:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
All Saints’ Kukai, 7 November 2009
Introduction
The seventh kukai of Kenya Saijiki was held in All Saints’ Cathedral Nairobi; the date and venue had been booked a long time in advance.
All Saints’ Cathedral is the national cathedral of the Anglican Church of Kenya, a splendid piece of architecture and one of the oldest historic buildings of the city of Nairobi. The Urban Development Programme, for which I have been working for almost twenty years, is one of the departments of this Cathedral. And so, by bringing the haiku students to the Cathedral, it felt to me that I had brought them home!
All Saints’ Cathedral
The two haiku clubs had organised a bus to bring them to the Cathedral; those few students who did not fit into the bus when it was ready, came separately by matatu. While we waited for everyone’s arrival, we set out the chairs in the meeting room in the brand new Multi Purpose Hall, had a look at the wedding preparations coming to a climax in the church (there were three big weddings scheduled for that day), and realised that the new Archbishop, the Most Revd Eliud Wakabula, would be the Guest of Honour at another meeting in the Hall.
When everything was ready, the big bus arrived, and it was an exciting moment when we greeted each other and the students took in the wonderful environment of the Cathedral compound. The weather was fine and sunny, and a great day lay ahead for all of us.
Guest of Honour
Caleb Mutua, acting as Master of Ceremonies for the first part, opened the kukai. Following a few choruses to get us into the right frame of mind, and a prayer to thank God for having brought us this far, asking him to bless this our day together, Caleb introduced our Guest of Honour, Janet Njoroge of Longhorn Publishers Kenya. Janet is the Chairperson of the Urban Development Programme Committee, and as such knows Kayole and the Cathedral’s work there very well.
Janet Njoroge
Janet gave an encouraging address to the students. She had been reading our haiku and observing its purposes. Observing nature and the environment, striving to write in clear and concise English, expressing a lot of meaning in few words -- all these are great accomplishments which help us not only towards better haiku, but also towards better study in general and towards better life chances. In order to show her appreciation for the work done by the haiku clubs, she donated twenty textbooks for studying better English and better writing, which were to be given to the twenty top prizewinners in the kukai.
The two haiku clubs then presented some of their showcase work.
Peacocks :
short rains--
two muddy cocks fight
on a deserted anthill
El-Nino rains--
a hen shelters under
the tree
Bamboochas :
silence, silence
the order of the day--
KCSE notices
rainy morning--
candidates in muddy shoes
sit in the exam room
Tuesday morning--
a pregnant candidate faints
in the exam room
silent exam room--
stickers with index numbers
on every desk
.................................................................................
Computer graduates
This had been a difficult year for computer teaching, as the cybercafés previously used, had closed down, and it had been impossible to find sufficiently large ones to replace them. The students had given their best, had studied and taken the theory exams, and the successful candidates were congratulated :
1. Otieno Aineah 122 marks Peacock (joint 1. and 2.)
2. Mutua M. Jacinta 122 marks Peacock (joint 1. and 2.)
3. Omondi Opondo Maurice 119 marks Peacock
4. Wanza Jacinta 118 marks Peacock
5. Onesmus Mutua 112 marks Bamboocha
6. Philister Namude 109 marks Peacock
7. Titus Karanja 107 marks Peacock (joint 7. and 8.)
8. Elungata Barrack Elauna 107 marks Peacock (joint 7. and 8.)
9. Aisha M. Malik 104 marks Peacock
10. Christopher Kavita 97 marks Peacock
11. Emilly Wanga 96 marks Peacock
12. Anne Wairimu 95 marks Bamboocha
13. Veronica Wayua 87 marks Peacock
14. Vivian Adhiambo 86 marks Bamboocha
15. Duncan Omoto 85 marks Peacock
16. James Bundi 79 marks Bamboocha (joint 16. & 17.)
17. Elkana Mogaka 79 marks Bamboocha (joint 16. & 17.)
18. Joseph Kilunda 76 marks Bamboocha
19. Patriciah Nduta 75 marks Bamboocha
20. Abraham Muuo 73 marks Bamboocha
21. Caroline Wanjiku 72 marks Bamboocha
22. William Odongo Mango 71 marks Peacock
23. Bernard Karanja 68 marks Peacock
24. Ann Kithu 60 marks Peacock
25. Esther Muthoni 57 marks Bamboocha
The graduates were encouraged to practise their computing skills and start sending in their own haiku to Kenya Saijiki.
As these results had only just become available, the certificates were subsequently distributed at the next kukai.
