The 5th Graders’ Cake Fight

Growing up in Kenya, I had experienced fruit fights and water fights. Tropical fruits like mangoes, avocadoes, bananas, plums, oranges, passion fruits etc, were usually our weapons of fun. Everyone in our neighborhood grew them in plenty and so there was always an extra overripe one to throw at a friend. There were also homemade bombs for our enemies__ for neighborhood bullies especially. This is how we made them (Kindly don’t share this secret recipe). We gathered rotten eggs (sometimes we had to lift the chicken as they were sitting on them to hatch) and ashes. We put two eggs and a handful of ashes into a thin plastic bag and tied a knot to close the open end and the bomb was done. We shadowed the selected bully (I won’t mention names for most of them have since changed have and now have families) then attacked from all corners with our bombs. They would explode on their faces and then we would run. The end result: an egg-ash faced smelling bully. What a joy we had!

We had Miss Megan’s birthday (my 5th Grade co-teacher) on Thursday and I bought a cake to share with our kids. We (the kids and I) planned to surprise her so we hid the cake in a different room and covered it well. We acted ‘normal’ when she came in, i.e. kids sang ‘happy birthday’ and gave her cards that we had made the previous day in her absence (so she didn’t think there was anything more coming), did their homework and did not whisper to each other mysteriously.

After homework time, all the kids followed me to the room to get the cake. Ms Megan was busy pinning their days’ points on to the chart so she didn’t notice we were away until we came in with the cake. She was genuinely surprised and overwhelmed. In the course of sharing the cake, Emmanuel, one of my favorites (all of them are really) ‘accidentally’ smeared Miss Megan’s face with some icing. She was at first stunned, then amused. Her response--smearing  back, brought fun-chaos (as I like to call them) and within seconds of the initial attack, all kids were ‘caking’ each other in the face. I got busy documenting such a hilarious moment; for my days at Urban Promise are made of these moments, which remind me so much of my childhood’s setting, though it is an ocean away.

Emmanuel helped clean up after there were peace talks between Ms Megan and the kids and there was cease fire; for as much as we also have fun at camp, we also teach values such as cleanliness. Below are pictures of the fun-chaos moments

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The fight: Ms Megan getting iced.

Riyhana, getting it in the face from Patricia and Ashley.

Ms Megan’s face.

Emmanuel, doing the cleaning cheerfully.

By Winnie Kiunga

Iron sharpens iron

Coming from Kenya, I felt that I had little to offer to kids in the US. I was nervous because I knew nothing about the intercity culture, save what I had seen on TV. However, the kids are eager to teach me about their city as they are to learn about my country. They ask questions about the Kenyan system of education, our government, what are the country’s major exports, what are the major problems prevalent there; whether there is injustice. They ask what makes Kenya beautiful. They eagerly sit around me every morning for a new word in Swahili. They are fascinated my accent and try to imitate me.


Recently, the kids asked me if I played basketball at home. While I had played the game- just a little in high school, they were shocked to learn that there was not a single basketball court in my small town. Albert, our Afterschool program director, suggested that we begin a penny drive where kids can bring change and put in a jar.

The enthusiasm is amazing and contagious. They want a competition among the grades. Each grade has their own jar and each day Albert announces the winning class. The kids call it ‘our Kenyan Project’. Every day, they shade the funds’ thermometer a notch higher. So far, with only 3 days into it, we have raised $63.

The penny drive will continue the whole year and hopefully raise $840, the estimated budget to build a basketball court outside my home church. I called my pastor last night and he says the kids back home are so excited about having a basketball court, that they have already formed a team! It is amazing to see how dedicated these Camden kids are. Jorge, one of the kids in my class recently asked me, “Ms Winnie, do kids in your neighborhood have hope? Do you think that the basketball court will give them hope?” ‘’Sure!” I responded. “I am asking because you are here to give us hope and love and so we should also give some in return. People should not just receive, they should also give “And with that he suddenly joined the rest in counting the pennies for the day.

These kids have taught me so much in the few months I have been here. One great lesson is that they have much to give too: from hugs to basket ball courts. Iron sharpens iron.

Winnie Kiunga

International Fellow