My name is Michelle from china, I am the owner of this kalimbahome.
I believe that every stuff in life will bring you some unforgettable memories. My story with kalimba can be traced back to 2002, when I was a volunteer in Kenya, Africa.
When it comes to Africa, many people immediately think of poverty, starvation, war and disease, and a bleak and miserable picture emerges in their minds.
In the desert with no end in sight, a young child who has been malnourished, dehydrated and deformed for a long time is dying.
Backward savage primitive tribes, high incidence of malaria and AIDS.
Hungry crowds, ruins left by years of war, dilapidated public facilities.
The boundless Sahara Desert, the beasts running on the savannah of eastern Africa and the peculiar and magnificent natural scenery of the original ecology.
The reason why I chose to do volunteer teaching is because volunteering is a very good way to experience the local life better than a fleeting tour.
The school I teach is an orphanage school
The first word I learned when I arrived at school was “Karibu” meaning welcome, Karibu is a common theme in the Kisumu lifestyle, especially korando!
Whether it is a teacher working in the school or a student, everyone is fresh and curious about the dark-eyed, black-haired and yellow-skinned self. There, I am a foreigner.
Almost everyone asks the first sentence they see me:
“where are you from?”
“how long stay here?”
Some children will also say a few words in Chinese: Hello!
For those African children, seeing themselves is more like seeing aliens, more enthusiastic and more unrestrained.
More lively. Every time I walk on campus, I still haven’t reacted. Out of nowhere came a group of children. Pounced on you, surrounded you tightly, asked me a lot of questions, cute and full of innocence.
There is a story behind every child, and their experiences are different, but they are all sad.
I love children. Their big, round eyes are probably the purest I have ever seen! Children’s eyes are as pure and transparent as a bright crystal, without a trace of impurities.
Every day I spend with the children is full of joy and emotion, happiness and surprise. Sometimes they secretly stuff the candy biscuits they can’t bear to eat into my pocket, and sometimes they make their own gadgets for gifts I.
They will always surround me. Then help me tie the little African dreadlocks. I’m also curious about my hair, because they are born with curly hair and don’t grow long, so I envy and like the long hair fluttering. He asked me curiously: How long are you going to stay here, how old are you, and where are you from?
The orphanage has no so-called classrooms. It is built with old broken iron sheets, and it will leak when it rains, but they still love learning and life. Fortunately, there are many volunteers from all over the world who built a new teaching building for them with their meager strength. After the renovation is complete, they can go to the new classroom to study.
The children here are very sensible and orderly. Every day, they make a fire, cook, set dishes, wash dishes, and wash clothes.
The children especially like to play football. Every time the get out of class is over, they rush over to me to ask for a ball, and then a group of people play ball happily in the playground.
And Kalimba, Also known as a “sansa” and “mbira” is an ancient and simple musical instrument that is very common in the local area, and my story with it also begins here, the head of the school, in order to thank me for my efforts here Everything, gave me a kalimba, the first time I own this instrument
To be honest, I hadn’t heard this instrument before, so I was curious, this instrument seems to be very easy to play because it only has a few simple keys to play. And the fact is that there are many children in the local area who can play.
It wasn’t easy in Kenya, but I never regretted thinking about these kids, I gave my all in my time here, and when you give, you get. I teach children to read and write and they also teach how to play kalimba.
The kalimba sounded pure, like the eyes of children in Kenya, and I quickly learned how to play the kalimba.
These kalimba songs have been deeply ingrained in my mind. Whenever I hear this sound, those memories in Kenya immediately emerge, and I will never forget them for the rest of my life.
Yes, I did a great thing, I gave a lot and got me a lot.
After returning to my country, I didn’t forget this memory and I didn’t give up the instrument, in fact, I was curious that the kalimba sounded very special, so I continued to teach myself for a while, when I was free , I will make time to study, which also makes me feel very relaxed and reminds me of the children in Kenya.
Since then, I gradually fell in love with kalimba, I set up my own workshop, I hope to let more people know about kalimba, so kalimbahome was established.
Finally, I would like to thank every Visitor in our store, whether you are a novice or an expert, you can share your memories at kalimbahome or start your kalimba journey.