Alleah Salone and her friends.

The most memorable moment about this trip has been teaching. Getting to know the students and the teachers has truly been a blessing. I have grown to know the students so well, and leaving them has been so hard. As I looked at my students today I thought to myself, ‘why does it have to end?’ Today I showed my students how to use my camera so they could have photos of me with them.  One by one they each snapped a moment that will never be forgotten. I will forever remember Kenya and the wonderful people I have met here.

Alleah Salone

Allie Ward and her kids.

The magic in this trip lives in the hearts of all the children that we’ve been able to befriend. Every morning, no matter how early, was started with a smile because we could look forward to a day full of our students, or better yet, our friends. Class 5 has touched my heart and I can honestly say I will never forget them. Not only are they the most adorable children, but they are so funny and charismatic as well. Ruth was always around to entertain everyone with a song and dance. John and Timo were always up to something, whether it be passing notes or winking at Becca and me while we were teaching. Best of all, I was groomed daily by the reaching hands of every student. Every child at my school had shaved heads, so my hair was a constant topic of gossip. By the end of this trip I’ve had my hair braided, brushed, and styled in every possible way. It was the little things like these that have made this trip so truly wonderful. I love my kids more than anything and the last day was filled with tears - it was like leaving my own children behind. Class 5 will always be in my heart and I’m so glad to have spent this trip with them.

Allie Ward

Becca Rogers and her Kenyan guide.

My Final Dispatch, sort of.

Becca Rogers, by Fred Roberts

Between the power going out on our final day and a line of students wanting to write their final dispatches, Becca wasn’t able to do her dispatch.  So I’m doing it for her.  On the first day that the students taught in their respective schools, I met Becca and Allie at Gitinga Primary School.  A sixth grade student, Peter, who lives near Batian’s View, volunteered to escort the girls home.  He continued to do so every day that Becca and Allie were at Gitinga.  Becca and Allie became very close to their students, especially some of the eighth grade girls.  Becca and Allie reached out to these girls, as they did all of their students, not only as teachers, but also as friends.  Such interaction takes time, patience and understanding, and to do so with those of a culture very different from your own is a very rare experience. And this is what Becca did each and every day.

Daphne Mattille with friends.

The most memorable part of this trip has been meeting people who were complete strangers who welcomed me into their homes as a long lost friend. Their generosity and hospitality goes beyond words.  They opened their homes to us in ways I’ve never experienced before.  Why?  I guess it is because this is the Kenyan way, and a lesson for me that I will never forget.

Daphne Mattille

Emily Hansen and her pal.

My second trip toKenya has given me a deeper appreciation for the Kikuyu culture and has allowed me to deepen previous relationships (and make new ones, of course!) with teachers, students and others that I have grown to love. One thing that I will take away is the balanced, caring, and reciprocal nature of friendships here – when you meet someone, they genuinely care about your well-being and show concern through their words, advice and actions. You naturally give just as much as they do and become more invested in a relationship than you may have originally expected. I’m going to miss the wonderful teachers and friends I made here and hope to return, as Jacinta said, “God willing.”

Emily Hansen

By Hanfei Zhang

This is the photo of the leopard taken the first time we could see him clearly! We were lucky to have seen a leopard on our first day, which made this an amazing safari. Thank you to  our driver – he was the best driver, always knowing what was going on and always giving us the best view of animals! Safari was my favorite part of the trip, and it will be stored in my memory forever.

Hanfei Zhang

Mr. Fred Roberts, as photographed by Jaxon Rickel

Mr. Roberts, Mzungu master of the Kenyan universe, walks. Mr. Fred Roberts walks through the campsite. Mr. Frederic Roberts, often wearing his hat backwards, has put in thousands upon thousands of hours running. Running where? Running what? You must ask these questions; you must read these answers: he’s run intercollegiate cross country races, 100-mile trail races, and everything in between; he ran the East Africa NOLS branch based out of Naro Moru for 12 years; he’s helped to run a top private school in Tucson called St. Gregory College Preparatory School for the last 11 years; and here he appears to only be walking, but he is actually running this campsite. This campsite is a small part of a bigger trip that Mr. Roberts is running. This trip is a small part of a bigger idea that Mr. Roberts has formed in the minds of many students who have traveled to Kenya and taught in its schools. And this idea is being able to do more than you think you can do and doing it better than you feel you are able.  This is Mr. Frederic Roberts.

Jaxon Rickel

Olivia Larsen our of her comfort zone.

Picture me out of my comfort zone. One of the things you learn in peer leader training at St. Gregory, the training you go through before facilitating the ropes course, is that learning occurs when one is out of her comfort zone but hasn’t reached a level of panic. I’ve been living in that area my entire time in Kenya.

For the past three weeks, I’ve been leaving my comfort zone consistently. Picture me standing at the front of a classroom, trying to seem confident while teaching a topic in science I only grasped superficially to students who have trouble understanding my accent and my colloquialisms; attempting to conquer natural obstacles in a forest; swimming in a muddy river or scrambling with Becca to find our way back to Batian’s View while lost on a hike. Picture me hyperventilating as I completed my final goal in Kenya by climbing to the tallest tree house at Batian’s View, and picture me looking up at the tree once back on the ground, proud.

Moments like those in which my limits were tested made being in Kenya an incredible learning experience. The challenges that I strived to complete have helped me grow immensely, and that element of Kenya, along with the amazing connections I’ve been able to foster with students and teachers at Manyatta, has made it one of the most worthwhile endeavors of my life.

