UNESCO COURSE: OPENING UP TO THE WORLD

Every year, Secondary 2 students take part in a "UNESCO" internship. This is a social and solidarity-based trip that focuses on the following areas:

• Human rights and democracy
• Fight against poverty and misery
• Tolerance and peace
• Sustainable development
• Intercultural learning
• International understanding and cooperation

A real human adventure that encourages young people to open up to themselves, to others and to the world.

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY OF THE 11TH CLASS

Discover the day-to-day story and activities of the students in class 11.

Day 18

Coucou les loulous,
Sad wake-up call this morning at 6:30am, breakfast at 7am and preparation/finalization of suitcases until 8am. Lison handed out personalized notes to each of us. (An emotional moment) departure time arrives, we leave our mosquito-screened rooms and head for the bus. We say the umpteenth goodbye to Favourite, take a few last photos and off we go. The students board the bus, with Lison, Marc, Armand and Émilie left behind with the suitcases to wait for another bus.
We arrive at the station, Lison gives us a little speech, we sing and cry (especially Lison). Tickets are handed out (not Alice's, but Viola's and Maëlle's). But we were able to buy another ticket for Alice, so everything's back to normal!)
We say goodbye and wait for the train. We get on the train and off we go for 4 hours of sleep. We arrive, go through the checkpoint and wait for the bus in the parking lot. It arrives and we head for the airport (30 min). On the way, we stop at a tollbooth, and we all have to get off to go through a small control building, while the bus is not searched? Weird and pointless, but let's stop trying to figure it out 😅) We get back on the bus. And we arrive at the airport around 3:30 pm for a flight at 00:00 am. We enter the airport and are told we have to be back by 7pm. We settle down in a small café. Drinks, meals/snacks and games of uno follow.
At 7pm, we leave and go through the check-in. Everyone disperses to buy souvenirs. Around 10:30 pm, a group goes to eat. When the meal is over, some students go to buy polepole t-shirts. The plane is 30 minutes late. We board around 00:00 and take off around 1:00 for an 8:52 flight. We arrive at Amsterdam airport around 8.30am. This is followed by a check-in, a stop for Estelle to negotiate the passage of her medical equipment, and then a passport control. We all meet up again, board at around 9.30am and take off at around 10am for Geneva. We arrive at Geneva airport at last, all impatient to meet up with our loved ones!
Unfortunately, Marius' suitcase won't be arriving! It stayed in Amsterdam! He'll receive it at home the next day.
The reunion is very emotional, with laughter, tears and warm embraces! It's so good to see your family again!
The adventure comes to an end, with memories in both head and heart! This experience will remain engraved in our memories!
Thank you all for following us!

