Tuesday, our last day in Kenya, arrived with an early wake-up and the promise by the adult leaders that the mystery plan for the last day would finally be revealed. At nine a.m., we loaded into our 25-passenger bus and left the retreat center. After a short stint in an early morning traffic jam in Nairobi,we arrived at the gate for the Nairobi National Park. Eventually--we had to make a detour because of a mix-up on the opening time for our first destination--we came to the admissions gate for an elephant orphanage where we were treated to the sight of baby and young elephants who were being rescued and cared for by a local wildlife organization. The elephants were delightful, and we joined the other people there in snapping pictures of them and the staff who explained the elephants' plight and how the orphanage attempted to address it. After lunch, we went to a giraffe orphanage where we learned about the efforts being made to protect and care for them. We left the giraffes after about an hour of Q&A with the staff, multiple opportunities to feed the giraffes and, in some cases, be kissed by them. From there, we left for dinner.
After a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called the Rusty Nail, located in a town located outside of Nairobi called Karen (as in Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame), we returned to the Nairobi airport last night to check in and prepare for our return home. We arrived about two hours before our flight was scheduled to leave, only to encounter the most horrendous lines and checkpoints all of us had ever seen. We were nervous as the clock moved closer to boarding time, but we were able to get through the lines and get to our boarding gate with a little time to spare.
After about sixteen hours of flying, minimal sleep, lots more airline food, crying babies on the planes, etc, etc, etc, we arrived in Indy at about 1:30 this afternoon to be welcomed by friends and family. We are predictably tired, but we each have a host of memories, feelings and thoughts that we have brought home with us. We look forward to talking with everyone about our experiences--and how they have touched us--in the days, and weeks, and months ahead.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Hey Everyone,
It's Kaila again, except on a little more serious note. As the trip comes to an end I can say I have learned a lot from both my classmates and the people of Kenya.
From my classmates, I have learned that each of us handle situations differently, whether it be interacting with the students at St. Al's or walking through the city of Eldoret.
Yet, the biggest things are what I have learned from the Kenyans, which is no matter where you are, the quantity/quality of the things you own, and other things along the lines of economical status, you always can take the time to be gracious and kind to everyone. As well as that, I have learned you always have to be grateful for everything in your life good or bad because it always can be worse.
<3 Kaila Lewis
It's Kaila again, except on a little more serious note. As the trip comes to an end I can say I have learned a lot from both my classmates and the people of Kenya.
From my classmates, I have learned that each of us handle situations differently, whether it be interacting with the students at St. Al's or walking through the city of Eldoret.
Yet, the biggest things are what I have learned from the Kenyans, which is no matter where you are, the quantity/quality of the things you own, and other things along the lines of economical status, you always can take the time to be gracious and kind to everyone. As well as that, I have learned you always have to be grateful for everything in your life good or bad because it always can be worse.
<3 Kaila Lewis
Friendships Forged, Forever Remembered
Hello everyone back in Indy!
Today has been a truly touching day for everyone. This morning, we went to St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School in the Kibera Slums. To get there, we had to drive/walk through the slums, and it was a really eye-opening experience. Open sewage, garbage everywhere, not to mention some quite sinus-cleansing odors. However, despite the awful conditions, when we arrived at St. Al's, all of the students were beaming and thrilled to see us! We got to split up into small groups and sit in on different classes. Annie, Connor, and I first sat in on a Geography class, in which we discussed air masses and human effects on the climate (more like Biology?). Our group then made its way over to the next school building, where Catherine, Sean, Joanie, and I sat in on a Kiswahili class. Today's topic was folk tales, and the students told tales in Kiswahili and then in English. Catherine was brave enough to stand in front of the class and recite her own folk tale off the top of her head! After many photos and exchanges of emails with newly made friends, we left the slums to eat lunch at Savelberg Retreat Center. An hour later, we hopped back in our new 25-seater bus, and proceeded to take a driving tour of Nairobi. Unfortunately, I was too tired to keep my eyes open and therefore am unable to provide an accurate description of what we saw. We our now in a shopping mall drinking coffee and blogging in an Internet Cafe. It has been a wonderful day, and tomorrow's surprises are bound to be just as amazing!