Olivia Larsen

Sawyer Burton

Picture me catching up on my sleep as we make our way (or try to make our way) to Nairobi. It wasn’t easy to sleep in Mombasa airport during our 14 hour delay, despite how comfortable the chairs were. When I finally woke up I noticed everything around me. I didn’t know it at the time, but everything I would be doing this entire trip would be a wake up. I have noticed and learned things on this trip that have never even crossed my mind prior. Simply amazing!  For that I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible for me, especially my lovely mother.

Sawyer Burton

Vicky Wang and her students

This is a picture of me and the standard 6 kids. It was one of the classes I taught in Shalom primary school. It was taken on my last day there, and will always bring back many memories of teaching these lovely pupils. They were so eager to learn, even if their learning environment wasn’t the best. I enjoyed every minute that I was teaching them, whether it was math, English, social studies or any other subject. Teaching is definitely the most memorable experience for me throughout this trip. I will miss my students so much when I go home, and one day I hope to return.

Vicky Wang

The gang.

On our first full day in Kenya I take the students on a long walk. We walk along the main road and always pick up a few young Kenyans who accompany us, giggling.  We visit three of the schools the students will be teaching and are introduced to the entire student body.  After about three hours of visiting and walking, we arrive at this small hoteli, or restaurant. By this time the students are hot, tired and hungry. This little hoteli only serves local fare, ugali (maize meal) and sukuma wiki (stewed spinach and cabbage). The food is brought out and the students tentatively taste the meal. There are flies buzzing around, customers coming and going with robust greetings to the Americans, and a bit of dust blows by the open door.  No, this not AJ’s at La Encantada!  I love this first day and watching the students react to their new surroundings. The immersion has begun and many more experiences like this are on the way!

Fred Roberts

St. Gregory Dean of students

June 29, 2012

By Fred Roberts, St. Gregory Dean of Students

After a whirlwind three weeks in Kenya, I find myself surrounded by an unfamiliar calm.  It may take some time to get used to this.  We departed Batian’s View yesterday afternoon after many of the students experienced the high ropes course here.  We reached Jomo Kenyatta International airport at 7 p.m. and patiently stood in line to go inside to check in. The airport was lively with travelers coming and going from all over the world.  I bid my farewells to the group as they reached security, feeling odd to say goodbye after so much time together.  I guess it will make seeing many of the students back at St. Gregory in August just that much more special.

While the students’ adventure may be over, and in fact they still have 16 hours of traveling before reaching Phoenix, we still have one more dispatch coming your way, a culminating photo journalism dispatch written by each student.  In the meantime I will be headed back north to run the Safaricom marathon tomorrow morning, which takes place in a private game reserve.  I’m sure won’t be moving too much tomorrow afternoon and will get the final dispatch to you then.

This has been a very special trip and I hope that it has exceeded the students’ expectations.  I’m sure that many of you who have followed our dispatches will be hearing about it first-hand in the near future.

Fred Roberts

St. Gregory students explore a coffee and tea farm.

June 27, 2012

By Sawyer Burton, St.Gregory Class of ‘13

The day started off as usual with a breakfast that was tamu sana (very tasty). On the second day of our time here, we participated in a team-building program with the ninth graders from Mount Kenya Academy (MKA).  They asked us if we would come for a visit, which was our first destination for the day. MKA is one of the top schools in the country and is boarding school for girls and boys located near the town of Nyeri. Nyeri has a population of about 60,000 people, and was a hot bed for Mau Mau activity in the 1950s. Many of the students at MKA are fromNairobi, with a few from the UK, so clearly it is a well respected institution. MKA teaches both the Kenyan school system and the European school system, similar to the International Baccalaureate system. There are 250 students in the secondary school and 300 in the primary school. Our visit began by sitting in on a grade 9 chemistry class which was very hands-on and interactive.

A game of Giants, Elves and Wizards.

We then moved to the athletic field to find the ninth graders in their P.E. clothing and kicking a soccer ball.  The teacher suggested we play a full game of soccer, but none of us were prepared to run around for such a long time.  After a bit of discussion and some suggestions by Emily and Jaxon to play some games they used on the challenge course, we began with a major game of Monarch.  Since the students had played this before at Batian’s View, everyone knew the rules.  The game went on for a good 30 minutes until one of the fastest MKA students was the sole survivor.  Next was Giants, Elves and Wizards, which is like Rock, Paper, Scissors, but is played with one team against another.  It was tremendous fun and we all did a lot of laughing as each team acted out being either a Giant, Elf or Wizard.  We could have gone on for hours, but before too long it was time for lunch.  We had lunch with our ninth grade hosts and the rest of the student body.  Unlike the lunches we can buy at St. Gregory, this was a set menu with beef stew, a side dish of mashed potatoes and bananas, and fruit salad.  Within 15 minutes all 260 of us had been served and were sitting down to a delicious meal.

After lunch we said our farewells and were off to our next destination, a tour of a fish farm and coffee plantation.  After picking up our guide in Nyeri town we drove along very bumpy roads into one of the most fertile areas in all of Kenya. Eventually our guide stopped our caravan and we left our vehicles to walk down a steep path to a lush valley. The path led us to a local fishery co-operative owned and managed by the local residents. On the valley floor were 22 man-made ponds that contained tilapia. Tilapia is an especially popular farmed fish because they require low amounts of oxygen, and can thrive in ponds without circulating water. Tilapia are also omnivores, which means feeding them isn’t much of a problem. This was a wonderful example of a successful community-based project, from which everyone in the area benefitted.

St. Gregory and MKA students as elves.

