We arrived in London around 6am after a 2 hour time change and a nice 8 hour sleep filled flight (I can only speak for myself). Faria had planned to stay in London to visit her sister, niece and mother while the rest of us wanted to get out and see London for our 8 hour layover. Unfortunatley, more than half of our team got stuck in customs so we wasted a lot of time unpacking and repacking all of our carry ons :( We then decided on a bus tour which included a free river boat tour as well. It was cold outside (much different than Kenya) and we took the 45 minute metro ride to Pickadilly Circus to find our tour bus. We then got a wonderful tour of the city including: including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, The London Dungeon, Tower Bridge and The Tower of London. We stopped and got off to take the boat tour as well which took us to see the London Eye and we got off at the Tower of London to eat. I had the traditional Fish and Chips with some beer (amazing dish). The rest of the team got some food they had been craving. We then took the bus tour to Picadilly Circus and returned on the metro to the airport.
The next flight was 8 hours from London to Chicago. We were all still tired from the time change and the lack of sleep for so long. However; I didn't sleep at all on the flight back! One reason was the crying baby to my left and the other was we would be returning to Chicago at 615pm and I didn't want to screw up my sleep schedule! To keep awake I watched 4 movies and read : ) We then arrived in Chicago, we made it through customs (despite the large dead bug they stopped me for last time) and got all of our luggage! Doug and Rachel had their ride waiting for them as they were headed back to St. Louis. So, we walked outside to wait for our van that was pre-booked, unfortunatley, the van had not even left Milwaukee!!! So thankfully Laura's family was nice enough to come with 2 vans to pick us and the luggage up. While we waited most of the remaining team got McDonalds.
After a 2 hour car ride and a long trip full of traveling we arrived at my parent's house at around 1030pm! We were all tired and full of amazing stories to tell our friends and families!!! I can't wait to post the pictures : )
Thanks for those of you that followed this blog, hopefully it was a great insight to what we did in Africa and what any one of you can do if you donate to Hope Without Borders!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Day 17 "Kwa Heri Kenya..."
So it was our last day in Kenya and the morning started out just like all the rest. We headed to breakfast at the Lukenya Getaway dinning room and thanks to the omlette chef we had fresh made-to-order omlettes and other tasty treats. Rachel and I were the first to arrive and then the rest of the team arrived very tired from the late night packing!!! We went over the many things that we had to do to prepare for the community development leadership conference that was to take place today starting at 9am. There was soooo much to do so we didn't waste time. Rachel and I quickly packed the rest of our luggages and brought them out to the van,which unfortunatley was being used by Lance and some other team members to purchase some sewing machines for Garissa. So instead we had to have one of the team members sit and watch all the luggage while we got things ready for the conference (sorry amanda :)
People started arriving and Rachel, Laura, Josiah and I registered them for the conference. This registration included providing them with a notepad, pen and writing down their contact information. The conference had about 35 local community development leaders in Kenya. Some had come as far as Mombasa others from local slum areas such as: Kibera,Makuru, and Machakos. It was a very good turn out and all the guests came with amazing ideas and lots of questions. Lance and the Hope Without Borders Kenya board helped lead the lectures as well as some community development leaders in attendance. Thankfully, Lance had booked a local dance team, "La-Tena" from Makuru slums to provide some beginning entertainment and during lunch as well. After a wonderful lunch, the conference continued until 4pm. Everyone recieved a certificate of training for participating and Mary from Exodus Children's home in Kibera brought more jewlery made to support the children. Even though we had no room left in our luggage, we all bought something. Even some of the community leaders bought the team some items to show their appreciation.
Afterwards, we packed our 2 vans full of ourselves and our luggage and dropped our luggage off at the airport so that we could lighten the load before the Good Bye dinner I planned at Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi! When we got there they informed us that Amanda's ticket was for the day before! Thankfully, they easily transfered the ticket to tonight's flight and all was well! We then went to dinner with all of the team in attendance as well as: Duncan, Michael, Elijah, Kuria, Naomi, Esther, Margaret, Martha, Jillo, and Peter. The place was amazing, we sat outside and they brought you bread while you waited. They then went around with large skewers of meat to our table. It was so good. They had chicken, turkey, lamb, pork sausages,ribs, steak, ostrich, crocodile and many other tasty meats. We all didnt take long to fill up so we took the rest of our time to say our goodbyes....which were very hard....and thank yous! It was such a touching moment to express our graditude for all that they had done for us and to also replay many new and excitied memories that we had made together! After our bellies were full and our hearts content we went to the airport to say our final goodbyes.
Our flight didn't leave until 1120pm so we had some time to shop at the airport, thats right some of us still had shillings to spend and room to fit gifts. Some of us also spent the time playing our new favorite card game, "PICK." We borded the plane and the next thing I knew I was off to sleep for an 8 hour plan trip to London!
People started arriving and Rachel, Laura, Josiah and I registered them for the conference. This registration included providing them with a notepad, pen and writing down their contact information. The conference had about 35 local community development leaders in Kenya. Some had come as far as Mombasa others from local slum areas such as: Kibera,Makuru, and Machakos. It was a very good turn out and all the guests came with amazing ideas and lots of questions. Lance and the Hope Without Borders Kenya board helped lead the lectures as well as some community development leaders in attendance. Thankfully, Lance had booked a local dance team, "La-Tena" from Makuru slums to provide some beginning entertainment and during lunch as well. After a wonderful lunch, the conference continued until 4pm. Everyone recieved a certificate of training for participating and Mary from Exodus Children's home in Kibera brought more jewlery made to support the children. Even though we had no room left in our luggage, we all bought something. Even some of the community leaders bought the team some items to show their appreciation.
Afterwards, we packed our 2 vans full of ourselves and our luggage and dropped our luggage off at the airport so that we could lighten the load before the Good Bye dinner I planned at Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi! When we got there they informed us that Amanda's ticket was for the day before! Thankfully, they easily transfered the ticket to tonight's flight and all was well! We then went to dinner with all of the team in attendance as well as: Duncan, Michael, Elijah, Kuria, Naomi, Esther, Margaret, Martha, Jillo, and Peter. The place was amazing, we sat outside and they brought you bread while you waited. They then went around with large skewers of meat to our table. It was so good. They had chicken, turkey, lamb, pork sausages,ribs, steak, ostrich, crocodile and many other tasty meats. We all didnt take long to fill up so we took the rest of our time to say our goodbyes....which were very hard....and thank yous! It was such a touching moment to express our graditude for all that they had done for us and to also replay many new and excitied memories that we had made together! After our bellies were full and our hearts content we went to the airport to say our final goodbyes.
Our flight didn't leave until 1120pm so we had some time to shop at the airport, thats right some of us still had shillings to spend and room to fit gifts. Some of us also spent the time playing our new favorite card game, "PICK." We borded the plane and the next thing I knew I was off to sleep for an 8 hour plan trip to London!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Day 16 "Too much sun does not do a body good!"
We all were glad to have some comfortable beds and showers as it had been awhile for both : ) We all headed to breakfast at the Lukenya dinning hall, it was very good they had made-to-order omlettes, potatoes, beans, crossaints, and our favorite-crepes! After breakfast at around 8am we proceeded to have a pretty relaxing day for most of us! Lance, Duncan, Elijah, Kuria, and Michael were running around most of the day attending to last minute details for the community development conference that would be taking place tomorrow. However, for Laura, Amanda, Rachel and I decided it would be fun to get a little African sun so we could come home with a tan! This was a great idea despite the cloudy day; yet, after about 3 hours of sun (without sunscreen)we thought we had finally gotten some sun! It wasn't till later that we realized we had more than just a tan.....we were all BURNED badly! Amanda with her georgous shorts tan line, Laura with her freckles, and Rachel and I with glowing red faces and shoulders! Thankfully, Martha (Michael's youngest daughter)came to play in the pool with us and even though we had to play in the shade we had so much fun.
Afterwards, we changed and decided to go on the advertised "walking safari" in the surrounding grasslands around Lukenya Getaway! Unfortnately, this "walking safari" turned into more of a "hiking safari" and they did not worn us to wear appropriate attire. We had on shorts or capris and sandles! After about a 20 minute walk in knee high grass and many animal droppings...we arrived in front several giraffes! They did not really like us there as they were very observant of us the entire time and as we got closer they moved away. However, we got very close to all of them as well as the beautiful baby giraffes. We took many pictures and continued on our way! As we continued to hike around we saw zebras close up and some gizelles! After about a 45 minute hike through tick infested (and I'm sure large snakes) tall grass we made it back to the dirt road back to Lukenya Getaway! As excited as we were to see all the animals we were sure to inform the staff that they should require pants and hiking boots!!!
Next, we were just in time for dinner and Lance and everyone had returned to join us. Also, Jillo, Peter and Lora had returned to eat with us. Dinner was good with Ugali, Vegetables, spaghetti and minced mutton for the sauce! We talked and caught up on everything and then we found out that one of our new friends Lucas was going to play the guitar and sing with all of us. We found him and about 10-15 other students from Daystar University to sing together and play the guitar. It was a fun way to get to know some of the students and some of them gave us a performance. Also, Josiah graced us with a wonderful performance of a Paramore song! After we had fellowshipped it was very late and we still had to pack because we were leaving the next day!
When Rachel and I returned from the sing-song session we had much to pack and un-pack so that we could have our bags ready for the airport at 9am!
We finally went to bed around midnight...it was very hard to sleep with our full-body burns but were glad to get some rest for our busy day tomorrow!!!
(A sidenote-Faria had traveled to visit her aunt that she has not seen in 20 years near Eastleigh, and also to buy some beautiful scarfs as requested for some of the team. When she returned we were all glad to see her and picked through her many amazing scarfs!)
Afterwards, we changed and decided to go on the advertised "walking safari" in the surrounding grasslands around Lukenya Getaway! Unfortnately, this "walking safari" turned into more of a "hiking safari" and they did not worn us to wear appropriate attire. We had on shorts or capris and sandles! After about a 20 minute walk in knee high grass and many animal droppings...we arrived in front several giraffes! They did not really like us there as they were very observant of us the entire time and as we got closer they moved away. However, we got very close to all of them as well as the beautiful baby giraffes. We took many pictures and continued on our way! As we continued to hike around we saw zebras close up and some gizelles! After about a 45 minute hike through tick infested (and I'm sure large snakes) tall grass we made it back to the dirt road back to Lukenya Getaway! As excited as we were to see all the animals we were sure to inform the staff that they should require pants and hiking boots!!!
