From Wamunyu to Greenwich...The Power of Perspective

Yesterday started out as a typical school day at Eastern Middle School.  Students intently staring at iPhone screens before the bell; lots of wonderful books in hands throughout the day; kids tapping away on chromebooks in well-lit and air conditioned classrooms.  

But then something extra special and different happened during the last period of the day.  We were fortunate to have two visitors from Kenya Connect come to talk with a group of 32 students who are participating in their second Level Up Village global collaboration course this year, this time with students in Africa.  We shared lots of laughs and listened to eye-opening descriptions of life for students in Kenya.

Sharon Runge, Executive Director, and James Musyoka, Field Operations Manager, from Kenya Connect visited my 6th grade classroom as part of their two-week United States tour to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the organization. Sharon started out by sharing the work of Kenya Connect and how they help students in Wamunyu acquire the skills they need to continue schooling after 8th grade since many do not continue school past that point, and very few attend university.  

She also explained that books are few and far between in Kenyan schools and students rarely read for pleasure. Moreover, they have very limited access to technology.  In fact, the students who learn how to turn on and operate a computer only get to do so as part of enrichment classes through Level Up Village programs at the Kenya Connect Resource Center which services 55 schools in rural Wamunyu.   (See Sharon’s article about that here.)

We learned that a typical school student wakes up at 5am to walk 90 minutes to school where they remain for most of the day. After a few hours of classes, they have an hour long lunch outside on a field, with no need for adult supervision. They then play sports for recess, which often includes football (soccer) with balls they made themselves.

At the end of their long school day, they walk home and arrive by about 6 pm, just as the sun is setting, and begin their daily chores, such as fetching water or firewood for cooking, or rounding up the grazing animals before settling down to do their homework assignments. We learned that doing homework or reading at night is a challenge for the students since they have no electricity, and the makeshift kerosene lamps that are often used as a light source are dangerous.

One of my students, Arjun,  thoughtfully asked, “What is the end game, the ultimate goal of Kenya Connect?” And, Ms. Runge responded with a range of answers from health and safety to educational skills, but the main purpose, she said, was to lift up Kenya by fostering education and improving the overall quality of life of people living in rural Kenya.

Mr. Musyoka strolled and gestured as he spoke, drawing the students right in. Many of them soon had their hands in the air to ask questions about daily life, school routines, education in Kenya and much more.

My students learned that “hello” in Swahili is “Ham-Jambo” and learned the multi-step celebration clap that the class uses to praise students for brilliant responses!

Both James and Sharon shared with us that the students who participated in Level Up Village global collaborations gained new confidence and asked better questions when they returned to their regular classrooms.  It was powerful for my students to hear how students in Kenya are impacted by the experience.  They also developed a deeper understanding of the students on the other end of their video letters.  

“I find it so surprising how different their daily lives our from ours,” said Lila. “First of all, they have to get up at about 5 in the morning in order to walk an hour and a half to school. Not to mention the fact that their school day is four hours longer than ours! (Although they do have an hour lunch and plenty of breaks in between.) Plus, when they get home, they have to go collect water or work in the fields, and then they start their homework. Though I was even more surprised that most kids had never even touched a computer, had electricity, or running water.

"Overall, after listening to what the teachers from Kenya had to say, I realized how much I take for granted in my daily life; like access to running water, electricity, technology, and the internet.”

Ambika said,  “What I really enjoyed about Ms. Runge's and Mr. Musyoka's visit is that they really gave us an insight into what life is like in Kenya. They helped all of us understand how a thing as simple as exchanging videos with a partner for us, is an amazing opportunity for them. Their visit was definitely worthwhile, as it made me think about the things we take for granted here are not available in places like Kenya. After hearing their presentation, I think it will impact how we as a class use Level Up Village, and when we are exchanging videos with our partners, we will have in our minds that this is such an amazing opportunity for the students in Zimbabwe, as well as for ourselves."

In an email following his visit, James wrote, "What an amazing experience it was to meet your students at Eastern Middle School. This was a highlight of my school visits during my trip in America! The students were so engaged and curious to learn about life in Africa. What amazed me most was to see that every answer to a question seemed  to generate more questions; a clear sign of how the students seemed to love cross-cultural understanding."

Yesterday’s visit was a wonderful example of the power of meaningful conversations, and I am fortunate to have this moving experience with my students.  In the end,  I am reminded that I, too,  need to appreciate the resources I have at my fingertips and to continue to say “Yes!” to rare opportunities when they arise.

by Bridget Suvansri

Bridget Suvansri, Andrea Sherman (LUV), Sharon Runge, James Musyoka, and Erin Dowd (LUV)

This blog post was picked up by Partnership for 21st Century Learning...see it here.