On the 14th April 2014, seven of the Beacon Scholars met at the Climb Blue Sky centre in Nairobi.
Though we were missing three of our Scholars: Tunde Muriuki, Kamau and Wambui Kabiru, who could not come, we had a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon.
We spent the first two hours reviewing the term’s progress, reflecting on targets, working on memory skills and working through some logical thinking and problem-solving games. By the end of the session, everyone seemed to have gravitated towards the tooth pick challenges and they were battling to solve these. The Scholars realised that reading instructions carefully and applying the rules was the best way forward. It was also necessary to think outside the box! Gloria solved one of the harder challenges while Jeremie cracked the other challenge that was defeating everyone. The Pre-Scholars also enjoyed the problem-solving game ‘Traffic Jam.’
A few minutes before 4pm the Scholars enjoyed a soda and a break, before kitting up with climbing shoes and harnesses. The Pre-Scholars were in one group and the three Scholars in a second. They worked together to learn how to climb, search with their toes, reach for hand holds and stay close to the climbing wall. Once they had touched the top bar they had to bravely lean out and abseil back down the wall. By the end of two hours, everyone had mastered the art of climbing and was attempting increasingly harder walls. Despite her initial reservations, Gloria rose to the challenge, and overcame a fear that she couldn’t reach the top. Joy seemed fearless, while Jeremie attempted and achieved some tricky climbs, including corners and difficult traverses. Lem managed everything with his usual aplomb. Malaika seemed to skip up the walls with ease, while Betty showed remarkable resilience and persistence, quietly pushing herself through some difficult patches and losses in confidence. Matilda too showed a steady, calm confidence with tackling the higher walls, and never seemed daunted by the heights involved.
The day ended with a discussion about the Beacon Hardship Fund and Scholars were challenged to think how they could raise funds to contribute, however little, to the Fund. Everyone was involved and left with a group plan in place, jobs allocated and promises of communication and collaboration. We have already received their outline and look forward to seeing their ideas develop. The Pre- Scholars were also engaged in the idea and there was a lively discussion about their options.
Finally, it was great to see some Beacon parents again and to watch the Beacon community continue to grow and bond. Friendships are building and a steady support group is being established amongst the Beacon family.