Next, we were just in time for dinner and Lance and everyone had returned to join us. Also, Jillo, Peter and Lora had returned to eat with us. Dinner was good with Ugali, Vegetables, spaghetti and minced mutton for the sauce! We talked and caught up on everything and then we found out that one of our new friends Lucas was going to play the guitar and sing with all of us. We found him and about 10-15 other students from Daystar University to sing together and play the guitar. It was a fun way to get to know some of the students and some of them gave us a performance. Also, Josiah graced us with a wonderful performance of a Paramore song! After we had fellowshipped it was very late and we still had to pack because we were leaving the next day!
When Rachel and I returned from the sing-song session we had much to pack and un-pack so that we could have our bags ready for the airport at 9am!
We finally went to bed around midnight...it was very hard to sleep with our full-body burns but were glad to get some rest for our busy day tomorrow!!!
(A sidenote-Faria had traveled to visit her aunt that she has not seen in 20 years near Eastleigh, and also to buy some beautiful scarfs as requested for some of the team. When she returned we were all glad to see her and picked through her many amazing scarfs!)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Day 15 "we are very close, very very close or very very very close....we dont know the difference!!!"
We woke up early at 700am to go on a morning safari to see many animals. We also got a very close up look at 3 lionesses who had just missed their morning breakfast of zebra so they were relaxing near eachother! Unfortunately, we found out that we had to be out of the park before 10am otherwise we would have to pay another $560 for another 24hour park pass! So we hurried up our morning safari and raced back to pack our things!
As we gathered all of our belongings (whatever fited into our tiny backpacks for the past 3 days) we met for breakfast, another amazing meal and were on our way to the gates of Amboseli park! Unfortunately, as we got to the entrance we realized that the other car (with Duncan, Michael, Elijah, Naomi, and Kuria) had gotten lost. So the rest of the team in the 9 passenger van had to get out and wait for Lance and Simone (our driver) to go back and find them. As we waited we were bombarded by the many sales people selling african artifacts and Masai beadwork. However, after 1.5 hours of waiting the team arrived but without the other car. We found out that 2 of their tires had blown and they had flipped the car sideways! Thanfully nobody suffered great injuries just minor aches! However, now we had to wait for the mechanic to fix the tires. By the time we were on the road again we had lost 3 hours of time and were quite ready to get to Muchakos!!!
Thankfully, I slept most of the 4 hour drive to Muchakos! However, the rest of the team was very restless because they had been in the car for sooooo long! We were all ready to get out and with the many bumpy roads needed some fresh air and food because we hadn't eaten since breakfast!!Also, there was a running joke with the team and Simone, everytime we said how close are we he would responde with very close, very very close or very very very close! By the end we think he was just tired of the question so kept adding a certain number of "Verys" to tide us over!!! We did finally arrive at Elijah's Orphanage in Muchakos despite us all being tired and hungry we were sooooo excited to see all 24 children. They all had wide smiling faces and were just as excited to meet us. They surprised us by showing us the many things they were growing in their garden such as: pumpkin, maze, green beans, mango trees, carrots and kale! They also had one large sunflower : ) They then made us all dinner of rice, lentils, chicken and chapati (my favorite), followed by Kenyan coffee! It was so kind of them! Then they went on to sing for us and even made us all gifts!!!! It was so humbling to see them give us so much when they all have so little! They then showed us their rooms, in which they share 4 to a bunk bed! One even told Rachel that if she wanted to stay they would make some room in their bed! The team then sang right back to them and then we gave them all that had been donated! They were so grateful for all of the toys, books, toothbrushes/toothpaste, and school related gifts! It was the least we could do for them. One thing that I did notice from the beginning that this didnt feel like an orphange it felt like a family and we all hate to leave them because we felt a part of their family even if it was for a short time!
As we left teary eyed and restless we said our goodbyes and traveled the 4 more hours it took to get to Athi River where we had plans to spend the night at Lukenya Getaway! It was beautiful but because we were all so tired we quickly ate dinner and headed to bed! We took time to reflect on all the children and to pray for every last one of them for their future and their courage! We then finally went to bed once again excited for what the next day would bring!
As we gathered all of our belongings (whatever fited into our tiny backpacks for the past 3 days) we met for breakfast, another amazing meal and were on our way to the gates of Amboseli park! Unfortunately, as we got to the entrance we realized that the other car (with Duncan, Michael, Elijah, Naomi, and Kuria) had gotten lost. So the rest of the team in the 9 passenger van had to get out and wait for Lance and Simone (our driver) to go back and find them. As we waited we were bombarded by the many sales people selling african artifacts and Masai beadwork. However, after 1.5 hours of waiting the team arrived but without the other car. We found out that 2 of their tires had blown and they had flipped the car sideways! Thanfully nobody suffered great injuries just minor aches! However, now we had to wait for the mechanic to fix the tires. By the time we were on the road again we had lost 3 hours of time and were quite ready to get to Muchakos!!!
Thankfully, I slept most of the 4 hour drive to Muchakos! However, the rest of the team was very restless because they had been in the car for sooooo long! We were all ready to get out and with the many bumpy roads needed some fresh air and food because we hadn't eaten since breakfast!!Also, there was a running joke with the team and Simone, everytime we said how close are we he would responde with very close, very very close or very very very close! By the end we think he was just tired of the question so kept adding a certain number of "Verys" to tide us over!!! We did finally arrive at Elijah's Orphanage in Muchakos despite us all being tired and hungry we were sooooo excited to see all 24 children. They all had wide smiling faces and were just as excited to meet us. They surprised us by showing us the many things they were growing in their garden such as: pumpkin, maze, green beans, mango trees, carrots and kale! They also had one large sunflower : ) They then made us all dinner of rice, lentils, chicken and chapati (my favorite), followed by Kenyan coffee! It was so kind of them! Then they went on to sing for us and even made us all gifts!!!! It was so humbling to see them give us so much when they all have so little! They then showed us their rooms, in which they share 4 to a bunk bed! One even told Rachel that if she wanted to stay they would make some room in their bed! The team then sang right back to them and then we gave them all that had been donated! They were so grateful for all of the toys, books, toothbrushes/toothpaste, and school related gifts! It was the least we could do for them. One thing that I did notice from the beginning that this didnt feel like an orphange it felt like a family and we all hate to leave them because we felt a part of their family even if it was for a short time!
As we left teary eyed and restless we said our goodbyes and traveled the 4 more hours it took to get to Athi River where we had plans to spend the night at Lukenya Getaway! It was beautiful but because we were all so tired we quickly ate dinner and headed to bed! We took time to reflect on all the children and to pray for every last one of them for their future and their courage! We then finally went to bed once again excited for what the next day would bring!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Day 14 "Its raining bugs...."
We arrived in Mombasa after a 14 hour train ride that unfortunatley most could not get much sleep on. However, the morning breakfast was good despite when they turned the fans on (of course no AC on the train) bugs rained down from the fans that must have died on them. It was hilarious watching Laura, Faria, Amanda, Julie, Duncan and Kuria pick bugs out of their butter, soup and drinks! It looked a lot like they had peppered their food : )
Mombasa was georgous....Im pretty sure we all agreed that we could stay here the rest of the trip and be content!!! We visited fort Jesus, the marine park (some of us including me went snorkling), shopping and then back to the train to get home!!!
On the way back Amanda, Rachel and I had a bunk mate, a 20 year old woman that lived in Melini and went to college in Nairobi! Dinner was good once again but after a 4 am false wake up (we were suppose to get off at an earlier stop, Emali, but we were delayed due to an oil spill on the tracks) Unfortunatley, we had to all eat breakfast before they told us it would be another 4 hours till our destination! Also, we were locked out of our sleeping car because our room mate thought we were gone : (
But finally after a long wait we got off at Emali and the cars were waiting for us (since 530am) to take us to Amboseli National Reserve! After a 1.5 hour drive full of tired, hot, sticky (no showers for 2 days) group we were excited to see all the animals in the reserve! We saw several herds of elephants (many babies as well), zebras, wildebeast, ostriches, gizelles, and birds galore!!! And this was just on our way to our hotel called Serena Lodge...the same place that Lance and Julie brought me back in the day when I was 3 weeks old! It was beautiful we had lunch that was amazing.
Then we went to a Masai Village with Duncan, Michael, Naomi, Kuria, Lance, Julie, Josiah, Amanda, Laura, Rachel, and I! It was so enlightnening to see how they live day to day. They taught us a traditional Masai dance (even though they can jump much higher than the rest of us)! Also, they showed us how they medically treat their community. They use certain sticks or branches some soaked in boiling water others ground up and put in milk and drunk. One was said to help the Masai man solve all ten problems in one night (we learned that due to the polygamist rituals men can have up to 10 wives which they jokingly call problems...so we got what that medicine does : ) Then we were shown into their huts that they live in and were able to visit with their community! Lastly, they allowed us to purchase some beautiful work that they had done! It was so much fun despite a little rain! We then returned to the hotel! But on our way we heard there was a lion siting so we went to go see there were more than 10 lionesses preparing to hunt! However, rules are to be out of the park before 7pm so we had to get back and did not get to see the hunt :(
We had a wonderful dinner better than most 5 star restaurants that I have been at! And shortly after much fun and talk we headed to bed!!! Excited for the early morning safari and visit to Muchakos orphanage!!!
Then, we went into
Well we are all safe and sound and I will update as soon as I can!!!
Mombasa was georgous....Im pretty sure we all agreed that we could stay here the rest of the trip and be content!!! We visited fort Jesus, the marine park (some of us including me went snorkling), shopping and then back to the train to get home!!!
On the way back Amanda, Rachel and I had a bunk mate, a 20 year old woman that lived in Melini and went to college in Nairobi! Dinner was good once again but after a 4 am false wake up (we were suppose to get off at an earlier stop, Emali, but we were delayed due to an oil spill on the tracks) Unfortunatley, we had to all eat breakfast before they told us it would be another 4 hours till our destination! Also, we were locked out of our sleeping car because our room mate thought we were gone : (
But finally after a long wait we got off at Emali and the cars were waiting for us (since 530am) to take us to Amboseli National Reserve! After a 1.5 hour drive full of tired, hot, sticky (no showers for 2 days) group we were excited to see all the animals in the reserve! We saw several herds of elephants (many babies as well), zebras, wildebeast, ostriches, gizelles, and birds galore!!! And this was just on our way to our hotel called Serena Lodge...the same place that Lance and Julie brought me back in the day when I was 3 weeks old! It was beautiful we had lunch that was amazing.
