Rafiki Link connects students in Kenya with students in North America through shared online experiences. As a high school teacher, I brought a group of 5 students from around the world to Kenya for a 2-week experience. Prior to their departure, the group made T-shirts and suggested the word Rafiki – which means ‘friend’ – as a name for the connection.<\/p>\n
I arranged to take a 5-month leave of absence from my school, and during that time volunteered at three local high schools in Maai Mahiu, Kenya. \u00a0As I spent time with teachers and youth in Kenya, I was struck by the parallels in the experiences of both teachers and students. Though at the time I did not see the shared colonial roots that underpin those experiences, I did see the potential to bring students together and find ways for them to realise their common humanity.<\/p>\n
Starting with a single laptop and three rural schools, the program <\/span>grew to<\/span>\u00a0involve hundreds of youth in Maai Mahiu across North America. For more information about the initiative, see the <\/span>history of Rafiki Link<\/a> or the <\/span>current website<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rafiki Link connects students in Kenya with students in North America through shared online experiences. As a high school teacher, I brought a group of 5 students from around the world to Kenya for a 2-week experience. Prior to their … Continue reading