~Rachel Fogel~
P.S. Sally Shapiro will have more pictures posted by Wednesday, so keep checking the site!
Today has been a truly touching day for everyone. This morning, we went to St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School in the Kibera Slums. To get there, we had to drive/walk through the slums, and it was a really eye-opening experience. Open sewage, garbage everywhere, not to mention some quite sinus-cleansing odors. However, despite the awful conditions, when we arrived at St. Al's, all of the students were beaming and thrilled to see us! We got to split up into small groups and sit in on different classes. Annie, Connor, and I first sat in on a Geography class, in which we discussed air masses and human effects on the climate (more like Biology?). Our group then made its way over to the next school building, where Catherine, Sean, Joanie, and I sat in on a Kiswahili class. Today's topic was folk tales, and the students told tales in Kiswahili and then in English. Catherine was brave enough to stand in front of the class and recite her own folk tale off the top of her head! After many photos and exchanges of emails with newly made friends, we left the slums to eat lunch at Savelberg Retreat Center. An hour later, we hopped back in our new 25-seater bus, and proceeded to take a driving tour of Nairobi. Unfortunately, I was too tired to keep my eyes open and therefore am unable to provide an accurate description of what we saw. We our now in a shopping mall drinking coffee and blogging in an Internet Cafe. It has been a wonderful day, and tomorrow's surprises are bound to be just as amazing!
~Rachel Fogel~
P.S. Sally Shapiro will have more pictures posted by Wednesday, so keep checking the site!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
from eldoret, still...
Hello to everyone back home! This is Aron Theising and I'm writing from Eldoret. I think Brenda's blog post (saying that no one had gotten sick) was a jinx. Last night, I was lucky enough to get a bacterial infection that was pretty nasty. I'll leave out the details, but it was bad enough that Dr. Mamlin told the group that he thought I should stay in Eldoret for another night while I healed. So this morning, when the group moved on to Nakuru, I stayed behind at the Mamlin house on the IU House campus. Between fever jumps up to 101 degrees and blood pressure drops as low as 70, I managed to get some sleep. After much Cipro, an IV, and large amounts of Tylenol, I have stabilized and feel so much better. As for the rest of the group, I'm sure they're having a blast. Your children are in great hands and are having the time of their lives. Tomorrow they will travel to Nairobi, where they will go into the largest slum in Africa, Kibera. This will probably be the most difficult part of the trip for many. My brother told me that the poverty in this slum is pretty unheard of - it's unimaginable. So wish your kids luck, pray for them if you are into that, and be prepared to see a change in them when they return to you on Wednesday. As for me, I am catching a plane from Eldoret to Nairobi tomorrow night. I'll meet up with the group and have one day in Kibera, and then we'll take off for home.
We'll see you soon!
Aron Theising
We'll see you soon!
Aron Theising
Friday, June 26, 2009
last one from eldoret... at least i think it is... not totally sure
hey everyone,
i have absolutely loved the trip so far. every day has been different and equally meaningful... it's weird, i didn't expect to feel so comfortable here, i mean, we're in kenya, this is about as foreign as it gets, right? but the hospitality that the kenyans and everyone we've met here, like the mamlins, have welcomed us with open arms into their homes and into their lives. i guess it isn't something you would notice because it is so commonplace in the usa but people here are so much more friendly. they will smile at you as you pass them in the street, make eye-contact, and the little kids usually wave at us. everyone has been so nice and i really think everyone has enjoyed the trip. tonight is our last night in eldoret and we're all sorry to leave. the iu house and the compound here is wonderful and though we are all looking forward to hot (as opposed to somewhat warm) showers at lake nakuru, we are all sad to go. eldoret is a gorgeous town and on the whole we have felt very safe walking around in town. connor and sara told you in their blog post a few minutes ago how much fun the day was and i am very sad to say it's our last here. nakuru is supposed to be a very nice hotel, so it should be fun. we will be going on game drives and we're hoping to see lions and the famous nakuru flamingoes. after nakuru, and the crazy long drives in transit, we will be back at savelberg in nairobi. kibera will be like nothing we've ever seen before according to the chaperones, and i know i'm at least feeling a little nervous and a little anxious about what awaits us in the slum. the trip has been amazing. though i over-use that word like none other, there really isn't a better word to use to describe the experience here. i know everyone reading the blog is anxious to see picutres and hear even more stories, and i promise we all have more than you will ever have the patience to sit through.
