Show Notes: - Silgich Hill Academy was founded in 2004 by KIMbia athlete Paul Koech and his wife, Sappora. Today the school has grown to 150 students spanning grades 1-8. Next year they will take a big step - becoming a combined primary and secondary school, as the current Class 8 students will move to Class 9, or Form 1 Secondary School. - Although we had an incredible day at Silgich, it was missing one important piece - Paul. Paul is currently stationed in Darfur as part of a UN peace keeping mission. Like many Kenyan athletes, Paul joined the army early in his career for the occupational and financial security that it provides. I asked Sappora if she was nervous. "Of course. He is in a very dangerous place, but I'm certain he will come home." And then she added, "I'm very proud of him." I think there are 150 students and hundreds more of their family members who would say the same. Without Silgich, many of the students wouldn't attend school. - It was also a very touching day. Meeting students like Cynderella was an eye-opening experience. When we entered her classroom, Class 8, she was the first to ask a question and followed it up with several more. Intellectual curiosity would be the best way to describe her attitude in that classroom. Then later she led the choir through a series of songs that were beautiful. Her voice will remain in my head for a long time to come. It was only after the singing that Sappora informed us that both of her parents were HIV positive. Then there was the student Edith, who is an orphan. Both of her parents died of AIDS within the past few years. Currently she does not have a sponsor to pay for her school fees next year. - Edith was one of six students that Sappora introduced to Tom. She invited Tom and I into her small, spartan office and then brought in six students who are currently without a sponsor. The Dean of Students came in next and gave us a progress report on each of the students - how they scored on the most recent standardized test compared to their last score, how they interact with the other students, what type of grades they receive, and some background information on their families. It was an incredible experience. You could tell that every student loved being at Silgich and was just hoping that they could remain there. Unfortunately, if you look at the statistics country-wide, only 1 in 4 students will continue with their high school education. The most common obstacle is money. High school is expensive at roughly US$500 per year. The KIMbia Foundation has been involved in supporting students financially for many years, but we're hoping to kick off something special tomorrow. I'm cautiously optimistic that we can make a significant difference at the schools we've visited. - Near the end of the video, check out how the kids mob Ellis. It's so funny because all they want to do is shake his hand or touch his skin. The camera didn't capture it, but a few kids even bent down and touched his legs (he was wearing shorts). To see the transformation of these children over the span of a few hours was incredible. When we first arrived they were so shy and hesitant. When we entered their classroom they almost seemed scared. But after we ate lunch and watched their singing and dancing performance, it was like we were one of them. It was similar to what Charles told me about his kids - that once they see you eat ugali and drink chai, they'll realize that you're just like them. After lunch the kids were asking questions, shaking hands, slapping high fives, playing with the cameras, and just being kids. - The music and this video is from the podsafe music network and the Silgich Hill Academy choir. The song is "Wish You Well" by Anna Coogan and north19.- I really hope you'll check back tomorrow. It's been great to read all the comments posted after the Singore Girls video. I think tomorrow will be an exciting day. Until then, thanks for watching...To learn more, visit chasingKIMBIA.---chasingKIMBIA.com is a blogumentary documenting the lifestyle and training of some of the world's best marathon runners. Season One provided an unprecedented vantage point of the highs and lows of professional running as seven athletes prepared for the Chicago and New York City marathons. Season Two brings even more excitement and deeper coverage to the sport as we travel to the training camp in Iten, Kenya where the athletes are preparing for the Boston, London, and Rotterdam marathons. This is your backstage pass. Follow the journey at www.chasingkimbia.com.