Brooke Collison

Slips of the tongue happen for most of us way more frequently than we would like. When we find ourselves in a new place (e.g., Kenya) and with a different language base (e.g., Kiswahili and UK-influenced English), the slips just seem to multiply exponentially.

The time has come to close up loose ends, pack bags, say goodbyes, and head back to Oregon. It’s a bittersweet time—this experience has been good, we’ve made good friends, we feel good about what we’ve done, and we hear constant questioning about our return date. It’s also just a week before Christmas and one of those high points of family time. We’re ready to be at home and to celebrate with family and friends whom we have not seen for four months.

It’s final exam time at KEMU. The exam system here is a little different than what I have known; and, you may have read my descriptions of the exam writing process if you are a regular blog follower (Hey, I hope you are—even though I don’t know who you are).

I’ve had the privilege in the last few weeks to be in several schools—primary, elementary, and college. In no way are these schools and the classrooms representative of all Kenyan schools. I make no comments about Kenyan education, just about what I experienced in my several visits.

I received a student assignment today which blew me away. It came by email from a distance learning student—one of those who meet one day on campus, do the rest of the work on their own guided by a printed set of resource materials, then returns to campus in December to take a final exam. I’m not thrilled about the format, but I try to provide some personal contact via email exchanges.