love to all,
catherine
i have absolutely loved the trip so far. every day has been different and equally meaningful... it's weird, i didn't expect to feel so comfortable here, i mean, we're in kenya, this is about as foreign as it gets, right? but the hospitality that the kenyans and everyone we've met here, like the mamlins, have welcomed us with open arms into their homes and into their lives. i guess it isn't something you would notice because it is so commonplace in the usa but people here are so much more friendly. they will smile at you as you pass them in the street, make eye-contact, and the little kids usually wave at us. everyone has been so nice and i really think everyone has enjoyed the trip. tonight is our last night in eldoret and we're all sorry to leave. the iu house and the compound here is wonderful and though we are all looking forward to hot (as opposed to somewhat warm) showers at lake nakuru, we are all sad to go. eldoret is a gorgeous town and on the whole we have felt very safe walking around in town. connor and sara told you in their blog post a few minutes ago how much fun the day was and i am very sad to say it's our last here. nakuru is supposed to be a very nice hotel, so it should be fun. we will be going on game drives and we're hoping to see lions and the famous nakuru flamingoes. after nakuru, and the crazy long drives in transit, we will be back at savelberg in nairobi. kibera will be like nothing we've ever seen before according to the chaperones, and i know i'm at least feeling a little nervous and a little anxious about what awaits us in the slum. the trip has been amazing. though i over-use that word like none other, there really isn't a better word to use to describe the experience here. i know everyone reading the blog is anxious to see picutres and hear even more stories, and i promise we all have more than you will ever have the patience to sit through.
love to all,
catherine
Whatta Daggone Day
Wowzer, today was quite a day. A little more light-hearted than our previous days, but it was great nonetheless. We started things off with a friendly little game known by the Kenyan locals as a "scavenger hunt". Teams were divided evenly by skill, wit, heart, desire, and courage. Connor's group was equipped with the best in the biz. Catherine "Super Star" Johnson, Lara "I Know You Like What You See" Kish, Brenda "Don't Mess With The Best" Adams, Connor "Im So Fly Till I Die" Glass, and Mwenge "Winning Is My Weakness" Mwenge reported back to the IU House in record time, leaving all of the other teams weeping in defeat. The scavanger hunt including retrieving things such as pictures of billboards, pineappaples, spoons, and stamps. Connor's group hasn't received their grand prize yet, but they have already reserved a spot in the new trophey case at school.
Sara's group actually finished first, but decided to use their time more wisely by spending their remaining time at the Sally Test Center. Everyone joined and spent the rest of the morning at Sally Test and then had a relaxing lunch back at the IU compound. After lunch, we took a quick dip in the pool. We had the afternoon to spend as we pleased. Some chose to stay and journal, some chose to go back to the Imani Workshop, and some returned to the Sally Test Center. Connor and I met up with our friendz that we met on our OVC visits and showed them the Sally Test Center and the IU House. Margaret, the social worker we visited with, and her two daughters, Jane and Grace were so kind to us and showed us their house the other day and so we felt like we owed it to them to spend a day as our guests. Dunia, the manager of the IU compound, has a cuz who does sick henna tats and hooked us all up for a small fee. It was GREAT. We were so grateful for her work and she appreciated the business because she needed the money to pay for her medical bills. Everyone got tatted up except for Connor and Glennis because they are nerds. Grace and Jane were nervous about the tattoos until they realized they were only temporary and saw how hott da ladies looked.
