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“The Earth & Me” Seminar: Huge Success!
“The Earth & Me”
Over their break, the Daraja students were invited for an optional two-day seminar called “The Earth & Me” held on August 21st-23rd. The goal of the seminar was to help facilitate conversation and thought concerning the very important and at times tenuous relationship that people share with the land around them.
We held our breath, as this was the first optional seminar Daraja Academy has hosted over break. We weren’t sure if anyone would show up!
The result: half the school arrived and the enthusiasm and dedication of the girls was awe-inspiring. Their questions and answers showed that they were absorbing the lessons and that they were thinking about what they were learning.
The “Earth & Me” schedule included learning the importance of compost, debating new environmental policies proposed in the freshly approved constitution, listening to presentations by researchers from the nearby Mpala Research Center, planting over twenty trees in the nearby community, just to name a few.
The girls arrived as students but they left as conservationists. The relationship between people and the environment became clearer, as did the personal and communal responsibilities humans have to protect the environment. It was a very, very powerful weekend.
To see a full timeline of events with pictures and stories, check out our “Earth & Me” photo gallery…
To get a glimpse of the dialogue that occurred throughout the weekend, read below…
The New Constitution and the Environment: 10% Tree Cover
The purpose of this portion of the program was to investigate the relationship in the new Kenyan constitution between the country, people and environment. Article 69.1 (b) of the new constitution asserts that as a country Kenya will work toward at least 10% tree cover in five years.
Article 69.1 (b)
“…work to achieve and maintain a tree cover of at least ten per cent of the land area in Kenya…”
Students were asked whether this was feasible, and if so, what each student would do “as a parliament leader, community leader and individual” to ensure the success of this ambitious proposal. Below are some of the answers that the girls presented. In true Daraja girl fashion, the students had lots of opinions and ideas…
As a Parliament leader…
- Introduce alternate sources of energy like BioGas
- Plant trees in government-owned, public places.
- National Carbon Footprint: Government should monitor the trees cut due to agriculture and industries in Kenya, they should then buy land and pay people to plant trees on that land to make up for the trees cut.
- Design regulations and penalties on cutting down trees such as:
- If you cut one tree, you must plant at least two trees and take care of those trees.
- If you own land, you must have trees planted on 10% of the land.
- If someone continually cuts trees, then their penalty will be to plant and take care of many trees. That way, the person that once cut trees will eventually build a relationship with the environment through planting and eventually understand the importance of trees.
- Government should reclaim land and start planting:
- The students cited the Mau Forest: The Mau Forest is 675,000 acres and it the largest water catchment in the area. Numerous rivers receive their water from this area. Seeing the destruction and potential water crisis that would arise if the forest continued to be depleted, the Kenyan government launched a multimillion dollar plan to focus on the rehabilitation of the forest.
- Reclaiming the land and rehabilitating the forest also meant that many Kenyans would be evicted from their homes. While the students encourage further reclaiming of land for environmental purposes, they explained that the government should provide a loan for those being evicted so the residents could buy new land.
- Provide seedlings to the people
- Inform & educate communities, explain the importance of trees
As a community leader…
- Educate people of the community
- Talk to the chief to call a meeting and hold seminars
- Talk about the future of the children and how tree planting will benefit them.
- Create a tree nursery with community land and then sell those trees to other communities
- Plant trees that create food for the community
- Create local laws and community accountability
As an individual…
- Plant a tree once per month or at least once per year
- Plant a tree on special occasions (ie birthday)
- Lead an educational seminar
- Plant trees in public areas
Overall, it was a powerful weekend seminar and it was magical to see the girls truly embrace the curriculum, voice their thoughtful ideas and learn practices that would be beneficial to their own communities. Check out the “Earth & Me” gallery for a full recap of the various activities!
Tags: environment, kenya, permaculture, seminar, student learning, sustainability
Filed under Events, News, Students, Uncategorized, daraja :
Comments (1) :
Aug 24th, 2010
In Celebration of Rich Harley
On behalf of the girls of Daraja, Jason and Jenni Doherty would like to thank you for your generous contribution to Daraja Academy in memory of Rich Harley. Because of your support, Harley Hall was completed in February 2010.
