A TRULY MAGISTERIAL DAY

ON SATUR-DAY, 25TH JULY we celebrated our School's 28th Year since it's inception as a Nursery School in 1981. Some six to seven hundred attended as expected, and the Day excluded the possibility of my being able to update the Blog. Since that then I have continued to be swept up in busy days and occasions. Monday saw me out with the District Children's Officer making a house call on a family in distress, some of whose members are currently resident with us; a curious case involving a family of ten young people living alone in revolt to their paternal parent. The mother died in 2007 and the children walked out on the father who is drunkard and abusive and set up home in a hovel on the outskirts of town. They begged to eat, and eventually were so destitute that they came to our notice. The three youngest (two boys and girl) are now with us whilst the fate and future of the others is slowly being sorted out.. Tuesday saw me at a function organised by the District Probation Office, and held in the grounds of the District Commission. About 200 probationers were gathered to watch some of their number receive gifts of tools and machinery to assist them start small home industries. About one thousand pounds worth of goods. The funds are donated by well wishers into a Revolving Fund and distributed once a year. The idea is that the money slowly is returned by the recipients as their business grows and then re-allocated to others. Donations are encouraged to continue so that eventually the monthly return will be able to finance an annual provision to help new cases. SO far - it has been just a year since we started it - it seems very successful.

TO-day, as I write, WEDNESDAY, we have had the 31st monthly Meeting of the Children's Forum here in my Office - more than 30 attending. An excellent fellowship of those involved in Child Care in our District. We closed the Meeting at 1.p.m. so now at last I can turn my attention to an update.

The Chief Guest for the the School

Parents & Prize giving was our new CHIEF MAGI-STRATE, His Honour Mr. Charles G. Mbogo - just three weeks old in his post! He was accompanied by three other of his colleagues their Honours Mrs. Mongare, Dist. Children's Magistrate, Mrs. Alego, Senior Resident Magistrate, and Mrs Orwa, Resident Magistrate. They all arrived at 9.30 a.m. and I showed them round the four Children's Homes together with the District Children's Officer, Mr. Nzenge. It was quite a quick tour as we had to be back at the School to start the official function by 10.30.

We made it and set off to tour the School, Nursery through Secondary, which took us up to Lunch time. All the classrooms were decorated and students work laid out on the desks. Special exhibitions also set up in the Computer, Science and Home-Science rooms. The weather was fine, and the atmosphere one of happy excitement.

At 12.30 lunch was served to the parents, and the School Management and Special Guests - a party of 23 - repaired to my Office for luncheon.

At 2p.m. the School Concert commenced in the school Hall. This was a Program of some twenty items performed by the students from Nursery to Secondary, including drama, Recitation, Choir and Dance. This was followed by brief speeches by the

Chief Guest and others and then the Giving of Awards to the Students class by class. We concluded the day at 4.30p.m. everything having gone like clockwork to the minute of the planned program.

During his Address, the Chief Magistrate Mr. Mbogo, evinced satisfaction at all tha

t he had seen and said that he was impressed by the happy atmosphere and well kept environment. He also said -

'I have learnt to day that there are people who are selfless;

people who are willing to give of what they have to improve the lives of others.

This has caused me to consider my Account!

I am not talking about my financial account however!

I was asking myself - 'Do I do what is right in my life?'

I believe that each one of us needs to ask ourselves this question.

At the end of the day, wherever we live or work, we need to ask ourselves

if we have passed the day well; we should take 'account' of what we have done,

and whether or not it was done well!

I would ask you ALL to do this every day.

We have also learnt together many things from the students here today.

We have learnt our need to love each other.

We have learnt to acknowledge God.

We have learnt to do good to our neighbour

We have learnt to share what we have with others.

I have been Blessed.

We also were blessed, and all in all we can say it was indeed a very good Day and Occasion that glorified and honoured God. The Parents, the Teachers, and of course the Children, including our own, seemed all to be happy and glad to be part of each other, and the School.

Will try to be back on Saturday, God Willing.

John and Esther Green