Upendo Tamu on a “Business Trip”

Hi, we’re Hélène, Paula, Laura, Bernadette, and Bella from the student company Upendo Tamu at the Waldorf School Rosenheim. In May 2026, we spent three weeks in Kenya and visited our partner schools in the slums of Nairobi for ten days.

We got involved in various projects – from playing games, making bracelets, and painting pictures to teaching each other dances and songs. Simply spending the day with the children.

The children truly filled us with joy and showed us that, despite the difficult circumstances, they face life with fun and hope. This optimism is made possible above all by our partner schools on the ground.

There, the children have a safe place. They can develop their personalities in peace, and the environment gives them good prospects for their future. We were always greeted warmly and were able to experience a large part of the children’s daily lives.

The culture in Kenya was new to us, but overall we felt very comfortable and warmly welcomed. Of course, we also faced challenges and personal uncertainties, but those were quickly forgotten as soon as we connected and started talking with the people there. It was a truly intense and eventful time that has shaped us in many ways for the rest of our lives.

A big thank you goes to our partner schools, to the teachers and students for the time we spent together and their hospitality. We would especially like to thank the Bethany Joy School, where we were able to stay. Another heartfelt thank you goes to our headmaster Walter Orlando, Irmgard, and our “Kenyan mama” Maggie. They all took such loving care of us.