Soccer Field Complete

After several consecutive days of working hard to level the field, our main service project for this trip, we finally were able to celebrate our work on the soccer field. Located across the valley at the Orkeeswa Primary School, the soccer field had been rendered impossible for the students to play on, with trenches and cracks created by erosion. With the help of the hardworking Orkeeswa students, we were able to fix up the field for the primary school students. As it was also the first day of school for the primary students, it was especially nice to see the students who would be able to put the soccer field to good use.

After returning to the lodge after a hard day of work and a fun afternoon of activities, Peter Luis paid us a visit to tell his story of founding Orkeeswa Secondary School. He told us about his family and what he was like in high school. He spoke about his years at Fresno State in California, and about his desire to travel after graduating from college. He led us through his travels in Brazil and El Salvador, and then through his early interactions with Robert, who is now Orkeeswa’s headmaster, in Tanzania where they both taught English in a primary school about two hours from Orkeeswa. Peter explained how he got the school up and running, beginning with only $15,000 in the bank. He expressed his future goals for the school, and his desire to open similar schools in other villages, so more students can have the opportunity to go on to secondary school, in a country where only approximately 10% of the population attend school past primary school. His story was needless to say fascinating and inspiring to hear about how now only about how dedicated and passionate Peter was about the school, but also about how dedicated and passionate all the students at the school are.

After a long but fantastic day spent in Tanzania, I think I can safely say that we were all exhausted and quickly fell asleep. We’re all looking forward to spending the final few days here, and can’t wait to go home and see everyone!

Brittany-

Homestays

During this past weekend, the Groton students  were given the opportunity to stay at an Orkeeswa student’s boma, which is the type of housing here in Tanzania. A boma consists of several clay huts, each serving a different purpose: there are huts with beds for sleeping and others containing fire pits for cooking. Most bomas also have a “zizi”, which is a circular cattle pen made out of tree branches to hold the animals at night. Each boma varied depending on the family. The Groton students split up in groups of two and three and for two nights were able to see how the Orkeeswa students live. We followed our hosts in doing the same chores and activities that are done everyday.  The girls fetched water and firewood, as well as helped cook while the boys herded cattle.  We observed that their lives are very different than what we are accustomed to and felt the experience was life changing.

In the U.S. many of us are used to lives made easier by technology, everything within driving distance in stores.  The students here have never experienced life like ours.  Many must walk several miles to obtain water and even further for firewood.  They have no refrigerators, no stoves, not even running water to help make their lives easier. This experience was very eye opening, almost everything seeming entirely different from the life that we are familiar of. Many of us enjoyed forming close relationships with the students as well as their families, despite the language barrier.

Many of their family members did not speak English, but that did not stop us from communicating and interacting. We played with the children, everybody singing and dancing to Swahili songs.  Many of the kids were interested by the differences in our appearances, coming up to touch our hair and our skin. Our belongings, many of which are rare for them to see (cameras, chap stick, tissues, etc.), also intrigued them. Some of the mothers treated us like any of the other children around us. Relationships were formed in which both Groton and Orkeeswa students were very invested into. It was sad to leave the bomas and the families, which for two days became our own.

This experience changed the way we looked at our lives; making us appreciate the little things we have in our daily lives. Now we are back to our routine at school: working on the soccer pitch at the local primary school, participation in afternoon activities, and living in Manyatta, our home away from home in Monduli.

- Sophie B and Gisselle

Soccer fields and a Masai wedding

   Starting Monday, the Groton and Orkeeswa Secondary School students teamed up to level out the nearby primary school's eroded soccer field. Five years ago, when Orkeeswa was just beginning, the primary school allowed the Orkeeswa students to practice soccer on that very field since Orkeeswa did not have a field yet. Orkeeswa wanted to return the favor. 
       The group begins by collecting boulders and branches from nearby trees; we then place them into the trenches scattered across the soccer field.  Next, we dig up the mounds of dirt on the periphery of the field and transport the dirt into the trenches. Finally, groups of students pack down the dirt leveling the pitch. This process takes days. 
       Each afternoon we split into different activities: field hockey, soccer, American football, games, U.S. history, and drama. Yet on Wednesday, a friend of a teacher at Orkeeswa invited our group and some of the students to attend a traditional Maasai wedding. We only stayed for around an hour but in that time we witnessed the Maasai warriors processing towards the party slowly in traditional dress (called a "rubega"). As is the custom for a traditional Maasai dance, they started chanting a low grunt-like song and men came forward alone or in small groups to jump. The women wore "kangas" and large white necklaces that covered their shoulders. They walked towards the huddle of men slowly, rolling their shoulders so as to make these necklaces bounce off their chests. We were so lucky to witness such an intimate part of Maasai culture.
Hello from Logan
Jambo from Hadley!

Hello! Jambo! We are here and having a wonderful time and are finally able to post a few pictures! Below is the place we call home in Monduli- We have breakfast and dinner in the main room and have our evening meetings under the bright stars (being at 3500 feet on the equator makes for wonderful setting to spend time together and process are busy and action filled days!)

The two pictures below are from out first meeting with the Orkeeswa students. They came down the hill to greet us as we walked up to the school. It was a wonderful moment and an incredible scene!

 Once at the school on our first day, we played field games- a chair race is up above and a game of knock out followed for the whole group.

This is the view from Orkeeswa school- it is located up in the hills above Monduli and absolutely gorgeous. 

Below are our pictures on Safari. Groton and the II Form Students from Orkeeswa all piled into cars on Saturday and headed for the National Park. It was an incredible day filled with animals, incredible scenery and great companionship with our new friends! 

Early Days

I am having trouble posting on the blog but wanted to send word to you all that all is great! We have a beautiful sunny day and the Groton students are doing a great job in the last few days!

Our trip was long but uneventful over here. The flights were smooth and the movies and service on the plane was great. We arrived last night and were transported to our hotel and arrived at 11 PM our time. They had a hot meal waiting for us and we were all hungry and happy to be in our rooms. We did not sleep all that well given the time frame but I am sure that tonight we will sleep like babies. We have all taken our malaria pills and are went over health concerns and proper handling of food, importance of drinking water, and using sunscreen and bug repellant. We spent this morning bonding as a Groton group, doing some journal writing, and preparing ourselves for the wonderful adventure before us.

Our drive was to the school was eye opening and beautiful- with a sunny sky, green hills, surrounding us, and the flat plains below us it was spectacular. At the school we were greeted by the students and out festivities began with a tour of the school, lunch and a field day of games. …Sorry the pictures are not great and don't include everyone but I wanted you to get  a sense of the surroundings and the school. There will be more to come and hopefully I will have the blog up and running. Best, Megan

We had a great day on safari today-Saturday. We saw elephants, lions, zebras, ostriches,, impalas, baboons, monkeys, wildebeasts, warthogs, and giraffes in their natural habitat. Everyone is doing great. We have resolved our technology issues and will be posting pictures and more details tomorrow. The students will be heading out on a scavenger hunt in Monduli village tomorrow led by some Orkeeswa students. We will get underway on Monday morning with a full week of language and cultural exchange at Orkeeswa School. The students have prepared three songs for our greeting ceremony on Monday morning.