There are miles of beaches along Mombasa’s coastlines.  Long contiguous stretches of white sandy beaches are less than a ten-minute matatu ride from the Restoration drop-off point.  Despite the convenience and the local ordinances requiring that all beaches remain entirely public, locals are not able to enjoy them. Luxury resorts and hotels have effectively nullified any ordinance by buying up all the land that provides access to the beaches and restricting passage without a day pass that costs upwards of $50.  On the northern coast, only Kenyatta Municipal Beach remains unquestionably public.

With government testing behind us, we must now live up to our promise to take the children to the beach.  The school is buzzing with excitement.  Realizing that the children do not know how to swim, we decided that it would be prudent to break the school population into four groups and take them to the beach over a two-day period.  Those who were not at the beach, would work on their presentations for Community Asante Sana Day—our celebration to all those in the community who have supported the school through their time and talents or by sending their children to classes.

I am glad to escape test grading to join Anita, Lisa, Robert, and the children from standards 3 and 4 on their trek.  I had ahead of time, made it to the market on Moi and purchased a few balls for our days at the beach.  We made the walk down the path to the road in record time.  Moses and his friend, both local matatu drivers we have befriended over the last weeks, were there to transport us.  Thirty-nine children, four volunteers, two conductors, and two drivers squeezed into the two matatus.  It was a quick ride and, I am quite sure, a sight to see us pour out out onto the stretch of beach.  The faces on the children who saw the expanse of the Indian Ocean for the first time was simply priceless…

Arriving during low tide provided the children with a wide beach area.  We contained them long enough to establish the rule that no child was to go into water deeper than their waist and that there were to be buddy checks each time they heard the whistle.  Then the children were off running for the water.  There was a great deal of fun as they chased one another down the beach and into the ocean.  The water of the Indian Ocean was incredibly warm and offered little refreshment but the children certainly did not seem to mind.  We set up refreshments of juice and biscuits under the fringes of the coconut trees….

As the children played, we found a piece of shade and fell again into long-range visioning for the school.  Each time I gather the volunteers for conversations such as this, my heart swells with hope.  That young people would finance their way here, give up considerable chunks of their time and talent so freely, and still press themselves for what more they can do strengthens my faith and causes me to champion this next generation.  I thank God for these young folks who are committed to having an impact in the greater world…

All too soon, we were being crowded by the incoming tide and late afternoon sun.  We called the children together and walked to the road to wait for the return of the matatus.  On the ride home, Standard 3 practice their presentation for Friday’s event.  Again and again they sang through their medley of “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands” and “Jambo, Jambo.”  By the end, even Moses had joined in with our song…

Continue to Asante Sana.