knows what is culturally acceptable and whatnot, and because he has worked with SIM for so long he knows how we act as well. Anyways it is his church that runs the school. The pastors wife is the headmistress there and me, and my new roommate Elyse (from France- we both arrived yesterday) will be the FIRST team to ever work there. There are about 350 kids, and it goes up to standard (grade) four! I am VERY excited because this means I will be working with young children. The ages there start from 2 and 3 all the way up to 12. I am very very excited about working at this school. It is a big privilege and challenge to be on the first team going there as we will be paving the way. Daniel is also very excited and it is the hope that many teams will be able to work at this school after we are done.

Everything here is absolutely beautiful. i will fill you in more later!