First Love Kenya

Our visit to First Love was a last minute addition to our schedule on our last day in Kenya. I had no idea what to expect...I was worn out but hoping for an experience to redeem the one at Mama Lucy's...something to give me hope. And that's exactly what I found at First Love Girls Home. The minute we arrived, the girls greeted us and gave us hugs. One girl, Caroline (13 yrs old) immediately connected with me. She grabbed my hand and took me on a tour. The facility was beautiful with nice buildings, flowers, a vegetable garden, animals (dogs, cats, chickens) and lots of trees. I was impressed by their bedrooms, decent clothes and clean toothbrushes. The girls shower everyday. They have one "mama", two "aunties" and two "uncles" to watch over them, cook for them and take care of the facilities. These seem like simple things but simple things that every child needs and deserves. On site they have an office/dorm, guesthouse, garage, woodshop, kitchen, water tower that doubles as a security watchtower and they're currently building a dining hall and second dorm. I could tell immediately that these girls were well taken care of and are on a path to healing. Some are already thriving. During our afternoon visit, we painted lots of toes, taught them sudoku, and made bracelets. The girls sang while crafting and it seemed full of life and peace and joy. These kids were different than the ones at Mama Lucy's. All of my teammates and I could tell the difference. We had to pick our jaws up off the floor!

Caroline gravitated toward me the entire afternoon. I learned a lot about her as we played on the swings. She loves singing and wants to be a singer when she grows up. She and another girl, Freida sang on video for me (see below). They are precious and have such deep souls. I knew it would be hard to say goodbye. By that time I had decided I would become her sponsor but until details were set up, I couldn't tell her. So I said, you will always be in my heart, I love you, I will write to you and pray for you. Being her sponsor means I give a monthly contribution to First Love and continue my friendship with Caroline through writing letters. I am really looking forward to watching her mature into a beautiful young woman. She has been given an amazing gift: opportunity. Opportunity to dream and learn and grow and live the life she couldn't live before. I love the name "First Love" because it reminds me how God loves us first...even before we know him or love him back. Spending the day with Caroline and the girls at First Love was so valuable. A tangible example of how God loves and takes care of "the least of these". My trip to Kenya was worth it just to meet her..I will be back!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hope Community Center

I wrote 48 pages in my journal about my experience at Hope Community Center a.k.a. "Mama Lucy's" in Kinangop, Kenya. The good, the bad and the ugly. It feels pretty overwhelming to write about it here. Spending 4 1/2 days at Mama Lucy's was supposed to be THE highlight of our trip. I will definitely say the place changes you. But not in the way you would think. These beautiful kids were rescued from life on the streets and given a roof over their head. But they still go every day without many basic necessities. They are still scarred and in need of healing. Overall, I believe our team did a good job of showing affection, attention and love to 200 kids who needed it. We did the best we could with the resources and direction we were given.

Thank you to my friends who contributed toward the washer and dryer fund! Lucy bought the washer and dryer and they arrived the morning before we left. I had the opportunity to teach the older girls how to operate the machines. A unique experience I will not forget.

Below is a little taste of Hope Community Center on the day of our arrival. If you want to hear about the other days and my analysis of the week, call me.

Day 1 - Arrival:

Before arriving at Mama Lucy's, we stopped in the town of Naivasha at a small walmart-type store called Naivas. We bought a ton of stuff for the kids and babies: school notebooks, plastic pants for diapers, cloth diaper fasteners, underwear for the girls, plates/cups, soap, laundry detergent, bleach, a basketball, and more. I loved being able to spend the money that my friends had given me for this purpose. We drove out of town and onto the bumpiest dirt road I've ever travelled on. In the early evening we arrived at Hope Community Center and all the kids in their uniforms came out to greet us. They were shy and cute. Mama Lucy was not there. After unloading our luggage and store purchases, we joined the kids for their nightly "devotion" time of singing, prayer and a message led by Gerald a former HCC kid (now 25 years old) and on a break from college. I loved their music. Their voices were loud and their tone was beautiful. Lots of clapping and movement and yet bet I joined in! Then dinner was brought in a HUGE cauldron full of beans that took four older boys to carry. We helped dish out large portions of beans to the kids and served them. We would have been happy to eat what the kids were eating, but Jackson, the cook and a few older girls insisted they cook separate for us. They were so generous and the food tasted great! All week we ate rice, cooked greens (kale), cabbage, ugali (corn meal), chicken, hard boiled eggs and yummy fried bread called mandazi. And of course, hot tea. We stayed in a 3 story dorm-style building with running water and a toilet. Before bed we prepped for the next day's activities including health check ups (by our 3 nurses), outdoor games, and indoor learning activities and crafts.