Please join us for a fun evening and a chance to hear about the progress of Daraja and the dedication of Harley Hall.
What:
Harley BBQ in celebration of Rich Harley
When:
Thurs, May 27th at 6:30 pm
Where:
The Doherty House
228 Margarita Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903 US
View Map
You can check out the official evite here! Hope to see you there!
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : May 24th, 2010
2010 Zonal Championships: “What is this Daraja?”
“What is this…Daraja?” asked one of the timekeepers at this weekend’s Zonal Championships, an annual Kenyan event in which students from various schools compete to represent their zone (region). “Oh, I hear it’s towards that direction,” slyly replies Wycliffe, Daraja’s Swahili and Geography teacher.
Apparently, a lot of people were asking the same thing this past Friday & Saturday when this phantom school that no one had heard of, and wasn’t even officially on the competition’s program until that morning was consistently placing 1st and 2nd in numerous competitions.
Given the little practice our students had, we figured Zonal Championships would just be a forum in which everyone tried their best. We didn’t really know what to expect. But once we got there, we gradually realized that, not only were we competitive, but our students were coming out on top in quite a few events! To see pictures of the event, take a peak at the Daraja Flickr Gallery.
Netball:
“I had a dream we went to district!” said Bennie. “I had a dream that we were celebrating. Then, I woke up and my blankets and sheets were on the side of the bed because I had been playing netball in my sleep!”
Despite having an official team for only a week—and some students, including Bennie, joining only 3 days before game time– Daraja’s netball team managed to reach 2nd place in the regional athletics competition, qualifying them to represent Laikipia East at the district competition next weekend.
[By the way, if you are American, then chances are rather high that you have never heard about netball. Netball is an English sport derived from basketball. A few differences include: no dribbling, no backboard, and no calling out player names to communicate. Check out the wikipedia article here. ]
Track & Field:
Lisayo, a Form 1 student, had made it to provincials last year and managed to come out top ranked again this year despite not having practiced her running very much. Catherine, one of Daraja’s top athletes, proved she deserved to go to district as well.
Check the official standings below. These students will compete in the upcoming district competition this weekend.
| Student | Event | Position |
| Lisayo | 2000M | 1st |
| 100MH | 2nd | |
| Mary P | Javelin | 1st |
| Catherine | Long Jump | 2nd |
| Christine Jamaica | Discus Throw | 1st |
| Javelin | 2nd | |
| Netball Team | Netball | 2nd |
Zonals is the first step. Next up is the district competition. The students will be training all this week in preparation and we’ll be sure to update you on the weekend’s events and standings. Below is a list of the various levels of competition:
- Zonals (Regionals) in Nanyuki
- District in Nanyuki
- Provincials in Nakuru
- Finals in Mombasa
Stay Tuned!
- The Daraja Team
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (3) : May 17th, 2010
Don’t Try to Trick a Form 2…
The Daraja students have officially returned to campus after a three-week break and their first lesson already occurred during their transport back to Nanyuki, a town a half hour away from Daraja Academy.
The students take a matatu from their respective homes to Nanyuki. A matatu is a mini van used for public transport and one of the most popular modes of transporation in the country. It’s rather typical to be overcharged by an aggressive matatu driver as he is trying to make an extra buck. To get a fair price, you have to be just as clever. And apparently, you are not exempt from the tricks of the trade, even if you are a young woman in school uniform.
Since Nanyuki is half hour away from the school, members of the Daraja staff pick up the students from Nanyuki and take them to campus. The picture above is the ride from Nanyuki to campus, the girls having seen each other for the first time in weeks. Hot Topic of the Ride? Form 1s realizing they got ripped off by the matatu drivers…
Alice A, Form 1: “I gave that matatu driver 500 shillings for a 350 shilling ride and he never gave me my change back!”
Anastacia, Form 1: “You paid 350 shillings from Nakuru to Nanyuki? The driver charged me 550 shillings!”
Thankfully, not everyone was duped:
Caroline, Form 2: “This man tried to charge me before he even showed me if he had a car. I refused!”
