3 minute read
From Buckets to Showers
The chorus of cheers released by the girls was loud enough to make the donkeys at the other end of the field lookup. The excited yelling reverberated from Tipito Girls’ Secondary School off of Tipito Mountain, the stunning backdrop, and right back to the new school building. Pauline Magambo, the school’s principal, wiped her teary eyes as two girls stepped forward to hand Linda scissors to cut the beautiful ribbon they had hung on the door. The ribbon broke, the door swung open, and the cheering escalated as 12 brand new showers were revealed.
It was not an ordinary day or achievement here at Tipito Girls’ School in Wamba. There are about 310,000 people in the entire county of Samburu. There are 149 schools in the region,134 primary schools and 15 secondary schools. The 365 students, their teachers, and Pauline looked on in amazement as they realized they were the very first school in the county to have clean, working showers.
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Transitioning from bathing by pouring buckets of water onto themselves to modern showers that so many people worldwide take for granted was incredibly well-deserved. The girls at Tipito were overflowing with positive energy and a love for their school. There could have been a million answers for their favorite part of their school: living surrounded by their closest friends, the elephants they claimed trekked over nearly every day, maybe even a particular class. However, when asked about their favorite part of school, a hundred voices in unison replied, “Learning!” Additionally, every single girl raised their hand when asked if they wanted to continue their studies at University.
One girl was particularly inspirational. Lavender, the fourth born in a family of 9 kids, stays with her cousins to avoid a more considerable financial burden on her family. However, when asked where her home is, she always says Tipito Girls’ School. For Lavender, it’s the best home because the students have access to three meals daily, clean water, and significant life advice from her teachers. She particularly appreciates the help of Ms. Pauline, who she considers her greatest motivator in life.
Lavender is thrilled to see how the school has transformed in the last three years due to the support the school gets from The Samburu Project. While in form one, the school had minimal clean water; now, she is thrilled because they have access to potable and abundant water from the The Samburu Project’s borehole. Lavender has benefited from the reusable sanitary towels provided to the school. She can now bleed with pride and without fear of engaging in extracurricular activities. Lavender believes that “her background should not define her, and she wants to be the change she wants to see in her society.” Lavender’s dream is to become a Civil Engineer to help develop infrastructure in Samburu and all of Kenya. She is exceptionally grateful to The Samburu Project and Tipito school for helping and encouraging her on her path to achieving her goals.
Lavender and the rest of the students displayed their appreciation in the most beautiful forms. After setting up chairs in the field near the garden to form a stage, the performances commenced. They began with a lovely skit about two broadcasters telling the world the news that their very school was now equipped with working showers due to The Samburu Project. The broadcasters then introduced the next group of girls who had prepared multiple songs and dances for the occasion. Cheers, laughter, and smiles radiated around the garden. Perhaps no smile was wider than Paul’s, who plays a key role on TSP’s Kenya team, as he had the pleasure of watching his daughter, Emily, perform with the group. During the last song, the girls pulled Linda and Mamen into the circle to sing directly to them and dress them in gorgeous, local fabric. The delightful performance culminated with a poem that the girls had written themselves. It was a day full of heartwarming moments and sheer happiness that will certainly never be forgotten by anyone involved.
