Today was Orientation! All of us newbies were picked up from Pastor Regina’s house around 7:30 and taken to Heckima College - a gated school with the most beautiful, green grounds. There, the N.V.S. staff sang a song to welcome us and gave us various presentations about the program, Kenya itself, and some of the other programs we could take part in while here. They also sang a welcome song to us in Swahili. It always amazes me how apt Kenyans are to sing, and how great everyone’s voice sounds!
After having lunch at Orientation, we then got in the N.V.S vans and were taken to our accommodations. I ended up being placed in a slum school in Kibera, which I really wanted. The only downside to this placement is that I am going to be staying in a volunteer house instead of with a host family, like I had wanted. There are approximately 11 of us volunteers staying in the house now, all of us working at slum schools in the area. Our house mother, Wambui, is wonderful, and cooks us wonderful meals. I spent the night tonight getting settled in. Since school is only in session Monday through Friday, like the US, I will not start at my placement until Monday.
