Internet Installation in Chwele

The Kenya Club will continue to work to build relationships with our friends at Chwele.  This has been made easier after contributions from Mountainside students and Harambee Centre allowed Chwele to install faster and more accessible internet service.  Students and teachers can now conduct Zoom meetings and find other ways to interact virtually.  

Learning Through Friendship

During meetings in June and July, students were able to share their academic experiences highlighting similarities and differences. Chwele students shared information about their daily schedule, courses they attend, sports they participate in and chores they complete as part of the boarding school experience. Mountainside students also learned about Chwele students’ involvement in community service activities such as tree planting, fish farming and raising money to help provide sanitary napkins for girls living in impoverished areas in Nairobi.  

Malaika Award Recipients

This past June, Mountainside High School graduates Holden Kays, and Emily and Abbie Payne received the Harambee Centre Malaika Award for their commitment to international community service during their senior award assembly. All three students founded and developed a strong foundation for a sister school relationship with students at Chwele Girls School in Kenya.  “Malaika” is a Swahili word that translates to “angel”, but reflects a deeper expression of care for the community. 

Mountainside High School opened in Beaverton, Oregon in 2017.  During that first school year we were lucky to have two guests from Chwele Girls’ School visit us:  school administrator, Agatha Kundu, and student leader, Lindah Sanyanda. Madam Agatha and Lindah were wonderful guests and teachers, attending classes and serving as engaging guest speakers. Our Kenyan visitors also stayed in the homes of students and teachers while visiting, forming relationships that continue to this day. After this experience, Mountainside students came together to form a Sister School Club, “The Kenya Club”.

This club's mission was to form a meaningful relationship with students at Chwele Girls School and to learn more about the culture and history of Kenya. This club has organized fundraisers, cultural celebrations, and has continued to meet and plan despite school closures. Several club members even planned to travel to Kenya in the summer of 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to postpone the trip.