After our tour of the fishery we then traveled a few rough kilometers to a coffee plantation. This plantation grew many local crops such as arrowroot, but also several cash crops such as coffee and tea. The plantation had a modest shamba (farm) of about 25 acres. As much as 70 percent of the tea and coffee industry of Kenya is made up of small farms such as the one we toured today. All of the small farmers get together and agree on a price, like 160 shillings (about $2) for a kilo of raw coffee beans. We also learned how coffee and tea is picked and sorted. The coffee beans are picked in terms of color. The red beans are more valuable than the brown ones. Picking tea is an acquired skill, and, as a few of us experienced, a difficult one at that. To pick the best leaves and to also help the tea plants regenerate new leaves, one must pick two leafs and a bud. The pickers carry a wicker basket on their backs, but instead of having two straps around their arms, there is only one strap that goes around the forehead. Picking with both hands, they toss the leaves behind them into the basket. Picking a basketful of tea leaves takes about three hours, that is if you are skilled. Workers are paid by the basketful, which when full can weigh up to 35 pounds.

After a long day we headed back to Batian’s View for a short rest. Soon after, all of the teachers we had been working with arrived for a dinner of chapatti, irio, vegetable stew and roasted goat, a real banquet.  Each of us then presented the head teacher of our respective schools with a book, which has been the tradition at this final dinner.  Each of the books were from the works of John Steinbeck, Jack London, Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway, and each of the teachers were excited to begin reading.  It was a very full day and to end it with the teachers we had become good friends with was a very fitting closure to our time in Kenya.

Emily and Winfred in the treefort.

June 26, 2012

By Daphne Mattille, St. Gregory Class of ’13

The last day of school for us! Our time in Kenya has passed so quickly it’s hard to believe we’ll be leaving in two days. Today we all went to our respective schools and said our goodbyes to our teachers and students. Emily and I had prepared gifts for the teachers and students.  In return the teachers held a ceremony for our departure, and for the students who improved on their mid-term test scores. At our morning tea break we gave the gifts to our teachers, who immediately accepted the chocolate and read the letters we wrote to them out loud. As a gift to the school we hung wall borders above each chalkboard, some with the alphabet and others with flowers as decoration.

As you may tell, teaching was not a priority today. Instead, we spent our class time thanking our students and giving out simple gifts. It was amazing to see how they all accepted their gifts with great enthusiasm and never asked for more than they were given. Finally, after the ceremony, the gift giving, and the wall border hanging, Emily and I invited one of our favorite students to Batian’s View for a visit.

Winfred, an adorable girl from standard 5, had always wanted to visit Batian’s View, and this was her time. We first gave her a tour beginning with the kitchen, the library, the riverine forest, and ending with our room. Her expression each time we entered a place new grew with amazement, and she’d ask questions like, “what do you do in here?” “Do you have the same thing in America?” – and so many countless others. We had a special treat of sipping chai and eating popcorn in the tree house. To make the time even more special, we spotted a few monkeys in the trees nearby. Even thought Winfred lives near by, she said that she had never seen monkeys like this.  We also showed her how to use my camera and she held on to it for the next 30 minutes.

Last day with our students.

We walked Winfred home around 5:30 p.m. and said a quick hello/goodbye to her family.  Though it didn’t seem too late, it became dark quickly so we walked double time back to Batian’s View.  Once there we and joined the others for a group dinner in Mr. Roberts’ home, with his family as well. We talked about our favorite experiences in Kenya, which largely focused on the students who we taught and the teachers who had become our friends.  While we all shared our feelings of how eager the young Kenyans were to learn, we also realized that they are like kids anywhere, always wanting to play, passing notes in class, and enjoying a good prank on a classmate.  These simple things reminded us that we all have much in common even though we are on different sides of the world.

Following our amazing dinner, we all headed toward the library and watched a movie to keep the night going a little longer. Finally, the day ended with me writing my dispatch! This was a very eventful day that helped us realize not only how lucky we are to have had this time in Kenya with such grateful people, but also how close we are to saying goodbye to Kenya and saying hello to our families at home!

Classic Samburu.

June 25, 2012

By Fred Roberts, St. Gregory Dean of Students

For the last three days we were in Samburu Game Reserve, roughly three hours north of Batian’s View.  Samburu was established in the late 1960s, along a stretch of the Ewaso Nigro River, rich with wildlife and vegetation.  The river is the largest catchment for all the smaller rivers running from the north off of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains, and is the lifeblood of the pastoral cultural groups living in the area. While one could argue that the abundance of wildlife and diversity is not what is found in the more famous parks such as the Serengeti or the Maasai Mara, Samburu is just as pretty and has a tenth of the visitors. The peace and quite of Samburu is well worth the effort in reaching this remote destination.

Crown crane

After entering the park we drove another hour, but going much more slowly as we stopped to watch giraffe, zebra, and many other plains animals. Since it was the early afternoon and the hottest part of the day, most of the animals were taking an afternoon siesta. Upon reaching camp we unloaded the gear and began setting up the tents. The baboons and smaller vervet monkeys took great interest in our arrival, and we quickly found out that some of the monkeys have become quite bold in finding a ‘free lunch.’  Below is Hanfei’s account of what happened soon after our arrival:

“When we reached our camp everyone was excited by the beauty of the place and wanted to look around. There was so much greenery surrounding us, and a small beach along the river right next to camp.

