For much of the world, the November, December, and January months signify a time of celebration, quality time, and meaningful gift giving. In Kenya, holiday celebrations do not differ much from the United States. Right now, Daraja students are on break from classes and are home with their families. They are celebrating holidays, spending time with their loved ones and communities, performing community service, and preparing for the new school year starting in January.
Because Daraja students come from various areas of the country and are members of 30 ethnic groups and 3 religions, their holiday celebrations differ in unique ways.
In Kilifi County on Kenya’s coast, Jesica and her family will sit down to a meal of fish and rice to celebrate Christmas. “I love it so much because our family comes together to share stories from the year. Being with all my relatives brings me so much joy; it is my favorite part of school break. I can’t wait,” Jesica explained before leaving at the end of term three.
Right outside of Daraja’s campus in Nanyuki, Naomi and her family prepare a large meal to celebrate the holidays. They invite many people in their community to join, since Naomi says “no one should be hungry, especially on the holidays.” Her family opts to prepare simple, affordable dishes in order to feed a larger quantity of people. Naomi expressed her excitement for this tradition by saying, “in my community, we are all friends. We take care of each other.”
In the Sultan Hamud region of Kenya, both Winifred and Rose await their favorite holiday of the year- New Years. Winnie and Rose both just completed their first year at Daraja, and they clicked instantly upon discovering that they are from the same area. They intend to visit one another during the school break since their communities are within walking distance. Winnie looked ahead and explained, “Maybe at new years I will visit Rose. At midnight we will go outside and cheer and yell. We can run through the streets and dance and sing.”
Purity, another student who will begin her second year at Daraja in January, will be traveling to various areas in Kenya in order to spend time with her vast network of relatives. She explained, “Since it is the rainy season, traveling prices are high, but my family saves money all year to visit family members. It is really important to us.” She spent time in nearby Nanyuki with her Aunt immediately following the end of the term, until she traveled to Nairobi to be with her Mother and siblings. Together, they are all visiting other relatives around the country this break.
Mary N will be a fourth year student in January, and she is preparing for the new school year at home in the Mombasa region, celebrating with her family. “This break is my favorite because I love sharing jokes and stories with my whole family. We get to spend a lot of time together, and the elders in my family tell lots of stories and give us history of our ancestors,” Mary N explained.
From the Daraja family to your family, Happy Holidays! To support Daraja Academy for the start of the new school year, help stock at student’s backpack or fund their healthcare for the upcoming year. Visit our Crowdrise Holiday Challenge fundraising page for more information
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