Grand Feast of Don Bosco

With jubilation we celebrated the feast of our Father Don Bosco. The common effort between the SDBs and FMA made the day so grand. We are happy with the cooperation that we have and we want to foster it for ever.

The Feast began with Mass presided over by our Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Patrick Njiru

Eve of Don Bosco Feast

Hectic and running from Land Office in Embu to Thika to beat the deadline. The three of our workers who had finished paying for the land given out by the Community were schduled for a Board meeting this morning and Fr. Maina went to authorize the Board to make the transfer of the said land. Unfortunately the Surveyer who was supposed to have documents ready did not give us proper information and we were forced to come back

SEPC Meeting

Parents representatives had meeting today with the Salesian to plan for the Parents Day to take place on 4th February and also to to plan for other activities partaining to the students. The SEPC Members are so determined to improve the quality of our schools and we are so grateful to them.

The topics discussed during th emeeting were:
1. Tuition for the students of Form Four during the holiday
2. Parents Day on 4th February and arranging the programme
3.Review of Send Off for Fathers and brother who left our community last year

We look forward to having a fruitful day on 4th February, 2012.

Great Day of Don Bosco Tournament

Jubilation was all over during the tournament in honour of St. John Bosco. @0 schools from Embu and Chuka participated

Preparation for Don Bosco Tournament last Day

Today marked the last day for preparation for the Don Bosco tournament. We are expecting more than 10 school to participate.

We had visit by provincial of Carmelite Fathers of Mary Immaculate.

Mangoes come to the community

Fr. Maina went to his house to bring mangoes for the students

Preparation for Don Bosco Tournament

Frantically we are preparing for the Don Bosco Tournament. We have invited several schools to come for this tournament. We have such games as Soccer, Basketbal, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Badminton

THEFT CASES

Today there were two theft cases to be dealt with: Peter Mugendi's case on lost items in the workshop and Form Two student who has been stealing fro his fellow students. Mr. Mugendi's case has been reported to the police and he is to be summoned on Tusday, 25th January, to explain himself to the OCS and be requested to return the items he lost or took.

The Boy who has been stealing had a talk with the Rector and the conclusion is that he be expelled from school. He has stolen three times and in the second theft he broke the door of the dormitory in order to have access to the dormitory. His fellow students wanted to do him harm for stealing their properties and it is just and right to let him go away from here where he is known as THIEF.

Corruption or law?

If government and its arms are corrupt where will the poor man run to to be heard or protected. We had a strange situation today. Our lorry was arrested for not having Insurance sticker of the windscreen. We had forgotten to stick it since the lorry was used last time in December, 2011. Our lorry had been hired by the FMA to carry firewood from Embu town and was being driven by their driver. We tried to talk with the policemen explaining our case but they did not listen to us. They took the driver and took him immediately to the court being charged of not displaying ticker on the windscreen. We were fined Kshs 4,000.

New Architectural Drawing

Today we received new Architectural drawing from Casimir. It is for new classrooms. The suggestion is that the classrooms, storey building, should be built in two phases. We were surprised that Fr. TJ and Sanjey do not want to hear anything about dormitory. If this will be the trend we are going to kill this very vital institution in Kenya. It is the only Secondary school run by the Salesians in this country.  We wonder what they want with Embu!  The very unfortunate thing is that there are two Salesians, Members of the Provincial Council, who have been in this institution and they know how much we need new rooms yet they may not be giving proper information to the Council about our situation or maybe the other Council Members are so much against this House/School!

Salesian Family Day in Makuyu - 21/01/2012

It was a colourful occassion sponsored by VIDES Kenya. Salesian Family celebrated their day in Makuyu. There was Mass presided over by Fr. Simon Asira. Present were SDBs, FMAs, Salesian Cooperators, Past Pupils and VIDES. Our community was presented by Fr. Maina.

Strenna for 2012 was explained and many shared their views on how to go forward united as a family.

Fr. Richard and Mr. Ndirangu went to Thika and Nairobi looking for uniform for our students. The supplier who was expected to supply us with uniforms declined at the last minute.

Form One reported, Mr. Mugendi runs away

Today market the first day for Form Ones year 2012 in school. About 60 students reported today accompanied by their parents and relations. It was very interesting seeing parents, especially mothers, making beds for their sons.

