Base Sports Day

 The CGA sports team competed in the primary school competitions on Friday.  Once again the girls from CGA shined bright against the other five schools they competed against.  The Mbita Base consists of Nyamanga Primary, Mbita  Primary, Milimani Academy, Mbita Point International School (MPIS), Usare Primary and CGA.  In Term one they compete in the ball-games of boys and girls football, boys and girls volleyball, and girls netball. 

In boys volleyball, CGA managed to win one match and lose one match.  In boys football, the young CGA boys fought valiantly against the best team, Usare Primary, but lost 5-0 to a superior team.  In the second match, they came from behind to draw even at 1-1 on a good individual play by 6^th grader Ronald Ouma.  With a few chances that didn’t produce a goal in the waning minutes, they settled for a draw with Milimani Academy. 

The girls competed favorably in three sports.  In netball they won their only match against Usare Primary 14-3, but were not able to play in the finals because of time.  In Volleyball they reached the finals where they played Nyamanga Primary.  It was a closely contested match with each team taking a set.  In the third and final set it was back and forth, but in the end CGA lost by two points. 

In girls football, CGA has always dominated the local competition, winning it each of the seven years they have been competing.  This year was no different.  In their first match they defeated Milimani Academy by a score of 7-0.  Syprose Akoth scored a hat-trick and Sarah Achieng added two more goals to the total.  In the second match they faced a tough Usare team that had defeated them in a friendly match two weeks ago.  The CGA girls got revenge this time with a convincing 2-0 victory.  They started strong in the first half, getting two penalties in the opening minutes and converting one of them for a goal.  They kept mounting pressure throughout the second half and added to their total on a strong shot from the right wing by Syprose Akoth to add the exclamation point.  In the finals, the girls were tired from three football matches plus the netball and volleyball matches, but they gave a strong effort to defeat Mbita Point International School to take home the title.

Several CGA boys and girls were selected to help form the base team to play in the zonal competition in Kirindo next Tuesday.  The list of selected players includes:

Boys Football- Ronald Ouma, Phillip Onyango, Gordon Ogal and David Ouma

Boys Volleyball- John Okello and Denis Osii

Girls Netball- Winny Adhiambo

Girls Volleyball- Lorna Wanga, Sarah Achieng, Tecla Agutu, Teresa Atieno

Friday was a busy day for me coaching, refereeing and selecting the best players, as well as tryin to oversee all of CGA students at the field. 

I will be coaching the girls football team at zonals on Tuesday, and then at Districts on Thursday and Friday.  After that I will be proceeding with the selected teams to Regionals, Provencals and possibly Nationals.  It will be a busy couple of weeks but my favorite time of the year!

Exam Success

A group of 6^th – 8^th grade students and teachers from CGA travelled across the lake on Thursday for the release of the Hexagon Exams.  CGA has been a member of the organization for the past three years.  There are six other schools that we take exams with once a term (3 times in a year).  These schools are the top schools in the two districts.  The official release was done at Gethsemane Gardens Christian Academy on Mfangano Island. 

The 6^th Graders stole the show for CGA by taking first place in Math and second place in English.  Some individuals excelled such as Valary Ann and Alphonce Oyuko who finished 2^nd in Mathematics with 96%.  Valary also emerged as the best girl overall, followed closely by Helen Achieng who was #2.  Whitny Awuor was the third CGA girl who finished in the top ten. 

It was pleasing to me personally as I have been working with those 6th graders since last year in Math.  I think since CGA joined the Hexagon we have only achieved #1 in a subject maybe once or twice and that was always in English, so it is a big accomplishment for the class.  We hope that they will be able to maintain that good performance in the coming terms and years. 

The performance of 7^th and 8^th grade was below what they had done in the past, but we hope with more hard work, they will move back up to where they should be. 

We thank God for the opportunity that these 18 students and 4 teachers had to see a new place and we hope they will benefit from the experience. 