Day 17

Hello, little ones,
We start the day with a good family breakfast at 9am. A day of rest for our last day at CIT. Graduation day for the students, which meant a big party (parade, orchestra, singing, etc.) Émilie wanted to see the show, but found herself trapped in front of the seats reserved for teachers. She was visited by Marius, who lasted 5 minutes and left poor Emilie behind. But savior Lison came to her rescue. Special meal following the handover. A short swim is in order. Obviously without a driver, otherwise it wouldn't be much fun. We went in 2 three-seater tuktuk for 18 people. In other words, people in the trunk and 6 crammed on top of each other. We were hot, we were crammed in, the road was chaotic and our butts hurt...but fortunately we made it to the pool in 1 piece. Once we arrived, it was one galley after another, with the staff taking our heads off to tell us that the water was forbidden, and that cameras were also forbidden (which wasn't the case last time). We ordered our evening meals and off we went to the pool. Jovial moments between us, discussions and songs can be heard. Elephants, hippos, birds, etc. are out and about, putting big smiles on our faces. We sunbathe in the pool. As night falls, it's time for dinner. We discover that our table is next to the parking lot outside the restaurant. They serve us. We laugh, sing and notice that Claire, Yuri and Gabriel haven't been served. Everyone else has finished eating and we're treated to a composition by Marius about our trip. At the end of this wonderful music, the three students were finally served. Marius still had a little trick up his sleeve, buying us roses that were a little hot. Then it was time for a drink and a rest with our animal friends. Singing and chatting are the order of the day, as we enjoy our last evening together.
10pm, it's time...we arrive at the exit and the tuktuk that was supposed to take us home isn't there. So we wait for 25 minutes at the entrance, unable to leave on foot because apparently there are lions (ferwoce). 9 people board the first tuktuk, leaving the others to take the second. Shortly afterwards, the second tuktuk arrives. We pile into the car (10 people), which doesn't move. A burning smell from the engine, we abandon Lison, Marius, Marc and Favorite who are supposed to be waiting for the bodaboda (motorcycles). The tuktuk leaves, the climb is complicated, the speed very limited and suddenly the stop makes Yuri, Gabriel, Soline, Camille, Estelle and Émilie get off. They notice that the exhaust is spitting sparks, and the driver asks us to walk to the road. Once there, he tells us that the front wheel has a puncture (punctured tires are common on this trip) and we cross our fingers that this time the wheel will be the right size. We help him change the wheel, but he doesn't have a crack, so he uses stones. Yuri and Estelle find themselves lifting the tuktuk during the very shaky wheel change. We notice that the rim of the spare wheel was all rusted and cracked. With the wheel changed, we climbed back into the tuktuk, learning that the group behind us had already arrived at the CIT. We're back on the road at an even shakier speed when all of a sudden the tuktuk stops again, the driver saying there's not enough pressure on the wheel. So we decide to walk the rest of the way and let the tuktuk lambo go without us. We walked for a good 30 to 40 minutes. Arriving at the CIT at 00:20, Marius, Lison and Marc were waiting for us out front. And now it's off to bed, because tomorrow's the big return trip.
Kisses

Estelle and Valou

Day 16

Hello friends,
We start the day with a good breakfast at 8am. We're off to work like yesterday. We split into three groups (the first to finish the greenhouse, the second the painting and Armand's room, and the last for the vegetable garden). The first group finished proud of their result. The group that was supposed to clean up the bedroom dropped out, as the workers made a mess of it, the students cleaned it up and so on. And the vegetable garden group dug a 66 cm-deep plot to apply permaculture principles to reduce watering requirements for the garden. After a hard morning's work, lunch and the arrival of Armand (Sens Solidaires volunteer who will take over Lison's mission). 2pm, another start for the children's school. Three groups, one to finish the memory, one to play games with the children and the last to finish writing the letters. A high-energy afternoon. Time to part with our wonderful little monsters (cuddles, chek, cuddles, chek).
An hour free in town to buy groceries and souvenirs not too hard to find, as this is not a tourist area.
Back at the CIT, we have a good meal. A little free time and our dear entertainers have organized a little boom (chenille, queue leuleu, kuduro by our Emilie, Kenza's superb dance and the macarena).
And beddy-bye Annick.
Kisses

Estelle and Valou

Day 15

Hello everyone,
For the bravest among us, the day started at 4:30 am with a headlamp hike to admire the sunrise from the top of a small mountain, which offered us an exceptional view of the immensity of Tsavo Park! The colors were magnificent! Back at 8.30 a.m. to join everyone for breakfast! Then we started the morning with CIT's French language students, where we had a chance to talk in French with the tourism and hospitality students, and then we played a few games and sang a few songs with them.
Then we got down to work: paintings, botanical drawings with Marc, continuing the construction of the greenhouse, refurbishing a room...etc
In the afternoon we went to a public elementary school in Voi.
They followed us around all the time and were very curious about our hair, so soft and "untangled", they loved stroking it and running their fingers through it.
The classes are really huge, 103 pupils in 1 class, they were very tightly packed, they had no tables, just chairs.
They were really sweet, but their reality is really sad.
It was striking to see how disciplined and diligent they are despite their numbers and their young age.
With the pupils, we made letters to their pen pals in France.
And we also started making a memory game with Kenyan animals, which was very easy for the children to do. They were very enthusiastic and had a lot of fun using all the colored pencils we'd brought along!
Finally, we explained the rules of memory and played a game with the game we'd made from the drawings we'd done with the 4th graders. It was a great success! Suspense, cheers, encouragement, laughter! A wonderful moment of sharing!
We also brought them your donations: notebooks, pencils, felt-tips, pens, binders...etc.
Once again, a big thank you to all those who shared their belongings with us.
These encounters were very emotional, and it was with a great deal of humility and love that we left. We'll be back tomorrow to continue our correspondence.
After returning home and taking a good shower (because, yes, we were filthy with sand) we cooked pasta carbonara with, of course, far too much salt.
The class cooks told us:
"We used a lot of salt on purpose to make us thirsty, so we wouldn't forget to stay hydrated."
Finally, our dishwashers washed up efficiently and danced.
Another great day out!

