ASSETS Camp: Days 2 and 3

Now that the camp has finished and the camera is back, we can give you an idea of everything that the students here were able to experience! On Saturday evening, after a day full of sessions and getting to know Mwamba, the students had a great time playing beach games. From this, you'd think that a dip in the sea would be a nice way to cool off afterwards... Now, for the majority of coastal Kenyans, there is a huge fear of the water, and especially the ocean, built into cultural traditions. These fears originate in the belief that there are evil spirits lurking in the sea that will drown you. We try to break down these fears to let people fully appreciate the Creation around them, so after a while of games Stanley mandated that "Everyone needs to get in the water!" and everyone did! It was quite amazing to be along and realize that this is the first time some of the students had ever been in the ocean this way!

To build on this, Sunday included a trip to go snorkelling and experience the amazing marine life on the coral gardens near Mwamba. Before we started, we played some beach football (or soccer for the Canadians around here...) at 7:30AM after breakfast!

After this, we had snorkelling! The students, coached by Stanley, went in one or two at a time and saw some amazing things! Even Lydia, the ASSETS graduate who is serving an internship at Mwamba, has said before that she would never go out in water so deep, and here she is!

That evening included some talks on Creation Care and healthy lifestyle choices, as well as a Bible study carried out around a campfire. There was a great discussion on the way that Jesus told us to be servant leaders, and how these students should carry that same spirit of servant leadership into whatever work they may do during and after secondary school.

Day 3 was the final day of ASSETS Camp, and included a trip to see the two ecotourism facilities that support ASSETS: The Gede Ruins Tree Platform and the Mida Creek Boardwalk. Though the students have heard of these facilities, most had never actually experienced them and had a great time. Below is a picture of some of the students descending from the Tree Platform:

Here is a photo of the students at the Mida Creek Boardwalk:

After all this excitement, it was time to eat lunch, have some final talks and go home. The students had been separated into two teams at the start of the camp, and there were prizes of school supplies awarded to those students who had scored highly in the games and quizzes that were held throughout.

Now that everyone is gone, it is quite a bit quieter around Mwamba, and we will have many cherished memories of our time with these wonderful students. It is amazing the opportunity that these students have been given to complete secondary school, given that they all come from families which could not afford to send them.

Wishing you could have been a part of this? There is a big way that you can help! There is another ASSETS Camp scheduled for August 27-29th and currently, ASSETS has not received enough funding to cover the costs for all the students to attend. It costs only $29 US for each student to be able to attend this camp and get an amazing opportunity to see, learn and do things that they wouldn’t otherwise, as most students come from very poverty-stricken families. Please consider donating today to help us give these students a great experience!