Then we went to a Masai Village with Duncan, Michael, Naomi, Kuria, Lance, Julie, Josiah, Amanda, Laura, Rachel, and I! It was so enlightnening to see how they live day to day. They taught us a traditional Masai dance (even though they can jump much higher than the rest of us)! Also, they showed us how they medically treat their community. They use certain sticks or branches some soaked in boiling water others ground up and put in milk and drunk. One was said to help the Masai man solve all ten problems in one night (we learned that due to the polygamist rituals men can have up to 10 wives which they jokingly call problems...so we got what that medicine does : ) Then we were shown into their huts that they live in and were able to visit with their community! Lastly, they allowed us to purchase some beautiful work that they had done! It was so much fun despite a little rain! We then returned to the hotel! But on our way we heard there was a lion siting so we went to go see there were more than 10 lionesses preparing to hunt! However, rules are to be out of the park before 7pm so we had to get back and did not get to see the hunt :(
We had a wonderful dinner better than most 5 star restaurants that I have been at! And shortly after much fun and talk we headed to bed!!! Excited for the early morning safari and visit to Muchakos orphanage!!!
Then, we went into
Well we are all safe and sound and I will update as soon as I can!!!
Day 13 "Farwell to Alyssa and Mombasa here we come!"
We went to Kibera Slums to drop off some supplies to the Exodus Church/School/Orphanage! The rest of the team was able to see this large slum area that costs people 1000 ksh or about 15 dollars a month to rent their 10x10 shacks shared by large families with no electricity or running water! This is a lot when they make a little over a dollar a day!!! While most of the team enjoyed this...Faria, Duncan, Jillo and I went downtown to make certificates for the Day Star students and community workers! I never missed a Kinkos till now it took more than 2 hours. So while we waited we ate lunch at "Trattoria" an Italian restaurant that Faria demanded we go to...it was amazing!
Then both Alyssa and Dr. Faraha were dropped off safetly at the airport to journey back home!
We then rushed to make our 7pm train to Mombasa. It had dinner and sleeper cars that were very nice but hard to sleep due to the noise and movement. (plus....Rachel and Josiah got very sick the night before and were throwing up most of the day so they were still recovering!) But the dinner on the train was good and we all got some much needed sleep!!!
Then both Alyssa and Dr. Faraha were dropped off safetly at the airport to journey back home!
We then rushed to make our 7pm train to Mombasa. It had dinner and sleeper cars that were very nice but hard to sleep due to the noise and movement. (plus....Rachel and Josiah got very sick the night before and were throwing up most of the day so they were still recovering!) But the dinner on the train was good and we all got some much needed sleep!!!
Day 12 "Sunday festivals"
We went to church in Murkuru slums, it was a 5 hour celebration because the Bishop arrived and they wanted to celebrate Lance's Birthday which they did dances and gave cake and cookies! It was very nice! We then went to the Yaya market and shopped a bit!
Next, most of the team went to the elephant orphanage where we adopted an baby elephant named "sities" she was 7 weeks old very adorable! We were able to feed all the baby elephants and they drank water out of our hands. Also there were baby rhinos which loved to be scratched behind the ear! Afterwards we went home to an amazing home cooked AFRICAN meal made by all our friends and HWB members here in Africa it was very good!!!
Next, most of the team went to the elephant orphanage where we adopted an baby elephant named "sities" she was 7 weeks old very adorable! We were able to feed all the baby elephants and they drank water out of our hands. Also there were baby rhinos which loved to be scratched behind the ear! Afterwards we went home to an amazing home cooked AFRICAN meal made by all our friends and HWB members here in Africa it was very good!!!
Day 11 "medical camps...how many people can we see in one day?"
So internet has been a problem....I want to update the blog but in shorthand....So I will update with details later!!!
We had the medical camp today, we saw over 1000 people some simply treated and others were very sick! We had fun and had a long day but very rewarding!
We had the medical camp today, we saw over 1000 people some simply treated and others were very sick! We had fun and had a long day but very rewarding!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Day 10 “Workshops galore….”
Thankfully we had not been woken up by the rooster or the call to prayer like usual but still work up early at 7am. Due to our time constraints we were all on our own for breakfast eating cereal. We all packed into the 9 passenger van and two other cars to head to Pastor John Muwenge’s church where the workshops were to take place. Our several travels to Mukuru had prepared us; however, this time was different it was raining severely. The roads were very bad because they had been washed away and the open sewage had spilled over but we hiked into Mukuru with our stuff for the workshops. Many people were there waiting but also many trickled in due to the weather. Also, the Daystar students arrived thankfully despite the difficulties. With them came Lucas and Laura both students that we met. Laura is from Michigan and had been helping Elijah at the orphanage in Muchakos on her 10 month stay thus far. Lucas is a student that is affiliated with Afrizo (a choir that has traveled to the United States) and is very musically talented. The workshops were a great success we discussed First Aid, Sanitation, Clean water technology, Suturing, and Child and Maternity health maintenance. The workshops went on for more than 4 hours with some food and refreshments at the end. The refreshments included: samosas, chips (French fries), and sausages. We were able to get to know a lot of the community workers and children in Mukuru.
After our long sessions and long day the team that was left: Josiah, Julie, Rachel, Lucas, Laura, Dr. Laura, Jillo, Faria, Amanda, Alyssa, Dr. Furaha, and I. Unfortunately, when we finally got back to Lancaster around 7pm we realized that Lance had the keys and he was no where to be found. So we decided to walk once again to the Nakumatt to get dinner while we waited for Lance and the other team to get back. We went to the restaurants at the Nakumatt and had a great meal with everyone. Then, we got a hold of Lance so they came to pick us up instead of us taking a Citi Hoppa back to Lancaster. Sadly, they only had a 5 passenger car so we had to take 3 trips back and fourth to get everyone home. The reason that they insisted we take the car back was they had heard some people napping around the area and didn’t want us out at night. On one of the trips back from the Nakumatt the car did get pulled over by the police. They took the people from the car and brought them into the alley and tried to say they were going to take them to jail because they didn’t have a seat belt on; however; the matatu’s have 10+ people in them without any seatbelts. We realized that it was a scam to get money to bribe the police men. We did not give them any money despite the many tactics they used; thankfully Duncan had been driving because he was able to convince them otherwise. Eventually, we all got home safely with some a little shaken up. As we wound down for the night a discussed our plans for the medical camp we continue to pack medications that would be used at the medical camp pharmacy. We didn’t get to bed once again till 2 am and with an early morning we were all excited but exhausted.
Day 9 “A day in Mukuru Slums”
We woke up early to a delicious French toast breakfast made by Amanda and Alyssa. It was nice to sit down and eat a meal. We had 21 bags of supplies and donated items we had to go through. One bag got lost at the airport and we were all guessing what could be in it. Many of the team had a hard time sleeping due to jet lag. We left at 9 am to go to the medicine warehouse and looked through their pricing book to find out what meds we needed. Laura was able to come up with a list of meds we needed and we waited while they got it from the warehouse. Mary Walugha, Mary Mambo, Sammie and Angelina met us there. After we loaded the van with antibiotics and enough de-worming medicine to de-worm a few thousand men, women and children, we headed to Mary Mambo’s clinic, orphanage, school and church in the Mukuru slums.
Mary and her husband Joseph are two very amazing people with big hearts. We went into each classroom and handed out jolly ranchers as well as spoke to the students. We toured the school during their lunch and the children volunteered to share their lunch with us, perhaps their only meal of the day. We then went outside to play with the children, which was so much fun! While we were playing with the children on the streets, we heard Joseph preaching and stepped into the church (the children followed) and the children fought for to sit on our laps. Not one of our laps was empty. We had to stand up during church and introduce the team and received a warm Kenyan welcome. Many of the children wore ragged clothes and when we accidently dropped some candy in the mud, they scooped it up and ate it. Many of the children we met were orphans or had at least one parent who died from AIDS and the other parent dying from the same dreadful disease that plagues Kenya. We then visited the clinic where they do 4-5 deliveries a day. There was one woman there in her last stage of labor-most of the women are HIV positive. Mary and her staff showed us around and we gave them the supplies that had been donated for her clinic. She was very grateful and especially loved the clamps we brought, which she uses for cutting the umbilical cord. Also, she really liked the newborn packs we made that included a hat, a blanket and one outfit to send the newborns home with. After we gave her the supplies, we went over to the school once again and delivered the many donated items to the school. Some items included: chalk, stickers, division/subtraction/addition cards, puzzles, coloring books, crayons, markers, toys and other useful supplies for the children and teachers. They were very excited about all of the new items and couldn’t wait to distribute them amongst the classrooms. Lastly, we all went into the child’s home were Mary and Joseph Mambo house up to 22 young orphaned girls ages 5-17 that have been sexually abused by their guardians. The conditions were probably much better than the children were used to but still in dire straits. All the children slept in one room where there were several bunk beds stacked together. Mary explained that there is a long waiting list of children that they know are being sexually abused but they do not have any room for them at this time. She also explained that one girl had just showed up and used one of the other girl’s uniform and said she was staying and that she couldn’t go home. One of the girls staying at the center stated that she could sleep in her bed and share her food and clothes. Mary said she didn’t have the heart to turn her away but stated it is frustrating to know of girls that are being abused without the ability to help them. We then gave her the items that have been donated such as: hair ties, burettes, combs, Vaseline, bubbles, friendship bracelet materials and other items for the orphanage. It was hard to leave but we had to visit Mary Walugha’s clinic further down in the Mukuru slums. We said good bye and gave many hugs to both the Mambos and also the children.
We traveled to Mary Walugha’s clinic in Mukuru, upon arrival we saw the amazing things that they have already done in this community. They had 3 acres of land that housed their semi-permanent clinical structure. They had a laboratory, clinic with 2 exam rooms, and a pharmacy. The great thing about what they are doing is that they had a small fee for laboratory tests and also medications. This has allowed them to be self-sustaining for more than 6 years. The problem they have been facing recently is the need in this community has outweighed their funds. This was one of the many reasons we decided to sponsor a medical camp on Saturday, so that we could help in one day the amount of people it would take months for then to see and treat. Lance, Duncan and Michael arrived so while they continue to meet about the details of the medical camp, the rest of the team headed back to Lancaster.