Day 14

After a good breakfast at 8am, we wanted to be productive in the morning so as to have a quiet afternoon because of the unbearable heat, but the Kenyans weren't very motivated in the morning, so we had a very polepole morning: we were supposed to make a vegetable garden but they didn't have the seeds, so we planted 10 trees instead while listening to Lison's explanation of why we had to drink a lot of water.
Then we decided to make a greenhouse out of plastic bottles collected and cleaned by a local association, so after a lot of waiting we started the structure while Lison forced us to drink water. When we tried to move it, the structure got stuck in the trees. Lison forcibly hydrates us, and despite our advice to simply tilt the structure, the Kenyans persist and end up dismantling it entirely to rebuild it two metres further on. Logical!
Disgruntled, the group goes off to eat, not forgetting to drink, under Lison's orders.
At the same time, another group drinks water and tackles the painting of one of the recently renovated dormitories, helping with the work still going on there while drinking water.
After many ups and downs on their side too, we all drank water and went to eat, tired and hungry but far from dehydrated.
And that's when everything turned upside down: in the dining room, a heavy atmosphere filled with terror and despair. None of us thought we'd make it through this torrid adventure, despite our well-humidified bodies. But then, in the doorway, a figure appears who we can't help but cheer. A figure whose presence alone will give us strength and courage. We all hold our breath as our hero emerges from the shadows. And yes, you're not dreaming! It's MAAAAAAAAAAAAAARC! What joy! Our favorite botanist is finally back to play tricks on us (the tricks in question being dubiously humorous jokes). To recover from all these emotions, we are given an hour's rest, on condition that we drink 3 liters of water, before tackling the braids. Several students decide to have their hair braided by CIT students. Some came out with beautiful braids, and others, for whom it was a defeat due to their hair texture or length, came out empty-handed.
Lison's life was a catastrophe: her water bottle, her partner in life, was empty! She runs around desperately looking for a source of water that won't give her imminent diarrhoea, but tragedy strikes: she can't find any. Full of anger, she leaves the room, smashing her face against a table. She then decided to fend for herself. She takes to the streets of voi in search of the liquid of youth (water). She succeeds in her mission and returns victorious to the campus.
Work resumes with a big swig of water each and the continuation of the greenhouse, after having calmed our frustration, and the painting of the dormitory and restaurant. Exhausted from our day, we all think this is the end of our adventures and head for the showers. Afterwards, we meet up for a chat, listening to music and enjoying the air, which has finally freshened up. But our adventures are far from over, and our team is far from complete. Despite our best efforts, we lack joie de vivre and silly songs. So who better than our dear Marius to give us that... Ahhhhh if only he were here... AND BAM. Our wishes are granted and we see Marius arriving in the distance.
The reunion with the band is joyous, but nothing compared to Marius' perceptible happiness when he finally finds his yukulele d'amour.
A beautiful day ends with a delicious meal that everyone enjoys, except for the hungry vegetarians.
A short trip through the streets to feed them and buy victuals (doughnuts and mango juice) accompanied by our new friends, a group of jolly little boys.
It's then time to sleep, a sleep that will be tragically disturbed for some by the presence of bugs that have broken into their mosquito nets. After a few murders, it's time for bed. Good night!
Estelle and Martina