Giraffe

“After everything was set up, we were hanging out and having lunch. At this moment, danger appears. Vicky was a bit away from the group and quietly eating her sandwich. All of a sudden a baboon ran down from a tree and tried to grab her food right out of her hand! The baboon was too short to reach the food, but became tangled in her scarf instead. Several of us ran to Vicky to save her. Mr. Roberts shouted at the baboon loudly and ran towards Vicky, yelling like mad.  Wisely Vicky gave her food up to the baboon, so that her brief but scary ‘food war’ with the baboon ended as quickly as it began.

“But the war is never over, because they always seemed ready to make another dash at some food at any time, so we always had to be on the lookout. Only a few of the male baboons were brave enough to try and take our food, with most of them content to eat the acacia pods in the trees overhead and watch us from a distance. It was also interesting to watch them, and see them interact in their natural environment. By the late afternoon we were ready to embark on our first official game drive, and everyone was ready to go.”

Samburu safari team

For the next two days we took afternoon and early morning game drives. Samburu is home to 13 different elephant herds, and I think we saw all of them. One was a herd of roughly 50 elephant, including two small ones that looked to be less than a year old. At first we thought they were twins, but by the way they kept close to two different females it was clear this was not the case. They did, however, play together as if they were siblings. All of the elephants in the herd seemed to keep an eye on these young ones. We also saw large crocodiles basking on the banks of the river and more plains animals coming to the river to drink.

While the elephant and plains animals were plentiful and easy to spot, high on our list of animals to see were lion and leopard. This trip to Samburu was exceptional in that we saw both, and as for the leopard we were privileged to enjoy two sightings. On the morning of our second day we followed three lions, two females and a younger male as they walked through the grass on their way to the river. At the river they drank their fill and seemed intent to cross.  The Ewaso Nigro River is fairly shallow and the trio had no problem reaching a sand bank close to the opposite side. There they closely watched the deeper water next to the shore, only 15 meters away. The younger male went first, splashing his way through and having to do a short ‘dog paddle’ before reaching the bank. The two others followed soon after. They left the water and shook themselves as would a dog, and sauntered off into the bush. Less than a minute later a large crocodile exposed its snout and eyes in the very same spot. Had the lions known the croc was there? Did the croc know that to take down a lion might be too much to handle? Or was the reptile just a moment too slow in its attack? Whatever the case, it was a wonderful sighting for us.

Our first leopard sighting was on the afternoon of the first day.  The animal was perched in an acacia tree, and the closest we could get was 100 meters. In all my time in Kenya, seeing a leopard, at whatever distance, is a rare treat. The cameras were clicking away, but this leopard seemed to like its privacy and it was hard to get a very good photo. On the afternoon of our second day, however, as we were headed back to camp there was a gathering of vans near a large tree in which a leopard seemed to be holding court. The predator was lounging on the large limbs with its tail whisking back and forth. We were only 50 meters away, and with our zoom lenses the cameras were clicking away. I felt like we were the paparazzi, closing in on a famous celebraty, and I think the leopard felt likewise. After 15 minutes of photos, or simply watching the leopard through the binoculars, the sun began to set and it was time to go. And for the leopard it was time for darkness and another night of hunting.

We returned to Batian’s View late this afternoon, with a hot shower on everyone’s mind. While in Samburu we hadn’t noticed the dust that left a fine patina on our clothing, but now we did! And if our clothing was a shade darker, that must mean we all were covered with the stuff. While we can wash away the dirt and dust of Samburu, nothing can ever remove the wonderful memories we now all have of visiting such an amazing place with close friends.

The heart of Samburu.

June 25, 2012

By Corinne Dedini, Atlanta Girls School (traveling with St. Gregory)

What comes to mind when you think of Africa? I think of beautiful and colorful people, a lone acacia tree against the backdrop of an expansive sky and, of course lions and elephants! Our trip to Samburu National Reserve included all of these, the National Geographic version of Africa. But the international press corps feeds Africa’s underbelly to an insatiable Western audience: An Africa plagued by famine, drought, corruption, AIDS, poaching, women’s inequality and tribalism, shaped in part by the destructive remnants of the European hegemony. Our trip to the Northeastern part of Kenya gave us a glimpse of this world, too. But we are left hopeful that, by protecting its wildlife and educating its children, Kenya’s young democracy is growing into National Geographic’s Africa.

Young males playing.

Traveling down in altitude and up in latitude, we left the cool Mt. Kenya air and warm Kikuyu people behind and passed through Isiolo, a bustling, dusty and eclectic town with a border feel. Here disparate cultures—Samburu pastoralists and Muslim Somalis—not only coexist, but welcome tourists on their way to one of Africa’s true treasures: Samburu National Reserve.

Map of elephant movement using satellite collars.

The reserve is named for the local Samburu people, herders who live in compounds of round huts made of branches. In ethnography and lifestyle, the Samburu are the Maasai’s Bantu speaking, northern counterparts. The anthropology is as much a part of the safari experience as is the ecology. Camping along the Ewaso Ngiro River facilitated an easy transition between game drives, swimming adventures and campground downtime (more on this from Hanfei!) Not only did we see the elusive leopard and lion, but we also spotted the iconic elephant, zebra, giraffe, oryx, impala, gazelle, gerenuk, dik-dik, crocodile, baboon, jackal, warthog, savannah monitor, leopard tortoise, ostrich and many other interesting birds.

