Travel program

Day 1: Kenya here we come!

Saterday 15th of February

There we go. You worked hard and looked forward to it and now the moment is there. Wave goodbye to family and friends and board the plane to Kenia!

Our plane will take off at 8.40 pm. That means we will have a late dinner in the air at around 10.20 pm.

Day 2: Masai Mara here we come!

Sunday 16th of February

After a night flight we will land on Nairobi airport where we will meet Carmen van Bergen from Amara Foundation.

Today our safari (swahili for trip) starts!

Going on a safari is pretty much invented in Kenya. We will start with an exciting safari to the Masai Mara! The Masai Mara is the largest national Park in Kenya and is known for its feline; lions, leopards, cheetahs; they are all there. With a little luck, you can tick off the Big 5 after these first 3 days!

This morning we will be picked up on Nairobi airport by 2 safari vans from Chalies Travels. The great thing about these vans is that the roof can be raised, a must in the Mara! We will drive to the Mara in around 6 hours.

Along the way we will pass through the Rift Valley, a huge valley that runs from Syria all the way to Mozambique. In the distance you can see Mount Longonot and Mount Suswa. I don’t know why they are called “mount”, because they are both volcanoes.

At arrivel we will go to our accommodation where we can settle in the Lenchada Tourist Camp. In the afternoon we will get back in the vans for your first game drive!

Safari van

Rift Valley

Masai Mara park gate at the entrance

Day 3: Spot the Big 5!

Monday 17th of February

Hopefully you will have had a good night's sleep with all the sounds of the savanna in the background. There is no time to sleep in, because the animals are most active in the early morning. Do you want to see a lion into action, than you need to be there right now. Take your binoculars and your camera and be ready to go!

We will take our breakfast and lunch along in the van, so we can be in the Mara as long as possible. And if the guide thinks it is safe, we might even go for a picnic! But stay alert and keep your eyes and ears open!

Day 4: Last day in the Mara and off to Kisumu

Tuesday 18th of February

This morning before breakfast we will be in the Mara for the last time. Hopefully we will see something beautiful once more! The Big 5 complete would be great, but you really have to be lucky to see a rhino or leopard.

After breakfast we will drive to Kisumu (6 hours). Along the way we will pass through big tea plantations and see rural Kenya.

The safari vans will bring us directly to Sooper guest house, where Molly, our local travel guide will welcome us with a dinner.

We will use this evening to acclimatise. So you can check your rooms, unpack your bags and enjoy the view of the city from the roof of our guest house.

In the evening two students will write our travelogue.

Sooper Guest House

Day 5: St Clare Children’s Home and Urusi Football Club

Wednesday 19th of February

Today we have a busy schedule. We will start at St. Clare’s children’s home, which is located just outside the city centre on a hill. We can do some games and gymnastics with the children over there. We will use the materials which are there, which are: skipping rope, balls and an elastic string.

After the introduction we paint the playground equipment, which has just been repaired and welded before our arrival. And repair the washing machine which is broken for three years already!

After a morning of hard work we will enjoy a Kenyan lunch which is prepared by the caretakers at St. Clare.

When we are finished painting we will go to the trainingfield of Urusi Football Club. We will join the training of players under 10, under 12 and under 14. Of course we will also meet the trainers with whom we will do the clean up at Manyata area on Saturday morning.

Today we will be back late at Sooper. Luckily the groceries are already there thanks to Molly, so the cooking crew can start immediately. Reflect on the day on the rooftop and two of you will write our travelogue again.

After all these activities we will probably sleep very tight. Sweet dreams...

Playground St. Clare Children's home

St. Clare children on the marry go round

Urusi training children

Urusi U14

Urusi training youth

Urusi football field

Day 6: The day of the artist

Thursday 20th of February

Today we will start with visiting an arts craft workshop. We will make our own paper out of waterhyacint.

In the afternoon we will go to the outside crafts market which is called the Masai Market. There we can see place where these waterhyacint cards are sold. You can buy your souvenirs here. So bring some money and space in your bagpack.

In the afternoon we will walk to the Jubilee market, which is a big food market, to buy groceries. You can also buy drinks and snacks for the evenings of this expedition.

Masai crafts market

Jubilee market

Day 7: A day for the deaf blind

Friday 21st of February

Today we will visit St. Antony special school for deaf & blind in Awasi. The children of the Amara program on this school are mostly in a wheelchair. But there are also disabled children who can walk and other kids who live in the neighbourhood. We will start with a tour to look around and meet the children, the caretakers and the therapist. We will paint a wall of a classroom, with contrasting colours which will be better visible for the children with eye problems. If there is time we will also use our tools and repair some of the wheelchairs.

Late afternoon the cooks will visit Jubilee market again to be able to prepare dinner at Sooper.

Luckily we will have time to relax in the evening, look at our photos, chat and write some stories to family and friends or write the travelogue

St. Anthony school sign

A St. Anthony group photo

Melvin

Bridget

Buddy's restaurant

Day 8: Clean up and culture

Saterday 22nd of February

Today we will spend time with our friends from Urusi and our friends from St. Francis.