An interesting first day but just the beginning of an interesting week...

Equator and Nakuru National Park

You would think it would be really hot standing on the equator...not so. Feels like San Diego weather. Random fact for the day: Did you know that north of the equator water spins down a drain clockwise, south of the equator it spins counterclockwise and directly on the equator it doesn't spin at all??

We went on safari at Lake Nakuru where we saw so many beautiful animals up close. It was an amazing experience. I highly recommend going on safari at least once in your life. Pictures tell a thousand words.

Yes, that's a rhino

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TumuTumu School for the Deaf

September 11, 2009 in Kenya: School for the Deaf Day! This was the day I'd been waiting for and one of the main reason why I joined the North Coast team going to Kenya. During the 2 hour drive to TumuTumu, I met and chatted with Kenyan Sign Language Interpreter, Judy Wanjiru. Judy is a freelance interpreter and also interprets at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Nairobi where hundreds of deaf people attend. We instantly connected and talked about KSL vs ASL, her sign background and I picked her brain for KSL signs. When we arrived at TumuTumu, our team checked into the guest house then toured the 100 year old hospital on site. TumuTumu is in Karatina near Mt. Kenya which is a lush mountainous region where they grow lots of coffee and tea. The weather was cool and breezy...such a beautiful day.

Felicia and I were assigned to organize the day's activities although we were also told to be SUPER flexible. Africa time is different than America time...it's kinda like DST (Deaf Standard Time) :) The moment we arrived at the school's front gates which proudly read their name, mission and vision, I was so excited! When we walked onto the school property, the kids were so affectionate and I loved that I could somewhat communicate with them. Luckily the alphabet in KSL is the same as ASL. In fact, many signs are the same. Our team gathered in the teacher's lounge to meet the headmaster and spell out our plan. That's when the chaos began. To make a long story short, I wasn't able to do an effective job of leading my team through the plan. Part of that ineffectiveness was my lack of preparation and the other part involved some teammates trying to take charge when it wasn't their day to be the chief. This was a very challenging situation for me...and in the end I was proud of my non-confrontational self for setting boundaries with others. So the day proceeded but in a rough and messy fashion. Anyone who works with deaf kids knows that it can be a lot of fun but getting 200 kids' attention at one time to explain directions is nearly impossible. Once outside, the kids played soccer (we brought new balls), parachute, bubbles, and ribbon games. I tossed around the volleyball with some teenage girls and helped with the big bubbles. I also chatted with Allen, a TumuTumu teacher who is an American and a Peace Corps Volunteer...ironically he attended Cal State Northridge (CSUN) while I was working there but we never crossed paths. Later we all went inside for the organized mayhem craft project. It was definitely crazy but the kids were so creative and energetic. The day ended too soon and we were invited to "take tea" with the headmaster and teachers. I enjoyed talking to some of the teachers but I wished for more time with the kids. Overall, the day wasn't what I expected. I had hoped for more interactions, connecting and bonding with the kids. I had hoped to do something with a greater purpose. I felt crushed when we left and had a strong desire to re-do the day all over again. But later I realized that this day was not about ME...duh. It was about the kids. Looking back, I think the kids had a fun experience and felt loved by our team. The day was about building relationships and I believe we did that. The headmaster was thrilled that we came all the way from America to visit and invited us to come back again soon. I forgot to sign the guest book which is a Kenya tradition when you visit places or homes so I guess that means I'm meant to go back there :)

