On Friday, above, the whole Secondary School spread out to conduct a neighbourhood litter sweep.
Well there we are. Another year! As I sit here in my office writing this I am watching teachers tidying classrooms and students boarding buses to the airport while Shadow, my one-eared office cat, sighs a big sigh of relief and sits back to enjoy the next six weeks of peace and quiet.
A year that started with collective campus, and personal grief, upon hearing the news that my friend Neil McCuilloch had passed away in a Nairobi Hopsital. And yet, the latest picture on my WhatsApp is this one (below) of Matilda after hearing the news that she had secured a bursary to study for a BA in Drama at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, England! Matilda is the latest in a long line of beaming UWC East Africa graduates who have secured places in amazing tertiary institutions around the world. Neil would have been extremely proud of every one of you.
And so our dedicated team of support staff, led by the amazing Walter Mariki will start the process of campus rejuvenation on Monday morning. We have painting to do, paths to make and repairs to attend to. Walter and his team have done this for several years now and I would like to extend the heartiest of thanks to him for making our campus simply the most beautiful in the world. It’s amazing! Its green, shady and warm environment has an undeniable impact on the wellbeing of our students, which in turn improves their chances of academic success. I am sure of it. I think everyone knows the word we came to know in post apartheid South Africa ‘ubuntu’ which loosely translates to ‘I am because we are’. Essentially, I think the example I give above is a perfect example of the ‘ubuntu’ that thrives within our walls here. Every single person plays a part in creating our end product which is a generation of changemakers who can influence our world for the better.
Have a super holiday and please bring everyone back safe and sound on 15th August.
Phil