Visitor's Perspective

Spending time with "Uncle Joe" and the Suba Laker girls was awesome. We met with them at the school on Friday afternoon and walked up the hill to the "pitch". We watched them practice and even kicked a few balls ourselves. These young women are learning so much more than a sport from the opportunity to be on this team. They are learning committment, determination, self-confidence. They are learning that hard work is good on and off the field. Uncle Joe makes sure that they are keeping their grades up and that they are setting a good example in their communities. They are great girls who love to have fun also. We were able to spend the night with them and had a great time. We had time together at night to do some crafts. We had a time of encouragement and story telling. It was wonderful! Please pray for the girls and pray for Joe. He has truly answered God's call and is impacting the lives of young people through this team while also being very involved with the children at CGA.

Rewarding Faithfulness

A couple of visitors came to spend time with our primary school girls last weekend. They brought some great gifts for them and wanted to share with them. Before coming they had discussed the idea of trying to sponsor one of them in their education. They expected to find all primary school girls, but they also found one that has finished secondary school. Elizabeth (Liz) impressed them immediately because of her good attitude and the fact that she is offering her time to help us take care of the primary school girls in the camp. She even comes to school to help train the school team. Liz has faithfully served with the club since December and the visitors felt like God was directing them to help her continue her education.

Liz took her secondary school national exams in November 2010, but she didn't do very well because of circumstances in her home. She was going to a local day school but it was a long walk to and from school each day. Since her family doesn't have any consistent income, she was not able to go beyond secondary school. She has been hoping and praying that God will open the door for her to continue. I even asked her recently why she hasn't gotten married or pregnant like most girls do at her age in this area. She replied, "There is a time for everything and the time to get married will come later, but now I want to continue my education."

One funny part of the story was when she joined the club in December we talked with her and told her she was welcome to be a part of us, but we wouldn't be able to help her at all financially or be able to do anything for her in the future as far as education. She said that was ok and just faithfully trained with our players and served in various ways.

Her father’s home is in Seme which is located in Kisumu West District, in a rural area. Her father is one of five brothers. All of them are polygamists with many wives and many children. Each of them is now elderly and they have all retired or been retrenched from their previous jobs. In Liz’s family there are three wives and a total of fifteen children. Liz’s mother had three children, but one passed away so it is only Liz and her older brother who are remaining. Her older brother did some training in electrical engineering and is working in Nairobi currently. Their mother never finished secondary school because of a lack of fees, but works as a volunteer community health worker at times. The father used to work for Kenya Ports Authority in Mombasa as a baggage handler. Unfortunately, many years ago he was forced to retire and was given no pension. He now has a farm and uses it to provide food for his family though it doesn’t generate much income. Liz and her brother are the first in their extended family (over 50 children) to finish secondary school. She is a very pleasant, happy girl who has been faithful in her responsibilities and has resisted pressure to get married because she desires to go further in her education.

This week we began visiting different colleges, universities and polytechnics to find out the different options that she has and what area she might be interested in. I was also able to visit their home and see the situation for myself and discuss things with her parents. They were so grateful and so happy about the opportunity.

God is good. I love how he orchestrates events in our lives and all around us when we have no idea what is going on. When we reach certain points we are able to look back and see some of what he was doing all along. We are thankful for God providing this opportunity for Liz. It is a great reward for her faithfulness.

In Good Hands

In January I had posted about taking three of our football club girls to Jera Secondary school.  Since joining school, we haven't heard much from them.  I have been communicating a lot with their coach and teacher who has been keeping me updated, but only talked to one of the girls one time.  It is kind of unusual because when Leah was in primary school on Mfangano Island she would call me at least once a week (sometimes two or three times in a week) to let me know what was going on with her and how she was doing.  Alicent had spent the last two years of primary school at a local private school and staying with one of our club officials so we saw her all the time and talked with her often.  Usually when students (especially girls) go off to boarding secondary schools they get homesick and are borrowing the teachers phones to call home often, especially in the first year.  I told others that either they are being held hostage and are never allowed to call home, or they are so busy, happy and content that they don't need to call home. 

