Today we went to the community school, which is funded by the organization I’m volunteering with. World Unite! provides funding for the school’s teachers, meals, uniforms, and supplies. The 118 families who attend this school are also part of the reptile conservation organization I described in yesterday’s post. Students range in ages from ages 3-9, and currently 102 students attend. Today we taught the kids some English to help build their understanding so we can teach them about science topics next week. Last week, they were taught about the water cycle and the anatomy of a flower, so I’m brainstorming some conservation science topics I want to introduce.
In my free time, I took a guided tour around the surrounding property of the camp to learn some ethnobotany of the area. I learned more about how they use the leaves of certain plants in their medicinal practices, including:
- Kivumbasi (mint)
- Mtopetope (sweetsop)
- Mdim msitu (forest lemon)
- Mpambake (acalypha ornate)
- Mpera (guava)
- Mchakati (lemon)
- Fern
I also learned about a fruit that works as a soap as it suds up and has an antibacterial property to it!
Badaaye!
-Gianna