The rest of the team made spaghetti and started to pack the many medications that we had brought and purchased for the medical camp. While we did this, the rest of them picked up Dr. Furaha from the airport. She is a Doctor from Tanzania that came to help with the workshops and medical camp. She was a very nice woman and didn’t hesitate to help us pack the medications and talked about what she does in Tanzania. We didn’t go to bed till late (as usual) around midnight, but thankfully we got a lot done.
Mary and her husband Joseph are two very amazing people with big hearts. We went into each classroom and handed out jolly ranchers as well as spoke to the students. We toured the school during their lunch and the children volunteered to share their lunch with us, perhaps their only meal of the day. We then went outside to play with the children, which was so much fun! While we were playing with the children on the streets, we heard Joseph preaching and stepped into the church (the children followed) and the children fought for to sit on our laps. Not one of our laps was empty. We had to stand up during church and introduce the team and received a warm Kenyan welcome. Many of the children wore ragged clothes and when we accidently dropped some candy in the mud, they scooped it up and ate it. Many of the children we met were orphans or had at least one parent who died from AIDS and the other parent dying from the same dreadful disease that plagues Kenya. We then visited the clinic where they do 4-5 deliveries a day. There was one woman there in her last stage of labor-most of the women are HIV positive. Mary and her staff showed us around and we gave them the supplies that had been donated for her clinic. She was very grateful and especially loved the clamps we brought, which she uses for cutting the umbilical cord. Also, she really liked the newborn packs we made that included a hat, a blanket and one outfit to send the newborns home with. After we gave her the supplies, we went over to the school once again and delivered the many donated items to the school. Some items included: chalk, stickers, division/subtraction/addition cards, puzzles, coloring books, crayons, markers, toys and other useful supplies for the children and teachers. They were very excited about all of the new items and couldn’t wait to distribute them amongst the classrooms. Lastly, we all went into the child’s home were Mary and Joseph Mambo house up to 22 young orphaned girls ages 5-17 that have been sexually abused by their guardians. The conditions were probably much better than the children were used to but still in dire straits. All the children slept in one room where there were several bunk beds stacked together. Mary explained that there is a long waiting list of children that they know are being sexually abused but they do not have any room for them at this time. She also explained that one girl had just showed up and used one of the other girl’s uniform and said she was staying and that she couldn’t go home. One of the girls staying at the center stated that she could sleep in her bed and share her food and clothes. Mary said she didn’t have the heart to turn her away but stated it is frustrating to know of girls that are being abused without the ability to help them. We then gave her the items that have been donated such as: hair ties, burettes, combs, Vaseline, bubbles, friendship bracelet materials and other items for the orphanage. It was hard to leave but we had to visit Mary Walugha’s clinic further down in the Mukuru slums. We said good bye and gave many hugs to both the Mambos and also the children.
We traveled to Mary Walugha’s clinic in Mukuru, upon arrival we saw the amazing things that they have already done in this community. They had 3 acres of land that housed their semi-permanent clinical structure. They had a laboratory, clinic with 2 exam rooms, and a pharmacy. The great thing about what they are doing is that they had a small fee for laboratory tests and also medications. This has allowed them to be self-sustaining for more than 6 years. The problem they have been facing recently is the need in this community has outweighed their funds. This was one of the many reasons we decided to sponsor a medical camp on Saturday, so that we could help in one day the amount of people it would take months for then to see and treat. Lance, Duncan and Michael arrived so while they continue to meet about the details of the medical camp, the rest of the team headed back to Lancaster.
The rest of the team made spaghetti and started to pack the many medications that we had brought and purchased for the medical camp. While we did this, the rest of them picked up Dr. Furaha from the airport. She is a Doctor from Tanzania that came to help with the workshops and medical camp. She was a very nice woman and didn’t hesitate to help us pack the medications and talked about what she does in Tanzania. We didn’t go to bed till late (as usual) around midnight, but thankfully we got a lot done.
Day 8 “A little R&R for some of the team”
Lance, Julie, Duncan and Jillo left early in the morning (530am) with Francis Omondi to go to Garissa. Unfortunately, due to some violence that had erupted near Garissa, Faria was not able to go because the trip had become a little more dangerous. Rachel and I woke up at 9am (the latest we had since we got here) and because the team looked so peaceful sleeping we made eggs and pancakes till we finally woke them up at 1030am. Laura and I were supposed to wait for Mary Walugha in order to go to the Pharmacy to purchase some medications for the medical camp on Saturday. However, it was 1230pm and they still weren’t here. So, we asked Naomi to stay and wait at Lancaster while the rest of us went to the bank to change out our money. We decided to walk to the bank; one because we didn’t have a car, but the other was because we wanted the team to get their first taste of Kenya. The bank took some time with all 8 of us changing money but when we arrived back home, it was 230pm and still no Mary. Therefore, Laura and I waited with Naomi (and Doug was napping) while the rest of the team walked with Rachel to the Hurlingham market.
Finally at 330pm Mary Walugha, Sammie, Angelina arrived and we discussed our budget for medications and also the protocol for the pharmacy here in Kenya. However, because the meeting had occurred so late in the day, the Pharmacy closed at 430pm and with Kenyan traffic jams so recurrent, we were told that we should not purchase medications until tomorrow. Laura and I then went to meet the team at the market but didn’t make it far because they were on their way back home. It was 500pm by this time so we taught them the Kenyan card game, “pick” to pass some time till we went to dinner.
We were all very hungry so we walked to the Nakumatt to take them to the restaurants that we knew they would like. Once we arrived after our 10 minute walk through Nairobi, they looked at all the dinner options and decided to just eat at Zincs. This is the restaurant that we had eaten at before so we knew it was good and everyone would like it. As we ate we talked and talked about the plans for the trip and their travels here. Finally, when we finished eating, all of us decided to get some gelato at a place called Rendezvous. They had so many flavors from passion fruit to straccatello. It was very good and hit the spot after the long walk in the hot weather. We then took a Citi Hoppa home. It was an interesting ride with the music blaring and Christian quotes all around. It was nice though because it was quick and accommodated us all. We then jumped off and arrived home at Daystar University.
As we arrived it was late around 9pm; however, Lance, Julie, Duncan and Jillo had not returned yet. We had been communicating with them all day via cell phone and knew that they would not arrive till late, so we passed our time playing “pick.” Once again the teacher (me) had lost the game and they dominated me even though they had just learned how to play. They loved the game and we played till Lance, Jillo, Duncan and Julie arrived back at midnight. They looked exhausted after a 12 hour ride there and back through pot-holed roads and road blocks guarded by armed guards. However, they were very excited about the things that were going on in Garissa. It is truly amazing about what they are doing with so little and how much more they could do if they had funding. They have a clinic and school and a missionary training center as well as a boarding school. The team who traveled to Garissa enjoyed a wonderful Kenyan meal and had a great time getting to know the Omondis’. On the way home (in the dark) Julie developed gastroenteritis and by the light of the moon, used what we call “bush toilets” (bushes by the side of the road). We forgot to bring a flashlight, so she got stuck in the thorn bushes and still has a thorn in her finger for a souvenir. Francis Omondi and his family truly have a heart for the people who are suffering and have been in Garissa for 22 years. After a quick team meeting about what the plan was for the next day we finally went to bed around 130am, excited for the next day of workshops.
Finally at 330pm Mary Walugha, Sammie, Angelina arrived and we discussed our budget for medications and also the protocol for the pharmacy here in Kenya. However, because the meeting had occurred so late in the day, the Pharmacy closed at 430pm and with Kenyan traffic jams so recurrent, we were told that we should not purchase medications until tomorrow. Laura and I then went to meet the team at the market but didn’t make it far because they were on their way back home. It was 500pm by this time so we taught them the Kenyan card game, “pick” to pass some time till we went to dinner.
We were all very hungry so we walked to the Nakumatt to take them to the restaurants that we knew they would like. Once we arrived after our 10 minute walk through Nairobi, they looked at all the dinner options and decided to just eat at Zincs. This is the restaurant that we had eaten at before so we knew it was good and everyone would like it. As we ate we talked and talked about the plans for the trip and their travels here. Finally, when we finished eating, all of us decided to get some gelato at a place called Rendezvous. They had so many flavors from passion fruit to straccatello. It was very good and hit the spot after the long walk in the hot weather. We then took a Citi Hoppa home. It was an interesting ride with the music blaring and Christian quotes all around. It was nice though because it was quick and accommodated us all. We then jumped off and arrived home at Daystar University.
As we arrived it was late around 9pm; however, Lance, Julie, Duncan and Jillo had not returned yet. We had been communicating with them all day via cell phone and knew that they would not arrive till late, so we passed our time playing “pick.” Once again the teacher (me) had lost the game and they dominated me even though they had just learned how to play. They loved the game and we played till Lance, Jillo, Duncan and Julie arrived back at midnight. They looked exhausted after a 12 hour ride there and back through pot-holed roads and road blocks guarded by armed guards. However, they were very excited about the things that were going on in Garissa. It is truly amazing about what they are doing with so little and how much more they could do if they had funding. They have a clinic and school and a missionary training center as well as a boarding school. The team who traveled to Garissa enjoyed a wonderful Kenyan meal and had a great time getting to know the Omondis’. On the way home (in the dark) Julie developed gastroenteritis and by the light of the moon, used what we call “bush toilets” (bushes by the side of the road). We forgot to bring a flashlight, so she got stuck in the thorn bushes and still has a thorn in her finger for a souvenir. Francis Omondi and his family truly have a heart for the people who are suffering and have been in Garissa for 22 years. After a quick team meeting about what the plan was for the next day we finally went to bed around 130am, excited for the next day of workshops.
Day 7 “The rest of the team finally arrives!”
We woke up early as usual and had some cereal and toast, the showers had been great the water was hot and felt good! Lance, Michael and Kuria went to meetings all day with the NGO counsel and also went to solidify some of our plans for when the team arrived. Rachel, Jillo (finally spelling it right, sorry!), Duncan and I decided to go to Kibera to the orphanage that Pastor John has been running. So, we took a ride to the slums. On our way over you could definitely tell that you were going into the slums. The smell changed, the atmosphere changed and the people changed. One thing that separates most slums from African slums is the abundance of open sewage, this is due to their lack of sanitation control and no sewer systems. The children were running by the car yelling, “hello, how are you?” That is a phrase that the children learn in school. So we responded, “Habari Yako?” which is the same in Swahili. I did notice that despite the need in the slums, the community seemed very dependent on each other and tightly woven. They all made sure to see who was coming into their community and interested to see what we were doing there.
