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TIME For Kids - Around The World
A golden statue of Buddha in front of an ancient temple.

Kenya



A Day in the Life

What's it like to be a kid in Kenya? Find out from a real expert: 12-year-old Caroline Wambui of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. We asked Caroline to tell us about a typical day.

6 A.M. I wake up and wash up. For breakfast, I have a cup of chai—tea with lots of milk. Sometimes I eat a meat samosa. [Samosas are fried triangular pastries.]

6 A.M. I'm already dressed and ready for school. I have to nag my little sister to hurry up. She drinks a glass of milk before school. I hate milk!

7 A.M. I walk to school, which takes less than five minutes. I like my school very much. After I arrive, I go to my classroom and read while I wait for the bell to ring.

8 A.M. My classmates and I line up on the playground. We sing songs and read the Bible.

8:30 A.M. We have lessons—math, English, history and geography. My favorite subject is English. I speak three languages—Kikuyu, which is the language of my parents; Swahili, which everyone in Kenya learns; and English. Swahili is hard to learn—some things you just cannot understand.

10:30 A.M. We have our morning break. I eat a piece of cake and then play ball with friends or go on the swings.

11 A.M. Now it's time for either arts and crafts or French lessons. French is difficult, but I like drawing houses, animals or people. I like to use lots of colors!

12:45 The school provides our lunch. Usually it's rice, ugali [cornmeal porridge] and chapati [fried dough] or potato chips.

1:30 P.M. After lunch we study religion. My father is a minister. He's working in America.

3:10 P.M. I walk home from school, then I wash up, wash my uniform for the next day and sweep the floors. After I'm done, I play with my dolls. I have a Barbie and a teddy bear.

6 P.M. I do my homework. We have a television, but I don't get to watch much. I don't have the time. Homework keeps me busy!

8 P.M. My family sits down for dinner. On most evenings we have ugali, but for special occasions we have nyama choma [roasted meat]. It's very tasty—you'd like it!

9 P.M. Bedtime.

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