Sports: A Universal Language :)

Helllllooo everybody! The four of us have been doing great in Kitale and can’t believe how fast time has flown! The past three weeks at Camp Nyota have been a whirlwind.  Tomorrow is the last day of camp and I’m super sad to see all of our campers go!  Being part of the Sports team with Emily, Sammy & Emmanuel has been a great experience.  It’s interesting to see how communal sports are in every country and every continent and how they all come together like one big melting pot. The United States brings its love for Football and Basketball, Jamaica throws in their love for Track, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic share their love for Baseball, England has Polo and Rugby, Ireland has Hurling, and Brazil and Argentina bring their love of Soccer.  Each country introduces and brings something new to the table. I was intrigued to see what new sport I would come to find here from the Kenyans.  To my surprise, as we got to walk through Kitale town I am happy to say that there is one sport the world can’t seem to get enough of.  No matter the language, or socio-economic status there seems to be a love for one sport that brings everybody together.  It is the most popular, most watched, and most played sport in the world.  Ladies and gentleman, like me and billions all over the world, Kenyans share a love for SOCCER J

After a great time this weekend at the Kitale Nature Conservancy, we decided to stop in the restaurant they have and take tea.  I noticed everyone in the restaurant had turned their chairs to the big screen they had in the front as Manchester United prepared to take the field.  Even though the power kept coming in and out, everyone kept their eyes glued to the tv.  As we walked home there were chalkboard signs outside most shops displaying the times each game was set to commence.  Tons of Kenyans sport jerseys from the Barclays league and it makes me super happy to see that Soccer seems to somehow be embedded in many cultures across the globe, especially here J

As I mentioned before, I felt a little frustrated because of the language barrier between us and the campers.  Luckily, through sports, we have been able to turn that completely around.  We have been able to introduce new games played in the US with barely any trouble!   We brought in a hugeeee parachute the campers call an “umbrella” that they seem to love.  We would have them throw volleyballs and soccer balls on top and they would get to dance and hide underneath the bright colors.  Later in the week we taught them all about Capture the Flag, Dodgeball, and “Chinese Soccer.”  They were immediately drawn in and the games got VERY intense! I was super siked to see that they wanted to constantly play something we taught them.  They also loved our volleyball tournaments and a soccer shootout that we got to play this morning.  These kids can be super competitive! And as we teach them, they of course teach us even more. The kids taught us new jump rope games like ‘In & About’, new hand clapping games and this Saturday we are even getting the chance to watch some of our campers participate in Kitale’s youth soccer tournament finals. 

                Can’t believe it’s almost time to say goodbye to the beautiful people here but all good things must come to an end.  Excited to see what our last week has in store for us! Till next time everybody!

 

The kids Week Two Enjoying the "Big Umbrella"

 

My little soccer star Henry :)

 

 

Cynthia, she's a really cool dancer !

 

 

Kitale Nature

Hey Hey!

                Greetings from Kitale! The four of us are still alive and doing well in Kenya. We lost internet action for a few days, so even though I wrote this on Sunday, I haven’t been able to load it until now. We’ve finished our 2nd week of camp, and have 2 days left in our 3^rd and final week. Saying goodbye to a group of kids we’ve grown close to, turning around and saying hello to a new group of kids, is a challenge and a blessing.  Last week we had an all camp volleyball tournament, a dance contest, and we made funky stick-feather and googly eyed- creatures in Arts and Crafts. This week has been many of the same fun activities.

                This past Saturday we went to the Kitale Nature Conservancy with 4 of our Kenyan helpers- Jonathan, Hicent, Emmanuel, and Sammy to see the sites of Kitale Nature Walk. The first thing we ran into were large, colored statues depicting different scenes from the Bible, including the Stations of the Cross. Emmanuel enjoyed posing alongside the statues.  Then the nature walk began….. It was about a half hour walk on a path through a wetland. There were lots of big green trees, a small river, and wooden bridges to cross. The best part was the signs along the way. You know how in the U.S. National Parks there are all sorts of educational displays and postings with facts, dates, and history? On Kitale Nature walk, the signs were there, but instead of educational, they were hilarious. For example: “Nature walking is for lovebirds,” “Watch your Fourhead,” “Leg Speed Limit 2km/h.” After reading “Forests are the lungs of the Earth,” we saw the sign: “Wetlands are the kidneys of the Earth.” Next to a small puddle filled with brown water, the sign “Traditional Swimming Pool.” Funny, right? I shouldn’t say anymore, or you won’t have an excuse to visit one day! My parents are both nature-walk enthusiasts, and throughout the walk I thought to myself how much they would have enjoyed the humor.

