Ngabobo Primary School

The village of Ngabobo is more remote. After passing by the Ngarenanyuki Secondary School, there is a road to the right, just before the high bridge. This road eventually reaches Sanya Juu [after going past Ilkirimuni] but way before Ilkirimuni there is a junction in the road heading North. This is the road to take to Ngabobo.

In our early days there, there was a police post at the road junction. Just a little wooden banda in the shelter of some Acacia trees. The reason for the banda was because the road went on to Kenya. A smuggling route. Apparently vehicles stolen in Tanzania made their was through here to Kenya - I suspect other smuggled goods too, probably both ways.

The police abandoned the post at some time - I think the police came from Sanya Juu - there was no accommodation here and I bet the cop/cops on duty were quite vulnerable - and gradually the building materials disappeared into some Maasai hut or other.

Ngabobo seemed to have a reputation,at least among school teachers. To be posted to Ngabobo was about the worst low-light of a teacher's career!

Ngabobo is a Maasai village established in a dry savanna area. There was a water race that we needed to cross to drive into the school, situated in the North of the village. The water is high in salts and cannot be used for drinking. There was a problem with drinking/household water and women made the long trek to the spring at Ngarenanyuki.

On our arrival at the primary school, we found that the building were ramshackled and there were few teaching resources.

No wonder the students did not perform well - poor resources, unmotivated teachers and parents who mainly did not see the value of education.

We were able to bring a few resources to the school and the National Parks authority rebuilt the school to a high standard.

The Headteacher lived on the outskirts of Olkung'wado, so he had a long journey daily. Later he had a bicycle.

As well as a planting programme, for which we supplied the trees, the Headteacher and the environmental teacher requested materials for a tree nursery. 

We had some reservation but decided to assist and teach the pupils how to manage a tree nursery.

Results were mixed. The worst was holidays and weekends when livestock passed through the school grounds damaging the nursery and tree plantings. The water race was some distance from the nursery so watering was not quite what it should have been either. 

We do not only plant seeds in pots - we plant them in brains as well.

Outside the new school block funded by the National Parks Authority, the pupils pose for a picture after a short seminar and inspection of plantings.

The Headteacher said they did/had not earned the prizes we had brought, but we found a way to hand them out.

We held a small competition among all the schools of the Ngarenanyuki area 'for the best work for the environment.' While Ngabobo were nowhere near some of the other schools in their achievement, I none the less had a soft spot for the pupils.

So we gave a football and a netball. The thrill of such gifts does not last long because thorns are everywhere in the savanna and there is no way of repairing damaged balls.

During the food shortage, we had some much food - beans and maize - to deliver that I hired a larger truck to assist with the cartage. 

For the uninitiated, it is daunting going to depots to negotiate for trucks! The guy we hired was really good and the deliveries went without untoward incident.

We always delivered food to the schools so the village authorities did not need to become involved. Food delivered through the village authorities tends to go in different directions.

There was a cholera outbreak at the time we were delivering the food to Ngabobo. This was possibly cause by a lack of household toilets and that was addressed shortly after.

Instead we delivered the food to the Lutheran church and that went well.

One young boy could not understand how he had missed out in the food - his siblings were given his share for the family. In the big truck there was some spillage so he andI gathered it up and he went off happily.

There was a water pipe to the area but over the years it had become almost useless. This was due to various damage including to irrigate some crops neared Olkung'wado.

We had some small amount of funds and were able to rehabilitate the line. The repairs could only be termed 'temporary' but at least in the meantime there was good water in the village. And the village people have the responsibility to guard their resource. 

Beyond Ngabobo, there is another small Maasai village called Ngareiani. 

The Pastor took us there because he wanted us to help them, but it was too late in our assignment to take on another task.

But look at the name. Iani - the village is called after the man Ian, who was a settler/farmer there in the past. So that is two village called after him (if it is just the one man, which is likely). 

I wonder who he is/was?