Parent for a day :)

The sleepy kids mumble greetings as they line up. It's only 5:30 am so I don't blame them for their lack of energy, it's fine for me to be perky as I am not doing this everyday and hence I have a lot more enthusiasm, but for them this is just another school day. I pour hot porridge into their proffered bowls and hand them a slice of bread. Most eat quickly as they have to get dressed and start walking before 6. 

I am staying at an Agape children's home at the coast and today I am playing the role of 'parent' for 3 of the high school lads here who have parent teacher interviews at school. The school is a distance of around 6  kms and it takes over an hour to walk there, we laugh and chat on the way, all trying not to be the last one. Despite our brisk pace we arrive at school at 7:06 meaning that the boys get punished with sweeping the classrooms.

Antony, Isaac and Chalo

I have a meeting with the deputy principal who is very interested to see a white person and wants to know all about what I am doing. The parent teacher interviews aren't starting til after 9 so there is some time to kill. I decide to have a squiz at the school assembly, which of course results in an invitation to speak to the whole school. I opt for a simple introduction and a 'happy to be here' and the deputy reiterates how happy they are to have me there. 

After a bit of waiting around we have a parent and teachers meeting, which goes for a couple of hours and is entirely in Kiswahili except for the bit when once again I am introduced to everyone there. Aware that most of the room are watching me I try my best to stay awake and interested, despite only understanding words here and there.

Once the meeting is over we are all handed the files of our kids with their results for all the exams they have done and given the opportunity to go around with the kids to each department and consult with the teachers on how the students are going and how they can improve. I am the only 'parent' who has more than one child and my presence is clearly somewhat confusing to everyone. The boys think it's a great lark, calling me 'Mum!' and telling their classmates 'this is my mum, she is white and I am black- we don't know what happened-hahaha!' I have a little giggle when I look at their documents and realize a couple of them are only a few years younger than me, but it doesn't matter, this is Kenya and for the purpose of the day I am their Mum. 

Typical teachers comments

Unfortunately in Kenyan schools the default is 'work harder, you arnt trying'. The ridiculous curriculum makes it very difficult to do well and it turn out most of the interviews consist of the teacher berating the student with the parents reinforcement. After a few of my interviews I am totally sick of the teachers ranting at my boys. One of the teachers is remonstrating with Antony, 'this is such a shame, look at these marks! How do u feel when you see them? You arnt trying!' Antony responds in a whisper 'when I see this, I feel to cry' 

I decide I have had enough- I point to his results page- 'yes, he had an E for biology, but he has increased by 5 marks from last exam- he is improving!' 

Another grumpy teacher starts raging at Chalo. 'You are lazy and not putting in effort'. I cut her short. 'There is a difference between being lazy and not understanding, I don't think he is understanding the teaching!'. She looks startled at being taken to task, quickly signs the paper and hands it back. I collect up the files and head out with the boys. 

Out of the clutches of the demanding teacher the boys are much happier. They promise to work hard and tell me they are trying their best and I tell them that's the best thing they can do and not to get too bothered by what the teachers said. 

It is after dark by the time we are all finished and start the 6km walk home through the lanes and across the fields, we walk together in a group and despite the lateness and darkness we race, laugh and chat all the way back home.