Party time, Yamba style

Last Friday after school all the volunteers were invited to a special welcoming party.  It was an opportunity to meet many of the villagers and for them to get to know us a little better.

It was quite a ceremony.  the school choir led the procession and the performed most of the singing and a rapp in Kiswahili..very impressive!  There were choirs from both the Catholic and the Lutheran churches who sang and some dancing from the older women.  They encouraged us to join them and dance, which is mainly wiggling one's bottom quite vigorously!  The women and the children do it exceptionally well but I gave it my best shot which created a lot of whooping...!

wiggling one's bottm quite vigorously

We volunteers also sang in return.  A feeble effort compared to their glorious harmonies but appreciated non the less.

Then there was the offering of gifts.  The children from every class in the school brought gifts of food.  Sugar cane, maize, corn, biscuits, pumpkin, pineapple and much more.  I was a difficult display to watch as these people have so little themselves.  In fact they have nothing.

When the ceremony was over there was the chance to entertain the children.  Between us I think we got them whipped up into a frenzy.  They were hyper and we were exhausted!