I’ve never liked politics. I’ve always find them divisive and difficult to understand why they make everyone hate each other so much. We’re all working towards the same overall goals, just with different opinions on the best way to achieve them. While I know that statement in and of itself likely has some folks shaking their heads and disagreeing with me, I have found the politics surrounding me here to bring a new level of fascination and intrigue…

Over the past few weeks, group text messages are sent out saying, “Avoid the southern bypass today if venturing into Nairobi, there is a rally which could get violent.” or “Traffic jam on the A104 coming back from Naivasha due to political rally- seek alternate route.” They make me wonder about the democratic republic of Kenya, and I’ve begun to learn a few things. The current President is the son of the first president installed into the Kenyan government back in the 1960’s. Each county gets a senator, but there is also a parliament. During election season, EVERY position is up for a re-vote, nationwide, period. Votes tend to be cast among tribal lines rather than party lines, but there’s also an unspoken expectation that if my tribe just had it’s chance, another tribe should get to take their in office. Deep cultural traditions seep their way into a British instated governmental system… and so, it is election year!

But it’s also election season on campus! Emails have been going out encouraging students to vote for next years Student Leadership Team president and vice president. Six sets of running mates submitted applications with leadership qualifications and initiatives they hope to see changed. Reading these applications opened my eyes to some of the things COVID has shut down, and some of the core difficulties students face living in a boarding community.

Students called to bring back our local outreach programs. They called to have greater avenues of open communication between staff to students, and students to students about the happenings and programs happening on campus. They called to reinstate High School-Elementary school mentorship programs, for more leadership opportunities, to strengthen trust between staff and students, and to create more opportunities for spiritual growth. They called for equity and diversity in staff representation. Women speaking in Sunday morning services, more Kenyans in professional, not just laboring positions on campus. Increased opportunities for students to interact with our Kenyan staff members, for student representatives to sit on the staff leadership team, and many others.

As a staff member I was so taken aback, but also so encouraged reading their platforms. Some of the things they’ve seen, I’ve seen too and hope to see change in a positive direction! Others, I had no idea students longed to see these things taking off! There were many initiatives I’ve had conversations with other staff members or members of leadership about, learning how there are others passionate about the same things, and initiatives slowly in the works! There is a fund to support Africans to come on staff as missionaries themselves in the professional roles (click below if you’d like to donate to it!). There are people working to try to get the outreach programs back up and running. As COVID protocols open up (Lord willing soon!), the bigger question is yet, how do we come out of a global pandemic? With limited staff, and staff who haven’t been here “before,” how do some of these things restart?

I’ve been able to have conversations with different students about their heart behind desiring to be in a leadership position- to talk to them about how and why they want to see some of these things changing. The last day of voting, I walked down to my classroom to discover a giant wall of emails taped to the outside of my room. Conversations were between a well known contrarian/devils advocate in the sophomore class and each set of candidates. He asked each group probing questions about various facets of their campaign platform, and posted the answers for all to read. At the end of each correspondence in giant bold letters he wrote, “VOTE FOR THE BEST CANDITATE, NOT THE MOST POPULAR ONE.” I was proud of him for using his voice to take a stand, and an attempt to shift the culture. Election season has been really fun, but not just because of the weighty politics…

A new month in my class brings about a new seating chart, and June was no exception. I roll out our new spots and I am instantly hit with the typical whining of my “poor choice” in their new location. Too far back. Too far forward. Not enough leg room, ya know. One particularly vocal student begins a petition on the white board for “Free seating.” I laugh and let them sign my board, collecting more and more signatures throughout the day. By the end of the day, everyone is asking, “Do we have enough?!” “Not even close!” I laugh again in response. The next day, the student who initiated the board signing comes to me after school and begins to negotiate the terms. By then, I’d had plenty of time to mull it over and decide if this was something I was willing to let them do.

“100 signatures.” I declare. Yes, I know there are not even 100 chemistry students (92, if we’re counting), but 100 feels like a nice round number. Enough to make you work for it, not enough to be insurmountable.

By 10:30 am tomorrow.

“WHAT?!?!?” comes the incredulous reply.

“Hey, if you want it, you gotta work for it.” Thus begins the mad dash to collect support. A large piece of brown paper is carefully labeled and the rounds began. Students knock on different dorms, going to the library where students study, and of course, wrapping it up during chai time with the signature of our superintendent. They made it!

We proudly display their petition on the bulletin board and fourth period instantly asks if they can start free seating now. A hand shoots straight up: “But what if we like the seating chart?!?” Asks the same devils advocate student from before.

“Well… the petition for free seats came in at 115 signatures, if you want a seating chart, you need 116 in support.”

A maniacal look in his eye, he begins to plot his collection technique. Adults. He’ll ask the adults. Secrecy. He won’t tell you you’re signing for pro-seating chart. And of course, time. He gets the ENTIRE weekend since his petition was starting on a Friday instead of Thursday like the previous one.

Sunday morning as I’m making copies for Sunday school, our paths cross and I learn, he has made his goal! His favorite debate and banter partner sitting nearby, they draw me in as they discuss the implications of his successful petition. I quickly realize I may have a mutiny on my hands if we enforce the seating chart, so I eagerly listen not to the words, but to the heart of what my devils advocate is saying. He likes to be right. He likes to prove a point, and so, together he and I plan for the big reveal on Monday:

We’ll announce the winning of the seating chart petition. We’ll smile in glee at the uproar of his classmates, then, I’ll pull the ultimate trump card: This classroom really only has one vote that counts… and so, I will plan to add my name to the free seating petition and the people’s voice wins. The ultimate revenge for my devils advocate? Each day, he will choose a new seat. People are creatures of habit, and displacing someone from the day before and forcing a continual movement of students around the room will bring him nothing more than pure dark joy.

Our big reveal went well, the “seating chart” petition pinned to the board next to the original, me playing the field, students raising their hands and voicing their concern, and finally, cheers of joy as we enable free seating for the remainder of the term (3 strikes of using the privilege wisely pending 😉 ).

And so, we’ve created my favorite kind of politics. The kind that unites people behind a common goal: this time, sitting by their friends. I’ve opened the door for controlled chaos, allowing students to have some voice, under the terms and stipulations set forward by a student respectfully requesting negotiations with an adult in an appropriate setting. I’m thankful for opportunities like this, to teach students how to approach others, how to make their voice heard, and of course- to spark a little friendly competition and fun campus wide 🙂

Prayer & Praise Points

• Please thank God for all of the moments of joy and fun that have been present in the past few weeks of teaching here at RVA.
• Please pray for students endurance, rest, and joy as the year round schedule seems to draw out the end of the year (we still have 4 weeks left)- only to be followed by a shorter than expected summer break.
• Please pray that students would continue to learn healthy advocacy patterns, and humbly accept when their efforts are not as fruitful as they would like, as some of the candidates who did not succeed are currently learning.
• Please pray for elections: peace in Kenyan elections nation wide come August, along with prayers for our new student leaders, that they would be inspired to serve their peers well, and would find avenues to bring about the change they are hoping to see on campus.