My name is Athman Shee a students at St. Charles Lwanga children Centre. Allow me to share how Christmas celebrations are conducted in Kenya and most especially in our school.

Our Christmas celebration is a time when people come together in remembrance of Christ’s birth, a day believed to be holy and full of a joy that lightens the whole world. The day is highly valued here in Kenya as Christians spend their nights in churches and worship places, waiting for this moment. People sing Christmas hymns such as Mary’s Boy child Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day, “Christmas, Christmas Everybody Sing” with a lot of dances and ululations (quickly repeated loud sounds, often to express joy and happiness or sorrow) especially at midnight welcoming the birth of Jesus. Christmas is very important day and people do a lot of decorations mostly in churches, but also in homes, shopping centres, supermarkets and some commodities have labels on them to wish people merry Christmas. About 70% of Kenya populations are Christians and this makes the Christians celebration lively and outstanding.

The Santa Claus tradition is not common in Kenya, instead people concentrate on family gatherings and celebration the birth of Christ. A typical Kenyan family celebrates the Christmas day, by going to mass. Some people will go for the midnight mass especially the young people while other attend the morning mass. People invite friends especially all their family members, they make a Christmas tree in their homes and then a lot of cooking takes place of chapattis, stews amongst other meals. During this festive season there are so many people in the villages.

Christmas at St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School and Children’s Centre is celebrated in a very special way and touching way. Brother Kennedy organizes a great celebration for the students in which he also invites other children outside the school who can barely afford their daily bread to celebrate together. Prior before the day the students organize songs and dances to grace the occasion. During this day a lot of cooking takes places where a special diet is prepared of chapattis, rice, green peas, roasted potatoes, beef, vegetables, juices and people eat to their fullest.

Our most sincere gratitude goes to Brother Kennedy, Inverness County Cares, Chalice and all our benefactors for their generous sacrifice in putting a smile in every child at St. Charles Lwanga.

Thank you

Betty Jane Cameron, 80, teaches music to students at St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School in Nairobi, Kenya

This is the story of Emmanuel a teacher at St Charles Lwanga Secondary School (SCLSS) in Nairobi Kenya.

My name is Mr. Emmanuel Machanja, the Geography and Religion teacher at SCLSS. I come from a very humble background, the ninth in a family of 12, three of whom have passed on. My father died while we were very young, He was asthmatic and we couldn’t afford his medication. He left the full responsibility to my mother who was a peasant farmer. Life was not easy; getting food was a problem and getting school fees was a big challenge and most of us dropped out of school.

In my primary education, I studied at a school six kilometers away from home, where we would walk each day without food.  Life was not fair and there were times when I almost dropped out to help my mother with our family.

Fortunately one of my teachers, Madam Josephine, (God rest her soul in eternal peace) paid for my school fees and I was able to complete my primary education. I qualified for a provincial secondary school but I had to I stay out of school for one year since I didn’t have the school fees. I later was able to join a school when my mother borrowed a shirt, shoes and trousers from my neighbor whose son had completed his schooling. Life was not easy in secondary school and I was often sent home for lack of school fees. In secondary school I worked so hard and I attained a very good grade so I could be accepted to university. My mother was happy I had completed secondary school but her major challenge was the university fees.

I was accepted at many universities but was unable to go because of lack of fees. I decided to volunteer in my neighboring school through which the headmistress linked me with Brother John Kennedy Oronjo. He welcomed me at SCLSS where I served as teacher and a boarding master. After one term he decided to sponsor me to join the university. I owe him much gratitude for that. I worked so hard both at the university and at the SCLSS. I completed my University education this year in April and graduated in July the same year with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.

I thank God and all those I have mentioned, for this and I am working so hard to improve the living standard of my mother and those who live together with her. Thank you.

Inverness County Cares wants to thank our friends and neighbours for their support of our fundraising Thai dinner on Saturday November 18^th. Forty-eight people were served and judging by the plates that came back to the kitchen, they enjoyed their meal. Betty Jane Cameron gave a passionate account of her time spent living with the students at the St Charles Lwanga School for 2 month and shared with joy, that she will return this January for 3 months. Fr. Duncan MacIsaac also shared his experiences and the love and hope he experienced at the school. We thank our guests for their interest in our school and their inquiries about the students.

Thank you to our kitchen workers and planners, Flo Campbell, Charlotte Rankin, Susan and Sam Moran, Karen and Tom Wager, Sheila MacDonell, Winnie Rankin, Elaine Rankin, Camille Chapman and Colleen MacLeod.

Thank you to the wonderful young ladies from the Students Helping Our World (SHOW) group from Dalbrae Academy who worked as servers. They were so professional and efficient. Thanks also to their teacher Melissa Cummings for bringing us together.

Alexandra Beaton , Maeve Gillis , Grace MacDonald , Catherine Beaton , Sarah Wilson , Taylor Aylward

Thanks to John Gillies for his services as MC. As usual he did a great job of welcoming our guests and keeping the evening on track. Thank you to Susan Mallette for help with decoration and RJ Poirier for help with technology.

We give thanks we live in a place where people are eager and willing to give their time to help their brothers and sisters no matter how far away. Thank you all!

Several people asked for the recipes. They are posted below.

Jerry Sprinrolls

 Thai red curry meatballs

Pumpkin curry soup

Thai salad

Pad Thai

Coconut Cream Cake