DAY 11

Our final full day in Kenya began with an early meeting with a Kenyan Asian businesswoman. She has been part of a school building project using funds from the Aga Khan Foundation. We were a little wary before the meeting that she might be quite ‘scary’ and we were right. She had some very searching questions and appeared very negative (although possibly quite realistic) as she pointed out (with some enjoyment I think) the size of the task Etc has undertaken and the potential pitfalls ahead. I think Sonal and Gerry left feeling a little battered and not a small amount discouraged by the encounter. The reality of monitoring how money is spent on buildings, the quality of construction, the day to day management and welfare of staff and pupils, the distribution and collection of funds, the minefield of the government’s involvement and ongoing interest in the project all seem like huge mountains to climb right now.

Perhaps after everyone has recovered from the intensity of the workload of the trip there will be greater clarity. Gerry and Sonal are planning to come again in March to continue the work, but in the meantime there may be important things that need doing in order to ensure registration of land and school is completed.

When we were in a very odd restaurant at one of the many meetings last week there was an awful table decoration…a pink plastic flower attached to a little hut (it just needed a sprinkling of fake snow and a plastic santa to finish it off). But attached to it was a piece of fluorescent paper with these words – If the Lord is for us who can be against us? – Romans 8:31 - and this is true when things are going well and when they are not.

I reminded Sonal and Gerry to remember the progress that had been made last week in the Mara. Remember the children we met and all the members of the community who welcomed the idea of a secondary school for girls in this marginalised area. Remember Agnes and her passion and her vision. Remember how things all seemed to fall into place. It’s true it will be a mountainous task, turning those dreams into reality. It’s also true that the end product may be flawed and imperfect. But if our God is for us… and I believe he is… it’s worth trying right?

I lift my eyes to the mountains

- where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip –

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over his people

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you –

the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm  -

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121