Back to Sang'alo

In 2005 I got to teach at Mariann Primary School in a small village: Sang'alo, Kenya. While Ellen took a trip to visit the churches in Gulu, Uganda, she set me loose to go back and visit and see any patients there. Going back brought so many wonderful memories to mind. I got in around 8 pm. As I walked to a classroom, I heard an expectant gasp from inside where they saw my headlamp. I opened the door, and there was the 2nd grade class that I used to teach P.E. They all jumped up screaming, "Erika"! They ran over to encircle me and we just jumped up and down and up and down before I could think to formally greet them.

Living in this village was not an act of sacrifice or being a saint: it was a privaledge. The Nandi people are truly the most hospitable people on the planet. They took us in as their own. They are unpretentious, hard-working, farming country-folk who display the most heart-felt hospitality I've ever experienced. I consider myself fortunate to have part of my life invested here, and plan to visit again and again. During this visit I really did not have a free moment: as soon as I visited one family, another family invited me over for the next meal.


The students are so hard-working. School is a privilege that the families sacrifice to pay for as well as their only way out of poverty. These are girls from the class I taught English, CRE, Science, and nutrition to. I had made up songs about nutrition, AIDS, and a drama about the prodigal son. They preformed them for me!!!


For about $10 I got a bulk supply of Albendazole, a de-worming tablet. Studies have shown that students in Africa who take this pill have significantly more growth and better school performance than students who don't. I got to play Doctor and de-worm the whole school. After explaining to the classes what it was they all started cheering, especially the part when I mentioned better test scores. Even the teachers were excited: many telling me they had never been de-wormed before.

This is Standard 8. They will sit for the exams this year that will determine if they can go on in their schooling. I'm so proud of them: They are so bright!!! I got to teach them some "medical lessons". They asked questions like, "If I mostly eat Ugali and Sukuma (greens) why is my blood the color red when I cut myself?" They asked about Diabetes and Heart Attacks and could keep up with all my explanations.