PROMISE IN THE CANDIDATES OF WAITALUK
There has never been such a perfect timing for any of my academic talks. St. Patrick’s Waitaluk has just been made a centre of excellence, at least infrastructure wise. An ultramodern block is being built with a deadline of November? But even with that, one cannot avoid the fundamental question of whether the students are prepared psychologically. I made it a personal quest not only to find out if they were but to also to take a personal responsibility to prepare them.
On Friday, the 12th of November 2010, I embark on a mission that would later on change my perception of this humble school. This of course was my personal priority. I drove to the school and introduced myself to the school principal. Initially he was a little hesitant. He wanted to know the organization I work for and the sponsor of my activities if there was any. After explaining to him that it was a personal initiative and that it I was personally sponsored activity all the resistance melted at an instance. He was quick to give me a date; the following week on Friday.
There was nothing much to prepare for. I just pieced a few of my certificates and my high school awards and titled my talk, discovering and rediscovering ourselves. On the material day I drove there in the afternoon. The place was really hot and dusty. The principal welcomed me and introduced me to the guidance and counseling team headed by mrs.wamalwa. the physics teacher;mr. Njoroge was also there. As it was the last day of the exams most of the students were beaten up and those who were not doing physis were gone.
I was introduced to the class and it was then my turn to speak. Inially I found it very hard, but I found a link to capture the attention of the students, promise of o loaf of bread to the participants and it worked a magic.
I then got the group to ask themselves fundamental questions. Who are we? Where are we and where are we going? I then gave them a diet of fundamental Ds. In seeking the answer to define the identity,I dubbed the first D, dreams and desires. The most important aspect lied in answering where are we going? I explained to them that it starts with a Decision, and then is followed by direction. Then I told them that after choosing the Direction, they needed to Diligently take on the course, with unmerged discipline and with iron Determination.
I finished by asking the students to join me in the pursuit of improving the mean grade to at least c-. I then paid the pledges and bought each of the students a bottle of soda. A vote of thanks was moved by the school headboy and Mrs. Wamalwa.
P