Kenya coming up!

It is less than one week before students and staff from The Priory School and Bishop Justus head out with us to Kenya, a journey which in fact began last Autumn. An initial sense of nervous anticipation and excitement was followed by a lot of hardwork with student-led fundraising activities, regular meetings with both students and parents, a round of innoculations, many, many questions, and an inbox full of emails between their teachers and me. And that was just at the UK end and without mentioning the occasional Foreign Office announcements on Nairobi or the various other things that only ever crop up with school trips.

Putting together these trips is quite a painstaking, and at times, painful, operation requiring much patience, humour and forebearance from everybody involved. We are fortunate in having a fantasically supportive, collaborative team of teachers, one of whom took part in our very first trip and is looking forward to teaching in a Kenyan classroom again.

The focus on teaching and the chance for teachers from Kenya and the UK to come together and share ideas is becoming a central component of Elimu's work - and provides the underpinning to our school trips.

We hope staff and students enjoy their time in Kenya and that they are able to get out of the experience, and give to it, all that they want to.

The Nandi Hills community is ready and waiting to introduce them to Kenya, and to their partner schools.

Until Thursday... and an update from Kenya... here is a peek at our itinerary (please note, some details have been omitted to protect the interests of the group in line with our Child Protection policy).

Itinerary

DAY 1: Thursday, 28^th June

Travel to Kenya: Leave The Priory School late PM for London Heathrow

DAY 2: Friday, 29^th June

Arrive Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport

Afternoon	Dinner
Drive to Naivasha, on the floor of the Rift Valley, approx. 2hr drive away Chance to take photographs at ‘Viewpoint’ Arrive Sanctuary Farm, Naivasha A walk round the farm bringing you into close contact with giraffe, zebra, antelope, gazelle, and several species of birds in their natural environment	Dinner on the farm Campfire

DAY 3: Saturday, 30^th June

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast at Sanctuary Farm 8AM Choose between horse riding or wildlife walk Orientation Part 1: Overview of Kenyan culture and education system	Sanctuary Farm	Orientation Part 2: teaching practice	Dinner on the farm, 7PMish Campfire Orientation Part 3: Q&A

DAY 4: Sunday, 1^stJuly

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast at Sanctuary Farm 8AM Depart for Nandi Hills, approx. 7 hrs away, at 9AMish	Eldoret	Arrive at Kip’s Eco Resort, Nandi Hills	Dinner at home of Elimu Rep., Sally Sang Daily debrief at Kip’s

DAY 5: Monday, 2^ndJuly

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast at Kip’s, 7.30AM Walk to Kipriria, approx. 45mins away, at 8.15AM Welcome assembly Introductions	Kipriria	Teaching Tour of town	Dinner at home of Kipriria’s director, Mr Yego Daily debrief at Kip’s

DAY 6: Tuesday, 3^rdJuly

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast at Kip’s, 7.30AM Walk to Kipriria, approx. 45mins away, at 8.15AM Teaching	Kipriria	Teaching After school clubs	Local venue Daily debrief at Kip’s

DAY 7: Wednesday, 4^thJuly

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast at Kip’s, 7.30AM Walk to Kipriria, approx. 45mins away, at 8.15AM Teaching Study tour of Nandi Hills Hospital and Stalion nursery school with specific students	Kipriria	Teaching After school clubs	Cooking and hosting a dinner for school and community leaders Daily debrief at Kip’s

DAY 8: Thursday, 5^thJuly

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast at Kip’s, 7.30AM Tea picking competition in neighbouring tea estate, 8AM Visit Greenfields, Kipriria’s sister school, a 15min drive away Teaching	Greenfields	Visit Kipsamo School, host of afternoon activities Teacher conference Inter-school football match involving Elimu’s 4 local schools: Kipriria, Greenfields, Kipsamo and Township	Early dinner at home of Kipsamo’s headteacher, Mr Kerich Daily debrief at Kip’s

DAY 9: Friday, 6^thJuly

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast at Kip’s, 7.30AM Walk to Kipriria, approx. 45mins away, at 8.15AM Teaching	Kipriria	Farewell assembly Depart Nandi Hills at 5PM for Kakamega Rainforest, a 2hr drive away. The last remaining section of tropical rainforest in East Africa which used to stretch across the continent, Kakamega is home to butterflies, monkeys, parrots, and more than 300 species of birds which are all unique to this region.	Dinner in Kakamega prepared by local forest community, 8PMish Traditional African storytelling or evening walk Daily debrief

DAY 10: Saturday, 7^th July

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Dawn walk through the forest and a chance to see the sun rise over the highest point Breakfast at Kakamega, 7.30AM Depart Kakamega for Kisumu, approx. 1.5hr drive Lake Victoria Craft markets	Kisumu	Internal Kenya Airways flight from Kisumu to Nairobi Flight approx. 50mins. Game drive through Nairobi National Park. Lions, cheetas, zebra and wildebeest are among the animals that live here. Continue to Karen via the park, thus avoiding the city. Karen is a semi-rural enclave separated from the city by the park & the Ngong Forest. Arrive at campsite	BBQ Daily debrief

DAY 11: Sunday, 8^th July

Breakfast/Morning	Lunch	Afternoon	Dinner
Breakfast 7.30AM Final debrief Drive to Nairobi airport approx. 40 mins drive away	Nairobi airport	Flight to London Heathrow	On the plane

DAY 12: Monday, 9^th July

Arrive London Heathrow

END OF TRIP!