I am sorry for the lull in the postings, Daraja was busy hosting two of its most important supporters – 2 year old Kaia Raisdana and her assistant Jabiz. It was wonderful and we all miss you both. Next time bring mom.

I hoped that all of the Daraja Academy staff and students would build lasting bonds, but I did not think that it would happen quite so fast. Term I ended and the students returned home for a well-deserved break on April 4th. I can personally testify that this place just is not the same with out them. I miss their laughter, their questions, their genuine excitement about trying new things… I miss their energy.

The wonderful thing is that the rest of the staff, from Peter Wathitu to the night guard miss them as well. Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise; we always said, “Daraja Academy existed. There were 150 acres with dormitories, classroom blocks, guest houses etc. but that it missed one very important thing… it was missing its soul.”

I am happy to say that the soul will return to campus in 8 days, and just short of counting them with charcoal lines on the wall, we ARE counting them. On the 25th of April they will converge from all parts of Kenya. Trickling in from the hills west of Eldoret on the Ugandan border, from the parched, baobab dotted lands outside Makindu on the Mombasa Highway.

They will come from their homes; some made of tin, others made of cattle dung and thatch, but the will come and they will be coming to Daraja. To Daraja Academy, their second home, and they will be coming with smiles on their beautiful young faces.

If you were in our shoes, what special touch, club, event would you offer the students in Term II to make it both memorable and valuable?

(I know that I ask this often, but this time if you could oblige, the students and I would be for ever grateful: If reading these posts, or simply

the idea that is Daraja Academy resonates with you, please take a moment and tell your friends online about us and if it isn’t too much trouble, please comment and let me know if you did so. This is a very small thing, but it would mean A LOT to me: a guy living in “the bush”, with out a tv, news papers, a refrigerator etc. with an very slowwwwww internet connection a 20 mile drive away, it would really mean a lot.)

Thanks for your support