Kenyan Schoolkids

We ran into several groups of school kids at Haller Nature Park in Mombasa. Most of them were grade-school aged (6 to 9, probably) but the last group we encountered were teenaged girls.

Oh, my! Exuberant schoolgirl energy is so precious and joyful. If I could bottle it up and sell it, I’d be a millionaire.

As the group approached, they waved to us, so I called out, “Jambo jambo!”

That’s all it took to cause a stampede! Next thing you know, I was engulfed by giggling girls.

“Take a selfie, Mama! Mama, take selfies with us!” they cried out. I tried, but it was too hard.

Larry wound up taking photos of the throng, much to their delight. After, they taught me how to say hello in their mother tongue (not Swahili)

Before they left, they lined up and every single one of them gave me a high five!

Kenyans are not afraid to touch you, that’s for sure! They also tend to use the language of family for everyone they meet, calling each other brother and sister, for example.

Many of the girls hugged me and called me, “Mama” as in, “This is how you say hello in our language, Mama!”and “Don’t forget me, Mama!”

Considering that this part of Africa is where mankind originated, calling each other brother and sister is a good reminder that despite our many differences we are, at heart, the same species and have more in common than not.

Meeting those schoolgirls was definitely a highlight of our visit to Mombasa!Read more