At home with Emmanuel and Elvis in Kenya
Listening How do children live in other parts of the world? Meet Emmanuel and Elvis who talk about their homes, their schools and what they like to do in their free time. Come and discover what everyday life and home can look like for children in Kenya!
Emmanuel's home and everyday life
Emmanuel lives in a house with four rooms and a kitchen. In the courtyard there are ducks that he likes to feed and play with. He lives with his mother, father and older siblings. The siblings are only home during the holidays because they live at their school during the semesters. In the neighboring houses there are many children to play with.
- "Sometimes I have to eat while watching TV," says Emmanuel.
- "Sometimes I have to eat while watching TV," says Emmanuel.
A day at school
Emmanuel likes school.
- I like to write. We also get to draw and build things out of modeling clay," he says with a smile.
His mother also works at a school, so they go there together in the morning.
- I have three good friends that I play with every day: Natasha, Shillie and Weeta. Weeta and I are boys, and Natasha and Shillie are girls.
All children at the school wear school uniforms. The boys wear pants, and the girls wear skirts.
Emmanuel likes to play the piano.
Emmanuel likes to play the piano.
Favorite foods and farming
In the area where Emmanuel lives, a lot of fruit and vegetables are grown.
- We have tomatoes, peppers, bananas, mangoes, pineapples and watermelon. My father is very good at growing tomatoes," says Emmanuel.
He also tells us that he likes spaghetti, rice and French fries.
Emmanuel has ducks at home in his garden.
Emmanuel has ducks at home in his garden.
Elvis and life with electricity and solar cells
Elvis' family has electricity at home. In the kitchen they cook on a gas stove, and they have a refrigerator powered by electricity.
- "A few years ago we were able to buy electrical equipment for the house," says Elvis.
They have an electricity meter that shows how much electricity they use. On the roof they have solar panels that provide free electricity during the day.
- Solar cells are good for the environment, and we have sun almost every day here in Kenya," he says.
Elvis 9 years.
Elvis 9 years.
Elvis and life with electricity and solar cells
Elvis' family has electricity at home. In the kitchen they cook on a gas stove, and they have a refrigerator powered by electricity.
- "A few years ago we were able to buy electrical equipment for the house," says Elvis.
They have an electricity meter that shows how much electricity they use. On the roof they have solar panels that provide free electricity during the day.
- Solar cells are good for the environment, and we have sun almost every day here in Kenya," he says.
The family's electricity meter.
The kitchen of Elvis and his family.
The family's electricity meter.
The kitchen of Elvis and his family.
A friend for life
Elvis and his best friend Oscar are almost always together. They are neighbors, go to the same class and play every day. During the day they play football, go swimming or hang out with friends in the yard. But when the sun goes down, it gets dark. Outside, there are no streetlights, just fires that families cook by.
New adventures await
Next year, Elvis and Oscar will go to boarding school, just like Elvis' siblings.
- "I'm glad that Oscar is going there too. It feels both exciting and a little scary," says Elvis.
The new school uses only electricity from solar panels. Elvis hopes there will be computers there.
- That would be great," he says.
This text was originally published 1 March 2018.
Published: 02 December 2024
