Submitted by Rafiki Link on Thu, 2011-07-07 10:23
When Rafiki Link started four years ago, in the fall of 2007, it began with a small spark of an idea. I was living in Maai Mahiu, Kenya in a tiny local room, cooking on a kerosene stove and taking a local matatu (13-passenger minivan) to the three schools where I volunteered. I would walk from the side of the highway along red-earth roads, passing goats and cows as I went. But when I arrived at the school every morning, I found rows of uniformed students, learning Science, Math, History, and Business. As I taught class after class, I was amazed by the similarities in the content I saw. I brought copies of the British Columbia curriculum I grew up on - science and math teachers told me the curriculum was almost identical to that in Kenya.
How can it be that students at my home school in North Vancouver thought of "Africa" as a place full of war, poverty, and 'starving children with flies in their eyes'; how is it that students in Kenya assumed that North American students somehow didn't struggle with Math problems and History essays - when in fact the students I met in Kenya and in Canada were studying the exact same content, at almost exactly the same time!
Thus began the idea to connect schools in Kenya with schools in Canada - to find ways to help students share, learn, and grow together, breaking down their stereotypes and assumptions about each other. What began as a collection of teacher-led projects became a school-wide program; since then, the connection has grown to host a total of four Kenyan partner schools, the CTC Youth Empowerment program, and 9 North American schools and groups. These groups have shared videos, essays, Skype conversations, blog posts, and significant school moments. As I leave Rafiki Link this summer, I am proud to see that the ideas that the ideas of a few Kenyan and North American teachers have come so far.
Rebecca Daniel, who is taking over as Education Program Director, brings a solid background in project management and youth engagement; she has been and will be a significant asset to CTC's education programs, in particular Rafiki Link. Our new CTC Education and Teams Intern, based out of Austin Texas, is ready to take on the challenge of leveraging Rafiki Link connections and improving the frequency and content of Rafiki Link online exchanges. Teesa Bahana started her training this week, and will be taking on North American Rafiki Link coordination as of July 18th.
Best wishes to all of you who have been reading this blog. This is not "kwaheri" (goodbye), but "tutaonana baadaye" (see you again soon)...
Asante sana to all, and keep your eyes open for the 'new' Rafiki Link, coming to you this fall!
Mali Bain, Education Director