USVI-On-Line

Last week, I was in Kenya for a very special Mission trip to help a local preschool and community center called Hope Kenya. This center was the brainchild of an amazing man, John Gakuha Wilson, who grew up in a very poor part of Machakos, Kenya. He came to the US about 20 years ago and despite some very difficult experiences, has had the good fortune to be successful here. It has been his dream to give back to the people of his community. Thus he began Hope Kenya. Here is a link to the website - http://www.kenyapartners.org/

In addition to the preschool, the center includes a library (most of these kids didn't even know how to hold a book!), a health clinic and a micro-financing project. His belief is that charity makes those giving feel good but does nothing for the long term good of the community. Showing the people how to be successful with the help of Hope Kenya, will help to sustain the efforts.

I travelled with a group of elementary school teachers from Olathe, Kansas. I am not an educator, but was able to assist in other ways. The following link will bring you to my first set of pictures (there are three sets). This part of the trip was our travel day, a visit around Nairobi, a visit to Thika, which is a more agricultural area and our restaurant stop that night.

The Nairobi part of the visit brought tears to our eyes as we saw lots of poverty and slums. We visited a local craft market where we ended up being in some danger - threats of physical violence as well as threats to steal cameras. The visit to Thika was intended to show us the difference in landscape and also to visit with some of John's family members.

I took tons of pictures and haven't had time to label them, but enjoy if you'd like.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gofishtlp/K ... directlink

Very interesting pictures.

What an amazing experience that must have been for you. I noticed the "beware of hovering hawks" sign...was that at your hotel?

Tracy, thank you for sharing your pictures. I look forward to seeing more. Not meaning to be ungrateful for the opportunity to see them, I wish there were commentary as well. What a wonderful travel experience yet one of personal gratitude and giving.

First thoughts were memories from the 1950's when my mom's friends would be in the states for a summer break and show black and white slides of their misson in the Congo. They also knew danger at times.

Children of need are the same world wide... Kenya, Haiti, or Appalachia. They smile for what they have and are given. Always good when the "... teach a man how to fish..." philosophy is tried and is sucessful.

Thank you for sharing this incredible journey.

Thank you very much for sharing the photos, Tracy.

I second Iprof - it would be great to see some of them with your comments. That's not to say that I didn't appreciate the photos, and I certainly don't mean to make you work!

Thanks - and I agree on the commentary - haven't gotten that far yet! I have two more sets to edit and I will certainly try to add notes as I go.

Becky - the Hawks sign was at our hotel - didn't see any, but we did hear a rather large bird somewhere nearby!

It was a great experience.

Thanks for posting this. I look forward to the rest.

Earlier in my life I worked in West Africa for a few years. Africa is intense. Nothing can really prepare Americans for it. And spending even a week there changes someone for the rest of their life. Nothing ever seems the same as it did before going.

Thanks so much for sharing, Tracy!

Cool experience! Great pictures.

Tracy, thank you for sharing your experience. I look forward to seeing your other photo installments.

I too must say that I am certain that a week in that country will forever change a person.

My parents spent 3 weeks in Kenya in 1986. My Dad being the chatty-kathy he is, brought back the houseboy of the people they stayed with. "Johnboy" as we affectionately called him lived with us for 6 months. Having the opportuntity to visit Canada may have forever changed his life but not necessarily for the better. Arriving back in Nairobi, he was arrested and thrown in jail, where he suffered unimaginable torture, for a year, on a sham charge of trying to overthrow the Gov't. That couldn't have been further from the truth but it was moreso the Gov'ts way of telling him that a poor guy like him had no business leaving his country and seeing how the rest of the world lives. My parents were sickened by the discrimination the locals had to suffer by the hands of their own Gov't. We have now lost touch with John. He would be in his late-40's now (if he is still alive). The last contact we had with him, was my friend went to visit her sister in Kisumu (the sister had to flee to Canada in 2007 when the riots occurred in Kisumu) and they looked up my friend John who lived in Mombassa. She took our gifts for him and brought back a photo. That was about 10 years ago.

I've bookmarked the link. It looks like a worthwhile charity I could definitely get behind supporting. Thank you for opening my eyes.

Thank you for sharing the pics. What an exiting journey you have had.
Seeing a lot of beautiful nature and meeting a lot of people. Must be unforgettable.

Linne

Thanks so much for sharing. I looked through them with my five year old and he loved them!!! I think we need to go on safari:)