We met Pastor John and Deacon Bernard on the side of the main road so that they could lead us to Exodus church/school/orphanage that they run which they claim 45 children ages 2-16. We jumped over sewage and under drying clothes till we arrived at the location. As soon as we arrived the children noticed us from their classroom and all smiled at us. We entered and they sang us two songs while we returned the favor with two songs. One of the oldest girls, Loren (age 9), also gave us a poem that she did about how she was orphaned, it was very touching. They wanted us to physically assess the children that were in the classroom, so being a nurse I did with the help of Rachel (a nursing student). We found that 3 children may need follow-up when the medications arrived with the rest of the team so we got their names. Then, we helped feed them all lunch of rice and red beans. After we had fed all the children, youngest to oldest, the teachers and pastor gave us rice and red beans and also hot tea as we talked. Once we had finished the hot food and hot tea, we needed to get some fresh air and wanted to play with the children. We all went outside and played with the children and has so much fun getting to hang out with them, teaching them hand games and some english words. Mary then invited us into her office and showed us some jewlery and bead work that the older children and her do in order to feed and clothe the children. They were beautiful so we bought many items mainy to support their mission but also because they were amazing. Afterwards, we all gathered our things and headed back to Lancaster.
Shortly after we arrived back home, Pastor John and Deacon Bernard arrived with a couple of his fellow co-workers to speak with Lance regarding a proposal for expansion of their current Children’s Orphanage and also school. They wanted to teach children skills in order to start microenterprises that allow self-sustainablility for not only Exodus but also for the future of the children. Lance and the rest of the team had not arrived yet so we discussed the details so that we could relay them to the rest of the team when the arrived. We made a copy and said farwell for now to them. After they left a Daystar student Diana came to suggest that we create certificates for the many student volunteers that we had enlisted so that they could add some achievements to their scholastic careers. We then waited for a while for the rest of the team and with limited cell phone abilities we just had to wait till we saw them come home.
After they arrived, around 630pm we were told that we had to meet Francis Osmondi at his house prior to picking up the rest of the team at the airport. It was dark by the time we left and we got lost heading to his house so we arrived at 730pm. We finally met with him and discussed his mission called Sheepfold Ministries. He was very passionate about his work and a very nice man. We discussed details for the rest of the team to depart to Garissa in the morning and also the plans once they arrived there. After we had finished we rushed to the airport to receive our tired and traveled team.
We waited for quite some time, as the plane was a little late, but we then saw the team excited but visibly tired. We waited while they gathered the luggage (all 21 bags with only 1 lost bag). The team that arrived was: Julie, Josiah, Amanda, Alyssa, Doug, Laura and Faria. We hugged everyone and escorted them to the cars to get them to their resting place, Lancaster 4. They were excited to talk about their 16 hour trip here and we were excited to tell them what we had been doing prior to their arrival. We didn’t get home till 11pm and because we had not gotten groceries yet, due to lack of car, Josiah, Faria, Rachel, Duncan and I went to the Nakumatt (24hr grocery store) to get what we needed. I posted the blog that I had finished at that time.( Unfortunately, access to the internet has been very hard so I do apologize for the late entries.) We then returned home and didn’t get to bed till 2 am!
We met Pastor John and Deacon Bernard on the side of the main road so that they could lead us to Exodus church/school/orphanage that they run which they claim 45 children ages 2-16. We jumped over sewage and under drying clothes till we arrived at the location. As soon as we arrived the children noticed us from their classroom and all smiled at us. We entered and they sang us two songs while we returned the favor with two songs. One of the oldest girls, Loren (age 9), also gave us a poem that she did about how she was orphaned, it was very touching. They wanted us to physically assess the children that were in the classroom, so being a nurse I did with the help of Rachel (a nursing student). We found that 3 children may need follow-up when the medications arrived with the rest of the team so we got their names. Then, we helped feed them all lunch of rice and red beans. After we had fed all the children, youngest to oldest, the teachers and pastor gave us rice and red beans and also hot tea as we talked. Once we had finished the hot food and hot tea, we needed to get some fresh air and wanted to play with the children. We all went outside and played with the children and has so much fun getting to hang out with them, teaching them hand games and some english words. Mary then invited us into her office and showed us some jewlery and bead work that the older children and her do in order to feed and clothe the children. They were beautiful so we bought many items mainy to support their mission but also because they were amazing. Afterwards, we all gathered our things and headed back to Lancaster.
Shortly after we arrived back home, Pastor John and Deacon Bernard arrived with a couple of his fellow co-workers to speak with Lance regarding a proposal for expansion of their current Children’s Orphanage and also school. They wanted to teach children skills in order to start microenterprises that allow self-sustainablility for not only Exodus but also for the future of the children. Lance and the rest of the team had not arrived yet so we discussed the details so that we could relay them to the rest of the team when the arrived. We made a copy and said farwell for now to them. After they left a Daystar student Diana came to suggest that we create certificates for the many student volunteers that we had enlisted so that they could add some achievements to their scholastic careers. We then waited for a while for the rest of the team and with limited cell phone abilities we just had to wait till we saw them come home.
After they arrived, around 630pm we were told that we had to meet Francis Osmondi at his house prior to picking up the rest of the team at the airport. It was dark by the time we left and we got lost heading to his house so we arrived at 730pm. We finally met with him and discussed his mission called Sheepfold Ministries. He was very passionate about his work and a very nice man. We discussed details for the rest of the team to depart to Garissa in the morning and also the plans once they arrived there. After we had finished we rushed to the airport to receive our tired and traveled team.
We waited for quite some time, as the plane was a little late, but we then saw the team excited but visibly tired. We waited while they gathered the luggage (all 21 bags with only 1 lost bag). The team that arrived was: Julie, Josiah, Amanda, Alyssa, Doug, Laura and Faria. We hugged everyone and escorted them to the cars to get them to their resting place, Lancaster 4. They were excited to talk about their 16 hour trip here and we were excited to tell them what we had been doing prior to their arrival. We didn’t get home till 11pm and because we had not gotten groceries yet, due to lack of car, Josiah, Faria, Rachel, Duncan and I went to the Nakumatt (24hr grocery store) to get what we needed. I posted the blog that I had finished at that time.( Unfortunately, access to the internet has been very hard so I do apologize for the late entries.) We then returned home and didn’t get to bed till 2 am!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Day 6 “How many people does it take to make cool aid?”
We tried once again to sleep in; however, the rooster thought otherwise and the Muslim call to prayer at 6 am kept us up. Breakfast was cereal and tea, one that we have gotten used to. We had many house guests as we have had throughout our stay here and decided to discuss our schedule for the day. Our house guests included: Duncan, Michael, Kuria, Naomi, Peter, Gilo, and our team of Lance, Rachel and I. Then, Pastor John from the Kibera slums came to see when we would be able to see his 45 orphans that he takes care of. Lance explained that I would do a physical assessment on all 45 children while Rachel helped keep them entertained. Then, Coretta, Jackie and Jan (Head of Daystar U.S. scholarships) came over to discuss our future plans. They took Lance to their office while Rachel and I went to the bank exchange our dollars to schillings so Duncan was kind enough to take us.
After we had all convened back at Lancaster we took the 1.5hr drive to in 2 cars to Athi River Daystar Campus to speak with the students at that campus about our student community development chapter and how to apply for the proposals. On the ride up we stopped to get some sugar cane on the side of the road while we waited in traffic. You chew it and it was sweet but very hard. As usually half way through the car ride plans changed and we switched cars so that Rachel, Naomi and I could get to Athi River Campus on time while the others went to look at an agriculture project nearby. We rushed to get water to make cool aid to go along with our cookies and popcorn for the students. We got to Athi River with just enough time to make the cool aid and set up. One thing we did not consider is how much work it takes to make cool aid here in Africa. We had to buy large filtered water and then pour it into a larger container to mix it up and then pour it back into the original container. It took us a lot longer than we thought and we ended up with red and orange stained hands.
The students had registration that day for classes so it was very busy on campus and because we had to change the day that we came to Athi River not many students were there at first. Therefore, Peter, Nadia (a student we met), and I went around campus and invited people to attend while meeting much of the student body. Thankfully, we got many students to attend the meeting and Rachel and I ran the meeting while Lance and rest of the group came 1.5 hours later. Then were in time to address the students and had a long, insightful meeting. Afterwards many of the students stuck around to play Frisbee and discuss future proposals and projects with our team. It was nice to meet all the new faces and see some old ones as well. Elijah also came to meet with us; he is one of Daystars Alumni who we are working with an Orphanage in Muchakos.
Once we had finished meeting with the students we were told Rachel, Naomi, Gilo, Peter and I had to catch the student bus back to Lancaster because Lance and the rest of the team had to gather sand and gravel for the bio-sand water filters. So we boarded the bus back and after the beautiful views and a much smoother ride back we returned to Lancaster. Naomi decided that tonight we were going to cook for the group instead of eat out. So Lance and the team brought back minced meat, rice, potatoes and peas. Peter also had to leave to attend some things at home. Naomi and Rachel cooked while Gilo beat me at “pick” the card game they taught us. We also taught Lance and Kuria how to play so they joined us. We had a wonderful dinner discussing our journey so far and our plans for the team tomorrow. We also arranged the Mombasa train ride that the team will do on our last week here in Africa. Rachel didn’t feel well after a long day in the sun and cooking over a hot stove so she went to bed earlier and shortly I joined her. The rest of the group including Lance stayed up late discussing future plans. We were all so excited for the rest of the team to come tomorrow!
After we had all convened back at Lancaster we took the 1.5hr drive to in 2 cars to Athi River Daystar Campus to speak with the students at that campus about our student community development chapter and how to apply for the proposals. On the ride up we stopped to get some sugar cane on the side of the road while we waited in traffic. You chew it and it was sweet but very hard. As usually half way through the car ride plans changed and we switched cars so that Rachel, Naomi and I could get to Athi River Campus on time while the others went to look at an agriculture project nearby. We rushed to get water to make cool aid to go along with our cookies and popcorn for the students. We got to Athi River with just enough time to make the cool aid and set up. One thing we did not consider is how much work it takes to make cool aid here in Africa. We had to buy large filtered water and then pour it into a larger container to mix it up and then pour it back into the original container. It took us a lot longer than we thought and we ended up with red and orange stained hands.
