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Mount Kenya Academy

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  We are back at Mount Kenya Academy, the same school where we taught for 2/3 of the school year in 2024.  This time we are teaching for one term (1/3 of the school year). We began teaching on January 12th, with KK teaching science to grades 7, 8, and 9, and Chris teaching swimming to grades 1-8 and coaching the middle and high school swim teams. The inner courtyard is known as the G-Square for Graduation Square and is surrounded by classrooms. Mount Kenya Academy has two campuses, a junior school and a senior school, that are about 200 yards apart. Both schools have a pool but the senior school pool is better designed for lessons and workouts. Chris at the senior school pool with a class of junior school students Some swimming stars! Chris and two colleagues at MKA: On the left is Gerald who works as the school's lab technician, setting up biology, physics, and chemistry labs, maintaining equipment and ordering supplies. In the center is Peter, a swimming and PE teacher. Pete...
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Welcome to Nyeri Town and the Nyeri Club

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  Our arrival in Nyeri Town coincided with the arrival of an exchange group from the Westminster School in Atlanta, GA. Every year, high school students from Westminster along with 3 teachers visit Mt. Kenya Academy Senior School for 8-10 days in January. In turn, students and 1 staff member from MKA visit Westminster for 8-10 days in April. Consequently, we were hosted at the Nyeri Club in Nyeri Town by the founding director of MKA for the first week of our visit, which was quite a treat. The top 2 floors are rooms for overnight stays. The lower floor has a gym, locker rooms & showers, and a reception. It didn't take long for Chris to get into the pool after nearly 2 weeks with only 1 swim, in the White Nile River. The pool manager was a very nice young man, Eric. He and Chris swam a workout together and I believe Eric was quite humbled. Swim workout standards in the US and Kenya are quite different. The Nyeri Club pool is only a sidelight to its primary and founding purpose: ...
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Jan 2026 Western Kenya

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  Northwestern Kenya is beautiful. We crossed the border from Uganda at Busia where Boaz's brother and a friend picked us up. After another couple of hours in a car (we'd already driven 2 1/2 hours to the border from Jinja) to Boaz's mom's house, we met most of his siblings and their families, and shared a couple memorable meals. Boaz's mom is in the blue dress. Two sisters are on either side of mom and his brother is next to Chris. The next day, we hiked up this valley to visit his grandmother. To the right of the stream is Kenya. To the left is Uganda. There are no border or customs enforcement agents here. The hike was steep. And many children were interested in following us. In fact, many of them go to school where we started our hike. They go down and back up this trail 5 or 6 days a week! The view behind us as we climbed up. Some of our escorts! The neighborhood swimming hole! Crossing into Uganda without our passports! The stream was underground at this point...
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