August 2025: Sleepless in Nairobi

"My breakout group"

August has come and gone, and what a month it’s been. Most of my time revolved around an incredible teacher-training trip to Kenya 🇰🇪. It was intense but deeply rewarding. Our South African team had the honor of working alongside an international Educating For Life (EFL) team of more than 20 people from 10 nations. It was a privilege to learn from EFL’s global leaders and teach alongside them.

Not everything went according to plan. We were told to expect 800–1,000 participants, but on the day of the conference, only about 120 showed up. At first, we were surprised, but looking back, it was a blessing. With a smaller group, we were able to connect more personally with each student. Instead of 50 per breakout room, we had around 20, which made the long 08:00–16:00 schedule across the school’s large campus far more meaningful. Honestly, if we’d had the expected numbers, it might have diluted what we were able to do.

Outside of the conference, I enjoyed exploring Kilimani, the part of Nairobi where we stayed. One highlight was a trip to a bustling local market—an intense experience. The vendors looked at me like it was Thanksgiving and I was the turkey. I didn’t end up buying anything, but I did make a verbal deal with a man named Sammy (who had been following me the entire time). The deal: if I ever buy a big building in Nairobi, he gets to be the building manager and head of security. He kept trying to give me an elephant figurine “to remember him by.” I told him I wouldn’t forget, and now here he is, immortalized in my newsletter.

Working with the EFL international team was another highlight, including meeting Lisa Orvis, the founder of EFL. It was fascinating to see how teams from different nations teach the same material and how our South African style compares. Beyond the work, it was great simply getting to know them and building new friendships.

We stayed at a guest house in Nairobi. It was comfortable, though the bed felt a bit small—then again, I’m a bit big. For most of our stay, only our EFL team was there, but around Thursday, another group from a more rural area arrived for their own conference. They were kind—and very curious. That first night, around 22:30, while I was half-asleep, the door cracked open, the lights flicked on, and a stranger poked his head in asking, “Are there any slippers?” Fuelled by confusion and exhaustion, I just muttered, “No, man…” He nodded, turned off the lights, and said, “Okay, okay.” The next morning, I wasn’t sure if I’d dreamed it—until one of our Malawi teammates confirmed that one of the newcomers had moved into his room overnight.

The trip was full of moments like that: the Bishop of Nairobi falling asleep during the opening ceremony, plenty of “Africa-time” delays, and a dozen other stories I could tell. But as always, the best part of travel is coming home and sleeping in your own bed.

Thank you for reading my newsletter and for your continued support. If you’d like to support me financially, you can visit my EquipNet page:https://www.equipnet.org/missionaries/talexander. If you encounter any issues with the link, please don't hesitate to reach out. And if you want to see more photos more often, follow me on Instagram: @thaddaus.1.