The students had registration that day for classes so it was very busy on campus and because we had to change the day that we came to Athi River not many students were there at first. Therefore, Peter, Nadia (a student we met), and I went around campus and invited people to attend while meeting much of the student body. Thankfully, we got many students to attend the meeting and Rachel and I ran the meeting while Lance and rest of the group came 1.5 hours later. Then were in time to address the students and had a long, insightful meeting. Afterwards many of the students stuck around to play Frisbee and discuss future proposals and projects with our team. It was nice to meet all the new faces and see some old ones as well. Elijah also came to meet with us; he is one of Daystars Alumni who we are working with an Orphanage in Muchakos.
Once we had finished meeting with the students we were told Rachel, Naomi, Gilo, Peter and I had to catch the student bus back to Lancaster because Lance and the rest of the team had to gather sand and gravel for the bio-sand water filters. So we boarded the bus back and after the beautiful views and a much smoother ride back we returned to Lancaster. Naomi decided that tonight we were going to cook for the group instead of eat out. So Lance and the team brought back minced meat, rice, potatoes and peas. Peter also had to leave to attend some things at home. Naomi and Rachel cooked while Gilo beat me at “pick” the card game they taught us. We also taught Lance and Kuria how to play so they joined us. We had a wonderful dinner discussing our journey so far and our plans for the team tomorrow. We also arranged the Mombasa train ride that the team will do on our last week here in Africa. Rachel didn’t feel well after a long day in the sun and cooking over a hot stove so she went to bed earlier and shortly I joined her. The rest of the group including Lance stayed up late discussing future plans. We were all so excited for the rest of the team to come tomorrow!
Day 5 “Sister…you promote me!”
We woke up early again to our favorite rooster who begins crowing at around 430am and doesn’t stop till around 630am. We ate breakfast as usual made some oatmeal and toast with fresh squeezed juice and Kenyan tea, which is a very big custom here. Everyone who had been spending the night and working with us slowly trickled down along with Matt and Bob. It was Sunday so we all decided to go to the church across the street from daystar. It was very large and very wealthy for a church here in Nairobi. I enjoyed hearing the worship and the message was about resting in the Lord when you are tired and worn out. This was very appropriate given our journey thus far. Also, Kuria (one of the hope with borders treasurers here in Africa) came with his wife, Namoi to meet us after church. It was great to see him and meet her for the first time.
Then after a 2 hour service we invited Kuria and Naomi to the house and rushed home so that we could give Matt and enjoyable day before he returned home. We tried to catch the elephant orphanage that is open to the public from 11am to noon; however, there was a marathon going on so once again traffic was horrific! A 15min drive turned into an hour and 15min and we made it to the orphanage at 1205, so we were unable to see the elephants. From there we were all going to eat together but with traffic the way that it was and the laundry list of things for Rachel and I to do before the rest of the team came we had to split up. Curia dropped Rachel and I off at the Yaya Market to get some things that we needed and the rest of them went on a short Safari in Nairobi National Park.
We entered the Yaya market and were overwhelmed with the assortment of goods available in the open market that is held every Sunday till 5pm. However, before we went shopping we decided to eat at the wonderful restaurants inside the building. Rachel and I ate at this small café that had the best sandwiches I’ve had here yet. Afterwards we ventured out to the open market outside in the blazing sun. It was amazing, so many different carvings, beaded necklaces, boutiques (cloth with painted pictures), key chains, clothes, shoes….anything you can think of. The craftsmanship was astounding and we spent more than 3 hours just looking around and buying some stuff. The craziest thing about the market was that everywhere you turn there was someone saying, “Sister, you promote me.” This means please come to my shop and buy some of my items. At one point we had more than 10 vendors surround Rachel and I to persuade us to come to their shop. Although we lost each other many times amongst the hustle and bustle we managed to not only get out alive but with many beautiful gifts for ourselves and our families. We also stopped at the market to get some much needed shampoo. Yesterday we had bought some but accidently bought two conditioners instead of any shampoo. Therefore, we were very excited. We took the Citi Hoppa (a bus or a larger version of a Matatu) back to Daystar which was a short ride for 20 schillings each. Unfortunately, when we got home we realized that we had left our shampoo on the Citi Hoppa! We then came just in time to let Bob in to get his stuff to go to the airport. Also, after being in the hot sun we decided to take a much needed nap. When we got up it was too late for us to go to the internet café alone because it was getting dark. Therefore, we waited for the rest of the group to return.
Once the rest of the team returned and Matt packed for his trip back home, Rachel and I got dropped off at the Nakumatt to get Shampoo (finally) and get on the internet. I tried my best to upload the pictures; however, it did not work. Therefore, I will be uploading the pictures tomorrow and updating the blog. Everyone then met us at the Nakumatt and we went to eat again at Zinc, where we knew the food would be amazing. We all ate and reflected on our journey so far and I realized how much of a family we already were. I can’t wait for the rest of the team to come and join us!
When we got home it was late around 9pm, and we stayed up for a while so that Gilo and Peter could show us how to play a game with cards that they knew how. It was a version of slap jack, kind of, but took a long time to play. It was a lot of fun and for all the work we had done so far it was a nice relaxing time. We then went to bed tired and ready for the next day, whatever it may bring.
Then after a 2 hour service we invited Kuria and Naomi to the house and rushed home so that we could give Matt and enjoyable day before he returned home. We tried to catch the elephant orphanage that is open to the public from 11am to noon; however, there was a marathon going on so once again traffic was horrific! A 15min drive turned into an hour and 15min and we made it to the orphanage at 1205, so we were unable to see the elephants. From there we were all going to eat together but with traffic the way that it was and the laundry list of things for Rachel and I to do before the rest of the team came we had to split up. Curia dropped Rachel and I off at the Yaya Market to get some things that we needed and the rest of them went on a short Safari in Nairobi National Park.
We entered the Yaya market and were overwhelmed with the assortment of goods available in the open market that is held every Sunday till 5pm. However, before we went shopping we decided to eat at the wonderful restaurants inside the building. Rachel and I ate at this small café that had the best sandwiches I’ve had here yet. Afterwards we ventured out to the open market outside in the blazing sun. It was amazing, so many different carvings, beaded necklaces, boutiques (cloth with painted pictures), key chains, clothes, shoes….anything you can think of. The craftsmanship was astounding and we spent more than 3 hours just looking around and buying some stuff. The craziest thing about the market was that everywhere you turn there was someone saying, “Sister, you promote me.” This means please come to my shop and buy some of my items. At one point we had more than 10 vendors surround Rachel and I to persuade us to come to their shop. Although we lost each other many times amongst the hustle and bustle we managed to not only get out alive but with many beautiful gifts for ourselves and our families. We also stopped at the market to get some much needed shampoo. Yesterday we had bought some but accidently bought two conditioners instead of any shampoo. Therefore, we were very excited. We took the Citi Hoppa (a bus or a larger version of a Matatu) back to Daystar which was a short ride for 20 schillings each. Unfortunately, when we got home we realized that we had left our shampoo on the Citi Hoppa! We then came just in time to let Bob in to get his stuff to go to the airport. Also, after being in the hot sun we decided to take a much needed nap. When we got up it was too late for us to go to the internet café alone because it was getting dark. Therefore, we waited for the rest of the group to return.
Once the rest of the team returned and Matt packed for his trip back home, Rachel and I got dropped off at the Nakumatt to get Shampoo (finally) and get on the internet. I tried my best to upload the pictures; however, it did not work. Therefore, I will be uploading the pictures tomorrow and updating the blog. Everyone then met us at the Nakumatt and we went to eat again at Zinc, where we knew the food would be amazing. We all ate and reflected on our journey so far and I realized how much of a family we already were. I can’t wait for the rest of the team to come and join us!
When we got home it was late around 9pm, and we stayed up for a while so that Gilo and Peter could show us how to play a game with cards that they knew how. It was a version of slap jack, kind of, but took a long time to play. It was a lot of fun and for all the work we had done so far it was a nice relaxing time. We then went to bed tired and ready for the next day, whatever it may bring.
***On a side note….as we were waiting for everyone to get ready to go to the Nakumatt we were standing by the car outside the entrance to Daystar University and Rachel and I saw a man fall down partially in the road and start to seize. I threw down my purse and stuff in the car and ran to help the gentleman out. When I got to the scene he was on his back foaming at the mouth convulsing violently. I moved him to his side so that he would not choke or suffocate while he was seizing. Also, he was very near the road and both of us were almost hit multiple times. Therefore, I asked for people to help me move him to the sidewalk. He then went unconscious and stopped breathing. I checked his pulses and they were there but thready. At that moment I began to contemplate how I would have to give this man mouth to mouth because I had no barrier mask and I did not know this man. I was prepared to do what I needed; however, as I was about to mouth to mouth he began to breathe again. I was relieved, yet he continued again to seize violently. I again moved the gentleman to his side. At this time was a large crowd very curious about what was going on. Thankfully, he stopped seizing and regained consciousness. Everyone was thankful, and I began to question the gentleman about this episode to see if he had done this before. He stated that his name was Andrew and he had just left the Kenyatta Hospital because they turned him away. He said that he has epilepsy and he had run out of medications but with no way to pay for them, the hospital couldn’t help him. I asked him for the types of medicines he needed and gave him Duncan’s number. He was very greatful for our help and stated that we saved his life. We explained that we were having a medical camp coming up and requested that he came so that we could get the medicines that he needed. It was a very unexpected event and also sad because we know that even if we help him get medicines, how long would that last?
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Day 4 “Raining season in Africa + dirt bumpy roads = not good”
After almost 4 days we were all very tired. As much as we tried to sleep we all were awake at 500am eating breakfast. We had cereal and oatmeal with orange mango juice which is a very good way to start any morning. Also, Duncan came in with fresh milk from his cows that he milked this morning. He taught us how to pasteurize milk which included boiling it, freezing it, removing the cream on the top and then freezing it again. I guess the extreme temperatures both hot then cold help to kill the bacteria. We also finally got a hold of our families even though the cell phone charges will be outrageous we wanted them to know we were still alive and well. Also, my laptop charging connector broke so I was unable to write the blog till now. We still have not gotten to access the internet because the school library has been closed due to school being out and we have been too busy to stop by the local cyber cafes. Soon I promise this will go up so sorry for the delay!
