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| Children at Jambo Toto school |
I have to admit that my melancholic streak (that, ‘little miss worry’ part of me), can become a pest at not letting me find neutral and I feel that it should definitely be on my agenda to kick up my heels more as I tip-toe up to 60.
My natural temperament is, unfortunately, happier with to-do lists, rather task driven and trying to manicure my moves on the main runs, afraid of what might happen if I chance life on more challenging slopes.
But hey, there is always opportunity for change, especially if you travel with an ‘off pister’.
The past 9 months have seen Trevor and I living like focused nomads - hotel hopping and learning to make home wherever we found ourselves. And yesterday we returned home with 4 scruffy suitcases full of battered TOMS (Blake Mycoskie’s amazing shoe company), warn out clothes, a pile of much adored books (more like comfort blankets), shells from far off beaches and a thousand memories tucked into every item. Yes, memories too numerous to fully chart. Memories of adventures and happenings that have shaped and shunted us into becoming slightly different people than the ones who left Oxford months ago - certainly inwardly.
What I have learnt is that life will do its work if you let it. Life has a way of not letting you off the hook if you put yourself in the path where your passion and skills meet.
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| Jambo Toto school, Nairobi |
Some of you will remember that we raised, with the help of many of you wonderful friends, the funds to build a school for the children of the stone quarry mothers. These women had their little ones with them each day wandering amongst the flying flints and abusive practices of that environment (they earn $1 a day for their punishing work).
We're thrilled to be able to tell you that Jambo Toto has now been running for almost a year, with 50 students - from tiny tots (with nowhere to go) up to 12 year olds.
Rose, supported by 2 other teachers is caring for all aspects of the children’s lives. They feed them breakfast and lunch each day, often wash them when they come filthy and wrap them in blankets when they arrive cold and shivering. They provide after school care for up to 100 children sometimes and have created a ‘safe haven’ for these vulnerable children.
In the past 4 months Rose (and Charles) have been able to build much needed toilets - at last!!
(2 composting toilets, which the children had fun learning to use!!)
.......and 2 eco stoves and a small rabbit farm (part of their sustainability plan, which has a way to go)
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| ...2 ego stoves |
It is deeply moving to visit the school and to realise that this is the vision of 2 people who, ‘lifted up their heads’ and saw the great need. Who allowed themselves to be moved with compassion. Who did not look over their shoulders, waiting for someone else to step up, but made the responsibility theirs.
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| Chief John, William, Charles, Jane, Rose...and rabbits too pretty to eat!! |
The mothers have been asking for a while if Rose will teach them to read and write too and we’ve now supported them to build a small outdoor classroom for the women and Rose had already started teaching 2 groups of 10 (even though the builder has got distracted and left the pavilion unfinished).
In these afternoon sessions Rose intends to teach life skills, crafts and bring in help for sexual health clinics.
All this will enable the women to make better choices for their lives and an opportunity to leave the ’slavery’ of the rock quarry.
“Leadership is not about title/post, it’s about unlocking the potential of others. It’s about motivating, challenging the order of things, since everyone has potential and human potential is limitless”
- Carly Fiorna
Our job is to release our own hidden potential and then help others to release theirs and find their bigger self.
JB
