Letters From Kenya

The dream of one becomes the goal of many: to educate the children of Kenya

Story and photos by Jenna Burleigh

Slideshow photos courtesy of Keela Dates and Jessica Scranton

After hours of sitting, strapped into an uncomfortable chair and delayed by engine malfunction, Keela Dates can finally see her destination: Kenya. She’s filled with anticipation, not of safely landing her plane, but of them. The plane touches down, and she is eager to meet the children of Jambo Jipya School.

Originally, Dates wanted only to do some volunteer work before she settled into a teaching career with the degree she had just received from Wells College. The children of Jambo Jipya changed her mind, as well as her life’s ambitions. Dates created Reason 2 Smile, a non-profit organization in-the-works, in order to provide funding for the school. “It’s become my life’s passion to be the executive director of this non-profit,” she says. And she has.

"These kids are my life; I absolutely love them"

Dates returned to the U.S. knowing that she wasn’t going to become the regular elementary school teacher she had once planned to be. Instead, she began teaching people about Jambo Jipya.

“Dear Keela,

Thank you for welcoming us in your heart.  For whatever you are doing is good to us and to God.  I can’t believe you were going to be like this for the first time you came to Kenya…  I will just pray God to bless you and your family.  Thank you.

Your friend,
James”

Jambo Jipya was founded in 2004 by Christine Mwende, Dates says. It is one of four public schools in Kenya, and it is the only one that does not require students to purchase school supplies and uniforms to attend. Poverty prevents many children from gaining an education because their families cannot afford the supplies. Jambo Jipya requires only that they show up, and Mwende, along with teachers and staff members, will give the children the education they have previously been denied.

"It’s become my life’s passion to be the executive director of this non-profit"

Dates took one look at the children of Jambo Jipya and fell for them. “These kids are my life; I absolutely love them,” she says. December 2009 will mark the fifth trip she has taken to Kenya. Dates says she goes twice a year for about one month at a time.

One goal of Jambo Jipya is to be self-sustaining, so it doesn’t need to rely on monthly contributions from outside sources. Another is to teach the children different trades and give them knowledge that can be applied within their communities. The hope is that these children, though they may not go off to college or higher learning, will be able to provide for and sustain their families.

Gail Meyer, fundraising chair for Reason 2 Smile, plays an active role in fundraising for Jambo Jipya. She uses her sewing skills to craft one-of-a-kind tote bags. “Cut them up and sew them together, add buttons and pockets,” and you have a tote, she says.

Keeping with the theme of sustainability, Meyer uses recycled materials for her totes, including upholstery, woolen sweaters, and neck ties for straps. She says she is not exactly a crafty person, but making totes is her way to help.

Meyer first met Dates at a bookstore where they worked together. “You have to meet Keela to understand it,” she says. “She makes it easy to make you want to help.”

"Maybe it’s not world-changing, but it may be life-changing"

The flight to Kenya was not the only time Dates experienced some delays. Sufficient funding for the school, at times, has proven difficult to procure. However, she is not alone in her efforts.

“Dear Keela,

My best teacher is called Keela. Why are you going back?  I do not want you to go back to North America.

Your friend,
Alfred”

High school students from Saranac Lake Central School are doing their part, too. Meadow Hacket, president of the SLCS student council, is organizing a shoe/clothing drive to benefit the children of Jambo Jipya.

“I think I get more out of it than the people I'm helping,” Hacket says.

Though she’s only in high school, Hacket knows well that she can definitely make a difference. “I think people my age often don't realize the insurmountable power we have if we all pitch in.”

Another student, Irma Cecunjanin, does her part by selling Reason 2 Smile bracelets and spreading the story of Jambo Jipya. “I’m blessed to know that what I’m doing is helping out,” she says. “Maybe it’s not world-changing, but it may be life-changing.”

Cecunjanin says she likes volunteering her time, and she hopes to continue doing community service in the future. “I am blessed to have what I have, and it’s one of my goals to have other people feel the same.”

The Kenyan school has swelled in size since it opened with 20 students. “Every year they add a new grade, so the oldest students can continue with their education,” Meyer says. Currently, Jambo Jipya educates children through the eighth grade. Eventually, the goal is to have a school with grades K-12.

“We have 300 students now,” Dates says. “It’s incredibly tight.” This lack of space makes teaching and learning a bit difficult, but the school has succeeded in attaining 23 acres of land, upon which a new school will be built. The plot where the school of Jambo Jipya currently resides is rented, but the new school will be completely paid for.

"Starving – I will never say that word again"

The cost of building two new classrooms, a well, and providing transportation for children to the school reaches about $30,000. This doesn’t include the monthly cost to run the school, feed the children, and employ the teachers and staff, which is why Dates’ work is so important. The school would not be what it is without her help.

The children at Jambo Jipya have never had many possessions, and even simple things like a cookie or an apple excite them. It’s only an apple, but to the children of Jambo Jipya, it is so much more. It's a new wardrobe. It's a new video game. It is more than all the wants and desires many Americans swoon for.

“Dear Keela,

I love you so much. Thank you for giving us everything.  You have being with us here to Jambo Jipya The Future Child.  Thank you.  God bless you so much.  Goodbye.

Your loving friend,
Jane”

“Starving – I will never say that word again,” Dates says. She points out how wrong that word is when spewed absentmindedly from the lips of those who have no idea what it means to starve. Many may not understand the circumstances in Kenya, but have none-the-less found a way to give back. For Dates, it has become her mission to give everything she can to the children of Jambo Jipya.

“Dear Teacher Keela,

Hi I am Ashora.  I love Teacher Keela.  Thank you for give us present and gift.  Bye Teacher Keela.  Ashora she is cry when you go American.”

She climbs back onto the plane, now filled with sorrow. How can she leave them? Keela Dates is split between two different worlds, but her heart is whole and remains in Mtwapa, Kenya. She left them with a single promise: “I’ll come back,” she says. And she does.

Have you heard of Jambo Jipya?