SHAKA & KAVUNZONI – REPORT 2

Published by Administrator on September 4, 2025

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Hello Family & Friends,

Dustin brought the hype today by passing out kazoos on the (two hour) bus ride to Kavunzoni! He led us in practicing a chant to perform in the villages, then we figured out the right balance of singers and kazoo players. Our song practice devolved into various games of name-that-tune, including songs ranging from “Don’t Stop Believing” to the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars. Levi announced, “This has opened up a new passion for me.”

In Kavunzoni, the villagers expressed their gratitude to Koins and Grant Victor with songs, dances, poetry, and speeches before we broke ground for the new school. Jeff had the honor of wielding the pick axe first and several other members of the travel team took turns digging. We then had the opportunity to distribute milk and bread to the students in their classrooms. As we counted out six slices of bread for each older student and four slices for younger kids, we were again humbled and touched by their reaction to simple things we always take for granted.

The need for a new school in Kavunzoni became apparent to us when we saw two large classes of students meeting outside under trees. A sign hanging from the branches indicated what grade gathers there. Our admiration for this community grew as our tour continued to their large vegetable garden, a fishing pond that held tilapia, and the area where they make charcoal to sell. “Shadowing,” or following the villagers on their daily chores, gave us an opportunity to visit the watering hole and grind corn. Our afternoon felt like an interactive field trip mixed with a National Geographic film, leaving us in awe of the physical strength and ingenuity of our Kenyan brother and sisters.

We left them with gifts of solar lanterns and school supplies, with a promise to return next week to spend more time with our new friends. Tomorrow, we will return to the village of Shaka to paint the mural, teach in the classrooms, and participate in the hand over ceremony of the new school. Tired, dusty, and happy, the members of the Grant Victor team are looking forward to a good night’s rest. But first, everyone needs to load bags with supplies, finalize their lesson plans, and pack their kazoos.