Rachel and I had plans to go to the market and the internet café; however, instead we were going to take a quick trip up to visit Michael (one of the Hope without Borders directors here in Africa) and his family. The trip was suppose to take only 30-45 min and with 5 of us squished into one small car we thought that would be fine. Unfortunately, most of the roads had been shut down because the president of the Dominican of Kenyan was coming through the streets due to a new referendum that was being passed. On top of the roads being closed and dead lock traffic the rain had washed away most of the dirt roads, so our 30-45 min trip took up to 4.5 bumpy hot hours. We introduced everyone to road games that we play in the states; nevertheless, the language barrier left 20 questions very hard so we just joked around for the long trip. I finally made Duncan (one of the other Hope without Borders directors here in Africa) laugh which I have been trying to do since we got here, because he is a very sarcastic and serious man. Also, Lance kept falling asleep on the bumpy roads, an impossible feat, but it kept us entertained.
Once we finally got to Michael’s house after many wrong turns and interesting detours, we were introduced to his wife (Margaret) and his 8 yr old daughter (Martha). They were very welcoming and had prepared a wonderful meal of goat, rice, kale, and a type of flat bread. Also, even though they lived in the country they specially bought soda for our visit. They had a beautiful house, yet it was still rustic with chickens, an outhouse and no electricity (due to vandalization of their transformer). Martha returned from Sunday school, where she was practicing a dance for next Sunday, and she showed us her welcome sign that she drew for us in chalk. Next, while the men sat and discussed the plans for the rest of the trip Margaret and Martha showed us around their village. It was gorgeous because it was in the country a very different landscape then the bustling downtown streets of Nairobi. The air was clean and you could see Mount Kenya clearly. Some of the younger kids from the village came out to see the Muzungos (white people) and spoke with those not too shy to talk with us. They showed us the border of Nairobi and Muchakos where a little river separated them and supplied them with their water. It was getting dark so we decided to be on our way. Due to the darkness and the eroded path we had a very long bumpy ride home to Daystar. Whether from the long day or the bumpy roads we were all a little goofy so we had fun naming Duncan’s car the “Smooth Operator.” However, there were some scarier moments when cars in front and around us were getting stuck in the mud and potholes. We had to do a little creative driving to circumvent them.
Finally, we got back to Daystar where we met Bob and Matt who came back from Garissa tired and full of stories. As Lance got them settled in Rachel and I went with Duncan, Gilo, and Peter to the Nakumatt. This Nakumatt was 24hrs and reminded me of a super wal-mart on steroids. It sold everything from groceries to cars, furniture to electronics. We got lost just getting some basic goods for the house. After that, Duncan took us on a night tour of Nairobi showing us the ministry of defense to the president’s house. However, after our long car trip we needed to get back home and rest. We were home by 10pm and were able to get some much needed rest.
Rachel and I had plans to go to the market and the internet café; however, instead we were going to take a quick trip up to visit Michael (one of the Hope without Borders directors here in Africa) and his family. The trip was suppose to take only 30-45 min and with 5 of us squished into one small car we thought that would be fine. Unfortunately, most of the roads had been shut down because the president of the Dominican of Kenyan was coming through the streets due to a new referendum that was being passed. On top of the roads being closed and dead lock traffic the rain had washed away most of the dirt roads, so our 30-45 min trip took up to 4.5 bumpy hot hours. We introduced everyone to road games that we play in the states; nevertheless, the language barrier left 20 questions very hard so we just joked around for the long trip. I finally made Duncan (one of the other Hope without Borders directors here in Africa) laugh which I have been trying to do since we got here, because he is a very sarcastic and serious man. Also, Lance kept falling asleep on the bumpy roads, an impossible feat, but it kept us entertained.
Once we finally got to Michael’s house after many wrong turns and interesting detours, we were introduced to his wife (Margaret) and his 8 yr old daughter (Martha). They were very welcoming and had prepared a wonderful meal of goat, rice, kale, and a type of flat bread. Also, even though they lived in the country they specially bought soda for our visit. They had a beautiful house, yet it was still rustic with chickens, an outhouse and no electricity (due to vandalization of their transformer). Martha returned from Sunday school, where she was practicing a dance for next Sunday, and she showed us her welcome sign that she drew for us in chalk. Next, while the men sat and discussed the plans for the rest of the trip Margaret and Martha showed us around their village. It was gorgeous because it was in the country a very different landscape then the bustling downtown streets of Nairobi. The air was clean and you could see Mount Kenya clearly. Some of the younger kids from the village came out to see the Muzungos (white people) and spoke with those not too shy to talk with us. They showed us the border of Nairobi and Muchakos where a little river separated them and supplied them with their water. It was getting dark so we decided to be on our way. Due to the darkness and the eroded path we had a very long bumpy ride home to Daystar. Whether from the long day or the bumpy roads we were all a little goofy so we had fun naming Duncan’s car the “Smooth Operator.” However, there were some scarier moments when cars in front and around us were getting stuck in the mud and potholes. We had to do a little creative driving to circumvent them.
Finally, we got back to Daystar where we met Bob and Matt who came back from Garissa tired and full of stories. As Lance got them settled in Rachel and I went with Duncan, Gilo, and Peter to the Nakumatt. This Nakumatt was 24hrs and reminded me of a super wal-mart on steroids. It sold everything from groceries to cars, furniture to electronics. We got lost just getting some basic goods for the house. After that, Duncan took us on a night tour of Nairobi showing us the ministry of defense to the president’s house. However, after our long car trip we needed to get back home and rest. We were home by 10pm and were able to get some much needed rest.
Day 3 “Rocks in our shoes”
We were awoken at 7 am by the loud birds at our windows and a wet dusky smell. Rachel and I made breakfast and sent off the Bob and Matt for Garissa near the Somalia Border. After we sent them off to install bio-sand water filters (link) and bring medical supplies we met our housekeeper for the time Jen. She was ringing our doorbell, which we thought was the phone. She explained that she would help provide services, which we definitely didn’t expect and we explained that we would probably use her when the rest of the team came because we had been preparing our own food, doing our own dishes and cleaning ourselves. After that, we had a meeting at 1030 with Jackie Muthaga (fundraiser/ site coordinator) to go over our meeting at 100pm with the Daystar Nairobi Campus Students for a social event followed by an informational session explaining how to apply for our student grant for community development projects.
After Lance returned, Rachel, Duncan, and Michael and I walked to the local Nakumatt (a large grocery store with fast food like restaurants on the top level). The walk was wonderful and long, but we were able to get a taste of the local community. One thing that was evident once again was the diverse population. There were beggars, street workers/venders, guards, commuters, students, and business men and women alike. It had all the noise and smells of a bustling city but with feel of an African village. We made it to the Nakumatt, despite our near death by crossing the street. On the top level were restaurants like Buddha’s Garden (Thai like food) and Lip Licking Chicken (a sort of version of KFC), also a cart vender called Hot ‘N Corny (not sure what they sold). We ended up choosing a place called Zinc I had beef with rice and vegetables. Anyone who says they go to Africa and lose weight is crazy the food here is amazing. It took a long time so it definitely was not like fast food in the states.
We then walked back to Daystar and set up for the student event which Rachel and I ran with help from Lance, Duncan and Michael. There was a great turn out especially because school was out and most students at the Nairobi campus are nontraditional students. There was about 25-30 students and we explained about how to apply for the community development grant that would help the students with a project in their hometown. We will be awarding $500 at the end of our trip to a group of students for a hometown project. We had fun with all the students and met some pretty remarkable people. Many of the women were looked down upon for being in school because in their community it was not proper for women to get an education. Therefore, they had a lot of perseverance. One of the students explained that her mother sent her to live with a pastor for 7 years at the age of 9 to avoid female circumcision (a tradition in the Masai Tribe). She was then reunited with her mother who was now a widow and looked poorly on by the community. However, finally they accepted her and her family.
Once we finished our amazing meeting with the students we came back to Lancaster, I think that our jetlag finally caught up with us. Some of the students came to visit with us, one of them named Dyana (who we met in 2008), her fiancé Richard, Colin, Peter, and Gilo. We all decided to go and get dinner together at an Ethiopian Restaurant called Habesha. To get there we got into a Matatu which is like a taxi but with a 15 passenger van where you run and jump into. Rachel had never had Ethiopian so she was a little apprehensive, so we tried to stick with flavors that weren’t too spicy. In case you’ve never had Ethiopian food it is all shared. The dish itself is made of Injira (fermented spongy rice bread) and you use the dish to eat the lentils, meat, and vegetables. In the end she liked most of it. We had so much fun with all the students and ate more than our fill of food. All of us talked about the things most people don’t at dinner, politics, religion and cultural views. However, everyone was excited to share their own opinions and views. We then took the Matatu back to Lancaster. When we got back we found out our last piece of luggage was found and Lance, Duncan and Peter went to retrieve it. Rachel and I headed to bed to prepare for the next day and as tired as we were, the excitement of everything to come kept us waking up at all hours of the night.
After Lance returned, Rachel, Duncan, and Michael and I walked to the local Nakumatt (a large grocery store with fast food like restaurants on the top level). The walk was wonderful and long, but we were able to get a taste of the local community. One thing that was evident once again was the diverse population. There were beggars, street workers/venders, guards, commuters, students, and business men and women alike. It had all the noise and smells of a bustling city but with feel of an African village. We made it to the Nakumatt, despite our near death by crossing the street. On the top level were restaurants like Buddha’s Garden (Thai like food) and Lip Licking Chicken (a sort of version of KFC), also a cart vender called Hot ‘N Corny (not sure what they sold). We ended up choosing a place called Zinc I had beef with rice and vegetables. Anyone who says they go to Africa and lose weight is crazy the food here is amazing. It took a long time so it definitely was not like fast food in the states.
We then walked back to Daystar and set up for the student event which Rachel and I ran with help from Lance, Duncan and Michael. There was a great turn out especially because school was out and most students at the Nairobi campus are nontraditional students. There was about 25-30 students and we explained about how to apply for the community development grant that would help the students with a project in their hometown. We will be awarding $500 at the end of our trip to a group of students for a hometown project. We had fun with all the students and met some pretty remarkable people. Many of the women were looked down upon for being in school because in their community it was not proper for women to get an education. Therefore, they had a lot of perseverance. One of the students explained that her mother sent her to live with a pastor for 7 years at the age of 9 to avoid female circumcision (a tradition in the Masai Tribe). She was then reunited with her mother who was now a widow and looked poorly on by the community. However, finally they accepted her and her family.
