Como Lake Cultural Exchange with Ereri Primary

More than three hundred and thirty primary students were seated at 16 desks arranged in a large quadrangle in the Ereri Primary Schoolyard when the PA-MOJA matatu pulled into the yard. The students, who were waiting patiently under the hot midday sun, are primarily members of Samburu, Maasai, and, Kikuyu tribes.

After formal introductions by the head teacher, Mr. Gerald Ngatiah, which included his staff of seven teachers, the students were ready with their welcome of spiritual songs and traditional dances.

The girls’ school choir, dressed in green uniform dresses with orange collars and socks, led with powerful soprano voices offering inspiration. One of their songs included two girls dancing in a wide circle, and each eyed the other. Later, one of the teachers in charge of performances, Grace Kaparo, explained that the girls are trying to escape one another while simultaneously trying to out dance the other one.

To the visitors, the winner of the dance was not obvious, but Ms. Kaparo, and her colleague Ann Muthoni who also coaches the performers, agreed that Sharon Leyangere, 14, was the winner. Sharon said that she has been dancing her whole life.

Following the girls’ choir were traditional dances led by students from the pastoralist Samburu and Maasai tribes. A young morani, Nkotumi Ntaiya, 14 served as the soloist and led the group of dancers, including some much older than himself.
The dancers were dressed in brilliant red, yellow, and blue shukas, which are the traditional robes. The rhythmic voices and movements of the dancers reverberated through the audience.

Although the performances were a tough act to follow, PA-MOJA volunteer, Maureen Jennings, kept the smiles flowing when she shared some high-energy games that Michal Ruhr and Como Lake students had collected for the Ereri students. Children’s home volunteers, including Jihae Yun, Nicole Gunson, Laura Campani, Lorna Richards, and Ashley Boggild demonstrated blob tag, octopus tag, and the wheelbarrow race. The Ereri students cheered on the volunteers and fellow students alike during the games.

Volunteers thanked the performers and the members of the Ereri school community before retreating into a classroom with approximately 50 members of the PA-MOJA club from the upper grades. They watched a video of the Como Lake students trying out Kenyan games, which the students had demonstrated for them in an earlier video. The Ereri students’ faces shone as they watched the Como Lake students’ attempts at the Kenyan games.

After these cultural exchanges, Ereri students were presented with a colorful nail art sign created by a Como Lake student. In turn, student president, Peterson Scool Larpei, Standard 8, presented PA-MOJA volunteers with hand-crafted bracelets and necklaces that the students themselves made.

A meeting with the head teacher, Mr. Ngatiah, was the final event of the day. PA-MOJA director, Heather Hall announced the PA-MOJA offer to support three Samburu girls with full scholarships for secondary school through Standard 4, which is the equivalent to grade 12. Mr. Ngatiah, immediately knew the three most deserving girls for the award, and moments later volunteers met Susan Naramat Lekoloi, Lekorere Susan Sanetí, and Caroline Tutayo Leyankere.

Ol Pejeta school coordinator, Emily Lerosion, also from the Samburu tribe, shared her emotional story of being rescued from early marriage. Ms. Lerosion explained in Kiswahili the challenges the girls must overcome and asked if they were certain that their parents would resist the offers of early marriage that could interfere with their education. The girls agreed that their parents would support them, and they listened carefully to Ms. Lerosion’s story of hardships and ultimate success.

Warnings of early marriages and other dangers that girls from the pastoral tribes must face had a sobering effect on the PA-MOJA volunteers; however, the three girls’ faces reflected quiet happiness, and volunteers understood that they were looking at three girls who would be role models for their communities.

Before we said goodbye, Mr. Ngatiah shared his wish list for his school, which included sending his school dance team, that had won a local competition, to the regional level, and increased infrastructure to transform Ereri to a boarding school. This move would enable the school to protect more girls from early marriages.

PA-MOJA director, Alison Stuart said that while the dance team competition did not fall within our mission statement, that the desire to transform Ereri to a boarding school would be added to the overall PA-MOJA wish list. This list would be forwarded to the community leaders that prioritize PA-MOJA projects. The full day ended with a sense of what has been accomplished and what is yet to be done.

Story by Dawn Kane