We will start with a special opportunity to visit Manyatta area with locals. We will do a clean up of the Manyatta area. The community worker is also coach of Urusi Football Club. Hopefully we will meet some of the friends we met on the Football field last Wednesday. You will walk through the streets of Manyatta with wheelbarrows, gloves and a rake and work your way to a cleaner Manyatta. This is really an integrated program. If you are lucky you will get a look inside one of the local houses and see how people live. Afterwards we will eat a joined lunch with the complete group of workers. Prepare yourself to speak some motivating words to the local people.

After this project we will refresh ourselves and in the afternoon visit the museum and travel back in time.

We will see the history of this side of Kenya. It’s a small yet comprehensive exhibit gallery and displays of material culture of the peoples of the Western Rift valley and Nyanza Province. This includes traditional clothing and adornment, basketry, fishing gear, agricultural tools and hunting weaponry. Also on display are several dioramas, including a lion, the Brazza monkey, and the largest Nile Perch ever caught in Kenya. The museum contains numerous pavilions. Beyond the exhibit gallery and Snake Park is a life-size replica of a traditional full-scale Luo homestead. This is the museums most important and largest exhibition piece.

When we are back in the guest house, there will be two students who will write our travelogue and two students who will cook.

Manyatta February 2018

Collecting the July 2019 clean up necessities

Manyatta clean up July 2019

Day 9: Go to church and meet our video friends

Sunday 23rd of February

In the morning we will meet the little children of St. Clare’s childrens home at St. Paul's Catholic Parish, Kanyakwar. Together we will attend mass. The church in Kenya is a bit different from our church so be prepared to experience this. Dive in and enjoy. Afterwards we will go to St. Clare, play with the children for the last time and have lunch together.

In the afternoon we will go for a big walk in the Hills surrounding Kisumu.

We have made contact with the selected group of 8 students of the St. Francis Primary school in Hambale and today we are going to meet in real life.

We will do this with our travel guide Molly, a pikipiki driver and the students of St. Francis Primary school. You and the St. Francis students are all allowed to take 5 photos of views or things that you think are special. After the walk we will go and eat french fries at the canteen of Amara's friend Francis and his wife Sharon. There you will share your photos and find out which photos your St. Francis buddy made and why.

Afterwards we will go back to Sooper to relax and write the travelogue.

St Paul's Cathedral entrance

Playing at St. Clare

Showing their drawings

Kajulu hills safari walk

Francis fries canteen

Day 10: Meet our friends in Hambale

Monday 24th of February

Today we will visit our friends on their terrain in the town Hambale at their school, St. Francis Primary.

We will join their lessons with big classes and an old school black board. We will eat a Kenyan lunch in the big school canteen and get a tour at the school where we will also see the computer classroom where they first made contact with us. Luckily this is not goodbye as we will be back at St. Francis on Tuesday

Late in the afternoon the cooking crew of today will go to Jubilee market. Afterwards today’s cooking crew will prepare food. And the two “writers” of the day will write our travelogue.

During the evening we have time to relax on the rooftop and talk about the activities of the day.

School square St. Francis Hambale Primary school

A science class St. Francis

Pan with food St. Francis

Day 11: Project time@St. Francis Primary school Hambale

Tuesday 25th of February

Today we are off to Hambale again to visit the 8 students of the St. Francis Primary school for the last time. We will work on a project together, which you have designed back home. Maybe there is even time for a break. At St. Francis there are hula hoops, a badminton set and balls. Again we will enjoy our lunch in the school canteen. After a great day where you have made a connection with the St. Francis students that will last a lifetime.

We will go back to Sooper, where we will wash and prepare for a posh dinner at the lakeside. We need to be on time to watch the beautiful sunset at Dunga Hill.

Maybe the writers can write the travelogue at the lakeside today.

playground St. Francis

Kitchen St. Francis

St. Francis school canteen

Tuktuk Sammy, transport to Dunga Hill

Sunset at Dunga Hill

Day 12: Last day in Kisumu and off to Nairobi

Wednesday 26th of February

Today is our last day in Kisumu and we will finish with a nice trip or as they say in Swahili: safari.

We'll take our own breakfast and lunch and be off.

With our local travel guide Molly, we will go on a boat safari on lake Victoria. This is the lake from which the white Nile rises. So maybe we will meet the Kisumu Hippos.

Then we will travel back to Sooper to pack our bags and prepare for the afternoon activity by reflecting on this expedition.

You will pitch while showing 3 photos about the situations that where most special for you during this last week and of course you will tell us how this has affected you.

After these personal revelation and a last early dinner while overlooking the city of Kisumu from the rooftop, we'll go off to the airport of Kisumu to take our evening flight to Nairobi. Where we will board our plane back home very late, namely at 11.50pm.

Lake Victoria

Boot safari Lake Victoria

Day 13: Home sweet home

Thursday 27th of February

After a night in the air and a stopover in Paris we will arrive in Amsterdam at 10.30 am. It is time to say goodbye to our expedition group and make friends and family who stayed at home happy with your great stories!

Relax for the coming 4 days, which are luckily still left of your holiday.

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