Appreciating other people’s haiku
The haijin then split up into working groups to discuss the following haiku which had won prizes in the Annual Shiki Kukai of 2009 :
Working groups at work
Photo © David Kimani Mwangi
sleepless night --
the moon shifts
from pane to pane
~ Janice Hornburg
moonless night --
the wind whistles into
an empty bottle
~ Tanya Dikova
sudden rain --
umbrellas mushroom
on the street
~ Gautam Nadkarni
winter sunset --
the beggar's shadow
grows thinner
~ Melissa Spurr
graduation cheer --
a flock of starlings
takes the sky
~ Terry O’Connor
hauling firewood --
the wheelbarrow and I
both wobbly
~ Terri L. French
.................................................................................
Ginkoo
After a lunch of bread and milk, we started into the ginkoo, the event that everyone had been looking forward to. The haijin were able to explore the Cathedral compound and the neighbouring Uhuru Park. I meanwhile enjoyed some views of the weddings going on and a short chat with the Archbishop, who expressed his interest in our work and sent his greetings to the haijin.
Ginkoo fun in Uhuru Park
Photo © David Kimani Mwangi
At the end of the Ginkoo, the haijin enjoyed a moment of interaction, while the jury retired to the Urban Development Programme office to select the prizewinners. The jury, comprising Patrick Wafula, Andrew Otinga, Harrison Wambua, Caleb Mutua and myself, were agreed that this was the best ginkoo writing we had seen since the inception of Kenya Saijiki. The two clubs were coming of age now!
Here are the prizewinning haiku:
1.
---
coloured water
in a deep bicycle rim --
short rains
~ Elung’ata Barrack
2.
---
breezy afternoon --
a dry jacaranda flower
drops to the green grass
~ Eric Mwange
3.
---
sunny afternoon --
student’s footprint stuck
on the anthill
~ Yamame Winslause
4.
---
humid breeze --
rippling pond sparkles
in the sun
~ Vivian Adhiambo
5.
---
cool breeze --
a kingfisher flies low
over the water
~ Peter Nguribu
6.
---
November rain --
a green muddy scarf
floats on the Uhuru pond
~ Hussein Haji
7.
---
afternoon breeze --
dangling waterlily roots
dance in the water
~ Elkana Mogaka
8.
---
warm afternoon --
scent of bright flowers
reaching my nose
~ Michael Mwangangi
9.
---
park pond --
a kingfisher waits patiently
on jacaranda tree
~ Stephen Nzomo
The bridge across the pond in Uhuru Park
Photo © David Kimani Mwangi
10.
----
November rain --
a stuffy sock abandoned
in the bamboo thicket
~ Aisha Malik
11.
----
a swan craning
and dipping in the pond --
sunny afternoon
~ Beryl Achieng’
12.
----
sunny afternoon --
a man busy bargaining
for a cold drink
~ Anne Wairimu
13.
----
under a green tree --
a lady’s dress resembles
a fallen flower
~ Maurice Omondi
14.
----
ants rebuilding
their crumpled nest --
dried mud
~ Maxwell George
15.
----
pond inlet --
gurgling water drips
into floating lilies
~ Jedidah Nduku
16.
----
short rains --
black termites rebuild
their destroyed anthill
~ Rhoda Mutheu
17.
----
sunny afternoon --
a couple taking refreshment
under a bamboo thicket
~ Benard Nyerere
18.
----
sunny afternoon --
gurgling pool of water emptying
into a fish pond
~ Scholasticah Mumbe
19.
----
hot sun --
couples under a palm tree
rolling over
~ Irene Muthengi
20.
----
falling water --
from a small raised step
bubbles
~ Amarpreet Amadi
Congratulations to all the prizewinners!
And big thanks to Janet Njoroge, whose books were welcomed with real pleasure.
The ginkoo prizewinners
.................................................................................
Conclusion
Presentations were immediately followed by a return to the bus, which had arrived to drive the haijin home. It was another happy journey, with everyone already looking forward to the next kukai.
Patrick Wafula captured the spirit of the day with his own haiku collection :
inside All Saints’ --
purple jacaranda blooms
outside
wedding bells --
abandoned bouquets
behind the church
All Saints’ Kukai--
discussion groups whisper
under the fig tree
the gardener sweeps
fig leaves from the pavement --
All Saints’
Isabelle's penknife
cuts open haijin's milk packets--
kukai lunch
More photos of the event
© Isabelle Prondzynski and David Kimani Mwangi here :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/sets/72157623522614607/
Text and photos : Isabelle Prondzynski (unless otherwise stated)
Click on the small photos for enlargement, please.
*****************************
Related words
***** The Haiku Clubs of Nairobi
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment