Last Sunday, we attended Mass here at Gekano and knew it would start on time because Fr. David was the celebrant for all three Masses.  We chose to go at 7 am since we like going to early Mass, the girls from the school were singing and it would be cooler in the church.  The girls from the school do a very good job with their singing and playing of the drum and tambourine.  The later the Masses are, the warmer the churches get and when there are a lot of bodies it is even worse. Fr. David estimated that for the 11 am Mass there were around 1000 people in the church!  We have stated in previous postings how Kenyans tend to be late for most things and that includes Mass.  The Sisters next door were even late!  One of the Sisters plays the keyboard for the girls but since Sister wasn’t there at the start of Mass, they began singing without her!  A lot of people were late but that is not unusual since Masses never start at the scheduled time.  In our experience, the Kenyan priests here at Gekano have never started on time and as much as one hour after the scheduled start time.   That the people come late is a good example of a learned behavior – they come late thinking they will still get there by the time Mass starts and maybe even have time to spare…this weekend they found out that is not true when the mzungu priest is the celebrant!

We have stated that we would give more information on the various programs that the Mission administers and this week will address the Post-Secondary Education Scholarship Program – a program that is a lifeline and blessing to those who are committed to furthering their education beyond high school.  This program assists orphans who have graduated from Form 4 (equivalent to senior in high school) and helps approximately 6-8 new applicants each year while the overall total enrolled is around 25 students since only so much money in the overall budget can be allocated for this program.  The program pays for tuition, fees, textbook expenses, and tool expenses if required for their field of study.  Also, if they live on campus, the Mission will help with expenses per the school’s fee schedule and if living off campus will receive an allowance to help with rent and food.  If they have other wants above what is in the fee schedule, the student is expected to meet those wants with personal funds by getting a job and/or obtaining a loan if possible.  By Kenyan education standards, high school graduates are eligible for post-secondary education opportunities based on their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams as follows:

C+ and Above Average Score:  Student is eligible for a BS/BA Degree (4 years)
C/C- Average:  Student is eligible for Diploma/Associates Equivalent (2 years)
D+/D Average:  Student is eligible for a Certificate (1 year)
D- Average:  Student is eligible for Licensing Program such as Equipment Operator (< 1 year)

If the student’s KCSE exam score is not high enough for the what they wish to study, they cannot pursue that particular career path. The government tells the students where they can go to school and what they can study based on their KCSE score.   For example: If a student scores a B+ or better in the core subjects of Biology, Math, and English, along with their overall score, they can choose to study a career in medicine and obtain a degree.  If they don’t, they will have to choose another career and maybe settle for a two-year Diploma in a career they might not have dreamed of doing.  The students who apply for a post-secondary scholarship have to be an orphan that was enrolled in the Mission’s primary and/or secondary education program and graduated from Form 4 as stated above.  They must complete an application, write an essay giving a brief description of their life history, describe the course of study they wish to pursue and the duration of their program, why they have chosen a particular field/program of study and finally, how might they be of assistance to people in need when finished with their schooling.  They must also submit their KCSE score as well as the fee schedule of the school they have been accepted at.  When the applications are gone through, things are taken into account:  did the orphan attend Mission Saturday faithfully and abide by the Mission rules of bringing report cards, receipts, wearing their school uniform; did they return all the books and supplies the Mission borrowed to them such as calculators, geometric sets, and study books; did they cause problems at school, etc. These things are taken into account because the Mission wants to help those students who are responsible, committed and dedicated to attending school and completing their education since there are only so many scholarships that can be awarded.  We had a chance to read the applications in the past week or so and reading through them brings a lump to your throat and immense gratitude for what our children in the U.S. have in the way of education opportunities.  These orphans have gone through so much in their young lives but instead of being bitter they express their gratitude for what they have been given.  Here are some of the applicants:

