Just back from Kenya

Posted: February 27th, 2014 | Author: Michael Goldstein | | 3 Comments »

Geordie and Sean on the way to visit an Academy.

Steep.

Closer look: folks at work in the field.

The kids love visitors. LOVE. Note to self. Bring boots next time for rainy season.

Sean with Pauline, the Ruthimitu academy manager, she’s awesome.

Our apartment. Four of us stayed there: Sean, Mary, and Kayt. Kayt is visiting for 3 months, spending most of her time in academies, learning from school leaders what their jobs are like — i.e., trying to square the view from HQ with the view in the field.

I asked a friend of mine who works for Boston Public Schools: “How often do you embed someone from HQ with a school leader, to see what life is really like at the school level?” Answer: Never.

Our driver, Sammy. He’s got a 5-year-old son, so we trade notes on raising ’em. I don’t think I’d ever work up the courage to drive in Nairobi. You know how nice USA drivers from the South freak out when they encounter crazy Boston drivers who cut them off? Crazy Boston drivers freak out when we see Nairobi drivers.

The map.

View from Google.

This is why we do the work.

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