In retrospect, I left the Capital City in the afternoon. I dwarfed the distance to the lake-side town that abuts on Asego Hills. I was impressively poised to visit three schools in Homa Bay County — Ogande Girls School, Mbita Boys School and Ambassador Pamela Mboya Girls School.
Taking a mental flight to that recent past, I arrived in Asego. It was past twilight, at night, close to midnight. Being that I had accused hunger while half-way the journey, at Narok, I just decided to check in at Staridge Hotel. It was the dead of the night. The penman just decided to hit the sack at the sultry shores of the large lake – Nam Lolwe.
In the morning as radiant rays reigned, I went to Ogande Girls School — the alma mater of Dr. Ida Odinga. The great girls’ school by then steered by the Chief Principal — Dr Jennifer Otolo, who is now the Head of Institution (HoS) at Mudavadi Girls School in Vihiga County. “Brown Belles” is the way they describe the best brains and bevy of beauties gracing Ogande Girls School. I think, it is so because they adorn themselves in brown skirts and white blouses. They also wear brown shoes like Kenya High School where Dr. Ida Odinga built the nation in the distant past.
I spent the whole day in this girls’ school that graces Asego Kanyada. I spoke to the Form Four Class about Finishing Strong Strategies. Then, the penman welding these words charged the gutsy girls to finish strong. I cautioned them against finishing weak or sick. I simply implored the girl child to run the last lap of the race with great grace. I urged them to gather gallons of grace, and finish fired up like champions. In the afternoon, I met the active Form Two Class: to guide them on Selection of Subjects. This happened in the ubiquity of the devoted and dedicated teachers.
Discussion groups
At around twilight, when the sun formed the orange orb in the western horizon, Forms One to Three, served supper, and welded themselves together in their respective discussion groups in the fecund field — bedecked by a sward of green grass. I think it was a day of guided group discussions in English Language and Literature. I joined Mr. Olando, the fellow son of the Gem of Siaya, who teaches the queen’s language in that school that has churned out wise and winsome women. We journeyed around the field. As the good girls asked us quality questions in English Language and its close cognate — Literature.
When the sun finally slept, and the night started clothing the day with pajamas of darkness, I left the good school. The fellow lover of fish and English, advised me to go sleep deep at Tausi Hotel in Rodi Kopany, a moniker coined from Road Company. Albeit, when I reached the tiny town, I had a seismic shift in my mortal mind. A brilliant thought met me: to go sleep close to the school I was to visit the following day. Therefore, I dwarfed distance to Mbita, a brown town at the sultry shores of the large lake — Nam Lolwe — the mother of all rivers: the pacific place the legend Nyamgondho K’Ombare found and fished a whimsical woman.
It was an adventurous trip, worth featuring in the travelogues of a peripatetic public speaker. The night was still young and virgin. At that hour, the African night had not started to show its notoriety and naughtiness. When I reached Mbita, the curious streak made me cross the large lake to Rusinga Island. Therefore, on that Wednesday night, the scribe slept in Rusinga Island — the ancestral home of Tom Mboya (Rateng’ Okew Gi Odhiambo).
Finishing Strong
On Thursday at sunrise, I went to Mbita Boys School, the national boys’ school in Homa Bay County. There, I also spoke to Form Fours about Finishing Strong Strategies. I loved the motto of that school. It read: Paddle to success. Anyone who has visited schools adjacent to the lake, know that people there are prone to flare and flamboyance. This is “nyadhi” in “lep” Luo. These descendants of Ramogi Ajwang’ know how to entertain good guests. They spoil people with good food. They always pay homage to the words woven well in the book of Hebrews 13:12: “Never hesitate to welcome guests; for some welcomed angels unknowingly.”
When I was done and dusted at Mbita Boys School, the HoI there, Ojijo, expressed his largesse by sharing some handsome honorarium. Later, I decided to drop at Ambassador Pamela Mboya Girls School, where a pious principal is doing some wonderful work. This girls’ Centre of Excellence was started to immortalise the better-half of Tom Mboya — Pamela Mboya. At Ambassador Pamela Mboya Girls School, the school arrowheads gathered the good girls in post-haste. Again, it was to be an address to the Form Four candidate class.
Focusing on the life of Joseph scion of Jacob, I challenged them to focus on the three Ds — Dream, Dare, Do! On Thursday night, I slept in Mbita — the brown town which is a spit-throw distance from the large lake — Nam Lolwe — the habitat of all species of fish in the world. The following day, I was to be at Rang’ala Girls School in the county where I was born and brought up. Instead of boarding a matatu to Kisumu, then Siaya, I decided to cross the large lake using the waterbus. Dear reader, this turned out to be an exhilarating experience. No wonder, juogi, muses of a writer, inspired me to sit and write about it.
The waterbus used around 40 minutes to swim swiftly from Mbita in Homa Bay to Lwanda K’Otieno in Siaya — land of legends. When we disembarked at Lwanda K’Otieno, it was around lunch hour, so I decided to pinch pangs of hunger. I found a hotel at the mouth of the large lake where they were serving luscious lunch — yummy meal of ugali and small fish called omena.
READ ALSO: Newly elected Maasai Mara University student leaders sworn
I enjoyed the meal with zeal until I became sated. When I was full to the brim, I left for Rang’ala Girls School to also speak to Form Four candidates about Finishing Strong Strategies. Interestingly, it is how I left my sky-blue coat at Lwanda K’Otieno. I remained with the pair of trouser, which is now looking pale and faded. Interesting but sad, I realised I left the coat at the sultry shores of the lake after reaching Bondo Town. Sometimes, the consequences of satisfaction can be interesting to write about like in this case. Maybe, one glad day, I will write another tale about it.
By Victor Ochieng’
Travelogue: Chronicles of a Peripatetic Speaker. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