Satellite tracking collars worn by elephants,

A visit to the Save the Elephants field station helped us appreciate the essential roles of education and local partnerships in reducing elephant mortality rates. While reserves ostensibly protect what remains of the African elephants’ fragmented habitat, the Asian ivory market and global economic downturn fuel illegal poaching. An inspiring model of collaborative work towards sustainability, Save the Elephants partners with local farmers and schools, international teams of scientists and activists, and the Kenyan government to try to prevent the extinction of African elephants in the wild. Festus Ihwagi of Save the Elephants explains why the “illegal killing of elephants raises alarm. If conservation of elephants is threatened, so is employment, security, and donor funding for the communities surrounding the conservancies. Illegal killing of elephants is a form of economic sabotage for the development agenda. Wildlife is intended to enhance livelihood options, meet real social needs, and address environmental priorities.” As a keystone species, the elephants of Samburu teach us that human exploitation of resources could cause ecosystem, and therefore economic, collapse. Interest peaked? You can learn more about Save the Elephants and its esteemed founder, Iain Douglas Hamilton, at www.savetheelephants.org.

A reseracher's vehicle that was destroyed by a bull elephant.

Camping safaris are not for those with a weak constitution. This adventure built not only appreciation for different cultures and natural systems, but also personal resiliency. St. Gregory and Atlanta Girls’ School families, I admonish you: Take time to listen carefully as your sons and daughters recount their experiences in Kenya. You will surely find that they have discovered much about themselves and the world. After our three day safari, we all agree that Samburu National Reserve is quintessential Africa!

Samburu has leopards, too!

Becca and the lions.

June 25, 2012

By Becca Rogers, St. Gregory Class of ’13

When last year’s group returned from Kenya, my Facebook newsfeed was flooded with pictures of everyone jumping into a stone pool surrounded by a vast savannah. Back then I was very curious as to where this had taken place. Yesterday afternoon I discovered the mysterious swimming spot was Buffalo Springs, a natural spring flowing up from the rocks in a very dry environment. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. We had to drive about an hour to get there, but it was worth it as we practiced our cannon balls and group jumps into the water.

A dip in Buffalo Springs.

Mr. Roberts had told us the previous group had algae fights in the spring, so we attempted to do the same. Just as we were getting into the heat of the battle and having fun splashing around, the skies grew very dark to the south. The wind picked up and it slowly began to rain. It was like someone had thrown a switch and the weather went from sunny and hot to rainy and chilly. We called our algae war a truce and quickly had a delicious lunch of hamburgers, salad, watermelon and cookies before the rain began in earnest. We were all in the vans when it began pouring and the dirt track we were following became slick. Trying to look at animals in a rainstorm is no one’s idea of a good time, so we headed for a nearby lodge to wait out the weather.

Simba Lodge, our shelter in the rain.

The beautiful, pristine lodge was quite the contrast to our sandy, riverside campsite patrolled by baboons. The lodge was made of study logs and everything was ‘outside.’ By that I mean the lobby, restaurant and large lounge area were a huge verandah covered with a high thatched roof. In every direction were expansive views of Samburu. I think we were all a bit surprised to find ourselves in such a place.

It was nice to be out of the rain and after Mr. Roberts inquired about whether it was OK for us to stay, which it was, we headed straight for a table of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cookies in the lobby, soon coming back for seconds. We feasted on our snacks in comfortable chairs around a large table and played a few games of cards while we waited for the rain to slow down.

This beats a fancy lodge any day.

I couldn’t help but think of how different an experience it would be to stay in a nice resort, as many tourists do, go on a game drive during the day, and then return to a cozy bed and warm shower at night. This would certainly be the easiest way to experience a Kenyan safari, but our two nights of camping provided a much more memorable and interesting trip. No one will forget the baboons and vervet monkeys hanging from the trees above our tents, long conversations during dinner around the fire, and falling to sleep to the sounds of the animals across the river. In the lodge, you’re simply having an American experience surrounded by African animals. By camping, we were actually in the midst of the animals and nature and much more engaged in the safari.

Once the rain let up we said farewell to the Samburu Simba Lodge, with many words of thanks for the very friendly staff. With the new-fallen rain our surroundings looked very different. There were puddles of water on the road, and at one we found a tortoise drinking. While it may have been my imagination, it seemed as thought the leaves of the acacia trees and the grass were just a bit greener. And the smell! So fresh and moist, unlike the hot and dusty air to which we had become accustomed. We took a slow drive back to camp, arriving at 6:30, a bit later than normal.

Our riverside camp.

Before any of us could relax and think about dinner, Mr. Roberts announced that we were departing again in 20 minutes for a surprise. None of us had a clue as to what he was up to. We piled into the vehicles again and went to a lodge that was a half a mile away. We walked through the spacious lobby and out to a large viewing area overlooking the river. There on the bank, just 15 feet away, was a HUGE crocodile! We had seen many crocodiles already, but to be so close was something we hadn’t experienced. A second one, nearly twice the size, joined it, and we watched as the two crocodiles chomped down on cow bones thrown to them from one of the lodge employees. This is one of the many ‘attractions’ created by the lodges to entertain their visitors. It was incredible being so close to the crocodiles, watching them crack the bones with their huge jaws, but we knew this was more of an act than anything else. While unnatural, I don’t think the crocs had any objections. This was entertaining but our memories of the Samburu crocs will be of them sliding through shallow river or basking on the bank. Another special ending to our day in Kenya.

Greetings to our readers,

We apologize for our silence the last few days. The St. Gregory group has spent the last three days in Samburu Game Reserve about 120 miles north of Batian’s View, where we witnessed East Africa’s bountiful wildlife. In the next day or two the students will be reporting on our time there.

This dispatch is about our day on June 17 that began with a trip to a commercial rose farm followed by a visit to an American couple who have lived in Kenyas since the early 70s. Jaxon Rickel wrote about only the first half of the day, the second half being our time at the Equator Curio Market. I had been thinking about this experience for some time and wrote with more detail than normal for our regular dispatches. I hope you enjoy it.

