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Journal for June 15, 2000 -- Education and Final Discussion

We started the day with a visit to Alliance High School. Alliance Boys was the educational foundation of most of the first generation of Kenyan elite, including half of the first cabinet after independence. Both it and Alliance Girls remain extremely high quality boarding schools through which future leaders of the country pass. Alliance Boys also produced Hamilton students Evans Mbugua '99 and Peter Omenda '03.

We sat in on several classes. Owen and Byron were floored by the quality of a student's presentation on the League of Nations, delivered without notes and as perfectly organized and articulate as one could imagine. Sign that kid up at Hamilton! We left them the message that we want more Hamilton students from both schools, and they promised to send us some of their best and brightest. It is a relationship that everyone on the trip hopes will continue and grow.

After lunch we had an hour chat with the democracy and governance advisor for USAID-Nairobi about the current political stalemate and the difficult role of Western donors in the process. It was a frank and eye-opening discussion. The day ended with a meeting with the University of Nairobi students we met a couple of weeks back. They had shown us their campus as well as hosted us for tea.

We reciprocated with a dinner at our guest house and a long and very animated discussion about Kenyan politics and the role of the US here. It is safe to say no holds were barred. Kenyans debated Americans; Kenyans debated Kenyans; Americans debated Americans. Patrick Njoka and I, the moderators, had a heck of time trying to keep things under control. But it was all very friendly. An event that I thought would last until 8 pm went until 9:30. We'd still be there if I hadn't cut them off so the students could get back to their dorms to study.

Emily, Katie and Saadia with Univ. of Nairobi students after dinner and a discussion of US-Kenya relations

Ryan with the University of Nairobi students

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