Day 13

This morning a small group of 6 went to mass. They took their first tuctuc. Favorite, a good friend of Lison's whom we now know well, met them and led them to church with her little sister Nicole. The mass was very joyful, filled with beautiful, bright songs and dances. The prayer was a little long for some, but everyone came away with a new Kenyan experience.
Meanwhile, the others woke up at their own pace, exercised, slept late and relaxed.
This morning, the first real tourista arrived.
Around midday, we all got together to set off for THE surprise. With 16 of us crammed into a 9-seater minibus, the atmosphere was tense. After 15 minutes of sweating it out in the bus, we arrived at a place where we saw PIZZA GARDEN written in large letters. The good mood arrived just as quickly once everyone had their good dish in front of them. From pizza burgers to cola salads and ice tea, there was something for everyone. But the surprise was only just beginning! A cool swimming pool right next to us was giving us the eye. Then Lison took us a little further and there... an infinity pool with a direct view of Tsavo Park left us speechless. We spent the rest of the day lounging around for some, letting off steam in the water for others, with an incredible view as herds of elephants came to drink in the lake right in front of us. We had a great time. As night fell, we went back to see the view. It was incredible, and we ended the afternoon playing cards in front of the sunset, tasting some new local drinks and seeing the hippopotamus emerge from the water - a first for us! After that, we got back on the same mini-bus at 17, with loud music and a great atmosphere!
Back at the CIT, we had a good meal together and then everyone kindly went to bed.
A magical day, well deserved! Thanks Lison!

Day 12

Today is Saturday and therefore the start of our weekend off. We had breakfast at 8am and got on the bus at 9am. As usual here, we ended up leaving at 9:45. We made a stop at the hospital to drop off Valeria, who wasn't feeling very well. All the teachers also went to check on Maëlle. Her condition wasn't the best, and the care she was receiving was rather dubious and slow, so the hospital was put under pressure.
In the meantime, the remaining students stayed on the bus while the students with us went off to buy their picnics. After that, we went back to the hospital to pick up Lison, while Emilie stayed behind to take over from Marius, who was able to rest after such a trying time. Then, at around 11 a.m., we finally set off for Lac Chala. After more than 2 hours on the road, we finally arrived. There we had our picnic with an impressive view of the lake. The lake lies on the border with Tanzania. We spent the afternoon swimming with the students and spent the afternoon wading. Then we headed back up the hill, where we had a minor asthma attack, but nothing to worry about. Once back on the bus, we hit the road again, making a detour to the Tanzanian border. On the way back, we were shocked to see students and teachers throwing bottles and garbage out of their windows. Along the road we saw elephants, giraffes, zebras and our first buffalo. It was impressive to see such wild animals so close to civilization.
As Maëlle's situation did not improve, the decision was made to repatriate her. She would first go to the hospital in Nairobi, which was a more "advanced" hospital. Following this decision, things happened quite quickly. Maëlle was taken in charge by the plane's medical team, accompanied by Marius. The medical team was more on top of things, and there was a real difference in the way they looked after her (they put her on a water drip without us having to ask!).
Once Maëlle and Marius were in the medical plane, Emilie and Valeria returned to the CIT, and just afterwards the rest of the group arrived by bus after a long day. We enjoyed a small meal made in the canteen, thinking of Maëlle, and then each of us went about our business for the evening and went to sleep.

Day 11

First awakening at CIT. After our traditional breakfast, we were welcomed by a host of university staff, including the principal. We had planned to plant trees on the campus, but thanks to their explanations we understood that today was a public holiday throughout Kenya dedicated to planting trees. The aim was to plant 50 million trees throughout the country! So everyone got together: students, teachers and others from the town to look after the trees already planted and make sure they were growing well, as well as planting new trees. The polé polé (tranquil) rhythm was even more apparent in the crowd of some fifty people who came to the campus to maintain and plant the trees!
After a morning under the beating sun, a break was in order. So we ate at the CIT canteen. Afterwards, Lison and Kenza went to the hospital and finished their afternoon with Maëlle and Marius. The rest of the group stayed on to learn about their ingenious lumbar support technique and to decorate the front of the French room with the symbols of France. After chatting with several of the students and spending a convivial moment, we ate. Lison and Kenza returned with news of Maëlle.
After this intense day, we all went to dive into the arms of Morpheus.
But surprise! We had to come to the rescue of Clara and Camille, who were trapped in their room: the door lock was faulty, so we had to break down the door to free them!
But Hakuna Matata!

