After the first trip out to Cheleta Primary School I went another three times. I found this activity difficult because each time I went I was given different children to teach, hence, making it difficult as each new student had different levels of reading ability. Additionally, the administration at Cheleta School often gave us students who were really young, so young that they could barely speak English, if at all. This made the task of teaching the students how to read even more difficult due to the total lack of communication between us and the children. Eventually our attempt at teaching the students to read ended up being just a time to look through picture books for the children. Occasionally there was one or two older children who already had a basic knowledge for reading and we were able to help them progress in their ability but other than that it felt that we were often just there to entertain the children during their free time. Despite these difficulties the trip did get better every time. I was the only senior on the trip so, even if the task was unspoken, I felt that I was responsible for the various age groups on the service trip getting along. There were a couple of other younger high school students also on the trip that I was able to talk to, and I eventually made really good friends with a couple of them.
Overall this service trip was difficult but was well worth it. I learnt a lot more about local schooling systems and the differences between my culture and the culture I’m currently living in. I grew a newfound respect for Kenyan teachers who everyday teach children who may not speak fluent Swahili let alone English. I enjoyed the service trip but I am now certain that I’m not very good at teaching.
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