Tomorrow will be a recap of our time in Samburu.

Fred Roberts

St. Gregory Dean of Students

Dispatch from Kenya

June 17, 2012

By Fred Roberts

As our van pulled into the Equator Curio Market the vendors snapped to attention.  It reminded me of a lioness shifting her ears forward to better hear her prey, readying herself for the chase and capture of an unwary gazelle.

I may be exaggerating, but some of the students were very nervous about going to the curio market and bargaining for the carvings, beadwork, fabric, and spears that so many previous St. Gregory students have purchased in the past. As we entered the parking lot my advice was: “Whatever their price, make a counter offer of 50 percent less and take it from there.  Above all else, have fun, and don’t buy anything you don’t want.” This is easier said than done considering the students will be haggling with professionals who exist entirely on selling curios to tourists. This is akin to bargaining with a smooth used car salesmen working on commission who could sell a chunk of ice to an Alaskan.

On the equator

Visiting the Equator Curio Market is a fun event for me. It is interesting to watch the various bargaining techniques of the students, often reflecting their personalities. A few are happy to pay the asking price, and others will make one counter offer and then be happy with the vendors ‘final price.’ Some, however, are out for the best deal possible. The haggling will go on for 15 to 20 minutes, with either the vendor or the student at one point saying “no deal!”  Both know, however, that the other wants the deal to be made, so they begin the negotiations anew.

Vendors await the tourists.

As the students meandered from shop to shop, I too walked around doing my best to look in each shop to a chorus of “Please, come in and see my shop. Looking is free.” I entered the shop of a woman I recognized from previous visits. She had the same items as the other shops, except for one: a large carving of an elephant from wood with a deep brown color and smooth as could be. The elephant’s trunk is held high in the air as if leading its herd to safety. Or maybe it was simply trumpeting. This was one item that I liked and decided I wanted. Rule number one as a buyer, however, is that you never show too much interest in a particular item. I casually asked the shop owner, Alice Njeri, for the prices of a few random items and then even more casually asked about the elephant. She said that for me, since I was the teacher and had brought my students, the price was 5,000,  roughly $62.50. I was a bit surprised, thinking that the initial asking price would be twice or more than that. Looking at carvings and beaded work wasn’t the only thing I wanted to accomplish. I also wanted to learn more about how the curio business worked, and in particular how it worked at this market.

Olivia and Becca in shop #17.

Alice and I sat down on two small stools outside of her shop and I began my questioning.  There are 31 shops at the Equator Market, each of them numbered. It is this order that determines which vendor will approach the next vehicle that arrives. For example if at the end of the day on Wednesday it was vendor #15 who had the first crack at the last vehicle to arrive, on Thursday morning it would be #16. While that vendor has ‘rights’ to approach the vehicle first and to try and coax the occupants into his or her shop, if the visitors decide to go to another shop, #16 has lost his or her chance.

Alice said that before this system many vendors would descend on a vehicle at once. This was intimidating and some tourists even refused to get out of their vans. With the number system the visitors are welcomed by one person, can get out and stretch their legs, and look around before deciding where to go.

The key to making a successful sale, Alice told me, was to get a tourist into your shop.  Once inside the vendor could go on and on about what they had and how that particular tourist was special and will receive the best prices. Next, the vendor watches the client closely to see what interests them. It if is a table of bracelets, the vendor will pick up one or two and put them on the clients wrist and ask what they are willing to pay. The client may say that they are only looking and try to take the items off, but the vendor will continue until the tourists makes some kind of offer. At this point the bargaining will begin. At the same time, the vendor must be careful to not push the client too far.

I asked Alice how the vendors set an initial price for an item. She explained that normally the beginning price is three to four times the original purchase price. A small carving Alice purchased from the carver for 100/= will have an initial price of 300/= to 400/=,  the thinking being that most tourists will counter with a price that is half to three quarters.  The bargaining goes back and forth a few times until a price of 250/= to 300/= is agreed upon. The buyer is happy knowing that he or she successfully bargained for a ‘good’ price, and the vendor makes a tidy profit. At the same time, Alice said that even if the price is just a bit above the original purchase price, the vendor gives in. She said that even a modest profit is better than nothing, “because I can’t eat the items sitting on my shelf.”

While the three to four times mark up system is the standard, the vendors also profile. The richer the client looks, or the less aware a tourist appears, the higher the asking price.  Top-notch tourist companies with large logos on the side of their vans indicate high paying tourists who have extra cash. Alice said that a group such as ours, young students who probably only have set amount of money to spend on curios, will have lower asking prices. It also helps when the tourists speak a bit of Kiswahili or tells the vendor that they are in Kenya for reasons other than to see animals and take photos. It also helps to have a guide, which in this case was me. The vendors have a sense that I am looking out for the students and will be sure that no one is ‘taken to the cleaners.’

The first impression of the scene is that the vendors are in competition, but this is not so true. While any one of them would enjoy making most of the day’s sales, given the fact that many of the shops have exactly the same items, the vendors work together to extract as much money as possible from a group of tourists.

One example is when a tourist enters one shop and says he or she is looking for an authentic Maasai spear. If that vendor doesn’t have it, he will run to the shop where the item is present and will bring it back to his shop. The vendor who sells the item will then split the profit with the vendor who actually owned the item.