1.  Young man whose mother died when he was four years old and was then taken in by his sickly grandmother though she wasn’t able to care for his most basic needs because she was a “peasant” and therefore “relied on the villagers of good will and faith to give some assistance” so he could go to primary school.  He wrote that there was no single day where he didn’t dream about being able to have three meals a day and he hoped he would get some new clothes at least at Christmas.   He stated how the “Bismarck Mission came to my rescue” and supported him with his secondary education.  He wants to be a nurse and has very high scores so he will be able to pursue his dream.  He wrote, “I would like to study nursing because it will enable me to be closer to the people by helping those who are sick and paying attention to their cries”.  He continued, “By God’s grace after securing a job, I will do all my best by serving in love and diligence to the patients whom I will encounter and I shall give back to society by helping my dear brothers and sisters in the Bismarck Mission, and others, who come from very humble backgrounds that have no voice in the society to be educated and pursue their dream careers as one way of helping light someone else’s candle because I believe it can’t dim mine”. 
2. A young man who was in first grade when both of his parents died.  He lived with his sick grandma until seventh grade when she died.  He wrote, “it was then God sent me a Good Samaritan which is Bismarck Mission”. He wants to teach biology and agriculture and because of his KCSE score, he will be able to pursue a teaching career.   
3. A young woman who wrote how she has a passion to pursue teaching because her successful mentors have been teachers.  She wrote, “In life, people must pass through the hands of teachers to be somewhere and I want to give a hand somewhere.”  She, too will be able to pursue a career in teaching. 
4. A young woman who is HIV positive - a small percentage of the orphans are HIV positive - stated, “I accept myself as a HIV/AIDS girl from the love and encouragement I get from the Bismarck Mission”.  She and her brother lost their mother at a young age.  They ended up in an orphanage because their elderly grandmother could not care for them.  She wrote, “I faced a lot of challenges but by God’s grace I was enrolled in the Bismarck Mission.  I want to help HIV positive people to guide them how to live a positive life with HIV”.  She is pursuing a career in the medical field. 
5. Another young man was three years old when his mother died and was then cared for by his grandmother who raised him until he was in Grade 8.  It was then that she died.  He will pursue a teaching career. 

These are just a few of the applicants and snippets of their story and the wisdom they express at such a young age.  Your heart breaks for them as you read their history but you also admire them for the challenges they faced and their will to overcome and survive those challenges. These students, who have faced hardships that many of us never will or could imagine, will have a chance at a bright future because of the love and support of others including the Bismarck Mission.  The words, written in their essays, speak of their immense gratitude to the people of the Bismarck Mission.  We never realized what an impact this program has.  Currently there are approximately twenty-five students in the post-Secondary program attending anywhere from one to four years of schooling depending on their field of study.  Fr. David gave us an overview of the system in place to keep track of all the post-secondary students with their fee schedules from the many different schools and universities, if they live on or off campus and the amount of money given, if they have brought their scores or a letter from the school/university stating their grades are in good standing at the end of each term, if they have provided the original receipts for fees paid, etc. This is a program that is making a huge difference in the lives of these young adults giving them a future that was not possible before the Bismarck Mission came into their lives. 

On Wednesday, we had a WWB training at Nyanturago and a follow-up at Mosobeti.  We usually do one training or several follow-ups each Wednesday but not both on the same day.  Because we are coming home for a month as stated in last week’s post, we are trying to get some trainings in so Lilian can continue with follow-ups while we are gone.  It takes all three of us and sometimes John, a catechist, will help out as well.  Most of these women have never put something together - something as basic as putting the nuts and washers on correctly so the filter won’t leak, can be a challenge for some.  Then there is the language barrier especially with the older women because they may speak Ekegusii only and this is where Lilian and John lend their expertise.  Lilian teaches them in Ekegusii as well.  At the training, it was nice to see some of the younger mamas helping the older ones.  Once they get their buckets assembled, it seems their favorite part is coloring the stickers which have pictures of how to clean filters since a number of them cannot read.  Not only do they color the pictures on the stickers but many of them like to color the white squares or make designs in the squares on the Hello Kitty buckets!  At the follow-ups, it is very evident how much the women like to color and be creative in their workbooks.  For most of us, it is nothing to have a colored pencil or marker set much less a pack of paper or two in our homes but for these women, having these items is very unlikely.  At Mosobeti, we were given a gift of maize (corn) in appreciation.  We wish they wouldn’t give us food because we’d rather see them feed it to their families but we accept it graciously. 

