Sukutan, Yes we did

On 23^rd January when I wrote about the sad plight of young Leimbokai’s school (or lack of it) in Sukutan, I never imagined how difficult it would be to plan, fund-raise and make purchases for materials, deliver them and inspire the community members to effectively take the bull by its horns and construct a classroom and two toilets, all in 20 days. I also didn’t reckon with the amount of goodwill from people from many corners of the world who send us messages of encouragement and who offered to help us physically construct and with suggestions.  But once a line has been drawn on the sand, a date had been set for the valentines’ day; we had to work against the clock to make this happen.

The School under a tree. This what young Leimbokai was calling a school.

I got encouragement as soon as I finished writing the story. Virginia Wahome called immediately and volunteered. Gayla Fetcher and Tim Muli, who I had worked with in trying to resolve water issues, came with suggestions on the fundi. I called him and he was interested and willing to join. They say dynamo comes in small packages. I thought that was cliché until I met Maryann Mugo and Lillian Geoffrey, two ladies, one in Yaoundé, Cameroon and the other in Nairobi who passed the word, lobbied their colleagues at work and kept encouraging John and me that we can do it. Their incredible energy and commitment to social justice issues is admirable. What is even more admirable is their ability to step out of the comfort zone and live on the edge, willing to make paths for others to follow where there were no paths before!

Our boss at Zeitz Foundation, Dr. Liz Rihoy, made available the resources of the Zeitz Foundation to ensure the community were able to build their own decent classroom for the children. Transport is the biggest hindrance in a project of this nature which is being undertaken by the community and outside supporters, and the Zeitz Foundation provided a tractor to carry the sand from a community sand pit and haul natural stone to the school site and transport to get the fundi's and volunteers to Sukutan. Additionally,  two of our colleagues from the Foundation,  Maina Mbogo and Joseph Ciuri, worked with community members, standing in the line where capacity gaps were so glaring and assisting the community members build a belief that even with such short time, they could successfully carry out this project, with a minimum of external support. 

Day 1: Thursday 14^th February. Temperature: 35 degrees Celsius, clear sky, no cloud in sight.

Our Valentine’s Day date had finally arrived and our date with fate, as it were, was finally here. On a clear cloudless day and with weather forecast predicting a hot dry day, we all gathered on a rocky patch where the school was supposed to be and the community wazee (elders) selected the site.  Soon after, James, the mason recommended by my friends Gayla Fecher and Timothy Muli got to work measuring and pegging in the dimensions. It was a moment so beautiful, considering that three weeks earlier, I had seen a roof torn by wind on a room no larger than a standard bedroom that had housed the entire 42 children and their teacher. We dug the foundations and set the support poles and admired the handiwork but still we were not sure. Had we bitten more than we could chew? 

Day 2: Friday 15^th February. Clear cloudy day and temperatures still at 35 degrees

We woke early to avoid the hot sun and started off immediately fixing the wall plate for support while our second fundi, Maina, together with our maintenance crew, Chris and Joseph, worked on making trusses. In this part of the world, everything is manual and it was a slow but a rewarding process as the first, then second, till the fifth trusses came into shape. Meanwhile, on the other end of the site, James and community members were laying the natural stone masonry. The women from the community were fetching water and making a future break time shade for the kids. Everybody seemed to have woken inspired and ready to work. 

At 11 am, our friends from the Wonderbag, an innovative cooking bag arrived and gave a demonstration to the ladies on how to use the bag. This wonder bag cooks without a heat source and therefore saves women (and men) time and money as it only needs the food to boil for number of minutes and then you transfer the pot to the wonderbag and tie it shut and wait for few hours. In Sukutan, the community members tasted their first wonderbag lunch after only 1 hour. In a highly patriarchal society like Sukutan where women cook, fetch the wood, water and build houses, this bag could indeed live up to its name as a wonderbag for ladies.