Mr. Mugendi, MVM, carried his things and escaped from our school compound. He was requested to produce items that were missing in the MVM workshop but it seems he prefered to run away from his responsibility. The disapperance of the tools and equipment was reported to the police station and some of our workers, Mr Lawrence Maina and Ochieng, will record statement at the police station tomorrow in view of getting Mr. Mugendi and legally facing justice.

Finishing works

We have been trying to get classroom, dormitory and Sanitation ready for the new Form 1 students. Our contructor has let us down so much to apoint that he is not able to finish work he was supposed to finish in December. We employed our Technical students to do a bit of this work in the evening up to 8:00 pm. We hope to put final touched tomorrow.

Mr. Peter Mugendi came today and I took him over the list of items missing in the Motor Vehicle Mechanics. He seems just careless about the whole issue and kept on saying that things were there. To our observation he has stolen most of these things. We contacted the OCS at Itabua Police Station and we are contemplation writing a statement at the Police station so that Mr. Peter Mugendi could be followed to explain where things went. This evening he got a letter asking him to produce or explain where loost items are by Monday, 23rd January 2012.

Loss in MVM Department, New Tech Students

Today was a sad day indeed after learning how extensive is the damage done by our Mechanic Peter Mugendi. He has stolen so many items from our workshop and created such an extensive damage to our MVM department. Below are the items that have disappeared or rather the items he has stolen.

1.       Hydraulic pump for a trolley Jack.

2.       Electric Motor for hydraulic tyres press for Tractor.

3.       Tube Working Tool Kit.

4.       Hydraulic Body Jack.

5.       Black took kit Hazet missing some pieces.

6.       Two pieces of New Set of Combination Spanners.

7.       Two Rims and three Tyres for Daihatsu Rocky.

8.       Rear leaf spring spring Assembly for Daihatsu Rocky

9.       Front leaf spring assembly for Daihatsu Rocky

10.   Front left hub Lock for Daihatsu Rocky

11.   Starter Motor for Daihatsu Rocky

12.   Five Tyres and five Rims for Toyota Hilux.

13.   Starter Motor and Alternator for Toyota Hilux.

14.   One Scraper.

15.   One Sniper.

16.   One clamp.

17.   Five Box Spanners.

We hope he will be able to produce these things and let us know where he has taken them.

Today our New students in Technical Institute reported for the first time. We welcome them walmly

Preparation for welcoming Form Ones

Hectic time trying to beat deadline for having all things in place for the coming of the Form One students on Friday. We still have to get new beds vanished with the last coat, move music instruments to a new rooom and computer rooms moved to new sights.

New Construction

Today Mr. Casmir came to see the sight where we intend to put up new Classrooms and dormitory. We pray through the intercession of Don Bosco our ideas will maretialize soonest.

The very same day today we had inauguration Mass for the academic year. Soon after that the rules and regulations of the school were read to all the studetns, of both Secondary and Technical Schools.

Calm sunday

This is the first sunday since the studetns reported back from holidays. We had Mass at 7:30 am in our community and Don Bosco Girls. We did not have Masses at Ngenge Secondary School  and Rwika Technical Institute since many students have not reported back to school.

Modifications of rooms, Mangos Day

The effort to prepare for the coming of our Form One students new intake are on going on. We have to finalize the constructionof the temporary sanitation, transfor computers to the new rooms so as to create a new classromm out of the present computer room, fix new power systen on the new computer room and also fix beds in the new dorms which is the current music room. Well, we have to transfer all the musical instrumets into a new room. All  these must be done before 20th January when the Form Ones will be reporting to school.

Today Fr. Maina went to his home, together with four students from teh technical Institute, to collect get mangoes for the students. He brought almost a full pick Up of mangoes.

Aspirants leave our community for Nairobi

Our three aspirants, Anthony, John and Kelvin left our community for their new assignment in Nairobi Boys' Town Community. We thank them for their dedication in serving our community. We wis them Gods blessings as their discern Gods will in thier lives. They were taken to Nairobi by Fr. Maina

Second Year Tech Students Report Back

A busy day welcoming tech students

Secondary School opens. Intakes for Form One finalized

Busy day indeed. In the morning there were two meetings taking place; one for the Technical Institute Instructors and the Salesians selecting students for teh Form One. We intend to take a total of 90 students in Form One and five new ones in Form Two. Technical Institute Instructors were planning for this year especialy this term.

