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Friday Kenya Memory: July 3, 2009
We went to the Milton Jones Eagle Academy to see the children. They were all standing on the front porch of the school, waiting eagerly.
When I stepped out of the matatu, I was immediately swept up into a swarm of five hovering elderly women. They kissed me and hugged me and kissed me again, murmuring, "Karibu. Welcome," before running off to find another of our group.
The children sang us a song, and then we went down the line to greet every one of them, because they each wanted to shake our hands and ask, "How are you?" in sweet voices. The children's uniforms were purple and navy blue. I have never seen cuter children in my entire life.
There were even more children meandering in the muddy schoolyard. These, however, were shoeless and wore dusty, mismatched clothing. They looked at us with wide eyes, staring at our digital cameras with wonder. A new game began. We would take pictures of the laughing children and let them take a peek at themselves in the tiny screens, crowing with delight at the images. I wonder if they have ever had photographs taken of them.
These children were the unschooled.
These were the ones who were not sponsored, who could not afford shoes, much less the books and uniforms required of the small primary school. With longing eyes, these children watched the students file into the schoolhouse for the greeting ceremony.
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