It may seem like a plot from a movie to have a witch doctor terrorizing a group of villagers, but the scene was no work of fiction in the Oloowang area outside Kilgoris village. For years, a l
ocal shaman held sway over the rural population with tricks, spells and incantations. Villagers were afraid to cross the man, lest he curse their families or animals. The man had such a reputation that neighbors referred to the area as Olemismis or “the place of darkness” in the Maasai language.
In 2003 a group of church members wanted to challenge the man and began to build a church for the community. A neighbor donated land, and they erected a crude frame. But when the shaman found out, he intimidated the landowner into retracting his offer.
Two years later, the church members confronted the shaman himself and were able to run the man out of the area. The community rejoiced that they were now free from fear. The stage was set for a change.
With new land donated by a church member and funds donated by The Kilgoris Project, the congregation began work on the church in Summer 2005. They renamed their site Oloowang or “lightness” in Maa.
In January 2006, the start of the Kenyan school year, the Oloowang School welcomed its first students. In this remote area, there is no other preschool within a one-hour walk. The students and parents danced for joy when the doors opened.
Initially the two teachers and about 85 students held class sitting on benches made from rocks and scrap boards learning the alphabet from letters sewn on a discarded feed sack. They now have basic classroom furnishings but lack the outdoor play equipment needed to complete the school.
The school began a feeding program in Fall 2006. This provides each student with a bowl of filling, vitamin-enriched porridge and cup of tea. Since many students come to school without breakfast and/or without a lunch, this gives them energy for their school day.
At the same time, the school installed a new tank, ensuring a clean water supply. Previously the teachers filled heavy cans of water at the pumps of neighboring farmers and hauled them for a little student drinking water. Still the children often drank from stagnant puddles on the walk to school or at recess and, as a result, often had diarrhea or stomach problems. A fresh water collection tank (rain water tank) now provides ample clean water for school and church activities.
The school brought a source of excitement for the Oloowang area. Instead of being known as a dark place, it is beginning to rewrite its story. The bright smiles of the school children could fill books.