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Rebecca Wilson describes the impact of a five-week voluntary work experience in Kenya on herself as a person, her understanding of the nature of education and her practice as a teacher of primary geography. I travelled to Imani Agape Children’s Home, situated four hours from Kisii town, an extremely rural location in western Kenya. The orphanage, founded by a Christian leader in 2005, currently cares for 34 children some of who are HIV/Aids positive. Imani Agape, translated into English means ‘faith’ and ‘love’, the underpinning message behind the work of Pastor Liston and his family. St Craigs Orphanage School, set in the most beautiful luscious green landscape, was to be my new workplace for one month. The mud-built school held daily classes for the children of Imani Agape and local children from the rural community. My classroom consisted of only four mud walls, two benches, a blackboard (yes, a real blackboard!) and chalk. After being briefly introduced to the teachers, language already appearing to be huge communication barrier, I met my class. I was met with 40 Kenyan pupils standing to greet me and with barely any understanding of anything I was saying. Furthermore, where was my interactive whiteboard I have come to rely on so dearly, my colourful resources and, most importantly, their teacher, who had just walked out of the classroom for a break? Teaching English was no easy task, as I quickly discovered. The only teaching approach the pupils had ever experienced was copying from the board, so whatever or whenever I wrote on the blackboard the pupils would instantly copy it into their books. Furthermore we had no resources to use except grammar textbooks, which were a bit dismal. I truly was back to basics and there was nothing to hide behind: it was me and the pupils in a school in the middle of rural Kenya with very little verbal understanding between us. Most of my teaching took place outdoors, partially due to the large number of pupils in such a small space but mainly because of the incredibly beautiful surroundings and weather. The pupils only really interacted with their locality for practical purposes; collecting water from the river to drink, bathing and washing their clothes and collecting food such as sugar cane, peanuts and chilli. One geographical activity I conducted was a study of the pupils’ locality aimed at expanding their appreciation and awareness of what was evident around them. We went on a number of walks around the orphanage and school to look at the natural and human features of the environment as well as the vast numbers of plants and trees growing there. At first the pupils didn’t really want to explore or rather had never explored their environment for any other reason than to collect food. However, with some encouragement and by touching, feeling and exploring interesting rocks, plants and trees, within minutes the pupils were grabbing my hand and dragging me to things that they had discovered. It was so rewarding and refreshing to see them enthused by the locality that they had lived in all their lives but were now looking at differently for the first time. I have found that this often occurs in our own localities. My Kenyan Experience Rebecca Wilson 32 © Primary Geographer Summer 2007 Photos: Rebecca Wilson.
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Rebecca Wilson describes the impact ofa five-week voluntary work experiencein Kenya on herself as a person, herunderstanding of the nature ofeducation and her practice as a teacherof primary geography.
I travelled to Imani Agape Children’s Home,situated four hours from Kisii town, anextremely rural location in western Kenya.The orphanage, founded by a Christianleader in 2005, currently cares for 34 childrensome of who are HIV/Aids positive. ImaniAgape, translated into English means ‘faith’and ‘love’, the underpinning message behindthe work of Pastor Liston and his family.
St Craigs Orphanage School, set in themost beautiful luscious green landscape,was to be my new workplace for one
month. The mud-built school held dailyclasses for the children of Imani Agape andlocal children from the rural community.My classroom consisted of only four mudwalls, two benches, a blackboard (yes, areal blackboard!) and chalk.
After being briefly introduced to theteachers, language already appearing to behuge communication barrier, I met my class.I was met with 40 Kenyan pupils standing togreet me and with barely any understandingof anything I was saying. Furthermore,where was my interactive whiteboard I havecome to rely on so dearly, my colourfulresources and, most importantly, theirteacher, who had just walked out of theclassroom for a break?
Teaching English was no easy task,as I quickly discovered. The only teaching
approach the pupils had ever experiencedwas copying from the board, so whatever orwhenever I wrote on the blackboard thepupils would instantly copy it into theirbooks. Furthermore we had no resources touse except grammar textbooks, which werea bit dismal. I truly was back to basics andthere was nothing to hide behind: it wasme and the pupils in a school in the middleof rural Kenya with very little verbalunderstanding between us.
Most of my teaching took placeoutdoors, partially due to the large numberof pupils in such a small space but mainlybecause of the incredibly beautifulsurroundings and weather. The pupils onlyreally interacted with their locality forpractical purposes; collecting water fromthe river to drink, bathing and washingtheir clothes and collecting food such assugar cane, peanuts and chilli.
One geographical activity I conductedwas a study of the pupils’ locality aimed atexpanding their appreciation andawareness of what was evident aroundthem. We went on a number of walksaround the orphanage and school to lookat the natural and human features of theenvironment as well as the vast numbers ofplants and trees growing there. At first thepupils didn’t really want to explore orrather had never explored theirenvironment for any other reason than tocollect food. However, with someencouragement and by touching, feelingand exploring interesting rocks, plants andtrees, within minutes the pupils weregrabbing my hand and dragging me tothings that they had discovered. It was sorewarding and refreshing to see thementhused by the locality that they had livedin all their lives but were now looking atdifferently for the first time. I have foundthat this often occurs in our own localities.
My KenyanExperienceRebecca Wilson
32 © Primary Geographer Summer 2007
Phot
os:
Rebe
cca
Wils
on.
How many times has someone pointedsomething out to you that you pass everyday but have never noticed? I believe onlyby taking the time to explore andexperience your locality can you identifywith and appreciate what is there.
We extended the work by using thenatural resources the pupils had collectedto create a collage of their locality and alsoproduce detailed drawings. These weretotally new experiences for the pupils andthey were able to learn in an integratedway using geography as a context to
explore and collect resources to createsome artwork for the classroom.
My relationship with the pupilsdeveloped rapidly. I was in awe of thesechildren who had suffered more in theirearly childhood years than most people doin their lifetime. To develop a relationshipwith them using very little verbalcommunication I was forced to use skillssuch as listening, interpreting non-verbalcommunication, modelling, gesturing,singing, dancing and drama.
I truly believe that I have changedbecause of my time in Kenya. I discoveredmany skills that I didn’t realise I had. Beingstripped of the things I felt I needed toteach successfully allowed me to discoverthe type of person I am and how thatcontributes to the type of teacher I amdeveloping into. Not only has my generalself-confidence in teaching increased butmy understanding of the value of using ageographical approach to teaching hasdeveloped enormously. Being in such acontrasting locality and developing anawareness of it personally allowed me torecognise what an enriching andbroadening experience this can be.
I am now able to use my newlydeveloped knowledge and my collectionof resources from Kenya to enhance thelearning experience of my own pupils. I cannow help them to learn about a contrastinglocality in the world alongside developingan awareness and appreciation of their ownlocality. One regret I have is not havingtaken photographs of and informationabout my own locality with me to Kenya.
My experience in Kenya has changedmy opinion of geography. In all honesty, itwas never a subject I was particularlyinterested in at school. However, byactually experiencing the scope geographyhas in accessing different subjects in thecurriculum as well as the fascinating, multi-sensory experiences created withingeography, I have developed an incredibleinterest in and enthusiasm for the subject.
I have also recognised the impactgeography can have on pupils with Englishas an additional language because of theactive and exploratory nature of the subject.
Since visiting Kenya my initial reasonsfor wanting to enter this profession havebeen re-discovered, which I think I had lostin the midst of assignments, placementsand government publications! This wasthe most rewarding and challengingexperience of my life and I can’t waitto go back.
Rebecca Wilson is a final year student atUniversity of Northumbria (e-mail:[email protected])
33© Primary Geographer Summer 2007
