The next chapter in the life of Elimu involves traipsing across a small section of the Kent countryside, interspersed with over-friendly horses, runaway miniature dogs and a fair amount of mud, followed by long stretches of pavement, and finally, exhaustion, relief, and aching limbs. Such was our 21 mile sponsored walk from outside the gates of our two Bromley schools, The Priory and Charles Darwin, on a sunny Sunday morning all the way to the Kenyan Embassy past Oxford Circus and the BBC's Bush House.
The walk served multiple purposes. It allowed the sixth formers to fundraise for their upcoming trip to Kenya, their teachers to fundraise towards the cost of building new libraries in their Kenyan schools, and Elimu to raise awareness and support for our work overall. There was also plenty of time for some team bonding when the two schools converged around two hours in. We started at 7.30am (the day after the clocks went forward) and after a few stops and sit-downs along the way, our party of 21 (including Milly, our four-legged mascot) finished up in Portland Place at 3.50pm. It's fair to say a few of us had trouble moving the next day.
Well done to everyone who took part and thank you very much to all those who sponsored us.
Photos and video montage to come!
In other news, we are excited to reveal these intricately drawn floor plans in the re-construction of Stalion nursery and infants school, in Nandi Hills. The school is currently housed in a small corrugated iron hut; the new building has been designed in collaboration with the founding headteacher, Sally. 
It will go a long way towards securing an early-years education in a quality learning environment for some of Nandi Hills' poorest children and their families. More updates to follow soon.On Saturday, 2nd April I presented on Elimu's work and the challenges associated with school linking at a conference entitled 'Education for a Better Future: Education for Peace' at the Institute of Education. This event was organised by ICED - International Connections in Education and Development - and supported by the IoE and the British Association for International & Comparative Education (BAICE) to bring together students, researchers and professionals working in the field. The paper is available to be downloaded here along with some responses from the Q&A session which offer further insights into what we do http://icedglobal.weebly.com/resources.html
Another conference of sorts taking place this week is a session which Elimu is holding in Charles Darwin School with the four teachers who will be accompanying, and participating in, July's trip to Kenya. The session is to prepare them more for life in a Kenyan classroom. As well as spending some time teaching (and looking after their students!), they will also be able to share experiences and ideas with colleagues in their partner schools, and hopefully, with their own schools when they return.
As we look forward to July, honking matatus, dusty roads, playground games, and rain, watch this space for details on Elimu's first organised fundraiser... and where celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's ideas and international charity Right to Play fit with our work. 'Pass it on' is our emerging theme.
With thanks and best wishes for a Happy Easter,
Jo
