Sunday, August 18, 2013

Maths Camp; The Finale


One of the leaders of our SAAS team, Maria, was a brilliant help during the camp. She brought her gorgeous son MJ, who was proud to wear his Ireland jersey. Many of our Kenyan friends are big fans of Irish rugby and football.



Claire was a natural at baking, and rustled up some seriously delicious chapatis. The process is difficult to get right the first time, since the flour and water combination has to be just right. It was very good of the cooks to let us spend so much time in their kitchen, so they deserve a special thanks.


The camp was run in Kongowea Primary School, so we also must thank the generous school staff, who let us use their classrooms for the week. We held the closing ceremony in the largest classroom, but still the students had trouble squeezing in. Some popped their heads in through the windows, and others somehow hung from the rafters. Five points if you can spot Rustan Leino!


This year I met Edson and Lydia, the twins sponsored by my aunt. The main aim of our charity organization is to sponsor students through secondary school. Dharshini and Rustan helped the students with their chemistry and maths study, and encouraged them to form study groups so that they can continue to help each other after the camp. 


Henry had a great time teaching maths, in a way that made the students less afraid of the subject and more willing to engage with the new concepts. Ajay was enthusiastic all the way through, hanging on to his red pen to be able to correct physics problems at a moment's notice.



 Claire was a big hit at the closing ceremony, with all of the students wanting to have a photo of them getting their certificates from her. Ebby did an absolutely amazing job of organizing the camp. Even with so many students, things never got out of control. Gina was brilliant as well, getting the teachers and tutors ready for their teaching tasks.


Perhaps the most remarkable contributors of all were the Kenyan tutors. They have come back every year to help out, and they really make a difference to the attitude of the students. They show that it's possible to do great things once you concentrate on education. Through the youth group that they organize, they foster involvement with the community in many important ways. Thank you to all the excellent tutors!


We all look forward to Maths Camp next year, where we'll work again with all of the brilliant people who keep SAAS running and help the community of Kongowea all year long. New volunteers and sponsors are always welcome, so do get in touch (ursula [at] saas [dot] ie) if you'd like to hear more about helping out!

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