Small signs of empowerment- Our form 2 girls understand their rights and have learned how NOT to be ripped off by the matatu drivers! Ah, the Form 1s will learn soon enough!……
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (1) : Apr 27th, 2010
The Need for WATER at Daraja
Eunice and Mary P. returning from the Daraja Academy borehole.
I hate being away from campus when we have guests. Seeing the campus through their eyes is both thrilling and motivating. Unfortunately, due to extra costs associated with start-up, I was fund raising in the states when “Nancy and Sue” (her friend and fellow educator) visited Daraja Academy.
After returning to Daraja, I heard so many stories about “Sue-and-Nancy”, “Nancy-and-Sue” from the teachers and students that today I think back on their visit like I was here with them. The professional development work that they did with Daraja’s teachers was as valuable as the real friendships they made with the students.
Everything could have stopped their impact would have been great, but Daraja is contagious and Nancy Hanssen clearly caught the bug and has passed it on to at least two of her friends, Karen Collins and Fred Essig, who have yet to visit the school but are working to help it none the less. Several Rotary Clubs in the San Diego area understand need and have volunteered their help, members of Nancy’s husband Jack’s Naval Academy classmates in an afternoon contributed $500
Please read Nancy’s words below and know that nothing is exaggerated. Water is so important to the success of Daraja Academy’s. It affects every part of the school: the meals, the hygiene, the physical campus and the student’s health. A constant source of water would allow us to grow more of our own food – teaching the girls environmentally friendly techniques while GREATLY reducing our weekly food bills.
Once again, it isn’t nice to think of the devastating effect that drought has on a region like ours, but as I’ve said many times, our struggles a real and we a small window into what much of the world is experiencing. With your help we can make a difference.
The Need for Water at Daraja Academy
Nancy Hanssen
Prior to spending two weeks working with the teachers and young women of Daraja, I thought nothing of letting gallons of water spin down the drain while waiting for hot water for my shower. A thirst for water is easily quenched but not if it has to be pumped from a borehole and boiled.
I brought only a few bottles of water with me to Daraja and little did I know that I would use that water not only for drinking but to bathe. The water that flows into the pipes on campus is a trickle of dirty water for a shower. In my small hut I had a flushing toilet and with guilt, in the evenings, I saw the glow from flashlights as the girls made their way to the latrines that were dug to conserve water.
Daraja relies on water from the Ewaso Nanyuki River, rain and run-off. Daraja is a victim of drought, water siphoned off up-stream, and disease.
The need for an education is a dream for these girls. The need for water is a necessity to sustain their dreams.
The major determinate for the expansion of the Daraja Academy is having access to and availability of fresh water. A team of project managers and civil engineers are actively involved in and are donating their time and travel to the process of finding more water for Daraja. The team’s preliminary calculations estimate $25,000 to $30,000 is needed to find a sustainable source of fresh water for Daraja. Your donation will go to the direct costs of this project (permits, licenses, materials and local labor).
Please join our team.
There isn’t much more to say than that, except that Nancy’ team deserves your assistance! The great part is… anybody can get involved. People have helped Daraja in SO MANY WAYS: organizing a goods drive, a remarkable middle school girl in Northern California raised over $2,000 selling baked goods and informing about the cause, another group of driven students at Hogan High raised as much simply by leading a coin drive in the classrooms of the school. Offices have pooled funds to help the girls of Daraja, families have done the same and of course individual’s contributions are always appreciated.
If I have learned one thing since starting Daraja Academy it is that things like this CAN be accomplished. If enough people believe that these deserving young ladies deserve healthy, clean water, then it will happen.
Thank you for caring,
Jason Doherty
Tags: Carr Cavender, Nancy Hanssen, USD, Water
Filed under From the Founder, Uncategorized :
Comments (1) :
Jan 12th, 2010
The Need for WATER at Daraja
Making a connection with my Alma Mater, University of San Diego has been priceless for Daraja Academy’s development. USD’s School of Leadership and Educational Studies named Daraja Academy 2008 partner of the year, Dean Cordiero has directed several book drives which raised both funds and awareness for our cause. Our girls were fortunate to spend much of this summer learning about confidence, individuality and Drama skills from USD under grad Carr Cavender. Plans that will allow USD graduate students study abroad at the campus are currently worked out… and last summer, USD Professor of Education Nancy Hanssen visited us.