With 31 shops to visit, at first the students meandered around stopping for short visits to several shops. When a client leaves one shop, the vendor of that shop is not allowed to follow that client into another shop to lure them back. This is a big ‘no-no.’ It is as if there is an imaginary boundary between each shop, where one vendor must let go of a potential client and the next vendor has his chance. It reminded me of a clown fish which is attached to its own anemone in theIndian Ocean. The fish will hover close to its own territory, but go no further. There is a ‘gray zone’ extending directly away from each shop which seems to be fair game in for approaching clients. This is the only area where two vendors may approach one client, which adds to the client’s confusion on which way to go. Vendors will try to win the favor of the client until he or she is swayed one way or another.

Another tactic used by vendors is to keep a client in his or her shop after the deal is done.  Nine times out of 10 when the client turns over the cash, the vendor says she doesn’t have change and must rush to the next shop for smaller bills. During this time another vendor in the same shop will try to entice the client purchase yet another item. Sometimes the client will follow the vendor to the next shop where change is being made, giving the vendor in the new shop an opportunity to make yet another sale to the client.

To the tourists who visit the Equator Market, it appears that business is brisk with a lot of activity, which is true for that particular group of visitors. Alice explained that there are also dry spells where a day will pass without one vehicle stopping. In fact, ours was only the second vehicle to stop that day. Alice also worries about the international press and how negative publicity about Kenya will scare away tourists. She was appreciative that the St. Gregory group was there and said that today a few of the vendors could afford an extra pound of sugar or flour, or be able to put away some savings for their children’s school fees. As Alice spoke, not once did she make reference to herself, but rather she was happy that money was being spent and that transactions were being made.

Because Alice knew that I was from Naro Moru, she asked me what else the students were doing inKenya. I explained that they were teaching in several public schools and that only the day before we had helped with the construction of a new classroom at one of the less fortunate schools. With this she rambled on about how we were the type of visitors that were really promoting Kenya and making a difference.  I felt very proud with her comments.

Allie and Vicky in the gray zone.

Some clients have tremendous ‘staying power’ and are content to visit all of the shops and haggle over each purchase.  Others become tired early and feel as though there is no place to hide. For these tourists, the Equator Market has a central sitting area with soft benches and sodas for sale. This is the ‘safe zone.’  Other than the person selling sodas, and only sodas, no vendor is allowed to enter. I directed a few students to the safe zone, where they described to me their experiences and displayed what they had purchased. As more and more students joined us, a few of the diehards were still at it. Jaxon Rickel and Hanfei Zhang took the prize for bargaining. Several students asked Hanfei to accompany them to help with their bargaining. Hanfei asked them what they wanted to pay, and then she went to work. Jaxon was stuck with one vendor on the purchase of a bow and four arrows for 1,000/=, about $12.  Jaxon wanted the bow and six arrows for the same price, but the vendor wouldn’t budge. The vendor said that he would be making very, very little profit, holding out the tip of his pinky for emphasis, with a price of 1,000/=. Jaxon had his mind made up and playing the ultimate bargaining chip, walked out of the shop and into another.

At this point we were all in the van and ready to go, all but Jaxon that is. As our driver started the van, Jaxon came running out of the shop where he had been bargaining,  holding his bow and SIX arrows.

After Alice had answered my questions, I said that I was going to check on my students.  Not once did she ask me to come into her shop for another look or ask about the elephant.  She seemed content with our conversation, and settled back in her chair. This is the type of interaction I truly value with the people I meet inKenya. It was very honest and authentic. While Alice wasn’t going to bring up the elephant again, this was a piece that I wanted and had a set price in my mind for what I would pay.

Alice and I went into the dark surroundings of her shop and to the elephant. She told me that whatever price I offered was fine. Now I was feeling guilty and didn’t want to offer a price so low that she would be offended or one where she would make little or no profit.  I said that I was happy with the price of 5,000/= but that I would be even happier if she also included three carved monkeys displaying the “see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil” gestures. She broke into a large grin and immediately began wrapping up the items.  I think that for everyone at the market, buyers and vendors alike, it was a very good day.

Maina has a smile to go with his new shoes.

June 22, 2012

By Allie Ward, St. Gregory Class of ‘13

Seeing that my last post talked quite a bit about shopping, it’s only appropriate that I would continue in that fashion, only with this dispatch being about shoes. As many of you know already, St. Gregory was able to collect hundreds of pairs of shoes this year thanks to the leadership and determination of student Athena Roesler. Last year Athena taught at the school I’m teaching at now, Gitinga. When you walk into the school, you see smiling faces, but as you take a closer look you notice that there are some kids without shoes, and some with shoes that are falling apart. With such an obvious issue, Athena presented an obvious solution. She made it possible for this year’s group of St. Gregory students to give every child at Gitinga a pair of shoes. She spent hours collecting shoes and raising money to buy even more shoes – enough to fill eight duffle bags to transport to Kenya. The process of handing them out, however, was a hectic one of trial and error!

Lining up the 4th graders.

When we first arrived at Gitinga announcing to the headmaster that we had a wonderful gift for the students, we had assumed we would just lay out all the shoes in a classroom and have a little shoe store where kids could pick and choose. Unfortunately, the reality was that it would be too difficult to use an entire classroom and the students could potentially end up fighting over shoes. With that, a new idea formed. We were going to label each pair of shoes with a child’s name and simply hand them out. With that came another problem – what if the shoes we gave out didn’t fit their assigned person? By the end of this week, we decided that the most chaotic method was the best alternative. Instead of having any organization, we simply took the bags of shoes to Gitinga and personally fit each of them. We had each class sit on the ground in a line and we took a pair of shoes we thought might fit them and continued until we found a match. Regardless of the method the outcome was still the same: 198 smiling faces and shoe-fitted feet.