Day 10

Last wake-up call in Lumo, last patrol, last succulent meal from our Chef Yassin!
It's time to pack up, leaving behind us a magnificent fresco to increase the camp's attractiveness (and it's already got people talking!), some twenty signs explaining local plants and their virtues, a table that's almost not wobbly^^, some forty trees ready to provide coolness and shade during the dry seasons and an improved road to facilitate access to the camp! Great moments of sharing, laughter, falling in love with our handsome ranger, Sameson, and getting scared by some of our 6-legged roommates; in short, we're full of memories!
A last goodbye, a last song, a few hours on the bus.
A new adventure awaits us at CIT de Voi!

Day 9

Good morning everyone!
This morning, due to the late return of the road team the day before, the wake-up call was changed to 8:15. Afterwards, several of us did laundry by bucket and by hand, which was great fun!
This morning, we had to make botanical signs for Marc's trail, finish the table and plant trees.
Everyone went about their business when suddenly Marius and Estelle arrived covered in stings. While planting the trees, Estelle had been attacked by bees and Marius, trying to help her, had also been chased. So the tree-planting ended for the morning, and they nursed themselves with the help of Lison and Alice. In the meantime, the botanical trail signs made giant strides, each more beautiful than the last. Finally, the table was finished just in time for the lunchtime inauguration. The weather had not been in our favor since this morning, so we decided to keep it that way for lunch. As always, Yassin delighted us. Then the teachers went to the reception desk for a meeting. Meanwhile, we had a nice break. Then some of us started packing our bags.
The departure for a patrol scheduled for 15:30 was long overdue. We waited several hours. Finally we left at 6pm, not for a patrol but for a little surprise. We spent the evening having a drink in a lodge 30 minutes from our camp. It was a very convivial evening, starting with a little singing from Marius. Then we went for a walk and talked about each other's faults and qualities. It was a very rich, funny and memorable moment. Back at camp, we ate and went to sleep at our own pace.

Day 8

Breakfast at 7.15am, very good! Then we left around 8:30 for the first group and 9:15 for the second group to visit and learn more about the elephant dung paper factory (poopoo), which is also a school for people with disabilities (aged 4 to 19).
They explained how paper is created, and then we tried it ourselves.
To do this, they collect elephant dung and dry it, then put it in pieces and add recycled paper, add water and leave it to boil for 3 to 6 hours.
Just before the paper is finished, they add wheat flour as glue. Then they form the paper, leave it to dry for about 3 days and voilaaaa!!!
The role of this paper factory is to offer poachers an alternative to the slaughter of elephants, the aim being to raise awareness and train poachers in paper-making in order to promote their protection.
We then all got into the same car (it was a tight squeeze) to eat lunch.
We had an hour's rest, then split into 3 groups: 1 for the fresco, 1 for botany, then 1 for tree-planting.
With the weather cooperating, part of the tree-planting group set off to continue repairing the road. After several adventures, this group finally returned at nightfall!
Once dinner was over, we spent an evening playing a frenzied game of werewolf 😁

Day 7

Monday 6, we woke up at 7.15 a.m., as we do every morning, and had our delicious, hearty breakfast. Then, one group went off to paint the fences at the entrance to the sanctuary, another group worked on the fresco and finally the last group started building a wooden table to improve camp life.
During the lunch break, Lison, Laura and Émilie took advantage of the opportunity to do a little sports! Warrior!
In the afternoon, after lunch, one group went out on patrol with the rangers, while the other started planting trees.
During the patrol, the car's tire went flat! The group therefore found itself in the middle of the savannah, close to Lion's Rock, for 3 hours (yes, because the spare tire was the wrong size!) Fortunately, the atmosphere was good: laughter, photo sessions, dancing and singing helped pass the time and avoid succumbing to the stress of this comical situation, with a magnificent sunset as a bonus! In the end, we found a solution to help them out and get them back to camp, all in one piece!
Another great African adventure!

