I Want Everyone to Know Him: Intern Post by Megan Wilcken
The Kenyan sky is so beautiful it almost seems surreal. The landscape is wide open—the horizon is virtually unbroken in every direction. The clouds appear to be painted in the sky. And they seem so close it is easier to imagine reaching the clouds than the distant mountains. Each night, the sky fills with stars so bright and, again, so close that one is compelled to stop, and gaze in awe at the impossibly stunning scene.
Since arriving in Taru, Kenya, I have stopped to appreciate the sky countless times. But the sky is not the only thing that is stunning in Kenya. The people of Taru have caused me to pause time and time again in wonder and admiration. Have you ever met someone that you wish the whole world could know? Have you ever been so moved, so inspired by a person that you felt a turning inside you—a change you knew would always remain? I just spent one morning at Fuleye Primary School. Most of our time was spent with the mrembo (beautiful) students of Fuleye. We spent about 30 minutes talking with Moses Mkala, the school’s Head Teacher and Principal. That interaction made me a better person—I am “more” because of my brief time with this incredible man.
Moses is the second of six children born to very poor Kenyan parents. He attended primary school and, at age 16, took the national standardized exam: the KCPE. All students in Kenya must achieve high marks on this exam in order to qualify to attend secondary school. Moses scored very well on the KCPE. He was the second highest-scoring student in his region. But his family could not afford the school fees, so he waited and worked six years in order to enter secondary school (beginning at the age of 22). His older brother had taken a job and contributed money to help Moses attend school. After completing his education, he was given a post as a teacher. He then joined his older brother in providing funds for the education of his younger siblings. All of his siblings are educated and many of them are now teachers in the region.
That is not all. His students are from very poor families and many of them do not have more than one meal per day. The government does not provide a lunch meal for the students because they consider the school close enough to the students’ homes that they can walk home for lunch. Most of the students do live in close proximity to the school, but many of them walk 10 kilometers (six miles) or more each way. And, regardless of their distance from the school, most students and their families do not have enough food for a mid-day meal. Students who have no lunch stay at the school. So Moses stays with them. He told us he wanted to be one with his students in this. He feels that he cannot treat his students well, or inspire them, if he is “satisfied” and they are wanting.
I had a large backpack with me when we went to Fuleye. I had set it down inside an empty classroom and I asked Moses if it would be alright to leave it there. I asked because I worried that it would be in the way if the teachers or students needed the room. His response was that his students were very disciplined and honest and that my belongings would be perfectly safe. He then took me to his office to show me the school’s mission statement, which was to provide education that would help the students develop discipline and self-reliance. He talked to me about how education was a partnership among the pupils, their parents, the teachers and administrators, and the community.
While we visited classrooms with Moses, he sang along with the students. He was lively and enthusiastic. We all felt his overwhelming love for his students and his thirst for learning. I am sure every student at Fuleye feels his love and his desire to help them learn. They are lucky to have such a principal. I was blessed to meet him.