"Teaching-The Profession That Creates All Others"

Johnstone

Afline

I would like to share with you an experience that happened to me this past week.  It involves the teachers that you see here, Johnstone Giggs and Afline Obiero.

I had the privilege to go on two home visits with these teachers. It is not often that you hear about "home visits" by teachers, but these teachers love their students and have their best interests at heart.  Myself along with Johnstone, Afline, Chris Nicholson, the Chaplain of Ringroad Day School and Orphanage, George Obonyo and a couple of the students that were involved all piled into Chris's car and began the trek to two separate homes in Nyalenda.  The first home was the home of two of the students, Frank and Lennox.  Both boys have been sporadically coming to school and one of them had not been in two weeks.  When we got to the home, we found that they lived in a very small mud hut with an elderly grandmother, who had very little eyesight.  There was no food in the home and it was very much in disarray.  The boys have no parents, but are back and forth between this home and the home of an aunt.  I am sure the grandmother was needing them in the home to help her each day and they got out of the habit of going to school.  Johnstone talked with this grandmother and found out the situation and we went to buy some food for she and the children.  Lennox was very shy and reserved about not coming to school and his brother, Frank was not in the home.  So we left and went to the aunt's home to find Frank.  When we got to the aunt's home, Frank was there.  Johnstone asked why he was not in school and he said that he had been bullied by the other children because he didn't have the right shoes.  Johnstone was very firm with him and said the he needed to come to the teachers if he has a problem and both Chris and Johnstone explained to the aunt the importance of being in school. Her own children were at school that day.  These two boys are truly orphaned, in the sense that they have no parents to encourage and love them on a daily basis.  Johnstone and Afline not only have to be teachers, but sometimes they have to be "parents" for these children.

Home of Lennox and Frank

The next visit was with a young boy named, Vitalis.  This story will break your heart.  Vitalis came to Chris last week and told him that he was not at school one day because his Mama was so upset.  His little 4 year old sister was missing.  At that time she had been missing for three days.  I will start by saying that children here are a lot more independent and walk all over their neighborhood in Nyalenda without a Mama with them.  We got to the home of Vitalis and talked with the grandmother and uncle about Mary, the little girl who is missing.  They said that she was last seen sitting with another little girl when a woman approached them with bananas.  She offered the bananas to Mary and took her away in a tuk-tuk (a little vehicle that is used here). They have alerted the chief of their area and the police of Kisumu.  We prayed with this family and offered to make copies of a picture of Mary, if they could get one from their rural home in Kakamega.  .  We all hoped that we were an encouragement to this precious family.  And just seeing that the teachers of Vitalis cared enough to come, I am sure made a big difference to this family.  Ring Road Day School is a light to this community!

Please join us in praying for Vitalis' family

So, this is for you, Johnstone and Afline.  

YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
--(Author Unknown)

There are many who go the "second mile" And greet each day's tasks with a smile; Who spend their lives serving others And look upon all men as brothers. 

Who work for all children everywhere, When there's a need - they are there. Their time and talents freely dedicate Serving in places small and great. 

These are the ones we honor today And to you we wish to say - This world is now a better place Because it looked upon your face. Anonymous