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● 場所/Venue
Happy Promotion Center
● スタッフ/Staff
● 当日のアジェンダ/Agendas of the Day
1. Weekly practice
2. Exhibition to showcase the different team's progress
3. Celebration with the kids for a project well done
● 当日の活動内容/Activities of the Day
This was the second week of construction and the last weekend for the kids with Saori and the team; therefore, we saw it fit to do a consecutive full day, given Nanami, one of Saori's students, was also celebrating her birthday on the same day. The day started quite early, with all the stakeholders in the Saturday activity present. Like the previous Saturday, we could practice from the usual place on the veranda due to the ongoing construction work. The kids sought an alternative practice ground close to the school.
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Given that we had scheduled an exhibition that day, everyone was on top of their game during the practice session to ensure they had a fantastic performance. All the teams practiced for the exhibition with a high sense of focus and discipline. The morning session was engaging for the dance group as they had to go through all the choreographies they had learned to date. The recital team also did the same thing and polished their recent piece.
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By this time, the structure was taking shape, and all the people involved were proud to be part of such a generous project from the Japanese and Kenyan people to help improve the quality of life and education in the information sector by nurturing the kids' talents. From the bottom of our hearts, HPC would like to thank Saori as the project was her brainchild and initiative, the donors who made it possible, Saori's students and colleagues from Japan and Kenya and the local people who provided help in putting up the structure, may the Lord bless you immensely.
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The practice session continued until 1100hrs, when everyone took a break to partake in the porridge made by our resident cook. We decided to take it communally as a thank you to everyone who spared their time and resources to make the dream of having a shed come true. We all enjoyed the porridge while telling stories during the brief break, after which everyone resumed their assignment. The kids went back to perfecting their craft with the guidance of their instructors while the construction guys embarked on fixing beams to complete the structure's skeleton.
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The practice and work continued for the better part of the afternoon until 1500hrs. Lunch was also delayed, given that it was a full day and we had to celebrate; hence, we went out of our way and cooked extra food for the occasion instead of our regular two-dish menu. However, as we waited for lunch to be served, we took the opportunity to conduct the exhibition and showcase what the kids had learned so far. Adorned in the HPC white t-shirts, the kids looked spectacular. The dance team was the first to impress the audience with their jaw-dropping, well-synchronised performance.
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They ran through a couple of choreographies before passing the button to the recital team, which engaged the crowd with rap songs and recitals based on the challenges faced by the youth in the informal sector. These poems are meant to educate the young population by encouraging them to avoid detrimental behaviours like drug and alcohol abuse, which may affect their schooling and cut short their dreams of becoming whoever they want.
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After the exhibition, lunch was served. The cook prepared a delicious dish of chapati, beef stew, pilau and green vegetables, which was later washed down with a bottle of soda. The kids enjoyed the meal together with Saori and her team. Later, we celebrated Nanami's birthday by cutting the cake and singing a happy birthday song to her. People indulged in drinks to celebrate the special occasion with gifts and wishes. After the celebrations, we had a brief prayer, and everyone departed for home in the evening.
● 今後の望ましい対応/Recommendation
The shelter was almost complete on the day of this activity, and we hope the construction team will see to it that it is delivered in its entirety. We cannot appreciate the construction team enough for all their sacrifice to embrace the elements during the day so the kids can have a shelter to practice. We hope the local community will embrace the development and help protect it for future generations.