How I Once Volunteered

Right now as I pen this story, I am listening to "Canon in D Major", a soulful piece of classical music by Johann Pachelbel. The music conjures up in my mind memories of the time I volunteered to teach piano at a remote Catholic church in Kamuongo, Eastern Kenya, during the 2006 August holiday when I was a student in the institute division of Starehe Boys' Centre.

It was the late Anthony Munyao, a schoolmate of mine at Starehe, who had me volunteer at Kamuongo Catholic Church. He connected me to Fr. Vadakara, an Indian priest in charge of the church. And as soon as Fr. Vadakara and I got in touch, we arranged how I would travel to Kamuongo.

Although I can't recall how the weather was like on the morning I left Nairobi for Kamuongo, I do remember leaving home early in the morning, carrying a bag of clothes and the books I would read while at Kamuongo. Among the books I carried was Todd Siler's Think Like a Genius.

The journey to Kamuongo turned out to be quite long, for it involved boarding several public service vehicles. I arrived at the church in the evening just before darkness set in. Fr. Vadakara welcomed me warmly.

On the day that followed, which was a Monday, I was introduced to the students I would teach piano. For some strange reason, I can't recollect how many they were. All I remember is me beginning to tutor them piano and music theory with admirable zeal.

As our music lessons progressed, the number of students in my class dwindled. I only had two students at the end of the second week. And I was such a demanding teacher that I would pinch them on the fingers when they were slow at understanding my instructions. That's until one afternoon when they protested at my harsh way of teaching. Their protest softened me.

I taught the two students quite a lot in a short span of time. Among the things I had them learn were how to read sheet music, how to harmonize melodies on a combined staff, how to name keys on a piano and how to play the C Major scale on the piano using chords.

Well, the musical instrument we used was not a real piano but an electric piano keyboard. The piano keyboard had a recording of Pachelbel's "Canon in D" which I loved listening to in my spare time. That's why the piece of music conjures up in my mind memories of my time at Kamuongo, even to this day.

As far as I can remember, I stayed in Kamuongo for about three and a half weeks. And during those weeks, Fr. Vadakara treated me with enormous kindness. He always ensured I was well-fed by his cook. And he regularly invited me to dine with him in his mansion.

Fr. Vadakara also had a great respect for me, probably because I was schooling at Starehe Boys' Centre, one of the best institutions of learning in Kenya back then. He requested me to give a talk to youngsters in his church. I gladly acceded to his request and delivered to the youngsters a speech in which I challenged them to think like geniuses.

Besides teaching piano and giving a talk to church members at Kamuongo Catholic Church, I also learnt something valuable during the three and a half weeks I was at Kamuongo. That was how to ride a bicycle after one of my piano students freely allowed me to use his bike.

I will never forget the evening when, as I was learning how to operate the bike, I went for a ride on a sloping road next to the church. And yikes! The bike coasted down the road at full speed and I hadn't yet mastered how to control it. Fortunately, I didn't hit any of the men, cattle and donkeys that were on the road. I just reached safely down the road without causing any harm. That was my guardian angel protecting me from danger.

Soon after I mastered how to ride the bike, I would go cycling in the evening to areas surrounding the church. The areas were a moonscape because I visited Kamuongo during the dry season.

All told, I thoroughly enjoyed the three and a half weeks I volunteered to teach piano at Kamuongo Catholic Church. The food there was great, the people were friendly and the environment serene. My only regret is that I never had a photo of myself taken there. How I would have loved to see pictures of my time at the church!

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NEW! NEW! NEW! If you missed my social media update two days ago, let me take this opportunity to inform you that I have produced another hymn titled "Accept My Heart". Just click on that link in blue to access and listen to the hymn.