Between January and June 2016, three Kenyan boys – alumna of Tigithi Secondary School divided their time between as many Canadian sister schools as they could fit in their incredibly full calendar. They were the first ever group of PA-MOJA students to travel to Canada and in their role as ambassadors, they surpassed all expectations. Armed with curiosity and a fiery ambition to represent Kenya and PA-MOJA, they worked tirelessly and charmed their way into hundreds of Canadian hearts.
People who heard them deliver speeches suddenly wanted to know more about PA-MOJA. They wanted to get involved and learn more about Kenya from Kenyans. The boys also had oppotunities to work on their Butterfly Effect projects and partner with their Canadian contemporaries whom they had only encountered online.
After they “graduated” from Langley fine arts in June, it was time to head for home. Along with the PA-MOJA volunteers, they are replicating the Canadian efforts in Kenya. Instead of the Canadian volunteers leading school visits as has been the case for the last several years, the boys are taking point in planning and carrying out the visits. Each boy has been put in charge of a sister school. George who was closely involved with Maple Creek conducted the Ereri Visit. James Spearheaded Matanya for Kwaquitlum and Victor delivered exchange items from Kilmer to Chuma. In every visit, they galvanize crowds of students and teachers who want to hear everything about their sister schools and Canadian life.
The boys have found that the kids are even more excited when they hear it from fellow Kenyans. It is easy for them appreciate and they listen with rapt attention and wonder at the incredulity of a place where all the roads are paved and vegetables travel from the store to the dinner table without having to pass through the kitchen. “How can they eat that?”
They however concede with knowing smiles that the kids in both sides of the world have the same values and fears. They all want to be doctors and pilots and they all want to know more about the world outside the confines for their respective countries. Possibly the biggest take away for the hundreds of Kenyan kids is to see their admiration for the three boys who confidently articulate themselves inspire them. It moves them light-years ahead to feel they can look up to fellow Kenyans and that it is not help from foreigners they need but opportunities to validate their own dreams.
We wish the three boys all the best as they head for collage and hope they will live up to their brilliant expectation, blazing a trail of mentorship for both Kenyan and Canadian PA-MOJA members.
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Keep up the good work, Victor, James and George. I look forward to hearing about more SisterSchool visits!
We loved the time that Victor, James and George spent at ASIA North Poplar. Their presence and description of their life in Kenya, made it feel like Africa was not that far away.
It has been a great privilege working with PA-MOJA as an ambassador student