Sawyer going for the perfect fit.

It’s truly amazing how much we take our shoes for granted. The children at my Gitinga and the other schools walk every day, there and back. The material covering their feet accompanies them to and from everywhere they go. There are no cars for them to ride in or buses to take. Their feet and shoes take them everywhere. And you can bet that the shoes on their feet are the only pair they have. It was magical seeing their faces light up when we dumped duffle bags of shoes out in front of them. They were so excited, and for something as simple as shoes. It was so wonderful that we all got to experience their joy when we one by one kneeled down in front of them, asking if their shoes were “mzuri”  (good). Thank you again Athena, the kids say jambo (hello) and asante (thank you) to their friend in America!

New shoes for the teachers!

In Loise's sitting room.

June 21, 2012

By Emily Hansen, St. Gregory Class of ‘12

This trip to Kenya has been incredible! Every single day there are opportunities to have meaningful cultural exchanges and to experience snippets of the Kenyan lifestyle. Throughout each day I stop to reflect on the Kikuyu sayings our teachers share with us and marvel at the balanced, calm rhythm of life that allows time for appreciation and contemplation. I am eager to absorb as many new outlooks and wisdoms as I can during our trip, so like my sister Liz once said, “I am just going to be a sponge!’’

Our day started out with proctoring and grading the midterm examinations for grades 1-8. The Kenyan students began testing on Tuesday or Wednesday and will have had testing for a total of two and a half days by the end of the week. Irigithathi and a couple other schools began Wednesday morning and are scheduled to continue through tomorrow afternoon.

Daphne and I proctored the Kiswahili and science exams but then were excused for the rest of the day to visit the home of one of our “mother’’ teachers, Ms. Loise Maina. Mrs. Josephine Maina, the wife of Nelson (headmaster at Gitinga) also came with us since she and Loise are good friends. Ms. Maina gathered her sweater and teaching materials in her shiny Winnie the Pooh bag, and we were off! Just as we left the teachers’ room, another teacher, Ms. Githaiga, jokingly told us that we should remove our belts before getting to the house to maximize our comfort later on (little did we know, Ms. Maina had a delicious lunch prepared for us as soon as we arrived!)

Ms. Maina lives about 45 minutes walking distance away from Irigithathi in a small village called Kambi. To get there we followed a smaller road that wound past the Disabled Children’s Home and four private primary/secondary schools behind Irigithathi. My favorite part of the walk was when we followed a worn footpath nestled into the banks above the Naro Moru River and crossed a dusty concrete bridge to get to the other side. She took us to a higher point where we could see the tall eucalyptus trees of Batian’s View in the distance and showed us how to find the way home if we ever needed to. Along the way she explained the methods of grazing livestock, getting around on foot, and shared details of her life with us that we would not have known otherwise. She told us about her three sons and her background before coming to Irigithathi, and in turn, we told her about our families, aspirations, and impressions of Kenya.

At around 1:30 we arrived at her shamba (farm in Kiswahili) and were invited into her sitting room for lunch. She had a meal of chapati (bread) and lentil stew (with carrots from her own garden, might I add) already warmed. Here, it is part of the culture to eat until you are full. They say that eating more helps keep you stay warmer, so in Kenya’s cool weather it is important to remain insulated by consuming hearty servings, and we were more than happy to oblige. A platter of watermelon, bananas and oranges followed our meal. Last but not least, chai, made from fresh milk from her cow named Shisho.  Sipping chai in the morning and after meals is a traditional ritual that I have come to love. Taking a few minutes every couple of hours to warm up and silently sip tea seems like such a luxury in theU.S., but here it comes naturally. Ms. Maina brought out her family photo albums and showed us pictures of her childhood, married life,and then husband’s  funeral. She was so open, giving and caring that we were all content to just sit quietly, sometimes talking, but otherwise just enjoying each other’s company.

Emily, Loise, Josephine and Daphne

Ms. Josephine Maina shared a fun Kikuyu saying with me as we drank tea. I explained to her that for our dinner Jaxon and Sawyer were planning to slaughter a couple of chickens that would be our meal. She told me to be sure that the boys hung on to the bird properly after cutting the head off, or the bird could still fly away and whoosh! No more supper. The Kikuyu saying goes – if you cut the head off of a chicken, be sure to keep a firm grasp on the feet! If someone believes that their dream is so close or they are so close to attaining something, it is likely they will finish without following through completely, thus letting their chicken (or hope/goal) slip through their fingers at the last moment. Be sure this doesn’t happen to you – you’ve been warned!

Our visit came to a close around 4 p.m., and Ms. Maina called one of her neighbors over to escort us back to Batian’s View. He was named Peter Muthee, and was the brother of Judy, one of the ropes course facilitators at Batian’s View. Peter had also done a few wilderness leadership courses with Mr. Roberts in the past. Peter and Ms. Maina walked us all the way back home and deposited us safely with Mr. Roberts before leaving. She said, “I had to make sure my daughters made it back safely,’’ with a wink and a smile.

Daphne and I quickly jumped into the activity in the kitchen to help with dinner; tonight it was the students turn to cook. Hanfei and Vicki made delicious fried rice and Alleah made fried chicken from the chicken that Jaxon and Sawyer had prepared. We were also taught to make chapati and had a great time kneading the dough and then cooking it on the special blackened skillet.

Today has been phenomenal! I feel so fortunate to be able interact so closely with people of a very different culture from my own, and share so much. This is the type of interaction that truly forms close intercultural bonds. Ninapenda Kenya! (I loveKenya!)