                The Nature Walk ended at a large field where deformed animals graze. There were cows, bulls, donkeys, and sheep, even an ostrich. Apparently farmers in the area will drop off deformed animals at Kitale Nature to be taken care of. We saw a blind cow, animals with legs that weren’t properly developed, and a bull with 3 eyes and 4 horns. It was sad to see the animals, but they were able to freely graze and roam in the large field. Our group then trekked over to a small lake, where we went for a short canoe ride. After the boat ride, the boys decided to kick around the soccer ball they brought in the large field, quickly kicking it into the river. It got caught on a branch close to the other side of the river, and there was no plausible way to get it back. Being American girls, we say “Forget it.” Wrong. Sammy turned to Emily and said, “In Africa, anything is possible.” And they got that soccer ball back.

                We ended our Kitale Nature excursion with soda and tea in the restaurant, across from a large display stating: “The 11^th commandment is to protect our Earth,” with information on global warming. There you have it, Kitale Nature.

                With only 2 days of camp remaining, and less than 2 weeks left in Kenya, I find myself feeling a sense of appreciation and comfort.  I’m growing accustomed to the little life we have created in Kitale, and hope to take full advantage and appreciation of the remaining time I have in this interesting place. I don’t think I’ve ever been surrounded by such joy, resiliency, and a true desire to live life to its fullest.

Thanks for reading,

Becca

Two Weeks (and a day) since Waking Up at 3:30am…

          Yes, it has been more than two weeks since I left home. It seems a lot longer because of everything that I’ve experienced. Currently, I feel a little homesick, mostly missing my mother. We have a strong relationship and, at times, it is tested, but she is always my rock. I have a wonderful community here in Kitale who try making me feel at home. They do help and I am extremely thankful for them. I guess the community part is something that I actually need when I immerse myself into service. Oh, and I caught a cold. Don’t worry, I’m taking the proper medicine and I’m feeling a lot better.

            When I am with the children, I forget about any worries or thoughts that I may have. The children are all here to have fun; I have a personal responsibility to make sure they have fun. It is not enough to do something but to do it well… Logistically, the first week of camp went off without a glitch. As staff, I think everyone did an amazing job, whether it was adjusting to down pouring rain during sports or to the lack of materials to finish arts and crafts. My most memorable part about camp this week was having the children create a village from pipe cleaners. They were so creative: houses, people, dish racks, glasses, cups, cars, trees, flowers. What makes this more special for me (and also a personal achievement) is that I allowed myself not to plan for once. I came up with this idea on the spot. As many of you know, I plan every second of every minute of my life. To see that something so beautiful came from spontaneity makes me think what else can happen if I just let life happen every once in a while.

            Friday was bittersweet. It was the last day for the first group of kids; Monday would bring new and excited faces to Nyota. I’ve worked many seasonal jobs where I have to say good bye to children all the time. I knew I would have to separate myself once more from wonderful children, but it wasn’t easy. It’s never easy. The children spent the whole day dancing and singing. We handed out all their crafts and activities they made throughout the week, along with pictures of themselves for their parents. The Sisters say that these pictures may be the only picture the children and their families have of them. When it was finally time to say goodbye, I got huge hugs and many “Bye Teacher Melisa,” (pronounced in Spanish, by the way J).

            Over the weekend, we got to go outside of the compound into town with the helpers. We walked about 30 minutes into town. We visited the Kitale Museum, where we got to see some interesting artifacts. There were some model homes of the natives also at the museum. I found these to be the most interesting because the homes looked pretty similar to me, but when the helpers explained the differences from the type of roofs to number of rooms, I had a whole new perspective. There were also crocodiles, tortoises (my favorite reptile), and snakes. After the museum, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at a local restaurant and headed home before the rain started. On Sunday, we were invited to Beatrice’s house for lunch. Beatrice works here at Nyota and is an incredible cook. She made us a delicious meal and we met her son and husband. She has one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen!

