Karibu Mr. Barasa!

Did you know that karibu means welcome in Swahili? We had to brush up on our Swahili skills this morning here in Grade 5B when we went on a virtual tour to Kenya.  We had the absolute pleasure and delight of chatting with Mr. Barasa who showed us around the Mitahato Education Development Fund Teaching Farm which is located just 3 km from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

Mr. Barasa,  was full of useful knowledge which he shared enthusiastically with us. He was very obviously highly passionate about his chosen profession of farmer and educator. He inspired us through his positive attitude to his work. He was adamant that when you enjoy what you do, it doesn’t feel like work at all. He exclaimed that every day is a new learning opportunity and that he never gets bored on the farm.

Something that really resonated with us was the fact that Mr. Barasa referred to the world as a global community and the fact that we are all global citizens. This is something, we wholeheartedly buy into here in Grade 5. We shared our central idea for the exhibition with Mr. Barasa who was very impressed that we are learning about sustainability and how we interact proactively with the world around us. He loved hearing about the topics we have chosen for our exhibition and agreed that they were all very relevant issues that deserved our attention.

We touched on the key concept of responsibility and making choices to have a positive effect on the world around us. This was so relevant for our exhibition and the action plans we are currently making. Another key concept we addressed was perspective, and the class found his perspective most refreshing. They enjoyed his recount of life in Kenya and how people in his community take responsibility for their own sustainability by working on the farm and on their own small farms locally.

We touched on the concept of connection by exploring the interacting systems of the farm, such as the various animals, vegetables, fruits etc that make up the farm livestock and produce. Each different unit of the farm has a purpose and function that contributes to the overall sustainability being achieved on site. It was a remarkable thing to witness.

Mr. Barasa talked about land being a limited resource in Kenya and how they optimize the quarter acre land that they have to its full potential. In fact, every available resource is optimized, even the rain falling from the sky. It was so cool to see how the farmers collect rainwater from the roofs through pipes which connect downhill to taps that are used to water the plants and provide drinking water for the animals. Every single drop of water counts and plays an important role in the functioning of the farm.

It was also interesting to hear the various challenges faced during the drought seasons, when water supplies become more scarce. Fortunately, the land is very fertile and the soil is rich in nutrients, which makes farming a viable livelihood when a team of people pull together to ensure its success.

To everyone at the Mitahato Education Development Fund Teaching Farm, Grade 5B say:

Asante sana Thank you so much!

Kwaheri Goodbye

Kila la kheri!  Good luck.

We hope to be in touch very soon!

Please check out the links on the side for more information.

Some of the feedback from Grade 5B

“How fascinating it is that the people on the farm recycle everything, even the rainwater. We could learn a lot from them here in Qatar about how important it is to recycle and reuse things around us.” Rutan

“I feel inspired and impressed that Mr. Barasa knew every answer to all of our questions. It was amazing to hear the perspective of a farmer in a teaching farm in Kenya.” Hana

” I like how the farmers have to work together as a community and a team in order to make a living. They are very selfless and care a lot about the plants, trees and animals on the farm.” Noura

” People in Kenya seem very positive because they don’t think about what they don’t have and they think about what they do have.” Naia

“I like how they care about the animals, trees and land that they are living on. It was so nice to see how caring Mr. Barasa is.” Ghanim

“It was a very enjoyable session talking with Mr. Barasa. It made me feel inspired by how the farmers live their lives, especially how they don’t waste anything. Now that I know the effort they are putting into supporting eachother, I would like to contribute and make a donation. ” Leonardo

“Before we went on the virtual tour, I felt so excited. Once I saw the videos and took part in the skype, I felt very lucky to not have to think about where my food and everything comes from. I respect the farmer’s efforts and hard work.” Yehia

“I like how well they used the precious space they have and how Mr. Barasa described the water tank as a treasure. This will help me a lot in my exhibition topic of recycling because they reuse everything and don’t waste anything.” Ahmed

“I loved finding out that Mr. Barasa is originally from Kitale, an agricultural town in northern Kenya. It is situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherangani Hills and I went there in the summer of 2015 to volunteer in a local orphanage. I really connected with this field trip on a personal level as well as from an educational perspective. This experience was utterly fantastic.” Ms. Cassandra