Allamano Special School

Community days are part of our assignments. We had planned two community days which both have to do with schools - one with the Allamano Special School for Mentally Handicapped and another one with Kimathi University College of Technology (where we plan on talking to students about engineering and IBM). Unfortunately, due to the current teachers' strike, our community days have been limited to a few hours on our planned days.

Last Monday, we went to Allamano.  It was supposed to be for the whole day, but it was limited to a few of hours in the afternoon. The children/students were very eager to see us as we got out of our cars. We were glad to spend time with them as well. It was nice to be out after our long hours of work preparing for our mid-term review with our clients, and it was specially nice to see how happy and grateful the students and the school administrators that we were able to spend some time with the kids even for a short time.

Allamano has about eighty five students, and they provide lodging for all the students. The school's goal is to be give the students skills to be able to integrate with the society by the time they leave the school. The students are government-sponsored until they are twenty-five years old. Most of them leave the school when they turn twenty-five. They can stay if their family or someone else sponsor them. They have different classes depending on the ability of the kids.

Sister Anne gave us a tour of the school and their dormitory. They are pretty self-supporting as they have a vegetable garden, chicken coop and a few milking cows.  Of course, they appreciate as much as can be given to them - e.g. they have a small chapel where they hold their masses and prayers, and they need some items for the chapel.

After the tour, we had some time to play and spend with the kids. Some of us played musical chairs, balloon blowing, etc with them. They also recited a poem and sang for us. Overall, it was a great afternoon. The kids were so adorable. Most of them are just happy that they have new friends to visit them. A few of them are very eager to pose for pictures as they want to see their image after the picture is taken.

Kids gathering in the school's front lawn as we arrive

Sister Anne showing us the table cloth that the kids weaved

Weaving tools

Girls' dormitory

School kitchen

Chicken coop

One of the cows in the school

Vegetable garden which provides most of the meals

Physical therapy room for kids where a doctor visits them once a week

Kids dancing

Felicity playing musical chairs with the kids

Tamara awarding the winner of the musical chairs

Dorine and Ashok getting ready for their game

Kevin dancing with the kids

Charbak with the kids

With Felicity

With Paula and Nadia

Mukur and Vivian dancing with the kids

Pinaki and Vivian presenting our donated toys and school supplies

Some of the kids wearing the beanies that Angela brought them

My new friend and I

With Sister Ann and Kevin

She was so happy when I told her that she looked so sharp in her blazer

The kids wouldn't let Angela leave =)

Here's an adorable video of the kids reciting a poem for us. Kevin translated and told us that they were reciting about our visit being a blessing =)

For information on how you can help Allamano, please check out the website for Friends of Allamano. 




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From Hell's Gate and Back

Last weekend was our first group weekend out together since the weekend prior our subgroup of five ladies went to up Mt Kenya while others enjoyed a short hike and safari in Aberdare National Park.

The fun started with our ride in our rented matatu. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, it's the public transportation in Kenya. All 14 of us (plus the driver and our luggage/backpacks) fit in the matatu. It was a very intimate ride =)

Intimate ride in the matatu

First stop was the Equator in Nanyuki as the rest of the team have not seen it yet. As we did the previous week prior to the climb to Mt Kenya, the group had the demonstration of the Coriolis Effect and the strong persuasion of the shop owners to stop/shop in their shops. 

The guys (Pinaki and Jit) jumping in the equator

Vivian and I tried, but with our shorter legs, we cannot outjump the guys

Second stop was Hell's Gate National Park. We planned to get there by lunch time, but since our earlier plan on going there straight from the Equator didn't work, we didn't arrive till after 2 PM. We cannot take the direct route from the Equator, so we had to go back to Nyeri which adds two more hours to our travel time. Since we arrived very late, we decided to forego lunch (which wasn't a good idea).

The group decided to do a biking safari. My close friends know that I just recently learned how to ride a bike, and I'm so glad that I learned to bike before this trip as I couldn't imagine walking as the rest of the group biked. Also, it would be a very LONG walk. It still wasn't easy for me as I've only done my biking on a paved road prior to this trip =)  Due to the bike demand and the lateness of our arrival, most of the bikes we got are somewhat defective - no brakes, not much seat padding, problems with the pedals, etc. I actually ended up with a BMX bike as it was the only smaller bikes left. It was very small which made it easier for me to control it. However, since the wheels are smaller compared to the rest of other bikes, I had to pedal twice as more =( 

Nice shot of the group biking in Hells Gate. You can't see me, but I'm the one in pink trailing behind.

