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School Trips and the Slap that Wouldn’t Leave my Memories.

What are your memories of school trips? I remember the slap landing squarely on my small face, the thud it had, the fingerprints that were imprinted on my cheek. I still remember how he grabbed at my grey sweater from the back, his nails digging into my flesh, before delivering the perfectly timed slap. I still remember it years later.

Yes, I can swear I even remember the madman’s smell. I can still see vividly his dirty tattered clothes, turned dark brown with oily patches of black. He was a scene to behold. Alarming to a little 10-year-old girl. It all happened so fast that the teachers we were with never saw it. Only my best friend Emily saw the scene. She saw me clutching at my face, still absorbing the shock. What did I do to deserve the slap? Heaven knows.

Maybe my face resembled the madman’s old enemy. Maybe I walked along the path marked as his territory, obstructing his fast-paced walking. Maybe that, because after delivering the slap, he immediately resumed his pace. He was gone. Cracks on the soles of his dirty bare feet hit the ground with loud thuds as he hurried away as if nothing had happened.

The beautiful school trip to Uhuru Park was suddenly ruined. At least for me. The teachers were with other students ahead of us. They didn’t witness the mad rage from the madman, who probably thought everyone else was mad, save from him. They didn’t witness the slap that left my face burning with pain and imprinted by the pattern of a hand that was by then several meters away.

Now, I remember taking many school trips. Like the one, we had to Seven Forks geothermal power stations when in class six. The huge turbines and weeping tunnels. What about the visit to Lake Naivasha? I remember the beautiful horizon dotted pink by flamingos. And before I forget, the culturally rich Bomas of Kenya with different traditional huts, topped up with performances from Maasai dancers.

And yes, I remember how I looked forward to those trips. You see, it was during school trips that my parents would go out of their way and buy all sorts of snacks. Oh! Those days of sharing. Every child was eager to share what they had packed for lunch. The more, the merrier.

Yet of all those good memories, this one memory stands prominently. The slap which seemed to stick on my face. The slap which no matter how hard I tried to wipe, just would not clear from my ten-year-old face. The slap which left me shaken to the point that I forgot to cry. The slap that left my best friend Emily equally shaken, but still trying to comfort me, the friend with whom she had been laughing with just minutes earlier.

That’s why it is always good to walk together in a group when you are on a school outing. That’s why teachers should never lose sight of their students when on a school trip. Something terrible might just happen, and destroy the good memories of school trips. Every time I walk through Uhuru Park along the path guarded by wire mesh, I still think that a madman may just appear out of the blue, grab me by the back of my sweater, and slap me again.

Tourism for All includes Locals as much as Foreigners

Image Courtesy of Capital FM

Image Courtesy of Capital FM

During this week’s team meeting, the ice breaker was interesting. Name your ideal holiday destination. Simple task it is right? Not when you are the one to start the round and come up with an inferior place like Mombasa, while other team members mention all sorts of fancy places around the world. I started doubting my answer when one by one, places like Greece, Maldives and France were mentioned.

Thinking my answer over later, I decided it was the best I had. Having traveled widely, I felt I hadn’t been loyal to my country as much because there are places in Kenya I haven’t set foot. Mombasa is one of those places. Kenya is a beautiful place that people travel from all over the world to come visit. Ironically, most Kenyans are not as much of domestic tourists. I found myself culpable of this.

27th September marks the World Tourism Day. It is a day set aside to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The 2016 theme is Tourism for All: Promoting Universal Accessibility. Accessible Tourism for all is about the creation of environments that can cater for the needs of all of us, whether we are traveling or staying at home.

Universal Accessibility can be viewed in terms of disability friendly, the aged or even small children. Are our tourism sites friendly to provide universal access? I think that’s a question I would leave open for the various tourism sites and tour operators to ponder.

My concern is that most Kenyans like me, may be having a notion that tourism is for the foreigners. We never know what we have at home until we go to other countries and find our indigenous animals for instance, in cages at foreign zoos. I have witnessed a couple of those- Giraffes, Hippos, and peacocks.

I have been on the London Eye, seen the Big Ben, visited the Calgary Zoo in Canada, been to Ottawa, the business capital of Canada, and to China, yet never to Mombasa? But I digress.

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Accessibility may not be an immediate issue, at least in Kenya, as much as embracing the idea of domestic tourism. I am of the opinion that to even tell whether our tourism sites are accessible, we should first experience them. Embracing domestic tourism needs to start at an early age. Activities like school trips ought to be embraced by parents because they contribute to children’s learning of their country.

