Kenya Trip

April 2, 2009

Well time is just flying by. Things have been really busy. I have been meaning to blog on the site for the last few days.

It is so hard to describe the experience I had in Africa and to put it into words, but here goes

Stu and I landed in Nairobi on Sunday March 15th. After a long 20 hour journey we checked into our hotel to get a good nights rest before the journey began. This first week was spent working with Free the Children. They are doing some AMAZING things and it was a real pleasure getting to know the staff as well as helping out on some construction projects. Stu and I still have to pick some of the best video to upload to the site (this will be hard, very hard as we have so much, not to mention over 2000 pictures!).

The amount of hope and excitement in the children’s eyes was breathtaking. Each time we drove by on the dirt road, kids seem to come out of nowhere to call out “Jambooo” (Swahili for hello). Some of the children would even chase the car as we drove by. My favorite was a small boy, no older than two. Every time we would pass, he would yell as loud as he could, stand perfectly still, hold up his small hand with his fingers clasped together and call out Jambooooooooooooooooo.

However, what amazed me more was the children’s dedication to school. Most children would walk a fare distance (30 – 40 min) to come to school. A few students were walking up to two hours a day!

Another thing I learned was the sense of community, in the small village of the Marra. To help build one school all members of the community brought one piece of wood to help lay the foundation for the school. I think time and time again, our community in North America could learn so much from their culture. They continually work together, help others and have a dedication for education

I really valued my time with Free the Children, they are a great organization that we are presently looking at partnering with on a more permanent basis.

Our second week was spent in the “slums” of Nairobi. It was here that we got a chance to witness our Feeding Program in Action! Every month, WTA supports a Feeding Program that feeds 300 children on daily basis before they head to school.

Not only was it a treat to spend some time with the children and the staff of the school, but it was an even bigger treat to meet Irene (our main contact in Africa). Irene is an AMAZING lady that deserves a medal. She is continually helping others and has started a non-profit organization based in Kenya that has helped thousands of children.

It was such a pleasure to meet her as well as her staff. I can not wait to work more with Irene in the future.

It is so hard to write about these kind od experiences. All I can say is thank you for all of your support.

YOU make this happen and help feed these children every day.

I have pasted some pictures below. Enjoy!