Once we finished our amazing meeting with the students we came back to Lancaster, I think that our jetlag finally caught up with us. Some of the students came to visit with us, one of them named Dyana (who we met in 2008), her fiancé Richard, Colin, Peter, and Gilo. We all decided to go and get dinner together at an Ethiopian Restaurant called Habesha. To get there we got into a Matatu which is like a taxi but with a 15 passenger van where you run and jump into. Rachel had never had Ethiopian so she was a little apprehensive, so we tried to stick with flavors that weren’t too spicy. In case you’ve never had Ethiopian food it is all shared. The dish itself is made of Injira (fermented spongy rice bread) and you use the dish to eat the lentils, meat, and vegetables. In the end she liked most of it. We had so much fun with all the students and ate more than our fill of food. All of us talked about the things most people don’t at dinner, politics, religion and cultural views. However, everyone was excited to share their own opinions and views. We then took the Matatu back to Lancaster. When we got back we found out our last piece of luggage was found and Lance, Duncan and Peter went to retrieve it. Rachel and I headed to bed to prepare for the next day and as tired as we were, the excitement of everything to come kept us waking up at all hours of the night.
Day 2 “Karibu (welcome)….smile you are in Kenya”
The overnight flight to London was an 8hr flight and we arrived at 7am. Our next flight from London to Nairobi didn’t leave till 1020am so we grabbed brunch again and waited for our flight to board. We met more interesting people waiting for this flight as well. This is Rachel and I at the London airport window shopping. We did whatever we could to get up and stretch our legs to prepare for the next 8 our flight. We met three guys who were traveling to Kitale, which is 6 hr drive or a 2 hr plane ride from Nairobi. They were with a Church doing orphanage work from Texas. Also, we met a woman named Betty who was getting her Master’s in Education and Community Development and was employed by the UN. She wants to open a school in Uganda and gave us her card for future projects. After another long cramped flight we arrived in Nairobi at 1000pm. We were able to get all of our bags except for one so that was a relief. Thankfully, we had many people waiting for us at the gate. They helped us load ALL the luggage and we were taken to Lancaster Residence at Daystar University. We also met Bob another team member who were leaving for Garissa with Matt in the morning. When we arrived at Lancaster Residence it felt like a home away from home. I quickly remembered my previous stay in 2008. The accommodations as always were amazing. There were 4 bedrooms, and living room, 2 dining rooms, large kitchn and a We had a quick team meeting and headed to bed under our lovely mosquito nets. It was amazing to finally sleep on a bed.
Day 1 “Sleepless in the Air”
So we arrived at the airport in Chicago on time, thankfully. We had 13 bags to check in and without time to weigh them it was a little chaotic. Fortunately the attendant at the counter was lenient and we only had to pay for 1 overweight charge and an extra baggage charge. Once we had check our bags we roamed around the airport for lunch. Our flight didn’t board until 520pm so we had some time to kill since we arrived at noon. You can tell we all had little to no sleep the last couple of days before the trip. This is Lance passed out waiting to board. Also, this is Matt excited to find the peanut M&M s that we stashed in Lance’s carry on. And this is Rachel and I waiting anxiously our departure.
The sleep was not the best but we had 150+ fellow travelers on board. Every time we went on the plane we seemed to find friends. On the flight to London we met a women and her daughter who started a business in Gahanna selling clothes. All in all, we got as much sleep as we could and were all very excited for our final destination, Africa.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
"The calm before the storm"
It is almost 2 am the morning of the day the first of our team members leave for Africa, including Rachel, Lance, Matt, and Myself. We spent countless hours packing, repacking and trying to make everything under 50lbs. So far I want to say the luggage count is at 26. Thank god being a humanitarian organization because we are allowed 1 extra check in each which allows us enough room for donated items and then some. I want to thank all of our team members for all the time and energy dedicated to make this trip a success thusfar. I can not wait to get there and also can not wait for the rest of the team to arrive on May 24th. I said all of my goodbyes and as you can tell I can't get to sleep because I am too excited. Well also Lance needed some prodding to pack efficiently : )
We had a packing party on sunday and thanks to all the team members who came we were able to sort out a good majority of our medications and donated items and pack them. These pictures capture just some of the craziness!
I also wanted to include a picture of the offical Hope Without Borders Africa 2010 team to you!!!
( Top from Left to Right....Faria, Amanda, Alyssa, Josiah, Laura, Lance, Julie)
(Bottom from Left to Right.....Jena and Jennifer-me)
Unfortunatley some team members couldnt make the group picture....missing members include: Rachel, Doug, Matt, and Bob, and Courtney)
Keep an eye on the blog to see how we spend our time in Africa, please comment if you want!
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."
Robert Lee Frost
Monday, May 3, 2010
"Act as though it is impossible to fail."
The comedy sportz fundraising event was a sucess!! Thank you for all of those who attended and participated in the raffle. With the money from this event we are that much closer to achieving our goals in Africa!!! Plus is was fun, we had several voluteers that went on stage. Faria (one of the team members going to africa) was up there doing "ask the experts," where she and two other comedians tried to answer questions by speaking one word at a time. Very funny.....my favorite part was in answering the question "where do babies come from," all I have to say is "woooosh." Once again thank you for all the support!
I am starting to get anxious about the trip because it is coming up in 2 weeks! I still have to get my medicine for typhiod and also malaria : ) Im working on the packing list which is much longer than I thought. Also lookign forward to the packing party on May 16th so that we can pack all of the amazing donations and equiptment for the long trip!
Wish me luck on packing and can't wait!!!
I am starting to get anxious about the trip because it is coming up in 2 weeks! I still have to get my medicine for typhiod and also malaria : ) Im working on the packing list which is much longer than I thought. Also lookign forward to the packing party on May 16th so that we can pack all of the amazing donations and equiptment for the long trip!
Wish me luck on packing and can't wait!!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
"Laughter is food for the soul"
We are planning a fundraiser at comedy sportz club in Milwaukee, WI on April 30th at 730pm. This is our first large scale fundraiser to provide monetary support for our current and future projects in Kenya. Tickets are $25 and there is a cash bar starting at 6pm. For any interested people email me for tickets at jmparve85@gmail.com The show is PG so children are welcome and it is an interactive comedy show so be prepared to get involved.
We have also finally recieved all of our plane tickets so it is official I leave May 19th at 6am and the rest of the team is leaving May 24th. So there is lots to do with working out details and other arrangements. I will post pictures of the event afterwards for all to see!
http://www.comedysportzmilwaukee.com/
We have also finally recieved all of our plane tickets so it is official I leave May 19th at 6am and the rest of the team is leaving May 24th. So there is lots to do with working out details and other arrangements. I will post pictures of the event afterwards for all to see!
http://www.comedysportzmilwaukee.com/
Friday, February 26, 2010
“Dum spiro, spero"
I am writing to update the blog. We are working on fundraising opportunities to help much needed projects in development areas in Africa. I have also decided to go over to Africa earlier than planned to help lay the ground work for the team coming in the end of May. I will be meeting with the students of Daystar University and also preparing the lodging and projects we will be doing. I am going to forgo going to Garissa, Kenya even though I really wanted to help out with one of the biggest refugee camps there called Dadaab. It is home to over 160,000 refugees, mostly from neighboring Somalia. I was warned that it was not safe enough for me to go at this time. I am getting more and more excited as time gets closer. Please visit our website all donations help. If we don't spread hope.....who will?
“Dum spiro, spero (Latin), "While I breath, I hope"”
“Dum spiro, spero (Latin), "While I breath, I hope"”
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Hope Without Borders- Africa 2010
Hey-
This is my first blog it is Feb. 9th, 2010. I created this blog to help raise money and support for those less fortunate in Africa. I know many people say, "why go to africa when there are so many that need help here in the states?" My answer to that is simple, I was born in Nairobi, Kenya and therefore my heart feels for the people of that country. Also, for anyone who has visited there knows that the suffering there is unimaginable compared to the suffering here. No food, no clean water, no electricity and no hope. But there is hope and that is what I plan to spread one community at a time. Unfortunatley, I can not do it on my own. Therefore, I have partnered with an organization near and dear to my heart, Hope Without Borders.
Hope Without Borders, (HWB) is a non-profit organization started by my parents. They were missionaries in Somalia during the time of my birth. What seperates this organization from others is that we are not looking to send aid like food and water because those are temporary things that put a "bandaid over a gushing wound." Instead, we plan to teach communities to help themselves. If you want any information on the amazing things that we are doing through HWB visit the website, http://www.hwb-intl.org/
My goal is to raise money to support these projects that allow communities in Africa to help themselves. We are bringing a team of volunteers to Kenya from MAY-JUNE to work on community development projects. Please visit my blog for weekly updates and fundraising opportunities. My plan is to blog daily while in africa to show those supporters where their money truely goes from your hands to those most deserving in africa.
“Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.”
-Emily Dickinson
For donations please visit:
http://www.hwb-intl.org/
http://www.facebook.com/: join hope without borders causes
This is my first blog it is Feb. 9th, 2010. I created this blog to help raise money and support for those less fortunate in Africa. I know many people say, "why go to africa when there are so many that need help here in the states?" My answer to that is simple, I was born in Nairobi, Kenya and therefore my heart feels for the people of that country. Also, for anyone who has visited there knows that the suffering there is unimaginable compared to the suffering here. No food, no clean water, no electricity and no hope. But there is hope and that is what I plan to spread one community at a time. Unfortunatley, I can not do it on my own. Therefore, I have partnered with an organization near and dear to my heart, Hope Without Borders.
Hope Without Borders, (HWB) is a non-profit organization started by my parents. They were missionaries in Somalia during the time of my birth. What seperates this organization from others is that we are not looking to send aid like food and water because those are temporary things that put a "bandaid over a gushing wound." Instead, we plan to teach communities to help themselves. If you want any information on the amazing things that we are doing through HWB visit the website, http://www.hwb-intl.org/
My goal is to raise money to support these projects that allow communities in Africa to help themselves. We are bringing a team of volunteers to Kenya from MAY-JUNE to work on community development projects. Please visit my blog for weekly updates and fundraising opportunities. My plan is to blog daily while in africa to show those supporters where their money truely goes from your hands to those most deserving in africa.
“Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.”
-Emily Dickinson
For donations please visit:
http://www.hwb-intl.org/
http://www.facebook.com/: join hope without borders causes
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