We had 29 pupils competing in the cluster competition between 12 schools. The winners would go to the next stage – sub county level – which is very prestigious. Teachers Edgar, Rispa and Wasike were accompanying pupils. Bonface and I were attending for a few hours so he could sign forms, pay entry costs and we could watch some events. It was being held at Nyonori, which is about 8- 10 miles away depending on which road you take, which is in turn dependent on whether it is hot and dusty or wet and muddy.
I wondered how we would transport the pupils. Which was silly because the answer was obvious – Bonface’s car. Now it was an estate car but there were 34 of us. “That will take a lot of trips,” I commented. Not as many as you think, was the reply! In the end, it took 3 trips to transport us all – Kenyan style! I wouldn’t have believed it was possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.
It was a very hot and windy day – particularly brutal for running – as the wind swept the dust into the pupils’ faces. As the 10,000m walking race finished, pupils were grasped by teachers and lead to the scoring table. This was repeated after every race.
At first, I thought it was to ensure the correct order of crossing the finish line but as the races progressed, I noticed that many children finished their event on the point of collapse. The teacher’s arm prevented them keeling over until they could be dragged to the shade by their friends. They were given a glucose tablet to revive them and then reminded when their next race would begin. I had never seen anything like it! I also found out that no lunch would be served until after the races finished at 5pm because it slowed the pupils down and made them sluggish!
I was sitting in the shade, under an acacia tree, barely coping with the heat so how these children raced was beyond me. If you’ve ever wondered why Kenyan runners do so well in long distance and stamina events – here’s your answer! They’ve survived their school Sports Day!
Sitting behind me was a group of Maasai women. I became aware that someone was touching my hair. I ignored it at first but then I felt more hands. I turned around. “Pole, Pole,” (Maa for Sorry, sorry) said one of the women. “Your hair is like gold and we didn’t know if it was real,” she says, in perfect English. I smile. Then she pulls my hair. “See,” she says to the others as I clutch my throbbing scalp. Only in Kenya!
I go for a wander around the track, to stretch my legs. There are many teachers from other schools, using sticks to control pupils and keep them off the track. It’s horrible to see and the worst part is that it doesn’t actually work! As soon as a teacher turns his back or moves on, pupils surge forward again, sometimes invading the track, in their desire to see the race outcome.
Our girls perform very well and 5 qualify for the next round. Sports day Kenyan style is certainly quite different from back home.
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