Adventures of the Heart: Mercy Care School

The first place we visited, Mercy Care Center, is in one of the oldest slums in Nairobi. The children here opened their hearts immediately and the all-group yoga session unforgettable (first picture below). When we arrived the children were all inside their school buildings and we were invited in to meet them. As we walked from classroom to classroom, which were pretty dark and crowded, the students could not have been more polite or welcoming. I was struck with how attentive the students were as the teacher stood up at the blackboard writing things for them to copy. Education seems to be valued in a different way than in the United States, maybe because it is a privilege to be in school. However, I also learned that teachers are still allowed to cain students for misbehaving, so that as likely a factor also. As a teacher myself, it was really difficult to see their school conditions and teaching methods, but I need to remember that they are doing the best they can with what they have. Yes, I was comparing here, when really I need to remember that maybe they wouldn't want it to be different. If there is one thing I have learned on this journey it is not to make assumptions, rather having conversations is much more important. Instead of me "deciding" what they need to improve their schools it is much more respectful to ask them if they need anything or how I could help.

I was glad to discover we would be returning the next day for some service work. They requested help with building, sanding, and varnishing new desks for the classrooms. We had quite the assembly line going and a BIG audience of small children who were wandering around. They were delighted when we let them use some of our tools to "help." However, the local people thought we were crazy to do this and told us we should be shooing the them away! The children had fun with it until they found the real bucket of varnish and then the extra "help" had to end.