Banjika Day One (Day 8: May 25)
We woke up bright and early around 6:00 am for breakfast at 6:30. For breakfast we had the usual eggs, crepes, bread, and local fruits. After breakfast, we departed for the Banjika Secondary School for the first time at 7:15 sharp, in order to arrive at the school around 7:45 for the welcoming ceremony. We were welcomed by 400 Banjika students singing their national anthem and we got a warm welcome from the head of school. Then, we were asked to perform a song for the school children and we chose to sing “Country Roads”. The song went better than we expected and the Banjika students liked it a lot. While our homestay buddies were taking their exams, we played soccer, duck duck goose, and tag with the 4th year students who are around the same age as seniors (17 years old). Once the morning exams ended, our homestay buddies came over and we all had traditional masala tea, donuts, and sweet potatoes, while talking and meeting each other for the first time. We bonded and connected with every homestay buddy as we did not know who our specific buddies were yet. Then, we went outside and played more games as an entire group, mixing Menlo and Banjika students in order to bond more. Around 1:00 pm, we were served lunch which consisted of rice, beef stew, noodles, lentils, and watermelon. After lunch, we gathered in a classroom and were given a Kiswahili lesson by a teacher at the Banjika school. We learned how to properly greet our homestay parents and we left the lesson feeling more prepared to start our homestay the next day. Then we took a short bus ride over to the big Karatu market. We went to the Karatu market for an experience and to learn more about Tanzanian culture. The market was vibrant and lively, filled with lots of local vendors who tried selling us goats, clothing, and foods. We were very lucky to be able to experience this market as it only runs on the 25th of each month. After the market, we made a short stop at the Karatu post office and were able to send postcards to all our friends and family. Then we took the bus back to the hotel and had free time for around 2 hours. Some of us swam in the pool, packed for homestay, took a nap, read a book, or played card games. At 6:30, we gathered as a group and played a round of Mafia. It was a really fun way to continue to bond with our Menlo group and was filled with lots of laughter and smiles. Then we ate dinner around 7 which consisted of rice, mashed potatoes, chicken, beef stew, bread, spinach, salad, and fruit. After dinner, we had ANCHOR and further prepared to go to homestay the next day. Before bed, we played mafia again and played our last card games as a group before we split up for homestay. Finally, we finished packing up our bags and went to bed around 10:30 to prepare for the long day ahead of us.
Ellen & Nicole
Banjika Secondary School is a rural government day and boarding school serving hundreds of students from low-income farming communities around Karatu. Menlo students have the opportunity to experience firsthand what the daily journey to school is like, including the long walks and after-school responsibilities many students manage. Many Banjika students walk over an hour each way to school, and in their final year, students live on campus so they can focus more intensively on their studies. Banjika has wonderful girls’ dormitories that were built a few years ago and is currently in the process of building dorms for boys. At present, the boys live in classrooms. You can learn more here.