After two months, we decided we had to go and visit them, see their faces, check on how they are doing and spend a little time with them.  On Wednesday we journeyed out to Siaya again with Elizabeth who is one of our players that has finished secondary school and Emily, the sister of Raisha.  When they spotted us coming through the gate, they ran out to greet us with big smiles and even bigger hugs.  They were happy to receive some gifts we brought them from visitors who had been with our primary girls the previous weekend and other basic necessities (toothbrushes, paste, shoe polish, tissue, pens and pencils, etc.  We were able to watch their football practice and then spend some time with them. 

The teachers spoke very highly about them in the classroom (their participation and work ethic) and on the field (their performance).  Leah was even selected as their class leader.  The girls were very happy.  They are kept extremely busy and don't have much time to miss home.  They wake up at 5:00 am for studying, then do some personal chores at 6:30, breakfast at 7:00 and then classes begin immediately after that.  By 4:00 pm they finish their lessons and practice for two hours.  After practice they bathe, eat dinner and head back to the classroom for personal studies for 2 1/2 hours before retiring to bed. 

Their team has been successful, winning every match in their divisional qualifiers by big margins.  They have their eyes set on a top three finish in the country this year and to represent Kenya in the East African Games in Burundi.  I really respect the way the teachers at their school work together in the classroom and in games also.  The teammates get along well and are like sister to each other (just like in our Suba Lakers Club).  There were small complaints about food, but that is normal for secondary students.  All in all, they are very happy and are doing well academically and athletically.  I can't think of a better place for them to be. 

Their training sessions consist of:
Mondays- physical workouts with emphais on endurance and strength (with all of the boys and girls sports teams combined)
Tuesdays- physical workouts for lower body with a lot of speedwork and plyometrics (all of the boys and girls sports teams together)
Wednesdays- ball-work with small-sided games and training in departments
Thursdays and Fridays- ball-work with more game like situations  

Their coach is one of the few in the country that I have seen that has a good understanding of how to train and prepare a team for competition.  Most schools, teams and clubs just roll a ball out and play 11 v. 11 for training, but Jera really teaches the intricacies of the game, how to pass and move and play good football. 

Academically, the school is also performing.  It is a mixed school (boys and girls) and it is both day and boarding.  Most people in my area believe that to succeed in secondary school you must go to a boarding school and it most be purely boys or purely girls.  But there are many like Jera and Kobala that do well.  On the 2011 KCSE they had 4 A-, 5 B+, 9 B, 8 B- and 19 C+.  That is 45 that qualified for University.  And in 2010, the girls in the school outperformed the boys which is very rare in this culture and this country.

We left a little late, but very satisfied that our daughters were in good hands!   

Lessons Learnt

I was in Kisumu on Wednesday and had to fuel up my vehicle before continuing.  When I stopped at the petrol station, the attentdants began working immediately with one checking the fluids, one washing the windshield and another putting fuel in.  I got out immediately to make sure that the pump was reset before they started (a common trick they use in Kenya). 

They reset it and started pumping, but stopped at sh. 1,000 ($12).  The attendant began putting the handle back on the pump and I said, "Please fill it full."  So she apologized and said she thought I only wanted sh. 1,000.  After she finished filling it, the pump was reading sh. 4,300.  She came around to me and said, "It is sh. 5,300."  I corrected her but she insisted that she had reset it after putting in the first sh. 1,000.  I was a bit confused and wasn't sure, but told her that she didn't reset it.  Another attendent demonstrated that when you put the handle back on the pump that it resets (like I didn't already know that from drving for the past twenty years).  I explained that she never put the hanlde back on the pump so it never was reset.  I even explained that the number of litres didn't correspond to how full my tank was when I came to the petrol station.  They insisted, so I paid sh. 5,300 and told them I wouldn't argue anymore, but if they were cheating me then God would judge them for their actions (not sure if that is the best approach or not).  I took the receipt and got into the vehicle ready to drop the matter and move on.  But before leaving, I bowed down and prayed.  I don't know how spiritual this is, but I prayed for conviction upon their hearts if they were cheating me, and if that didn't work then I prayed for God's judgement upon them. 

