Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Meeting the Ukwala committee, meeting Dr. Obewa - day 4 and 5

On Thursday morning we meet four members of the Ukwala committee. Again, we enjoy a fruitful, constructive, and very goal-orientated meeting. It is very encouraging indeed to see how responsible and caring the people on the ground are. At the end of the meeting we proudly learn that one of our students, Everlyne, has ranked no. 1 in the two subjects Christian Religious Education (CRE) and Geography. She has received two certificates and two book vouchers! After lunch, William, Margaret and I drive to Kisumu where we meet Dr. Obewa and his medical officer Kenneth. The meeting lasts about one hour. We learn a lot about the challenges OGRA Foundation was facing in the beginning and get precious advise how to avoid certain mistakes. We request for medical assistance and agree to cooperate in the future. We further agree that an annual health-check of our students is paramount. Moreover, Dr. Obewa has opened his own college in order to enable his average students (C or below) to obtain a solid higher education. There is again great potential for future cooperation, as OGRA’s students do not occupy all the places the college offers! It would really help if we knew where to send those TaC-students who will not qualify for university. In Kisumu they can obtain a certificate in two fields that allow them to contribute to their society as community workers.
After a last night in Kisumu, William attends a meeting of the Kenyan National Union of Teachers while Margaret and I fly back to Nairobi. Only when arriving in Nairobi we both notice, how exhausted we are after this intense field mission. And we also know already now that there is a huge workload awaiting us…

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