We do things differently here - cakes & elections

Cooking class

In Primary 6 English the last topic in Term 2 is ‘Baking’.  Students learn the vocabulary for cooking and baking related activities and use these words in comprehension, grammar and story writing activities.  As a treat they also did some cooking and made a cake!  It's not so easy here.

At Baimbridge College we have the Home Economics centre with three kitchens plus the little Stephanie Alexander kitchen in the old tech school TOP common room.  Here the teachers showed the students how to make a ‘bush oven’ using a wood fire and coals.  The cakes they produced were excellent.

This same kitchen produces morning porridge, popcorn or mandazi at break and a hot meal for 400 hungry people at lunch every school day.

How many words related to cooking and baking can you find?

Elections

The students have been involved in elections for prefects and other positions of responsibility for the 2017/8 school year.  It has been very entertaining.  We had the call for nominations, the election speeches and then the casting of ballots.  The process has taken about two weeks and has coincided with the revision for End of Term exams.

For the speeches each candidate had their entourage who were variously mopping brows, polishing shoes and rearranging shirt collars of the candidate as she or he spoke, and making encouraging gestures and sounds at each (often highly spurious) promise.  The Head Teacher told me they were modelling themselves on local politicians!  The casting of ballots for each of the dozen or so positions was very well organised.  It was also free and fair according to the HT who was keeping a close eye on proceedings.  Each students had her or his name crossed off the roll of 'Legible Voters' before cycling around the polling stations where they completed two slips at each.  A teacher was on hand at each to make sure the ballots went into the correct boxes.

Serious business

Voters are entertained

Help from the entourage

Filling in the ballot paper

and posting in the correct box.

Counting happened as soon as all votes had been cast and everyone is happy with the results.  Our students will be model citizens when the time comes for them to vote.

This is unlike neighbouring Kenya where presidential elections were held last week.  Half the population seem to be unhappy with the result there and that has meant the solar fridge and freezer intended for Mbazzi school, and mostly paid for by Hamilton Uniting Church, Hamilton Rotary Club and my father-in-law Don, is still sitting on the wharf at Mombassa.  I had hoped it would be installed before we left but that is looking increasingly unlikely.  I have prepared a plaque for it anyway and I’m sure Ange will send me photos when it finally happens.