The rest of the day finished in the regular routine of dinner and reflection. Both of these things were equally great. Sara and Connor then drank coffee and can't fall asleep. We are super excited for tomorrow, and can't wait to see what fun-filled surprises are in store for us.
Love,
Connor and Sara
Sara's group actually finished first, but decided to use their time more wisely by spending their remaining time at the Sally Test Center. Everyone joined and spent the rest of the morning at Sally Test and then had a relaxing lunch back at the IU compound. After lunch, we took a quick dip in the pool. We had the afternoon to spend as we pleased. Some chose to stay and journal, some chose to go back to the Imani Workshop, and some returned to the Sally Test Center. Connor and I met up with our friendz that we met on our OVC visits and showed them the Sally Test Center and the IU House. Margaret, the social worker we visited with, and her two daughters, Jane and Grace were so kind to us and showed us their house the other day and so we felt like we owed it to them to spend a day as our guests. Dunia, the manager of the IU compound, has a cuz who does sick henna tats and hooked us all up for a small fee. It was GREAT. We were so grateful for her work and she appreciated the business because she needed the money to pay for her medical bills. Everyone got tatted up except for Connor and Glennis because they are nerds. Grace and Jane were nervous about the tattoos until they realized they were only temporary and saw how hott da ladies looked.
The rest of the day finished in the regular routine of dinner and reflection. Both of these things were equally great. Sara and Connor then drank coffee and can't fall asleep. We are super excited for tomorrow, and can't wait to see what fun-filled surprises are in store for us.
Love,
Connor and Sara
Another piece ending..
Hello all,
Today we end our time here in Eldoret. It's a surreal day for most of us because we can't believe how quickly the time goes. The students continue to amaze and bewilder me. I really believe they are going to come away with more than you (or I) ever imagined on this trip.
Everyone is doing well. We've had no illness or any kind of disaster (fingers crossed). Everyone seems to be getting enough sleep and make sure to remember their malaria meds. They are definitely getting enough to eat. Food has not been a problem.
After today internet connection and availibility will be sparse and unknown for the most part. We will spend a day at Lake Nakuru and then head to spend our last few days in Nairobi. Going to St. Al's school in the slums is going to take a toll on everyone so we have a really fun last day of surprises in store for them.
No one should worry. All the babes are doing well and no one has even mentioned going home. You would all be so proud of the things/thoughts that this trip has evoked. They truly are a great group of young people and we hope they continue to spread a great message.
Thanks for your love and support. None of this is possible without you!
Brenda
by the way.. we did a scavenger hunt around Eldoret today and the team of Lara, Catherine, Conner, Mwelga and I couldn't be touched. I think we set a record! :)
Today we end our time here in Eldoret. It's a surreal day for most of us because we can't believe how quickly the time goes. The students continue to amaze and bewilder me. I really believe they are going to come away with more than you (or I) ever imagined on this trip.
Everyone is doing well. We've had no illness or any kind of disaster (fingers crossed). Everyone seems to be getting enough sleep and make sure to remember their malaria meds. They are definitely getting enough to eat. Food has not been a problem.
After today internet connection and availibility will be sparse and unknown for the most part. We will spend a day at Lake Nakuru and then head to spend our last few days in Nairobi. Going to St. Al's school in the slums is going to take a toll on everyone so we have a really fun last day of surprises in store for them.
No one should worry. All the babes are doing well and no one has even mentioned going home. You would all be so proud of the things/thoughts that this trip has evoked. They truly are a great group of young people and we hope they continue to spread a great message.
Thanks for your love and support. None of this is possible without you!
Brenda
by the way.. we did a scavenger hunt around Eldoret today and the team of Lara, Catherine, Conner, Mwelga and I couldn't be touched. I think we set a record! :)
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