With Judy, the KSL Interpreter and Mr. Headmaster

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Jamii Bora

Today was so different than I thought it would be. We were told we'd be going to Jamii Bora Children's Home. However, we were blown away by what we encountered there. "Jamii Bora" in the town of Kuputiei (outside of Nairobi) is the vision come true of a Swedish women named Ingrid Munro who worked for the African Housing Fund over 20 years ago. Street beggars in her community wanted her to help them find housing and her dream was to permanantely move them from a life of poverty. She started out by asking the street beggars to save the money they earned from begging. It took a long while for the people to trust her but eventually they started pooling their money together and years later the Jamii Bora Fund was created. Jamii Bora has become the first African ECO-friendly village built with microfiancing to provide housing for the poor. Jamii Bora started employing the street beggars and people in the local community to produce the materials for construction...bricks and tiles from raw materials like dirt, gravel, and cement. Then they started building homes. These homes have toilets, running water and solar power electricity. The town has several wells and above ground tanks plus a waste water treatment plant and they use recycled water for the toilets and gardens. There is a primary school and a children's home for abandoned kids. Jamii Bora Trust continues to make loans to people who are now former beggars, prostitutes and thieves so they can purchase a home. They already have all the construction materials finished to build 8 communities with 240 houses each for about 10,000 people. They have plans underway to build a secondary school. Jamii Bora is on Masai land...Masai is one of the Kenyan tribes. Traditionally tribes are very separate and do not integrate. But these particular Masai people wanted to welcome others to their land. They said, we will all be in heaven together...why not get to know each other now? While we were at Jamii Bora, we got a tour of the factory (wood walls with a tin roof and dirt floor) where they explained the entire production process with demonstrations. We saw them working on a new water tank and heard a description of the entire community development plan. We visited a little general store where one women was selling produce, food, candies including Obama gum and beautiful Masai fabric. One women, Cecilia invited us into her home. She told us how she has been waiting 27 years to have a home of her own. She used to be a drunkard and street beggar and now her life has been transformed thanks to God and the Swedish visionary, Ingrid Munro. We met the boys from the children's home who were home from school for lunch. They introduced themselves, sang to us and then we sang all together. One boy, James the song leader in grade 8, won my heart. He had beautiful light brown eyes full of light and was so endearing to me. We received a tour of the school where we met several teachers and saw students in their classrooms. Jamii Bora was a dream of just one woman with a passion for the poor and the outcasts of society. She has changed the world for so many people. There's so much I can learn from her perseverance and determination. This is love and service in action. I am awed that I was able to experience it. The Jamii Bora model is one of the most effective and sustainable solutions to combat poverty I've ever seen. Imagine if this town was replicated in other parts of Africa and around the world...we would be so many steps closer to eliminating poverty!

If you're really interested in learning more about Jamii Bora check out these videos:

• Jamii Bora on CNBC Africa
• Jamii Bora Success Story: Wilson Maina Part 1 and Part 2

"Not even the sky is the limit." Ingrid Munro

To top off a great day...three of my teammates and I took a hip hop dance class at Destiny Dance next door to our hotel. Yes, I TOOK DANCE CLASS IN KENYA!! I am in heaven now!

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Tumaini Children's Home

All day today I rode shotgun in the matatu (van) next to the driver and learned so much about Nairobi and Kenyan culture. We first went downtown to shop...mostly for items to resale at the Global Market back in the States and send the money to the kids here in Kenya. We all bought fun souvenirs too. We ate lunch at an Indian restaurant...the wait for the food was one hour (needless to say we were all cranky and delirious) but the food was amazing and some of the best Indian food I've ever had. Then we headed off to Tumaini Children's Home (tumaini means "hope" in Swahili). There are 15 kids who live there and they all have HIV/AIDS...but you would never know it by meeting them. They are so full of life and joy. They sang for us and recited poems. We got to take pictures and just snuggle with them. They loved seeing their pictures on the digital camera display. We all played with a huge parachute and it was great to see their laughter as they shook it and ran underneath back and forth. Then one of our team members read a story as all the kids sat on our laps. I had three boys sitting on my lap. One in the middle and one on each knee. They just wanted to be held and touched. Last they showed us their bedrooms...they were so proud! They sang us another song and then two kids prayed for us. They were so sweet and kind hearted. Our goodbyes lasted forever...it was difficult to break away from them. They yelled goodbye and waved furiously as we drove away. I have lots to process and will take time to write more about my thoughts and feeling in another posting. We drove to dinner at Java House and ate outside on a patio. The weather is beautiful...so much like San Diego. Alice who is the wife of Solomon, our Kenyan "partner" on this trip, sat at my table. We picked her brain about Kenyan life and I even wrote down a couple of her recipes. Lots to absorb but I'm loving it. I'm totally soaking up not being in an all-white world. I really enjoy watching the people as we drive through the city and I wonder about their worlds. Tomorrow we're going to Jamii Bora a poorer children's home. P.S. There is a dance studio next door to our hotel and I am really hoping to take a class there if I have free time. It would add a cherry on top to an incredible African experience!


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Hi From Kenya!