Day 6

Yo team!
Today's Sunday is mass day and rest day for us.
4 adventurous students Lison and Emilie were motivated to go hiking. The plan was to drive 30 minutes and walk 1:30 to 2 hours to reach a mountain plateau for a panoramic view. So the plan was to leave at 9am. But we're in Africa, so we had to leave at 9:30 and the 30-minute drive turned into 1:30. Then, arriving at the summit after 1:30 of walking, we were lucky enough to see an incredible view of ... clouds. Despite this, the clouds dispersed for a few moments, allowing us to take some nice photos. After a moment's rest and learning a few dances and songs from the rangers who were with us, it was off again for the descent. Between the jokes, the complaints and the quoicoubeh, everything went smoothly. Back in the car, it was off again for a burlesque ride full of jolts and holes in the road that made themselves felt on our little posteriors. After a short break in a village, an old lady came up to us in the back of the 4×4 and spoke to us in a mixture of Swahili and English, but we only understood that we were dressed as men when we should be dressed as women, and then we had the impression that she was casting spells on us. So neither one nor two did we rush off again.
On the other side of the camp, the 10 other kids spent one of the quietest days. Between laundry, the key moment of the day, and songs by Marius on the yukulele, the atmosphere was very convivial. The late afternoon was punctuated by showers, reading and rest. Suddenly, a heavy thunderstorm descended on us and we had to race to close the tents. But there was no need to dampen spirits, as Claire and Estelle took the opportunity to shower in the rain! And yes, water is precious here, so when it falls from the sky, we make the most of it!
Afterwards, we all take shelter in Valeria and Estelle's room, and take a short break together, chatting and sorting photos in peace. Afterwards, a small meal in the dining room, as delicious and tasty as Yassine always is!

Day 5

Today, May 4, 2024, we woke up at 7 a.m. and split into two groups.
One attacked the painting of the fresco, and the other went on patrol with the rangers.
We saw elephants, giraffes, gazelles, zebras...
Then we joined the other group to eat lunch.
Then 9 of us climbed into a 4-seater car to go to Mwatate' to pick up victuals and gardening equipment.
It was so cool.
On the way back, disaster struck: Maëlle got sick, Gabriel was stung by an African wasp, Camille and Émilie hurt their knees and Yuri's gloves were too small for his big hands. The road team left to continue the work and sweat, while the other group stayed at camp to continue the fresco.
We were all very tired, so when we got back we ate, showered, and then some of us got to share a moment of dance with the rangers to the rhythm of their drums.
It was a good day!

Day 4, more photos!

Day 4

This is it! This is it! First awakening at Lumo!

We woke up quite early to take advantage of the "freshness" of the morning. The chef prepared a hearty breakfast for us (bananas, sausages, roasted squash, hard-boiled egg, peanut butter toast! A real treat!)

Then we packed our gear and set off on our first patrol of the savannah with the whole ranger team in their little 4×4.

We spent over 4 hours on patrol through extraordinary landscapes, the immensity of the savannah, under the eye of the majestic Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest peak). We saw herds of zebra, wildebeest, impala, gazelle, monkeys, giraffe, elephants, eagles, birds of all kinds...etc.

It was incredible! We realize how important it is to protect all this biodiversity.

Once home, we ate a delicious meal prepared by the chef.

The temperature is really rising and it's time for a nap!

In the afternoon we got down to some serious work. We split into several groups: some repainted road signs, others started the mural with many local animals, then the last ones (warrior team!) shoveled tons of earth to improve the road conditions. The shower was much appreciated!

We had a wonderful evening of games, music and laughter.

Between hours of power cuts and water problems for showering, we had quite a few welcome adventures, but as we say here... Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata (No worries!)

Day 3

We woke up at 4:30 a.m. and headed for the station to catch the 8 a.m. train to Lumo.
The class was split into two groups, one of which met a French family who have been living in Kenya for 6 years.

After a 4-hour train journey, we arrived in Lumo, where Lison welcomed us with the bus driver and a teacher from the university.

We caught the buses and went to a restaurant where a buffet awaited us.
After filling our bellies, we got back on the bus to reach our final destination in the reserve, where we met Mark, who showed us around our future accommodation and the area in general.

