Bread Oven

This past week were mid-term exams. The students took a one hour exam in each subject and then they went home on Thursday afternoon. I ran with them before I left, and boy am I sore. How could I not go for a run though, because it gave the villagers such amusement. "Muzungu" and then words that I didn't understand. A lot of laughing though, and general merriment. And then my boys appreciated it too. It's happening, they are becoming my boys. Some of them (many actually) are older than I am, but here they are still called boys and girls until the graduate. Four of my boys are remaining at the school over the break. Thursday night we hunkered about a kerosene lamp and talked about cultural differences between schools in Kenya and America. In Kenya students are expected to fetch their teachers water, relay messages, and clean the teachers' office. In Kenya things come up and some teachers don't make it to class. I gave one of those Obama speeches, "yes we can" grow into effective adults and make a difference.

I also told them about my hope to build a wood fire bread oven. They got super excited. This is my first "project" here and it feels good to have the jimbe in my hand, to dig up dirt, place stones, and be working towards a common goal with the people around me. A fundi (worker, this was was a mason by trade) came on Friday since I don't know much about masonry. With my vision, his knowledge, and the students muscles we completed the first stage, a 2 1/2 ft tall base. I want to show you pictures, and some day I will but not today. You will have to wait. I am unable to upload them at these Internet cafes.

I introduced the project to the students by saying that I wanted to build an oven because when I lived in America I would bake bread about once a week. After they got the message they came up with their own plans, "maybe we will be able to bake bread for the school, maybe we will be able to sell bread to the community." Yes, that would be good. Maybe you will be able to build a covered matatu shelter so that people don't have to stand in the rain. Maybe you will be able to use the money to help children more needy than yourselves pay school fees. I hope that they will be able to tell me what the community needs. They are the ones who know, not me. We will see how this pans out. Even if there is not a sufficient demand, I will still be able to teach the students my favorite bread recipes. They will still have gotten practice working with their hands, skills that will help them after school. They will have learned a little bit about thermal expansion (hopefully the oven will not crack under the force). Most importantly, my boys and I will have grown closer through working together.

I found a coconut on a journey to Meru last weekend. I am hoping to reward them this evening for there help by cooking a peanut - coconut curry for them. Spices are not used here because they are expensive and they do not add nutrition. If I wasn't cooking for them they would be eating rice seasoned with salt. In Kenya boarding students eat githeri (beans and corn) for two meals a day. I wish that the American school system was a little closer to this. Instead of fake nacho cheese and corn dogs we could given them githeri with a little sakuma wiki (kale). They could get excited for Ugali (kind of like polenta) day instead of square pizza day. Could you imagine sending your kid to school with a cold lunch of beans and corn? He would hate himself, and no one would trade them their shoe-glue go-gurt for your kids organic proteins.