            A new week has started and camp started once again. The mornings have gone pretty smoothly. It’s the afternoons that have been a challenge- the culprit, the rain! It rains every afternoon. Emily even says that it has been raining more than any previous time she’s been here. The rain makes it hard for the children to spend time outside but we are adjusting indoor activities accordingly. Yesterday, however, we had a dry afternoon. The first one since I’ve been in Kitale. We had a volleyball tournament for the children. The winners would play the staff. I was the score keeper/ referee. Land sports are not my forte… After the children left for the evening, the staff had a friendly (aka competitive) game against each other, men versus women. I joined in this one but missed the ball every time. Oh well. Today, I read a couple books to the children and introduced freeze dance and the Hokey Pokey. Like last week’s group, they absolutely loved it. And yes, I looked completely ridiculous doing it again. The children loved it and that’s all that matters.

Remember that I love you all and I hope that you are all doing well! Until next time…

-Melisa (pronounce it in Spanish!) J

 

Return to Kitale

It is so good to be back in Kitale again.  Each year presents more blessings, relationships, and challenges.  Our trip started with some challenges that came in the form of flight cancellations and lost bags; the saga of Melisa’s lost bag continues.  We attended the opening of our regular church, St. Kizito’s, as a parish.   I know that others have written about the parish opening, but I am so thankful that we were able to attend and help with preparations.  I was filled with joy to see so many familiar faces in the large crowd that danced in celebration of the growth and strength of the church. 

At the parish opening I was met by Esther, a woman that I met the first year I came to Kenya.  I have known her two sons through camp and got to know her better after we were ushered into her home while we were going for a casual stroll in the neighborhood.  She has so much pride in her family and I have always enjoyed seeing her whether it is at church or when she comes to the social work office to collect food for her family.

 

I often have a difficult time articulating how much it means to me to return to Kitale.  I feel honored to be welcomed back by the inspiring Daughters of Charity that are doing amazing work all year round.  It has been wonderful to see many of the children that I had the first year I came and how they have grown up so much in such a short amount of time. 

I am thankful for my VLM community and our Kenyan young adult helpers that have been helping us put on a camp for the kids of the neighborhood.  Everyone has been working hard and we are learning every day how to better serve each other and the children attending camp.

We are on day two of our second week of camp and it was one of our first afternoons that there hasn’t been torrential rain for the older kids’ session.  We tried to take full advantage by doing a volleyball tournament ending with each group playing against the adults.  This eventually led to a game of adults vs. all of the afternoon campers.  It was probably my favorite afternoon so far because even the kids that are usually on the more serious side were laughing and cheering throughout the afternoon.

In the morning session we have several kids that have come in past years including Innocent and Joseph.  If any of you have read blogs from past years then you might remember the best friends that help each other out in different ways.  Joseph in deaf and Innocent is his best friend and barely leaves his side.  If you didn’t already know that Joseph is unable to hear, than you probably wouldn’t find out at camp.  He is running around and playing all the same games that everyone else is playing that at times involve singing and dancing.  Many people often forget and I think that says a lot about the sense of community and how many people look out for one another more than I have seen when in the U.S.

There are many aspects of Kenyan culture that I appreciate more and more every year.  One is the importance of story-telling.  There are times when we have been forced inside due to the rain and we have children volunteer to tell each other stories.   Story-telling is an art that is often times lost when we just turn to televisions and iPads.  There is a beauty in making something exciting, funny, or sad out of what was originally a rained out afternoon. 

I also see the importance of singing and dancing when working at this camp.  I used to think that so many of the children were so brave and I couldn’t believe it when so many volunteered to lead songs or dance in front of everyone; I have realized now that most of these children grow up dancing and singing.  There is so much joy  sharing in these moments with the children, and I also get to see how talented so many are without any sort of shame or embarrassment.  Many of the children make drum beats out of whatever surface is around and it only adds to the celebration.  Our next dance party is set for this Friday and we are all looking forward to it.

A man that works for the Daughters of Charity in Kitale has volunteered to use his talents in music and drama to come play music on Fridays.  He has shared pieces of his story with me along the way and I am honored to have him helping out at camp.  He has done so much work with teens that are struggling in the area by involving them in music and drama.  He is definitely a person that has used his own challenging experiences to relate to others going through difficult times to make a positive difference in the community.  We are waiting to receive a CD that has been made in the past months of the teens in the afternoon program’s music. 