At noon, our volunteers from other parts of Kenya started calling, they had already left their work places and were slowly making their way to Nanyuki for the pickup point. Martin had already left from Laikipia West, MaryAnn and Ngumba had already left Nairobi and Michael had called in with sad news that he wouldn’t make it because of bereavement. As I left the site that evening, I could not help but admire how far we had come in just two days. The trusses were complete, two tractor loads of sand on site, all the natural stone needed on site, water on site, all tents pitched. We were chugging along well 

Day 3: Departure Nanyuki, Kenya 6: AM temperature 17 degrees. Crew: MaryAnn, Martin, Ngumba, Ian and Njenga

My volunteers arrived at various times and we held a briefing meeting and agreed to make an early start to cover the 78KM from Nanyuki to school site. Immediately after 6am, we headed for the Laikipia plateau leaving the snowy peaks of Mt. Kenya behind us with assurance that when they are visible that early in the morning, we would have a good day. We made our way through Segera, enjoying the game viewing experience that you don’t find elsewhere while heading north towards Sukutan. 

We arrived shortly after eight just in time to catch the Moran’s helping the mason and carpenter hoist the trusses. Maryann immediately wondered off to join the ladies and excited laughter from her new friends was reassuring. Martin and I wondered to fix the toilet and Ian and Ngumba joined the crew heading to the river to fetch water and sand. I must mention the toilet because many people take it for granted. This is the first ever toilet constructed in Sukutan and it gave us great joy to be able to do it no matter how simple it.

Maryann joined the construction crew and her Nielsen t-shirt said loudly, she immediately added VALUE. The men were challenged and they quickened the pace hoping to wear her out but she is toughie, this one. She worked with the crew, collecting stone, plastering and cutting the reinforcement iron hoops until we had to take a tea and water break. At 11 am the temperatures were past 32 degrees and still not the hottest part of the day.

By lunch hour (which varies depending on the chef’s mood) we had already set all the trusses and the second wall had already gotten to waist level. By evening everybody was bone tired but a bleating sheep being led our way got us immediately interested. It must in every Kenyan DNA that the mention of Nyama choma (barbequed mutton) changes the conversation and brings the best in us. We gathered around a fire and as Moran’s slaughtered the goat we recapped the day and wondered how the history will record the product of our endavours that day. Shortly after, the mutton was on the grill and we spend the rest of the evening enjoying the ribs and assuring Maryann that even though she could hear the hyenas, they wouldn’t come near her tent.

A volunteer Maryann makes new friends. the classroom is behind them

Day 4 Sunday 17^th February, Final day.

We made an early start, and this time, it was really early. Everybody was out of bed by 5.50am and we watched the glorious Laikipia sunrise and got to work. For breakfast, we had boiled meat and tea and I haven’t had a more tasty breakfast like that in a long time. At 6.20, the roofing crew were ready to nail the first corrugate iron sheet and we quickly settled into rhythm and in two hours were finalising the roofing structure. Now we could work under the shade while fixing the walls. We brought all the materials – cement, mesh wire, nails under the new roof and laid extra layer of stone before breaking for a prayer.

Being a Sunday, we gathered under the new shade and Joshua, a community member led the prayers thanking God for the structure and blessings for the many people who helped bring it to life. We spoke of the tasks ahead, completing the structure 100% and moving the kids to the new building by end of February 22^nd. As community members went round the building, I could notice a spring in their walk, they were proud of what they had been able to accomplish and what the future hold for young Leimbokai whose encounter with me started the whole story. With the money raised, we will be able to pay for the mason to completer the walls, plaster them and put a cement floor on the classroom.  We still are not out of woods yet as we will require benches for the children but it is a first step for young Leimbokai to join mainstream society. 

This would not have happened without the help of many people. I can only mention a few here. First and foremost to Almighty for giving us energy to do this. Many thanks to staff of Nielsen led by Maryann Mugo, May God Bless all of them and continue to make them prosper. Many Special thanks to the staff of Zeitz Foundation, you really are the A team!  Carson Wagonlit Kenya, we look forward to seeing you soon. James Evander and Maina, you are great guys, no wonder Jesus was born into a carpenter’s home – your work requires immense patience and grace which you guys have in abundance.