The cook had prepared some specialties for us with a little tea and coffee.
After getting to know the rangers, cook, (and other people) we played soccer with the rangers' children and then ate a good meal made by the cooks. After this marvellous power cut, we went back to our little occupations: singing, yukulele, discussions to remake the world under a breathtaking starry sky and went to sleep, in rooms for some, in tents for others, the adventure begins!

Day 2

Hello everyone!

Here we are again, after an energetic evening full of laughter and conviviality, and we took the opportunity this morning to get a bit more sleep. We set off for the Karura forest, where we met up with 3 students from class 11 of the Steiner school in Nairobi (Nashe, Rubi and Lina) who joined us to see a waterfall and walk in the forest. One of the waterfalls was not accessible as the river was overflowing due to flooding.

Climate change is causing torrential rains that are causing major flooding problems all over the place, and causing major damage in some parts of the city. Agriculture is severely compromised, and dozens of people die every day as a result of the flooding. The climate emergency takes on its full meaning here...

We reached a waterfall with an impressive flow!

On the way, a number of more or less profound conversations emerged here and there, as well as hysterical screams at the unknown insects. Afterwards, we got back on the bus and headed for the Nairobi National Museum. A break for lunch was in order. We went to the museum's restaurant, where we discovered a variety of traditional meals. In the end we didn't get to visit the museum as payment by card wasn't accepted, but we did get to meet Favourite (a friend of Lison's), a young Kenyan psychology student dedicated to learning French. We returned home, and Judith, the school director, gave us a tour of the Steiner school and the boarding school where we were staying. The boarding school caters for 120 pupils and a total of 400 pupils including those who come for the day. The children are up to 15 years old. This was the first Steiner school to open in East Africa. It has the particularity of catering for the country's poorest children, and 80% of the school runs thanks to sponsors, donations and they also organize breakfasts for children living in precarious conditions. We then visited the surrounding area and the nature around the school. There we saw our first hippopotamus, and a huge growl resembling a car horn startled us all. Scared out of our wits, we all set off with our best sprints, with the gold medal going to Kenza.

Soline and Clarisse

Monday April 29
Coucou las louloutas,
After a tumultuous departure from Paris customs, we finally arrived tired but alive at Nairobi airport at around 8pm. We took the school bus for about 3h30 to the Steiner boarding school. We arrived at the boarding school in the pouring rain. We allocated rooms, went to eat (mango, banana, pineapple, chips, bread with a lick of cheese) and off to bed Annick.

Tuesday April 30
We woke up at around 7 a.m. and had breakfast (a continuation of yesterday's meal). Back on the bus to another steiner school and we got to see the Kenyan countryside for the first time. We were welcomed by the 11th class. We had breakfast (corn and "beignets"), and played a little basketball together. Then we went back to the classroom, where the delegates explained how the Kenyan system worked and the country's problems with global warming. After these explanations, we in turn explained our system and the masterpieces ect. We then attended a maths lesson (the Kenyan students looked just as lost as we were). Afterwards, we went to the 10th class for a Swahili lesson. Maëlle caused quite a stir with her magic tricks, and we got to chat with the students and teachers. (Salut = sasa salut retour=poa). Our tummies rumbling, we went for lunch (chicken or fish with spinach and potato purée plus ougalie (corn flour mixed with boiled water) with lentils and for dessert cake with custard). A short digestive break is in order. We crossed paths with monkeys and a giant grasshopper. We went to an open-air art class and learned that even our artistic talents lie somewhere behind our clumsy doodles.
(A great idea: 4 canvases, 4 groups, each group paints and every 10 minutes we turn and complete each other's canvas). After painting, we gathered our things, gave donations and set off on the bus journey home with Patrick (our wonderful driver who had been waiting for us all day). We made a quick stop to stock up on food and then split up to the boarding school at around 5:30pm. We had a quiet break until 6:45pm. Marius and Émilie introduced us to the boarding school director. We made up the groups (dishes, meals and blog). We ate.
See you tomorrow for the continuation of our adventures
Bisouille.

Claire and Valou

Day 1

Well arrived in Nairobi and warmly welcomed by our hosts from the Steiner School of Nairobi!
Too classy their bus!