On Friday, we took one of the orphans to Tenwek Hospital for a follow-up eye appointment.  This boy, who is a third grader, had surgery for what they refer to here as “squints” which basically means he was cross eyed.  His sister, who is in Form 3 (Junior in high school), came along as well to be with him when he saw the doctor and she in turn will explain to the guardian what transpired with the provider once they got back home.  We left at 8 am, picked up the two orphans along the way, and arrived in Tenwek 1 ½ hours later driving 46 miles with most of the drive on tarmac (highway).  Tenwek Hospital is a Christian Mission Hospital that was founded in the 1950’s and is one of the largest Mission hospitals in Africa.  It is through the collaborative efforts of local doctors with long-term missionary doctors and visiting staff that many types of specialized care is available to these people.  Per Fr. David, the doctor who performed surgery on our orphan some months ago, was a pediatric ophthalmologist from the United States.  Upon arriving at 9:30 am, Kathy went with them to pay the consultation fee of KSH 500 ($5.00).  After that, the two of them waited and waited and waited in a seating area outside the building until almost 3:00 pm before they saw the provider.  Again, you don’t make appointments – you get seen in the order the fee was paid.  Fr. David had advised us to take things to do because it could be up to six hours.  We did take things to read and do and we also got a lot of walking time in.  After they were done seeing the doctor, we gave them some KSH to get some food and then we left.  We were rolling down the tarmac when we came upon a police checkpoint where they were pretty much stopping every vehicle.  Wes pulled the vehicle over as directed and the officer came to the passenger side and greeted us in Kiswahili and Wes answered in Kiswahili which probably made the officer assume we knew some Kiswahili.  Shortly after that, the officer said something in Kiswahili to which Wes looked at Kathy in the back seat and together they both said, “sifahamu” which means “don’t understand” and then Wes tried to say, “Ninajua Kiswahili kidogo” which means “I know little Kiswahili”!  The officer responded in English saying, “I need to see your license” which in Kiswahili is, “Ninahitaji kuona leseni yako ya udereva”.  So, Wes got out his passport and International Driving License and handed it to the officer and told him we had taken the young boy to the doctor in Tenwek.  The officer looked through the passport and license for a short time and then handed them back to Wes and said, “Safe travels”.  We thought he would ask more questions as to why there were two Kenyan children in a car with mazungus but he didn’t!  When we were within the last 10-15 miles of our drive, we turned off the tarmac onto a dirt road for the final stretch to home.  As we turned onto this road, there was a lot of oncoming traffic and in the front were three to four police vehicles, as well as other vehicles and many people walking.  The air was heavy with dust and you couldn’t see very well…somewhat like a whiteout in ND but here it is more of a redout as the soil here is reddish brown.  We soon came upon the village of Biticha which we have been to several times with WWB.  There were people everywhere you looked including the road we were trying to drive on.  They swarmed around the vehicles shouting and showing support for their candidates with signs, posters, hats, t-shirts, etc., and where ever they could put a poster or advertisement for their candidate, they did.  They even had posters plastered on the sides of a Caterpillar excavator that was sitting alongside the road.  Truth be told it is a little unnerving with people surrounding and being so close to the vehicle as one is trying to drive.  The campaign season is underway and we have a feeling it will pick up speed with each passing day.   

We are excited to be coming home as stated in last week’s blog and yes, Kathy is counting the days!  It will be good to be able to see our family and friends, especially our sons.  We continue to keep you in our prayers and ask that you keep us and the Mission in yours.  Mungu Akubariki!
See photos from this week in the album section: 

https://stjparish.com/photoalbums/kenya-7-3-22