Secondary students reported back to school today. They are all enthusiatic to be back and to resume studies

Meeting Bishop for Don Bosco Feast - 09/01/2012

Today Fr. Maina met Bishop Paul Kariuki regarding fest of Don Bosco on 31/01/2012. Bishop said that he will be busy with Pastoral visit at Kianjokoma Parish during the Feast so he will send his Vicar General to represent him.

Cooperators Meeting at FMA

The Mass today was celebrated at the FMA community with students of Don Bosco Girls. All members of the community present, except Fr. Richard, attended. Fr. Richard represented the community at the final profession of some of the Felician sisters. The Celebration was presided over by John Cardinal Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi.

After the Mass at the FMA, there was a meeting of the Cooperators. There are only two Cooperators remaining in our unit. We laid down the program for the year.

We were priveleged to have Br. Dominic from Makuyu with us. He brought us new Aspirants from Makuyu by name Francis Kibe. We welcome him warmly. Other aspirants will be leaving our community for other communities in Nairobi so that they could have a different experience in different set ups.

Fr. Peter for Moshi, Interviews completed

Today we had a busy day tabulating the results of the interview for the intake of Form Ones which was done yesterday adn the day before yesterday. Unfortunately Fr. Peter had to leave for Moshi to attend the Community Youth Delegates in Moshi, Tanzania. He left at a crucial moment when he was needed most. We wish there was a proper consultation made before arranging for such meeting. It is time that schools open in Kenya and to have a confrere go out at this time is a real loss.

Till today we had a total of 135 interviwee. We are able to take on 80 in Form One and 5 in Form Two. We wish to make a wise selection this year so that our chool could progress smoothly.

The old habit of trying to kind of "bribe" the confreres is still on. There are some parents calling and trying to ask for favours to have thier sons pushed in. That cannot happen and we are to shun it completely.

Interview second Day

Some parents were late to bring thier students for interview. Some other parents, who had not brought all the documents required, brought them with great hopes of having thier sons get to our school.

In the afternoon, Frs Peter and Maina, went to take their condolences to Mrs Mwangi at Gachoka. She was glad to see that we, Don Bosco, care so much about her. She spoke so well of her late husband but you could see sadness on her face wondering how her husband could have gone so fast without any clear warning. She is a woman of faith and she knows that God cares.

Intake for Form ones 2012

Today we had a whole day dedicated to intakes in Form One. Parents and their students started arriving by 7:30 am. You could see the eagerness of the parents to have their children enter our school. Many expressed that they want their children to enter only our school. They said that public and Procincial schools have become so unsafe for their kids.

Candidates began by registering themselves in the office of the Assistant through Br. Orota. They they sad for written exam and the teachers started marking immediately. The main work started when two persons, Frs Peter and Maina, had to meet parents and their children for interview. We spoke with 117 of them and the process ended late in the evening.Tiring as it was, we were happy of the whole process. We hoe to have results on Monday.

Mulu at Don Bosco/Visit to Late Mr. Mwangis home 03/01/2012

We have a priveledge to be visited by Francis Mulu from Oysterbay. He was on his way to Embu for check up since he was not feeling well. Later Maina dropped him to Making but before going there they stopped at late Mr. Mwangi's home to wish well the family during this moment of sorrow.

January 2

Today Fr. Maina atended the funeral ceremony of the late Mr. John Mwangi Mugo. He is the founder and owner of Express Connection bus company in Nairobi. He lives near Gachoka, almost opposite Ngenge Secondary School. Bishop Paul Kariuki presided over the Mass. All were full of good praise for Mr. Mwangi. He was really a man of the people. Over 1,500 people attended the funeral. His wife was a woman of courage and she challenged all men to be open to their spouses as Mwangi was to her.

May he rest in eternal peace

January 1, Happy New Year

The year has begun so well. Fr. Maina came back to the community after 5 days holiday. Happy New ywear to all members of our community