Serena’s big serve in Makueni ‘grand slam’

By Omulo Okoth

Three weeks ago she was on top of the world as she won the Australian Open. On Tuesday, she was in the lowly plains of Matiliku, Makueni District, scoring another victory in charity for children of poor villagers.

Serena Williams, the world tennis number one, awakened the sleepy village of Kilili, Matiliku Location, 150 kilometres East of Nairobi, where she returned for the second time in two years to visit her education charities.

More than she was cheered by the crowd when she beat Justine Henin in Melbourne, the tennis queen was mobbed by hundreds of excited women, men and children when she landed in Makueni.

Three helicopters carrying her entourage landed at Wee Primary School and Deaf School ground amid ululation and songs of "Serena niwavika syana twiasya isome", (Kamba for, Serena has come, let the children get education).

Serena’s face, that often makes a sports photographer’s diary of emotional expressions when she is hitting hard strokes on the tennis court, melted into an easy smile as traditional dancers raised dust from the fresh ground, praising her in their songs.

At one time she was lost in the dust blown in the celebration. She had a busy day, starting with an energetic dance with local women who draped her with colourful lessos and handed her several kyondo (traditional baskets used by local women). She was then led to the high table, where she sat with Government officials, local politicians and members of the travelling party who included Helwett Packard staff.

She sat through the rather long programme, conducted by comedian Daniel Ndambuki aka Churchill Abednego.

She was briefed about the school and had a one-on-one with students, one of them a 13-year-old, Sammy Maithya, who has a hearing disability.

Speeches

The school’s deaf section, headed by Peninah Laki, caters for 26 students.

The event stretched longer than a three-hour tennis match but the superstar braved the Kenyan-style public programme. The Makueni MP finally introduced local leaders and councillors before Ndambuki invited HP and Build African Schools officials, who eventually invited Serena. Her’s was a four-minute speech, lauding the importance of education and why she had chosen schools in Kenya for her philanthropic duties.

"It feels real good to be among these pupils. It’s cool to take time off the busy tennis circuit to enjoy the warmth and hospitality of Kenyans. I want to see professionals coming from these classrooms in future," she said in her address to a crowd of some 2,000 people.

The project was started in 2005 by Dickson Mutaiti and Patrick O’Sullivan, who run the Build African Schools initiative.

The two have raised funds to build Ololai Mutui and Supetai Primary Schools near world renowned Masai Mara National Park, Matiku Secondary in Emali, Serena Williams Matooni, Masumba, Mutaiti, Nguu, Nthia and Thomas Fish Secondary Schools.

Mutaiti, a trained tour guide, said: "Through the help of O’Sullivan, we were able to bring Helwett Packard and Serena Williams on board and this partnership has brought forth all these schools, now fully equipped with digital cameras, computers and printers," he said.

Production line

Serena Williams Wee Secondary School is the latest off the production line of the collaboration. It opened its gates to its first students (23 girls and 35 boys) in January. Freshly built on six acres of land in the Wee countryside, it has employed four teachers.