I hate being away from campus when we have guests. Seeing the campus through their eyes is both thrilling and motivating. Unfortunately, due to extra costs associated with start-up, I was fund raising in the states when “Nancy and Sue” (her friend and fellow educator) visited Daraja Academy.
After returning to Daraja, I heard so many stories about “Sue-and-Nancy”, “Nancy-and-Sue” from the teachers and students that today I think back on their visit like I was here with them. The professional development work that they did with Daraja’s teachers was as valuable as the real friendships they made with the students.
Everything could have stopped their impact would have been great, but Daraja is contagious and Nancy Hanssen clearly caught the bug and has passed it on to at least two of her friends, Karen Collins and Fred Essig, who have yet to visit the school but are working to help it none the less. Several Rotary Clubs in the San Diego area understand need and have volunteered their help, members of Nancy’s husband Jack’s Naval Academy classmates in an afternoon contributed $500
Please read Nancy’s words below and know that nothing is exaggerated. Water is so important to the success of Daraja Academy’s. It affects every part of the school: the meals, the hygiene, the physical campus and the student’s health. A constant source of water would allow us to grow more of our own food – teaching the girls environmentally friendly techniques while GREATLY reducing our weekly food bills.
Once again, it isn’t nice to think of the devastating effect that drought has on a region like ours, but as I’ve said many times, our struggles a real and we a small window into what much of the world is experiencing. With your help we can make a difference.
The Need for Water at Daraja Academy
Nancy Hanssen
Prior to spending two weeks working with the teachers and young women of Daraja, I thought nothing of letting gallons of water spin down the drain while waiting for hot water for my shower. A thirst for water is easily quenched but not if it has to be pumped from a borehole and boiled.
I brought only a few bottles of water with me to Daraja and little did I know that I would use that water not only for drinking but to bathe. The water that flows into the pipes on campus is a trickle of dirty water for a shower. In my small hut I had a flushing toilet and with guilt, in the evenings, I saw the glow from flashlights as the girls made their way to the latrines that were dug to conserve water.
Daraja relies on water from the Ewaso Nanyuki River, rain and run-off. Daraja is a victim of drought, water siphoned off up-stream, and disease.
The need for an education is a dream for these girls. The need for water is a necessity to sustain their dreams.
The major determinate for the expansion of the Daraja Academy is having access to and availability of fresh water. A team of project managers and civil engineers are actively involved in and are donating their time and travel to the process of finding more water for Daraja. The team’s preliminary calculations estimate $25,000 to $30,000 is needed to find a sustainable source of fresh water for Daraja. Your donation will go to the direct costs of this project (permits, licenses, materials and local labor).
Please join our team.
There isn’t much more to say than that, except that Nancy’ team deserves your assistance! The great part is… anybody can get involved. People have helped Daraja in SO MANY WAYS: organizing a goods drive, a remarkable middle school girl in Northern California raised over $2,000 selling baked goods and informing about the cause, another group of driven students at Hogan High raised as much simply by leading a coin drive in the classrooms of the school. Offices have pooled funds to help the girls of Daraja, families have done the same and of course individual’s contributions are always appreciated.
If I have learned one thing since starting Daraja Academy it is that things like this CAN be accomplished. If enough people believe that these deserving young ladies deserve healthy, clean water, then it will happen.
Thank you for caring,
Jason Doherty
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Jan 12th, 2010
A Volunteer’s Voice: Sarah Montgomery
Hello from Daraja…again! The past few days have been great! I finished the soccer (football) classes which were extremely successful. The girls were into every game and put in more effort than I see in the states. I have still not gotten used to the time difference and waking up at 2:30am or 4:30am is not the best for energy, but the sounds outside are unlike anywhere else. We have had some rain, but far form the amount we need. The river rose only a little after about 1 hour of heavy rain over three days. The food has only gotten better and Ruth, the cook, continues to shock me with the numerous ways she cooks maze, rice, beans, and vegetables. The children of the staff are so, so cute. They loved it when I kicked the soccer ball straight up into the air.