That is all that I am going to share for now!  We have had many adventures that I will continue to share—including, but not limited to a spikey caterpillar, monkeys, jumping spiders, and green grams.  Thank you for keeping up with us, and we wish you all the best back in the U.S. 
 

 

First Week of Camp!

Hello Hello!

                We officially finished week one of camp! The week was tiring, but went by quick. It was hard to see the kids leave on Friday, and tomorrow we start all over again with a new group. I was in the Arts and Crafts room all week, and we created tambourines, family portraits, paper airplanes, puppets, and beaded jewelry. It was exciting and interesting to see the kids be creative. It sounds like they do not get a lot of personal choice or freedom in school, the education system is strict and the kids do not have a lot of different materials to do things like art. The kids we’ve met are full of joy, laughter, and an eagerness to play and participate in any activity. On Friday we had a large dance party with Kenyan music, and the kids had awesome dance moves. It was a great celebration of dance and their culture. Although the kids may have difficult home lives, in camp we give them praise, attention, and a week of happy memories.

                There might be a rumor going around that we 4 VLM speak Swahili, but… we don’t. Although Kenyans learn three languages- their ethnic group’s mother tongue, English, and Swahili, most of the kids have not yet mastered a lot of English outside of “How are you?” and “I’m fine”. We have six Kenyan helpers that work with us all week. They help us communicate by translating to the kids, and have taught us many Kenyan songs, games, and dances.

Here are a few fun facts about our Helpers:

In Arts and Crafts, I’m working with Jonathan and Nancy. Jonathan is a natural teacher, and is great leading the kids through different activities. He works as an English teacher and is saving up to attend University. Nancy went to college for Human Resources, but said after spending time at our camp she is thinking of returning to school to be a teacher. In September she plans to start the process of becoming a nun. In the outdoor Sports group, Emmanuel and Sammy help out Melanie. Emmanuel likes running and rugby, and is in school to be an Electrician. He has 8 siblings. Sammy’s mom is a social worker with the Sisters and he loves to play music on his phone in our down time. Melisa is working with Hicent and Milka in the Enrichment room. Hicent is the youngest of 8 siblings, and is the youngest of our helpers. She loves math and science, particularly Physics. She’s waiting to hear back from Universities to continue studying. Milka encourages education and academics with the youth, in particular, math. She loves to play Freeze Dance (maybe even more than the kids!)

                Over the weekend, Emmanuel, Hicent, Sammy, and a couple volunteers that worked with Emily last year, joined us for our first weekend excursion out in Kitale. We took a long walk through downtown to get to the Kitale museum, where we read about a few native ethic groups near Kitale, saw many stuffed animals, a hippo skull (highlight!) and a lot of snakes in jars. Outside the museum we saw a handful of traditional homes of different groups in Kenya. Emmanuel and Sammy enjoyed telling us about the homes and poking fun at each other. We also saw 2 sad looking alligators, more poisonous snakes, and a lot of tortoises. After leaving the museum we walked through a large market where people sell fruits and veggies, and yelled “How are you?!” at us.

                We start our second week of camp tomorrow, which means lots of energy and excitement to meet the kids! That also means, lots of coffee.      : )

Thanks for reading!

Becca

 

 

Kitale, we have arrived!

Hello everybody!

Week one down with three more to go here in Kitale, Kenya J I can honestly say what a wonderful blessing it has been to be able to share this experience with three great girls and the Daughters of Charity.  After landing in Nairobi, it was about an 8 hour drive all the way to Kitale where we were able to stop at the Equator.  After arriving in Kitale, we got settled in our new house.  Not what many people would picture when thinking “Africa,” I have my own room with a bathroom and a canopy!  Everyone told me I was basically going to melt here as well… but I have to admit that because of “rainy season” it’s pretty hot during the day and then freezing (for me) at night…I’m talking I sleep with 3 blankets, socks, sweats & a hoodie but then I wake up and I’m boiling again.  It rains pretty much every afternoon even if it’s just for a half an hour around 4-5pm every day and then starts to get cooler.  Our first couple of days were spent getting accustomed to the 7 hour time difference (from NYC) which I admit has been the most difficult part for me but what the hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!

