ACCIDENT !!!

 

YES, one of our School Buses went off the road, delivering its last two students, on the way home late afternoon, this Wednesday.      It was full to capacity on leaving School, but had dropped all but two of our Primary boys.    One suffered hurt, and had to have several stitches, and both suffered shock.

As you can see from the photo to the right, this road is made hazardous by the construction of a deep gully, or drain, by its side, without any guard except a shallow curbstone.     Our Driver reported that as he drove up the road, he came upon a lorry parked on the right side.   As he was about to pass it, a motor cycle sped out from behind this lorry, and came straight at him.    He wanted to avoid hitting the motor cycle, but could not go the right because of the stationary lorry, so turned to the left, and found himself and the bus descending into the gully; the bus ending up leaning over upon the gully's far bank.      As you can see a number of people were about; it is a busy area.    This is the first really serious accident to any of our Buses, since we started running them.  Our Drivers are proud of their record, and conscious of their great responsibility in carrying the children day after day.

The School had to call an industrial mobile crane to put the Bus back on the road.   Sadly they could not get chains to go underneath and around the bus, and finally lifted it up from the Luggage Rack on the roof.   A lot of further damage was done, and the vehicle is still off the road.   We are temporarily using one of Happy Church's buses whilst ours is under repair.   All of us very thankful to Pastor Runji for his very kind assistance, as always.

To the left is a photo of Ms. Joshna Maharaj, a well known celebrity Chef.  She is based in Toronto, Canada, and she recently inferred in the TODAY'S PARENT magazine that Teaching children to eat with a  knife and fork is 'dripping with the shame of colonialism.'    She has received a lot of 'flack' from indignant readers, though I failed to find one coloured critic who had written in.     I felt sorry for her a little!

As an eighty one year old white Englishman, brought up in very  poor circumstances in England during World War 11, I was carefully instructed from infancy how to eat my food, starting with a small spoon and eventually to a knife and fork.    It is something I grew up with.   BUT 'forks' had not arrived at the dinner table before the 17th Century, and I can safely assume that 'hands' and 'fingers'  were in full use still.     But as implements were invented and introduced, they eventually outdistanced hands and fingers, if for no other reason than that of what was considered good hygiene.     I came to live in Kenya in 1968, and I moved around among the homes and families of the Luhyia people, who became my friends, and showered me with their generous open hearted hospitality.    I  found, then, that they customarily ate certain foods more easily, and conveniently with their hands and fingers.   I was taught to be able to do the same.    I enjoyed the experience, but on the whole, perhaps, after I had spent 28 years using European Cutlery, I did not become a convert to using my hands - unless perhaps where it concerns eating Chicken, or meat on the bone of any kind.    I DID find using my fingers made the meat, no matter what it was, finger licking good !

My wife, Esther and I, have brought up our own three children together in the same  house and family, - more than 150 of them, and taught them to use European customised table ware and Cutlery.    We have NOT taught them to be slack in this.     They all  had to grow up and go out into the world prepared  for the basic A.B.Cs of accepted social behaviour, without embrassment.    Kenya hotels, cafes, and restaurants all provide and expect to be used, knives and forks.     I do not think we regret doing this.    We did not do it because I was bent on colonialization at any level.     And thus I think Ms. Maharaj went a step too far.   

I was taught 'When in Rome do as the Romans do' a proverb attributed to St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Italy (born 339 -397AD).    To day we might say - When residing in a foreign country, follow their conventions - their accepted customs and laws..     Something very few immigrants seem willing to do without civil strife.     Today we do not have many 'colonialists', but rather 5th columnists coming in by stealth in from without, in an effort to take over from within.     I see the 'Black Lives Matter' faction easily fitting into such a category  -   But take care;  ALL lives matter, Black, White, Yellow, Pink, Brown, Olive skinned - there can be NO exception.    We do not need to emphasize one, or another.   To do so, is to exclude the rest.     

I  conclude by wishing Ms. Joshna God's Blessing.    I cannot accuse her.    She has an opinion worthy of thought and consideration.     Just let her forget about colonisation and racism, and give herself to loving everyone unconditionally - then she will be a truly divine chef in every respect.    Amen

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SCHOOLS ARE OPEN AGAIN, ours also, after a TEN DAY break.   Normal termly holidays have been curtailed, in order for students to be able to catch up on lesson time missed during 2020, due to C.19.

This, and the progressive change over from our old 8-4-4 Syllabus to THE new one, have made everything quite chaotic.  

NOW, to the end of the year, Classes will continue with two ten day breaks, and a week at Christmas.

All work and no play makes 'jack' a dull boy they say, but so far our students in all classes seem more than content, even with the current cold weather.   So far this year, in Eldoret, we seem to have had very little rain, but a lot of cloud and even our Dry Season,, early in the year, was much cooler than usual.

AND this is Election Year, and so far very low key, and quiet;   again due to C.19 and Government restrictions. on public meetings and so on.    The Nation as a whole prays for peace - with or without the 'prosperity'.

HOW ARE WE PRGRESSING WITH C.19.     Well, it is still with us.   \We have only tested two million, one hundred and sixteen thousand, nine hundred and seventy nine - out of approximately Fifty two million.    Daily figures are said to be rising.   yesterday 1,068 out of 7,395 tested actually proved positive.   This gave an R.Rate of 14%

Out of the total number of 2,116,979 so far tested, 201.009 proved Positive with 188,438 Recoveries, and 3,926 deaths.

Thus compared with other Countries, we have so far got off lightly, but still a hazard to travellers.

Nevertheless, life for us has actually hardly seen any sign to Covid.    We have for the most part remained almost sealed and set apart within our two compounds.     We Thank God for this haven of peace, and at such a time.    Bless you  all for upholding us with your prayers, and we pray that all our Blessings might redound upon you all, just where you are, abundantly.

Our Love and Blessing to your you all, in Jesus Name,

John, Esther, Daryl and all here with us.