I could not have imagined the soccer classes going any better. The first day, the girls worked on passing, which after practice over the four days, the girls only used the inside of their foot, not their toe. The second day went just as well, except the second class was cut short by the rain (not a bad thing, great in fact!). Each day before I was on the field, the girls would already be juggling and trying to beat their record from the previous day – passion you cannot teach.
We have really practiced dribbling, only a few of the girls really knew how to dribble, a vital technique in soccer. However, once I showed them some moves and how to use all parts of their foot, they became naturals. I also taught them soccer tennis (tennis on a volleyball court, but with your feet). They absolutely loved it. When it was time to switch classes, they did not want to leave. The first times they tried were hard because you really have to communicate with your team about who is going to the ball and you also have to watch how hard you hit the ball, the two areas I though the girls needed the most help. But after some practice, they began calling for the ball and watching their weight of the pass and I noticed in the game that instead of playing kickball, which happened the first day, they settled the ball and passed on the ground.
The third day, we began with juggling, passing, and dribbling again, but I could already tell the girls had improved and really wanted to get better. We then worked on shooting. At first, the balls were too high or off to the side, but after practicing, the majority of the balls went into the net. The girls loved to play goalies against one another. On the last day, we just practiced all the previous drills, but we had a contest of which girl has the least number of goals scored against them and they absolutely loved it!
The culmination of the four days ended in a full-length, 90 min, 11 vs. 11 game. Prior to the classes, many of the teachers were commenting that one group had all the good soccer players and they would win. Although they did win 1-0 off a free kick in the last ten minutes, the game was much closer than I, or any of the staff thought. It was back and forth. The girls put in so much effort. They go to every ball. Fight until someone falls over or is completely exhausted.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the classes or the game turning out as well as they did!
As the girls were on mid-term break while I taught the soccer, they also had a lot of free time for other activities. One night we watched a taped game from the WUSA in 2001. It was the final between the Bay Area CyberRays and the Atlanta Beat. The girls never heard of either team or the league, but as soon as the game began, they chose a team to cheer for and were more excited than I was when I watched the game live in 2001. When the game went into penalty kicks, every time a goal was scored or saved, the girls jumped up and began screaming and cheering like I have never seen. Another night, we played improv games, which the girls loved, but had a very hard time with. It was a different manner of thinking for them. They were mostly concentration games. One in particular, you had to hold hands and pass a hand squeeze around the entire circle. Sounds easy to us, however, after numerous tries the girls struggled to pass it around the entire circle. This new manner of thinking, although difficult for the girls, will immensely help them in their way of thinking.
I have really gotten to know the girls and on Tuesday, they had their WISH class (Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope). It was a truly amazing experience. I learned more about the personal lives of the girls and where they came from, who they are, and who they want to become. Most of the girls want to be doctors, however; only a handful will actually become one. Others wanted to be singers, lawyers, teachers, or accountants. The majority only want to have a few children because they want to work for most of their life, which is only practical with just a few children, unlike the families they are in, with as many as 9 other siblings. The girls also spoke about their primary schools. Most found it fun and enjoyable as there was less pressure than there currently is in secondary school. Many of the girls had to leave their home as early as 6am in order to walk miles to their school. The girls also shared when they began cooking for their families, many were around 5th or 6th grade, but a few began at 2nd grade, which is about 7 years old.
The girls also had to come up with 3 pieces of advice to give to a primary school student. Here are a few: “Never give up. Be disciplined. Work hard. Be self-confident. Believe you can do anything. Avoid bad company. Be attentive. Improve talents. Respect Elders. Be wise in your choices.” Many of these were repeated multiple times. Through WISH, I also learned that a few of the girls did not have either parent any more, whether though AIDS, a hit-and-run, or Meningitis. Until the WISH experience, I didn’t understand where the girls had come from and how different Daraja is for them.
The Daraja experience has been unbelievable. I wish I could stay all summer and I will definitely be back! The girls are amazing as are the staff and teachers. Although I don’t see the poverty and dire situations the girls have come from, I see the difficulty they have here and I can’t compare it to anything. The girls have lived off the land all their life, none of them have been out of Kenya or even their home village (except for Daraja).
This trip has been more than I wished for and I can’t believe it is almost over. I would recommend coming and getting to know the girls any day!
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (2) : Jun 19th, 2009
