Kenyan Quakers Visit The Meeting School

On July 30th we enjoyed a visit from two African Quaker educators, Mercelline Milembe, the Clerk of the United Society of Friends Women (USFW) of Vokoli Yearly Meeting in Kenya, and Zelika Galava, Clerk of the USFW of Kaimosi Yearly Meeting, also in Kenya. They were traveling in the ministry to various Friends meetings throughout New England in between their planned visits to a major USFW conference in Indiana, the week before, and New England Yearly Meeting sessions in Rhode Island, the week following. At TMS, they stayed overnight at Thomas House, joined our Monday-morning summer Opening, had lunch at Helios House, and participated in a Teachers' Meeting where we discussed educational practices in Kenyan schools, in typical American schools, and at TMS. Mercelline currently runs a Friends primary school, and Zelika is a retired teacher. We discussed possibilities for future educational exchanges --and given the presence of other Quaker contacts in Kenya, such as Eden and Jim Grace from Boston's Beacon Hill Friends Meeting -- we might just find ourselves there next Intersession!