            Saturday, as we helped prepare for a Parish opening the following day we got to take a two hour walk around our little town of Matisi & Kitale and went grocery shopping (more details on this adventure to come).
            Sunday, we got to be a part of witness our first true Kenyan/Catholic/Vincentian Parish opening, which ended up being around 5+ hours and normally I would be dying but I was surprisingly delighted by how they choose to celebrate.  I think it took soo much time because there was soo much singing and dancing involved and being the theater geek that I am…music & dancing was just the fix I needed.  The Bishop was in attendance and we witnessed a 200+ person Confirmation as well as two offerings that included 3 goats/sheep and two chickens along with other fruits, vegetables, and money.  I couldn’t help but to compare it to Mass celebrations in the United States and wonder how much more involved people would be if it Mass felt more like a celebration than an obligation…  It was refreshing to be among over 500 people who were genuinely happy to spend 2, 5, or even 7 hours there rather than some who count down the minutes in a 45 min Mass.  I mean I know in the States and especially in NYC, time is money, but people, including myself, forget how Sundays are all about relaxing and enjoying time  with loved ones.  Overall, I was happy to be able to immerse myself in their culture and not just be a typical “tourist” in a foreign land.
              We then prepared for camp which started yesterday.  I honestly have never really dealt with kids before this trip since I’m an only child with no cousins in the States, so I was a bit overwhelmed with what was to come.  I know my patience runs low so I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to put up with all those screaming kids plus the heat!?!? No way!  Working at my country club, I’ve had to babysit and entertain before and I could barely handle 5 kids let alone 80 per session, but as we got their t-shirts ready I got more and more excited. I always knew I was brought here for a reason.
                Camp Nyota, meaning Morning Star, is separated into three sections: Enrichment, Arts & Crafts, & Sports.  There are four of us, but because this is Emily’s third time she decided to be a floater and help out whichever one of us was in most need.  I immediately challenged myself and signed myself up to lead the Sports part of the program.  I used to be super active back in the day but you know how that gets as you get older and I figured well the kids are going to be at their highest energy while being outside and monkeying around so why not just go all in.  Go big or go home.  During the morning session 9am-12:30pm we get to hang out with kids ages 6-8 and in the afternoon session 2pm-5pm we get to hang out with kids ages 9-12 and although it’s the second day I can’t believe the difference between kids here and kids in America.  Yes, every kid has energy and you always have your super shy ones or the ones that cause you extra headaches but these are probably the most well behaved kids I have ever seen in my life.  I get to take care of about 25 kids at a time along with the help of my amazing Kenyan friends, Emmanuel and Sammy.  We’ve played Soccer and Volleyball along with having Relay Races, and the Kenyan version of Duck Duck Goose and their own games that the helpers have introduced us to.  But honestly, when a kid is getting too rough or they start to fight if you tell them once to stop it, they completely stop and don’t do it again.  I am seriously shocked! They play well together and genuinely enjoy their time here.  I really really wish I could speak and understand Swahili just so I could get a glimpse of what they’re actually thinking but actions do speak louder than words… and what I get from that is that they’re genuinely SUPER HAPPY, ANIMATED, & ENTHUSIATIC every single minute of every single day and don’t wish to be anywhere else but at Camp Nyota.  Sadly camp will eventually have to come to an end and I know they will always keep the great memories of camp Nyota in their hearts and minds.

Sorry for the long post, but it’s been an eventful first week.  I can’t wait to see what else Kenya, my teammates, and the kids have in store for me but I will definitely update soon.

Melanie :)

One Week since Waking Up at 3:30am…

8/5/14

Hello family, friends, and loved ones,

                It’s been one week since I left for Kenya. I want to report that I made it safe and sound. Yes, I questioned it for a while before and during the journey to Kitale due to the media, but I am happy to say that I finished my second day of camp here at Nyota. Nyota is the compound that belongs to the Daughters of Charity here in Kitale. They are 5 of them and they are some of the sweetest and most hard working women I have met in my life- Sister Mary, Sister Karen, Sister Bridgette, Sister Irene, and Sister Patricia have made us feel quite at home. Their dedication and involvement in this community has helped Kitale especially the children.

