Wide Awake on Orkeeswa Club Day

Wednesday started with Juwon's cheerful voice whispering "wakey wakey" at 8:00 am.

Kayla and Semira had stayed over in our room last night, so we had a full room of girls on this GEO, which was fun. Zoe, Juwon, Ada, Sage, and I got ready for the day while talking about our dreams and how we slept.
We had a great breakfast of scrambled eggs, refreshing "tropical juice," and a bowl of juicy fruit. Afterward, we rushed to the bus so we could pick up snacks at the gas station and still make it in time for tea time. Our morning bus ride was enhanced by our group playlist and Sanya's singing. This is definitely one of my favorite parts of the day because it's a relaxing time when we can see all our Orkeeswa friends, and most importantly, the tea is indisputably delicious (to the point where Jacques, Semira, and I almost asked for the recipe).
After tea time, we went to a poetry workshop led by Laurie with the Fifth Form English Class. It was great to see the fifth formers again after the Safari trip. Class was held outdoors on the basketball courts, where Laurie introduced us to poetry and challenged us to define this type of literature. Each Groton student paired up with two Orkeeswa students. I joined a group with my previous Bohma host and good friend Nganhe and met a new student, Diana Johnson.
Laurie gave us exercises that included writing down poetic phrases that came naturally while telling stories and answering prompts about safety and fear in our lives. In the middle, we played "Kitty wants a coin," which energized everyone! It was like monkey in the middle, but whenever we made eye contact with someone in the circle, we had to give up our spot and find a new one. It was such a fun game and definitely goes on my list of best ice breakers. Just making eye contact with a student I hadn't spoken to before created an instant bond through the silliness of the game.
After English, Juwon and I went to art class. I was excited to talk to my favorite teacher, Jennifer. She set up a still life of a cardboard box on a wooden stool. I finished my drawing early, so I started braiding a friendship bracelet. After art ended, my friend Sanyati, who starred in our film, gave me a beautiful handmade necklace, which I exchanged for a friendship bracelet.
Next was a women's leadership workshop led by Gina, where she shared her journey of becoming CEO of an influential technology company. We asked her questions, and I was surprised by some of the Orkeeswa students' thoughtful questions about balancing vulnerability with leadership, especially as a woman. Gina's story was inspiring to me as an aspiring leader.
Since it was Wednesday, we had clubs! I went to skateboarding club again. Today we did drills practicing turning and stability. The highlight was when our class split into teams for a relay race. Each round got more difficult as the teacher added obstacles to skate around. Although nerve-wracking, it was extremely rewarding to make it to the end and celebrate with the Orkeeswa students! Despite different skill levels, everyone was kind and willing to help each other.
Sports followed clubs. Usually I do music, but today it was closed. Juwon, Sanya, and I walked around and explored the campus one last time. First, I stopped at the storytelling lab and saw edited clips of the film Ada, Jacques, and I helped make the previous week. It looked good, so I'm excited to see the final version.
We found the most peaceful spot surrounded by beautiful nature and donkeys, including a fluffy baby donkey, and spent our remaining time talking. When it was time to go home, we headed to the basketball courts. While waiting for the others, I shared my new favorite snack, Ubuyu (also called "baobab" in Maasai), baobab seeds coated in sweet and sour seasoning, with performers Mari-fe and Patricia. We snacked while watching basketball practice.
The bus ride to the lodge was again filled with our group's singing. Dinner was amazing as always, and the campfire got sentimental as we all agreed this GEO has been absolutely transformative. From passionfruit blancmange to ghost hunting with Groton students to the entire Orkeeswa school community, the list of things I'll miss are endless.