Today we travelled from Nairobi to Naro Moru, known as “the place of black stones .“ It’s a part of Nyeri County, which is located in central Kenya. We drove through some very fertile farmland where a wide variety of crops were being grown. This part of Kenya is known for its excellent fruit and vegetable production.
After driving for about 3.5 hours we reached Naro Moru, a small market town located along the Naromoru River. The town is often used as a base for people who hike nearby Mount Kenya. When we arrived at the school where the distribution was to take place, the children were all dressed in their new outfits and sitting patiently in their school groups waiting for us. Just over 700 bedkits were handed out today in a well run distribution, thanks to all the wonderful help from the teachers and the Rotary members.
Many older students were also there to help carry the bedkits for the younger recipients and the distribution went very smoothly and quite quickly. That was a good thing as the threatening rain clouds began to spit on us just as the last students were having their pictures taken and were receiving their bedkits. The local priest, Father Kiratu, who helped throughout the distribution by lining up students and directing them to their bedkits, was invited to ask for the weather to hold off long enough for us to finish. Our team so appreciated his help in facilitating that request. Kenya is at the very end of the first rainy season called the “masika”, and we have seen rain several afternoons and evenings.
Before heading away from the school, we were offered tea and refreshments by our hosts. In an inspirational and emotional speech, Father Kiratu talked about how, for many of these children, tonight would be their first time sleeping on a mattress and that some would even be receiving their first pair of new shoes as part of their bedkit. He wanted us to know how special this gift was to the children who received it and how very much it was appreciated. How fortunate and blessed I feel to be able to share in such a special day with this community.
Team Kenya, 2025
Rotary Club of Nairobi 🇰🇪 + SCAW 🇨🇦