Jambo! (That's Swahili for "hello"!) We made it to Nairobi, Kenya on Monday morning. The weather was cool and partly cloudy and in fact has been in the 70s everyday so far. Not too hot and not too cold. We got picked up by our drivers JM and Wilfred and taken to our lodging for the week at Gracia Guest House. Probably built in the 1970s, dormitory style w a common room in the middle. My roomate and team member Felicia and I are a great match. All the Kenyan hotel staff are very friendly and welcoming which I've heard is pretty common among Kenyans. From what I've observed Nairobi seems like a mixed area with poor tin roof houses, people herding cows down the street, middle/working class people riding the van/buses or walking to work and then new condos and private schools in gated communities and a mall where the trendy "rich" people shop and hang out (that's where I am now using an internet cafe). I'm trying to soak in all my surroundings...so much to see! From the guest house we went to Nairobi National Park to see the baby elephant orphanage. I can't even describe how cute they were. Got to touch and take up close pictures. We also went to a girafe reserve where I got to feed, pet and even kiss a girafe! Pictures to come! An amazing opportunity. However, I spent most of the day in a fog from not enough sleep (two nights of sleeping upright on a plane) and my allergies were going crazy which started in London (feeling much better now). Today we made a trip to the village of N'gundu about 2 hours away. North Coast Calvary Chapel has a partnership with N'gundu Church and have helped fund their vocational school, toilets, medical clinic, trees, etc. So we visited as "representatives". While we were there we got a tour of the brand new vocational school (one tin roof building w 3 sewing machines) where they proudly showed us their very first mosquito net recently completed. Their first project will be to sew these nets and sell in the village. We planted trees and named them. Mine is named CuCu ("shoo-shoo") Virginia... which means grandmother after my grandma who helped fund my trip via my mom and aunts. Then we ate brunch that consisted of sweet potatoes (yellow), mandazi (like triangle doughnuts), small bananas, muffins and tea with milk. So good. I talked to one women about the tea and learned how they make it by boiling 1/2 milk and 1/2 water then putting in the tea leaves and then straining out the leaves. I will definitely be buying lots of tea to take home! Last we toured the clinic then gave them a suitcase full of medical supplies. On the way home we saw a few kids walking home from school. We stopped to give them lollipops and pens. Even dirty and some barefoot...these kids were so adorable.




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I made it to London

I'm at Heathrow Airport in London getting ready to board the flight to Nairobi. Before leaving for the airport my suitcase was 10 lbs overweight...a little stressful but I made it along with all of our bags through check-in. The flight was looooong to London...10 hours. Sleeping pills didn't help much plus a screaming baby who didn't sleep the entire flight. Our team spent all day walking around London and got to see some of the main sites. Fun but exhausting! My time is about to expire so I'll write more soon!

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50 lbs is so limiting!

I am READY! I think. Our plane leaves at 1pm tomorrow from LAX and arrives in London on Sunday morning. 10 hour flight. Then another 7 hour flight to Nairobi. I plan to pop some pills and go nite nite....zzzz

Seriously...why do they make suitcases so large? If you fill them up, guaranteed they'll go over the 50 lbs limit...which I planned to do and suck up the overage charge but just learned today that they'll charge $125! Needless to say, I had to reorganize. I have a ton of extra room but nope...heavy baby. Don't the airlines care about the poor African children?? Well, at least Roxy the cat isn't complaining...


You'd think I'd be in bed by now. My roomie Kate and I are sitting on the couch side by side in front of the only fan in the house with dueling laptops while listening to hip hop/pop music from 2004 (i.e. OutKast, Destiny's Child, Usher). I think Rylee dog knows I'm leaving. Sad panda. She climbed up on the big couch pillow behind me and perched there for a few minutes...a first for her. I know she will love two weeks of Auntie Kate time...I'm sure there will be bacon involved :)


If I can get online during my trip, I will update the blog so keeping checkin back, y'all.

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Off to bed!

Schedule in Kenya

Just in case y'all want to know what I'll be doing for the next two weeks. By the way, Kenya is 10 hours ahead of California.

September:
5 Sat: Leave LAX
6 Sun: LAX to London
7 Mon: Arrive Nairobi
8 Tues: Ng’undu church, health clinic, polytech school, plant trees
9 Wed: Tumaini Children’s Home for HIV/AIDS children
10 Thurs: Jami Bora Children’s Home
11 Fri: Presbyterian Hospital and Tumutumu School for Deaf
12 Sat: Visit equator, Nakuru Game Park
13 Sun: Nakuru Safari
14 Mon: Nakuru to North Kinengop, Hope Community Center
15 Tues: Hope Community Center
16 Wed: Hope Community Center
17 Thurs: Hope Community Center
18 Fri: Leave Hope Center to Nairobi. Visit Masai Market.
19 Sat: Kibera Slum - Health checks for Kuwinda girls, Leave Nairobi for London
20 Sun: Arrive LAX

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