By Philip Onyango

Monday 3rd January, 2020, as a tradition of the chaplaincy, 40 young catholic students of the st Thomas Aquinas chaplaincy visited Juja Farm for charity purposes. Led by the very able committee and in attendance were student representatives from all across all departments, The very face of the Technical University of Kenya.

Most tedious moments were the collection times by the catholic students. Vicious moments of having the begging experience, where those students involved would walk around with proformas seeking financial support from friends, family and well-wishers. There were also social media campaigns seeking to solicit funds, donations and presence for the very charity. These devout group, thanks to God, never fails in this!
 
Afterwards, according to the needs of the children’s home, the committee facilitated the purchase of these items which were later presented. We were warmly welcomed and to faites comme chez vouz by Sharon who is a mother to the kids at the home. Giving us a brief introduction, we organized and split into different teams which were charged with different responsibilities.  A group was charged with cleaning the eight houses including; scrabbling and mopping the floors, cleaning the walls, dusting the windows and sweeping the vicinity of the houses. They also washed clothed and helped organize the other into world draws.
 
Kitchen was perhaps the most influential and diverse group. From engineers to chefs, accountants to technicians, diplomats to politicians, male and female alike both chocked by the smoke and performing all and every duty without discrimination, all serving to thicken the broth. They served well under the pressure of the forty students and the fatigued hungry students when they returned later that evening.
 
Farm was the most feared and of course most demanding. Though much result was achieved too and a whole stretch of flower beds weeded. This was also true with the slashing groups. The Children who had been in school all along finally arrived and were met by rather a rare scene of large sufurias and extraordinary cooks at their service in evening. They later exchanged pleasantries with the TUK students and became fast friends. They made outstanding presentations of songs, dances and amazing of all Aerobics! The smile was evident and the mingled so freely that one would mistake us for friends since birth.

The day was one long amazing one with the effects of fatigue spreading well to the next day. Far greater is the smile and memory, one little peter had in fact become so attached that he literally screamed when we left