During the ride to Hell's Gate Gorge, we were able to see zebras, gazelles and giraffes. It was amazing to be so close to them. Fortunately, hyenas are the only predators in Hell's Gate, and hyenas don't come out till later in the day.

Stopping to get a picture with the zebras

Fishers Tower - a popular rock climbing area in Hell's Gate

Vivian blending in with the zebras

Zebras and gazelles

Mama and baby giraffes

At the end, we had to leave our bikes and hike down the Hell's Gate Gorge where we visited the Devil's View and a few hot springs. As we hike down, we also learned that a group of young men died due to flash flood just a few months ago, so we didn't really stay down that long in the gorge after learning that story.

One of the baboons near the Hell's Gate Gorge

Down the gorge

Group pic

You can see these signs around the Hell's Gate Gorge. It initially looked weird until we learned that there can be flash floods down the gorge.

One of the hot springs in the gorge

Taken from Devil's View in Hell's Gate Gorge

 
 After a short hike, we had to go back in our bikes. By this time, most of us are tired and hungry (remember we didn't have any lunch!). I knew I would be one of the slower ones with my small BMX bike. However, even with my small bike and being new to biking, I beat the boys (which may not be a big feat as the boys in the group are not into physical activities and most of them smoke). I got in before any of them. My goal was not to be the last one in =)

As we return back, we saw more animals - African buffaloes (one of the big fives) and a family of baboons. It was so dark toward the end that I cannot get a good picture of the baboons. Some of the baboons are huge (even bigger than I am). For some reason, baboons are perceived to be more aggressive towards and likely to attack women. Not sure how they can spot if a human is male or female. Anyway, I kept my distance from them.

African buffaloes in the background. People advised to avoid any eye contact with the buffaloes as they might charge you.

Kevin with the more zebras in the background as we return back

Happy to be done with biking

After Hell's Gate, we dined and camped in Fisherman's Camp by Lake Naivasha. We're so relieved and happy to finally get some food. I rarely eat burger, but I just had to get a big blue cheese burger after our ordeal. The restaurant/camp is owned by a third generation Kenyan-Swede, and it is very popular among the young tourists crowd. It's a happening place when we got there (a lot of younger kids hanging out), but we're too tired to mingle and enjoy the night. I had a good night sleep even with the noise from the other nearby campers (God knows what they were celebrating!).

There are a few wildlife in the camp - Vervet Monkeys (which happily went through the trash in the camp the next morning), Black-and-white Colobus (which the camp's resident St Bernard was chasing and which look like a skunk from afar) and several birds.

Fisherman's Camp Bar/Restaurant

Camp site at the Fisherman's Camp Ground

Black-and-white Colobus

Camp's resident St Bernard

The next morning, we decided to go to Crescent Island (which is now Crescent Peninsula) via boat through Lake Naivasha. We later learned that "Out of Africa" was filmed in the island and that most of the animals in the island where transplanted for the movie. Most of the animals in the movie remained except for the lions. The other animals would have been wiped out if the lions remained. Here we saw more sheeps, zebras, Thomson's gazelles, giraffes. We also saw: water buck, impalas, wildebeest and hippos.

Boat ride to Crescent Island

Water buck

Part of the air strip used in the movie

On top of the hill in Crescent Island

Sheeps - all I can think about is how tasty the marinated mutton in White Rhino (pub near the hotel) was when I saw the sheeps in the island

Loser wildebeest - This male was exiled from the group as it had a fight with the group's leading male wildebeest

Group of wildebeest and Masai giraffe

 Fun fact about wildebeest - according to our guide, they are also called "sparepart" animal as it is considered the last animal made by God, and it is made from "spareparts" from other animals. Its horn from the buffalo, its face from the grasshopper, its mane from the lion, its body from the hyena and its brain from sheep (since it's also considered stupid).

Impalas and Thomson's gazelles. Both are gazelles, but Thomson's gazelles have the distinctive white/black stripe on their sides. While "impala" is just another term (in Zulu) for gazelle.

Ashok, Pinaki, Kevin, Mukur, Charbak and Jit

Nadia, Paula, Vivian, Tamara, me and Dorine

Hippos - we didn't see them in the land. All the hippos were having fun submerged in the water

One of the group of birds in the Lake Naivasha

Tusker to finish the weekend trip!

Note to self after visit to Crescent Island: rewatch "Out of Africa" as it was at least twenty years ago when I last saw it.

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