With very mixed emotions of excitement, apprehension and a little fear I set out over the Easter holidays as part of the team heading for Kenya. My main reason for the trip was to visit Rosemarie Nursery School, named after my late wife. It was my first time in Kenya. Rosemarie and I were planning to visit the school a couple of years ago but unfortunately this was not to be and she never made it to ‘her’ school.

The visit to Rosemarie Nursery took place early in our stay at Oyugis. I felt a bit nervous on the morning, not knowing how I would cope with being there for the first time. When we arrived we were greeted by some of the children who gave us a traditional welcome in song. We were then taken on a tour of the site, seeing the work which had started on new latrines, the old latrines and some of the classrooms. I found that I was unable to talk a great deal, being so emotional with a few tears in my eyes. I was very impressed with the first of the classrooms. The walls were marked with names such as home corner, market corner, and mathematics corner. Pictures had been painted on white sacking making it a very colourful classroom.

We then went into the second classroom where the teachers and pupils were assembled. There, as in the UK, the children were supposed to be on Easter holidays, but they had come in especially to see us. We all introduced ourselves to the staff and children and I was able to explain to the children who I was and that I had brought some gifts for them from my friends and family back home in the UK. They were so excited to see the balls, pencils and T-shirts. The children from my home cell group had also been saving and collecting and I was able to present this money to the school for purchasing more balls and games. New uniforms were presented to some of the children who then went away and put them on. One of the boys was so small and his new shorts so big that they looked like long trousers and kept on falling down.

Photographs were taken outside and all too soon it was time to leave. Afterwards I had a letter from the Headteacher who said that the children were sad to see us go as they wanted us to stay longer.

I had thought beforehand that following the visit to Rosemarie Nursery the rest of the trip would be an anti-climax. Not so. We met many remarkable people who show such faith, courage and happiness even though they have so many difficulties.

I made so many new friends, who together with the rest of the team made the trip so memorable. I plan to return to Kenya next year, when I would like to spend a whole day at Rosemarie Nursery getting to know the children and teachers a little more.

Paul Kendall

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