When I opened my eyes the lady was at the window with sh. 1,000 to give back to me.  She said the other attendent was in the bathroom and came back and told them it was never reset (lie and excuse to cover their shame).  They apologized.  I took the money and said, "God Bless you!" and then left.

I don't know why, but that incident made me so happy.  I think because God answered my prayer.  Normally in Kenya I (and most foreigners) raise a big fuss, create a big scene and leave annoyed, with many burnt bridges and a bad testimony.  But I think this time God used this situation to teach me something and to teach those workers something.     

God Moving

Today we were doing a bible study with three of our voluteers at school who recently finished their high school education.  We are going through the book of John and were discussing about being born again. So I asked them to share their memories of when that happened in their lives.

Stephen Ogechi said it happened when he was in 7th grade and some of the leaders remained behind after closing day to help in the classroom.  After finishing the cleaning, he said that I was talking with the group and I asked if any of them would want to give their lives to Jesus and receive his salvation.  So he prayed with me that day.  That definitely blessed my heart.  It is funny how God uses us so many times and we don't even know it.  

 

Crazy enough, I don't even remember that day seven years ago, but hearing him tell that story today almost brought me to tears. 

 

Also, during the Bible study, another one opened up about his feelings of guilt and shame that he carries with him from past mistakes in his life.  He walks around sad almost all the time and surely it is difficult to see any joy in his life.  Just a few minutes before we had started the Bible Study, I was leading some of the primary students in reading Chapter 12 and 13 in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  I had read it with this boy's class six years earlier.  I reminded him of some of the Biblical lessons that book teaches us about God's forgiveness in our lives.  We were also able to look at some verses from the Bible.  I don't know what is in his heart now, but I know that God was moving during that time and speaking into his life!

   

God is Amazing!

Our class of 2007 at CGA loved to sing the song “Mungu Wetu Ni Wa Ajabu” which means Our God is Amazing.  He has once again proven that He is an amazing God to them!  We thank God and praise him for helping those 15 students from our Class of 2007 finish their secondary education in 2011 and perform at a very high level.  413,733 students from all over Kenya sat the National exam (KCSE) in October/November of 2011.  Of CGA’s group, all 15 of them reached the minimum requirement for entry into mid-level colleges in Kenya (D+ and above).  That is a 100% rate compared to 70% for the rest of the country.  Twelve of the 15 reached the minimum requirement for University (C+ and above).  That is 80% compared to 29% for the rest of the country.  And 5 of them will go directly to the University through Government sponsorship (high B or B+ and above).  That is 33.3% compared to 8% for the rest of the county. 

It is a remarkable accomplishment considering the challenges that they faced along the way.  Only 4 of them have two parents.  Nine of them have no parents and two have been raised by single mothers.  Several of them were left virtually alone to raise themselves, others had elderly grandmothers who worked hard to provide for them.  All of them persevered through many obstacles to make it through.

We had 1 A-, 3 B+, 3 B, 4 B-, 1 C+, 1 C- and 2 D+.  The overall mean was 7.82 which is a B-. 

I respect them a lot for what they have accomplished and for the fact that they are so ready to give back to CGA through volunteer work, helping in the classrooms and around the compound.   Today in chapel we honored them in front of the primary students.  When they were given time to talk, they shared their appreciation for the administration, teachers and staff that helped them reach this point.  They encouraged the younger students to make the most of the opportunity they have been given at CGA and promised that they want to do even more for CGA in the future.  Before Teacher Lillian prayed for them, she told them that this is not the end, but only another stepping stone, and to trust God for their future.  And she concluded by saying that she is seeing a day when they will not only be giving back to CGA and even sponsoring students here, but also be helping to support those in America and Europe who are in need, instead of Africans depending on support from abroad. 

Our hope and our prayer is that God will open doors and provide means for each of them to continue their education.