State House, here I come!

At last Ford, my younger brother, travelled back to Shimo last Sunday. I do not want him to lose his job, but I am not convinced that Prisons give their warders so many pairs of uniform.

On the day he left; he wore a new set of uniform complete with a jungle jacket. He also left home two pairs of uniform and a pair of boots, which he said he would use on his next leave. I just hope this is procedural.

With Ford out of the way, I can now concentrate on school matters. Top on my agenda has been preparing pupils for the district music festival which was held last Friday.

As you know, our folk song set piece and dance passed that zonal and divisional festivals.

The preparations for the district festival were meticulous. Starting last Monday, we started rehearsing at games time all the way till 7.30pm.

The next day, some parents and the chief came to school and went straight to the HM’s office. I was called in soon after.

“Bwana HM, we can’t allow our children to come home at night,” said Rashid, a parent and former school chairman.

“Mwalimu Andrea, do you listen to the radio?” the chief asked me. “Haven’t you heard how the Al-Shabaab are bombing people everywhere?”

I told him that the bombs were only in the big towns but the chief would hear none of it.

“If the Al-Shabaab know that the pupils leave here late, this school may be targeted,” he said and ordered that the pupils leave school latest at 6.30pm.

From Tuesday, the rehearsals started after lunch, something the pupils really liked.

On Thursday, I allowed the music students to come wearing raia. In Mwisho wa Lami-speak, raia means home clothes. This was because they had to wash their uniforms in preparation for the big day – Friday.

I approach the pupils who had new uniforms to lend them to the choir members whose clothes were old.

Borrowed shoes

But getting shoes for all the festival contestants was not easy. We borrowed shoes all over the village and distributed to the contestants. Few got the right sizes.

On Thursday practice started after the tea break and after lunch, the whole school assembled under the mango trees to witness our gala performance.

Also in attendance were all the prominent people of Mwisho wa Lami: the chief, councillor, Rasto, Nyayo, his wife Anindo and Rashid.

After the performances, we welcomed comments and criticisms from the audience.