The third day of the conference was marked as much by the staying power of the participants (some were on their 5th day as they attended pre-conference events) as by the quality of the conversations.

I was so very impressed by the level of discourse particularly as I was presenting on the topic of relationships and was trying not to exhibit any cultural bias. As previously, my fears were unwarranted and the conversations revolved around building strong, effective relationships with each other and our students.

It was also great to see how everyone reserved enough energy to celebrate and express appreciation. The banquet was held at the aptly named “Carnivore”, a leading Nairobi eatery and many came decked out in their local garments (see the photo). I was humbled by the kind words of appreciation expressed and the requests for photos borne out of new friendships. George summed up in an e-mail later that night that I read before my 4:00 a.m departure. He wrote: “Thank you so much for your presentation that was so revealing. You have definitely impacted on me just like my science teacher did over 30 years ago. I have made a commitment to implement your suggestions with a view to making a difference in my students’ life.” As a presenter, it doesn’t get much better than that!

On to Abuja. Keep checking in!