Living and working under this corrupt government and society amplifies a great amount of stress to daily life. Three weeks ago, we received the pre exam documents and timetable from KNEC. We scheduled the times, days, and purchases for exams to begin on Monday and to be completed on Friday. We scheduled 4 students each day for cooking and 4 for service. Each day the students are required 6 hours plus for wash up afterwards. These exams are very important and determine where the students will become eligible for any next level education they may pursue (similar to the SAT’s in the U.S.).
Here is a snapshot of our first week:
Monday- Examiners said they will be here to begin at 7:00m. They called on Sunday stating that they were in a meeting in Nairobi which would make it impossible to be here on time. We regrouped so we could begin in the afternoon. So, the day went on and came to an end.
Tuesday- The examiners informed us that now we will begin on Wednesday at 7:00am. Three of us instructors went our separate ways to do the purchasing of food and supplies for the week which totaled $2,000. This is not an easy feat when we depend on matatus, tuk-tuks, and motorbikes to transport products from the stores to the school. During this same time, I took 6 students for attachment interviews because I was staying in my Regional Director’s apartment and using her vehicle while she was home in the states. Driving alone adds much stress for me because there are no rules to how people drive. I was able to leave for home by 5:45pm because I don’t feel I can drive at dark. The other two instructors returned after 7:00pm, then the students began storing the goods anywhere and everywhere they could find. We have one household refrigerator and one chest freezer. The vegetables were stored in containers and any cupboards they could make room in. The temperatures are hitting a low of 80 degrees now. This really bothered me a year ago. . .the pests, the flies, and unsanitary food. . .but now it has become a normal way of life. The students left school at 10:00pm.
Wednesday- Arrived at school by 6:00am, many students were already cleaning and preparing for the day. 7:00am start time passed, 8:00am passed, and then at 8:30, low and behold, two examiners and a soldier arrived. There is always an armed soldier so there is no cheating or corruption going on. This began years ago because the examiners were selling copies of the exams beforehand to the students. Corruption! Now they are there also to avoid any disturbance from local gangs or rowdy youth in the neighborhoods. By now we were 1 ½ hours late and we had to squeeze 5 days of exams into 3 days. So, this required double shifts each day that finished at 10:00pm. Somehow during the night, the students had to hand wash, dry, and iron their uniforms.
Thursday- Staff and students began to really be dragging. The day was the same as Wednesday, with the addition of two Human Resource directors visiting to conduct interviews at our school. They came from one of the nicest hotels here and they had not accepted any of our students in the past. Last year I waited in the lobby for 3 hours only to be told “no, we have no space for your students". This past August when I visited, she said she recruits in November and agreed to interview 10 students and left me by saying “I will take a maximum of 5 and a minimum of 0”. As I thanked her for the opportunity, my mind was responding…. "well alrighty then!" I called to confirm her arrival that morning and she said there will be 5 staff members coming to interview. I got the small boardroom in the church office prepared, tea, water, croissants, and mints by 12:30. Now to turn on the air conditioner so the room would be cool by 2:00pm…hmmm, no battery in the remote…. Hmmm, no spare battery on hand…...hmmm, nearest battery would be a couple hours to accomplish…...hmmm, no air! She allowed me to sit in on the interviews, questions were fired at the students, probing at them hard. I was actually impressed how some of the students did the research and were able to answer. She notified me on Friday that she accepted 4 of them. I still get a little choked up that these students were able to compete with other industry professionals. One last thing to do to leave before dark… organize the 25 students for the outside catering on Saturday. Saturday was the annual Bishop’s diocese fundraiser at the pastoral center and we serve about 2500 guests.
Friday- I did not plan to go to work this day because of Saturday’s event. Last year we worked from 8:00am and I was the first to get home at 9:00pm and I did not want to get sick like last year. I was informed a few days prior, that a Fr. Joe wanted to occupy Corals’ apartment on Friday, so ended up packing my things and returning home and grocery shopping since I was away for over 2 weeks. And then my fellow missioner Kathy joined me to assist a family of 7 orphans to find a place to live and we succeeded, they will live very close to me. A hidden blessing for the week!! I texted my supervisor to see what time we needed to meet on Saturday for the fundraiser and she replied, "I will let you know later."
Saturday- I wake up to a message sent at 11:30pm Friday stating that the students had been reduced to 15 and only 1 instructor for the Bishop’s catering and I was not the instructor to go. I was actually very happy. I called Abdalla (my sponsored student) to pass by on his way so I could stuff him with pancakes because many times the students are not fed at these events and these students do not get breakfast. I decided to return my boss' car to her apartment today since I had the time. No surprise to find that Fr. Joe had not occupied her place. I also stopped by my phone company for the 5
th time this month to see how they were coming on resolving the issues I have been experiencing since I returned here in august. I know I am getting the run around, but I am just stubborn enough to keep poking at them. Like most companies here, they find ways to cheat you and they have done this three time to me. I did receive a message from the hotel that interviewed the 10 students on Thursday and they accepted four - another hidden gem.
I remember the finance person at the school telling me last year, in the middle of my frustration of all the changes and last-minute notifications, “that is why we don’t schedule anything here”. And I can attest that they are so accustomed to this way of life that it does not phase them in the least!
Sunday One last hidden gem. . .I decided to attend the 7:00am Mass today instead of the 8:30 mass which finished at 3:00pm!