ELI Children's Day 2007

This day, judged by the kids' comments, was an enormous success! Kenyan grown-ups love speeches, but I had asked the kids what they wanted to do, and they said, "Play!" So we cut the speeches to the absolute minimum, and made as much time as possible for playing.

And did the kids play! There was volleyball, basketball, and football (soccer.) Though Ilula's teams easily defeated the younger Kipkaren team in the first two sports, they had to work hard for the champions' trophies of the day: Football Champions. Kipkaren has already vowed to go and bring back the trophies next year.

And the kids and staff alike already talking about having the next Kids' Day in Ilula. "Can the children pleasee spend the night here?" one girl was asking the director as they walked their friends to the bus. Of course, it wouldn't be possible. But the girl immediately decided that "Next year, when we go to Ilula, we'll have to spend the night."

The games were fun. The food was incredible! (We had slaughtered a VERY large bull for the occasion.) But I think the best was simply to see small groups of kids playing, or sitting in various spots around the Kipkaren campus, visiting. Some kids hardly left the hand of their new-found friends all day!

I wish I could be a fly on the wall the next few days as the children relive today. Many (two entire rooms) were literally up out of bed by 3 am today, simply too excited to sleep any longer. So they got dressed, clean their rooms, and waited for the bus to bring them. And with them already talking about the next time, I'm pretty sure they'll be falling asleep with smiles on their faces today, knowing that they all made new friends today.