Once in a while, just taking time off your busy schedule and taking family outings, visiting the museums, game parks, wildlife sanctuaries or even simple picnics can teach children a lot about their surroundings. Let’s get into this inquiry of whether our local tourism sites are really accessible, by experiencing them for ourselves. Come to think of it, who is to blame when children call a cow a big dog? Some of them have never even traveled up country to see actual cows.

Speaking of which, I should take a vacation to the Coast, to finally say with beaming pride that I have traveled around Kenya. Which holiday destination is on your bucket list? We would love to hear from you in the comments.

Featured image (WTD2016)

Fun Places in Nairobi for a family day out on a budget

Garden City mall grounds.

Garden City mall grounds.

Children love that day out full of fun, once in a while. An outing for those lovelies doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There are several places in Nairobi where your children can enjoy themselves despite the status of your wallet.

  1. Uhuru Park is an ideal open space for relaxation. What’s more, there are swings, boats, and merry-go-rounds at affordable prices. You can just pack a picnic bag and go relax as your children have fun.
  2. Uhuru Gardens is another scenic area, in Langatta. There are several activities to keep your young ones amused. Among the fun activities are horse rides, camel rides, face painting and lots of playing area.
  3. Arboretum grounds, along state house roadis another public space that you can access without an entrance fee. You might want to carry play equipment like skipping ropes and balls to keep those lovelies busy. The arboretum is one of those tranquil places that you can just go with a book and read while enjoying nature.
  4. Garden City Mall  The grounds are just heavenly. There is green grass which you can just sit on and have a picnic. There are bouncing castles, slides and a shallow play pool for the kids.
  5. Thika Road Mall (TRM) has rooftop kids entertainment that would keep any child busy. From toy helicopters, trampoline, to water shooting games. They even have smart cards which parents top up with cash and swipe at the games their children are interested in.
  6. Prestige Plaza rooftop parking has some amazing kids entertainment. There is also a food court that you can sit on and watch your kids play. If you live near Ngong Road, then this is a joint you should visit. They also have ample parking.
  7. Rock City Kiambu road is another hangout that’s ideal for a family day out. Everything at Rock City is at affordable prices. 100-150 Ksh for rides, bouncy castle or swimming. Nice lively environment and atmosphere. I hear there are also horse rides.
  8. Nairobi NV Lunar Park next to railway club is also a fun place to consider. They have merry go rounds, bouncing castles, octopuses and many more.

What can other fun places a family go to? I’d like to hear from you. Just add them to the comments section.

Featured image credit

The holidays are here: PAWA Festival ‘Art in the Streets’

Picture art in Nairobi streets, music, poetry, and every sort of contemporary art. Isn’t that what we all long for especially with the hustle and bustle of the Nairobi we know? If you are like me, I bet you long for a different scenario- a comic relief of sorts.

Well, your vision and mine is being brought to life this Sunday at the PAWA Festival- Art in the Streets. The inaugural edition of the PAWA Festival has been made free to ensure that everyone has a chance to experience the power of Art. It is an annual street festival that will take place on 20th December 2015, from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm at the heart of Nairobi’s Central Business District. The specific street will be City Hall Way, opposite the Kenyatta International Convention Center.

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This festival will act as a platform for innovative young artists to showcase their creative genius though socially conscious visual Arts. Also through performance of quality pieces including: public installations, film screenings, photography exhibitions, music; poetry; and literary readings. There will as well be a Governor’s Desk, Dialogues and workshops on social accountability issues.

Santuri Safari will lead a line-up of dedicated DJs to ensure there’s non-stop musical delivery. The MC of the day will be Obinna Ike Igwe. There will be a showcase of  Art, Music and Creativity.

Performances by Makadem, Sarabi Band, Giovanni, Lamebrain, , Sali Oyugi, Octave Band, Zikki Band, Valentine Ziki, Checkmate Mido, Fadhili Itulya, Idd Aziz and Blinky Bill will keep you entertained. You will also enjoy visual artists from Faith Wanjala, Nancy Cherwon, Salim Busuru, Nancy Tind, Clavers Odhiambo and Alexa. For those of us who like to shake a leg, we will have dance by Art and Abolition and Street Dance Kenya.

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This will be a family getaway with a children’s fun corner. The young ones will be wowed with magic tricks from Sebastien the Magician, a bouncing castle. I know you are asking about where to get your refreshments and stuff. They have got you covered by having select vendors in place.

PAWA Festival is an attempt to reach new audiences, mainly emerging artists and art enthusiasts. This is a public space where diverse art forms can be accessed. It is borne out of the Art in the Streets showcase that took place in 2013 along Tom Mboya Street.

I look forward to meeting you on Sunday the 20th at the festival in the spirit of the holiday mood. Notice the change of dates from 13th to 20th December. This is due to the WTO conference which is happening this coming week in Nairobi,