                This past Sunday, my group members and I had the opportunity to take part in the festivities of the new Vincentian parish, St. Kizito, here in Kitale. Even before we got here, the church community was preparing for the big event. Mass was scheduled for 10:00am outside of the church on Sunday but apparently things don’t usually start on time like they do in the States. I didn’t mind though. After about what seemed like an hour, Mass began. The (very large) choir was singing in Swahili and down the aisle came children and women and dancing. I have never seen that before. The bishop entered along with many priests from the area. Vincentian priests came from Nairobi just for this too. There was so much reverence but there was real celebration, dancing, singing, laughter; it’s hard to describe to you how beautiful this mass was. Soon I found out that children and adults would also be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. I was surprised to see young children receiving the sacrament. What really surprised me though were the offerings the community gave during the collection. Along with the usual money, chickens (live ones I might add), eggs, sugar cane, bananas, oranges, and many other things were given. The willingness to part with these necessities for the community reminded me of that story in Bible about the poor women in the temple who gives the little bit that she has…

                Mass was long, 3 and a half hours long to be exact, but it was worth sitting there every minute. I didn’t understand any of it but seeing the people’s joy reminded me the different ways people practice their religion, even in the Catholic Church. I believe there is no right way of prayer or believing and the people of Kitale have shown me that in the most gorgeous way possible.

                Camp started yesterday. It’s been a while since I’ve had to lead a classroom and doing so again with a language barrier is a little frightening. However, the children are just like all children. They are curious, hilarious, joyful, and loving. We have young children in the morning, ages 6- 9, and ages 9- 12 in the afternoon. The children in each session are divided into 3 groups, thus they have 3 different activities- arts and crafts, sports, and enrichment. This week I am in the enrichment room; I like to call it the miscellaneous room. I was told that I can basically do anything with the children as long as in stimulates some sort of creativity. Yesterday I started off reading two books, Clifford the Big Red Dog and The Apple Pie Tree. I have two aids (locals from Kitale) to help me with translation. They helped me translate the stories to the children. I could tell the children were very shy, like any child on the first day of anything, so I introduced the Hokey Pokey and Freeze Dance. The children laughed at me because I looked so ridiculous doing these things with them. The important thing was that I got them to be comfortable around me and around each other. J

                Today, the children worked on camp letters for their parents. These are very typical in summer camps around the States so I figured it would be a nice way to practice writing (in both English and Swahili) and drawing. The kids loved just having crayons, markers, and construction paper to work with. It was very interesting to see how many of the children, especially the younger ones, couldn’t come up with a message on their own. So I had to write one out on the chalkboard and my aids translated it in Swahili on the other side. Tomorrow I will be doing something math oriented… and maybe some Freeze Dance!

                This week has gone by so quickly. As I continue my work here in Kitale, I hope to keep learning from the Sisters, my group members, and, most importantly, the children. Until next time…

Intro: Becca

Hey Blog Readers!

  I hope you are avoiding work while reading this, as I'm sure that is something I would be doing. Thank you for supporting and encouraging our journey to Kenya! I'm leaving for the airport in less than an hour, and in my true procrastinating form, leaving my first blog note now. To introduce myself, I'm Becca. I grew up near Chicago, but I spent the last 8 years living in a handful of different places. I've been in Colorado for about 2 years, and last month I graduated from the University of Denver with a Masters in Social Work. My VLM flame was first ignited a few years ago when I did a volunteer year with the Vincentian Service Corps West in L.A., and learned about the program from friends who have gone before. I believe I am on this trip for a reason, as events of the last year led me towards a path that was different than I originally planned. I am excited to see what awaits me in Kenya.

 While I joke that travelling to Africa with the VLM is a great way to avoid "real life" for a  month, in all honesty I know this will be a great experience to further my personal and professional growth and awareness.  I am excited for the opportunity to learn and live in a new culture, as well as be a witness to how others live. We talked at orientation about what we will be taking with us, such as feelings of anxiety, nervousness for the unknown, and excitement. While I carry those things with me, I also hope to leave a few things back in the US, like my fear for the future, thoughts of difficult things awaiting me when I get home, and my usual habit of not being fully mindful in the present moment. I want to bring only my full self, my excitement, and positivity.

