The Nest

My mother used to use a French phrase regarding the patience needed while working on a project:

petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid. Little by little the bird makes its nest.

Indeed that can be said for this project. We did reach an important milestone in December when we received our school registration number from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. On Thursday Madam Lydia, the new assistant headmaster for academic affairs and government relations, and I stopped by some of the government offices -- the municipal office of secondary education and the zonal chief inspector's office. In neither place did we have to wait, which was a gift. After these visits, I spent yesterday preparing a report which will serve as the first step to get the school registered to be a site for form two national examinations. Slowly but surely.

As I write this our students are scurrying about the campus doing their weekly chores. Some are hoeing in the school garden, others are watering trees, still others are cleaning the dormitories, the classrooms, and the multipurpose hall. One group was transported to the village of Ihumwa, where they are helping with a building project at the Catholic parish. Our students embrace work with joy -- it is great to hear all the chatter as they set about doing what needs doing. You give them some general direction and they figure out the rest for themselves -- usually doing a very good job (though I always thing the classroom building could be just a little smarter!).

Last night I wanted to go out for a bite to eat with Kizito. There is a new restaurant not so far away, 4 Points, and I wanted to try it. Well, in order to get to that restaurant, we had to pass the new hotel of the parents of one of our Form I students, the Mushi family. They saw us stop to ask some folks walking for directions and waved us in to their parking lot. It wasn't the evening I expected, but it was a very nice evening nevertheless. I explained to our hosts that we were there as customers but looked forward to being a guest in their home some day. (They were relieved, I think that we were willing to pay for our meal -- although they have been successful in business, owning two well-regarded clothes shops, I think they've been stretched a bit financially by the opening of this hotel/restaurant).

On Monday I head to Mpwapwa with Sossy to begin the process of purchasing some cows -- the famous Boran-Friesian mix (the Boran is an indigenous breed that has more sweat glands, making it suitable for the heat; the Friesian, related to the American Holstein is a good dual purpose breed). That same day work on the cow shed will begin. The picture is of a pure Boran. Again, I can't help but be amazed that a kid from Anderson Parkway, Toledo, Ohio, is thinking about Boran-Friesian mixes and other such things! It does tap into my Connell family roots though -- my father grew up on a farm.

You can expect more news later today.