Page 33 - Priorities #69

By Kathleen Gonzalez
“I was surprised that on Wednesdays students can sleep in,” Elizabeth stated. “Our minds are not machines. I think we would do better if we could get more rest.”
Mary shared her surprise at learning details about America’s government. “If someone is poor, the government tries to level their lives so they are treated
every day and what others in the world go through,” he said. Mr. Bessin, an early advocate of Daraja in 2007, also helped recruit Priory families to fund the girls’ trip and is organizing a return trip to Daraja Academy this June.
During a roundtable discussion on October 23, Mary and Elizabeth were asked to compare the Kenyan education system with the American one. “In Kenya,
the same,” she observed. aspects of American culture, like acceptance of homosexuality and the pervasiveness of technology in classrooms. “Our school only uses computers for a 45-minute class,” Elizabeth explained.
Daraja Club
members spent time
sharing Priory with
Mary and Elizabeth
at an ice cream social,
cross country practice,
and at volleyball and
water polo games. They
also enjoyed their time
making and then selling
tie dye t-shirts for a fundraiser that supports Daraja Academy. As a school designed to provide an excellent college prep education for girls of promise who wouldn’t otherwise get to continue school, Daraja depends entirely on donations.
“When I came here I saw that the students are kind,” Mary said. “They work together.”
Elizabeth continued this theme, stating, “The students are allowed to participate in their classes so their talents can grow.” The girls would like to share these ideas with their Daraja community.
Daraja’s Assistant Head of School Charles Mbuto, who accompanied Mary and Elizabeth, spent a day shadowing Brian Schlaak. “Bringing people together creates a spark,” Mr. Mbuto said. “This visit paves a way for an awareness of what we’re trying to do at Daraja.”
Bob Bessin, Priory math and physics teacher, did most of the planning to make this trip possible. “Gaining the perspective of students who come from an extraordinarily different culture and economic situation gives our students a much better understanding of the signi cant similarities and differences from what they see
Both girls also appreciate other
we can hold large amounts of information in our heads for four years before we must take a nal examination,” Elizabeth pointed out. The Kenyan system for teaching math is quite different; they don’t separate it into classes like Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus. “I think we have a bigger u n d e r s t a n d i n g because we take so much time to do the topics,” Elizabeth
said, but Mary added, “I think that I prefer the way you do it here because you take a quiz at the end of each topic.” When asked what they would have Kenyan education of cials change about their system, both girls agreed that they would have smaller exams more often, rather than one high-stakes test at the end of high school.
Both girls were surprised by the freedoms that American students have in the way they dress and the technology they use. “I would like us to continue wearing a uniform because that makes us equal,” Elizabeth said. “I wouldn’t want us to have phones because not everyone pays attention when they have phones. The social media should be closed during class.” She also talked about Daraja’s WISH class, which stands for Women of Integrity, Strength, and Hope, where students learn public speaking, advocacy, and empowerment; Mary suggested that Priory should offer it and call it TISH for Teenagers instead.
Daraja means “Bridge” in Swahili. Jason Doherty commented that “Bridges are the exact opposite of walls. Priory and Daraja are practicing this now.”
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“The students are allowed to participate in their classes so their talents can grow.” The girls would like to share these ideas with their Daraja community.
DARAJA