  I am grateful for the many people that helped me get to today, and my dad for driving me to the airport in a few minutes. The future is bright.

VLM Kitale Introduction 2014

Friends, family, loved ones, or if you simply stumbled upon this blog in the middle of the night, hello! My name is Melisa Martinez and I will be going to Kitale, Kenya as part of the VLM in less than 24 hours. Yes, less than 24 hours. I am currently a graduate student at St. John's University in New York City. When I return to the States, I will be finishing my Masters degree in General Experimental Psychology. It sounds a lot more challenging that what it really is, trust me. Also, I work part time at St. John's as a graduate assistant for the best office in the entire world, Office of University Mission, and as a swim instructor in Downtown Manhattan. 

This will be my first summer with the VLM. Honestly, I am so honored and excited to have this wonderful opportunity. My hope is to learn and grow with the people who I'll be serving with and those who I will be serving. I am also very excited to learn from the Daughters of Charity who give themselves completely to their work and the people of Kitale. Most importantly, I hope to come up with a sustainable and thought-provoking way to support the work in Kitale after I return home. 

I invite you to follow our journey during and after our time in Kitale. I want to thank all of those who have supported me up to this point. Whether it was financially, emotionally, or both, your willingness to give is something I'll never forget. And now, to start packing...

VLM 2013 Video

Dominic Buchmiller made a short video from our 2013 trip to Kitale.

VLM Kitale 2014 Introductions

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Emily Edwards and I am the coordinator for the VLM Kitale group this summer.  I am a DePaul graduate and I have been living in Chicago for the past year working as a nanny.  When I return to the states I will be moving to St. Louis, MO to participate in Vincentian Mission Corps as a full-time volunteer.

I am happy to return to Kitale, Kenya for the 3rd time this summer with the Vincentian Lay Missionaries.  We are excited to have a new group of volunteers this year.  They will be introducing themselves on the blog over the next week while I am in Nairobi.    

My hope is to share my love for the people of Kitale with the new volunteers.  I am excited to be reunited with the Daughters of Charity in Kenya.  These inspiring women have given so much of themselves to the wonderful work that they are doing in Kenya.  I look forward to seeing many of the same smiling faces of the children and friends that I have made in Kenya.  

Adela The third Lettter

Dear Friends,

 It is about midnight in Nairobi, in a few hours I will be making my way back home to New York. Looking back on the day I left to Kenya with a suitcase full of hopes, art supplies and clothes so much has happened. I didn't know I would be making over 400 picture frames with the Popsicle sticks, having six dance parties a day, that Girl on Fire would bring me smile so much. I had no idea that the people I met in Chicago would become my home, that we would laugh, cry, sing, cook and dream together. That in prayer we would face some of the darkness in our life and at camp create lasting light. All I knew was that I had to make that flight, that my path, my camino was pointing me here. Almost a month later my suitcase is almost empty of material things, but it's harder to carry for some reason. I think because memories weigh more than expectations. I also think its because lessons take up more space than worries. These past two weeks of blog silence have been busy with more beautiful children, meeting the families of friends, and saying goodbyes to people we just started knowing and those who we felt we've known forever. In writing this I thought about the theme or the story only to realize I have none right now. We spent the day on Safari and in the afternoon made it to Thigio for supper where I briefly said goodbye to my teammates, my home. It has been one of the most difficult parts of my trip. I wish I could tell you all in detail about these weeks, but where can I even begin? I could say that Breila has one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen, that Abantu has the best laugh, that the kids of Matisi have incredible talent, our helpers gorgeous homes. I could tell you the story of Anthony, how our friendship was meant to be, that I saw George a few times later and how happy he was. I could tell you how Innocent and Joseph's friendship inspires me everyday, Francis' unmatched compassion , the joy of singing at mass, the infinite beauty of Chepanyal, how much we learned from the daughters and how much we laughed too. I could show you our dance moves, maracas, journals and teacups, sing ya ya ya, or nyama nyama. I could quote lion king, wesley snipes, spirit and john legend. All of these things begin many of the great stories of our trip. While in this short night I can't tell them all, I hope sometime you can hear them, the cause of my heavy suitcase. Though everything is packed now, I can pull out one lesson from the top zipper, the one I have been visiting a lot today, friendship is one of the greatest gifts we can receive, a gift that is highly valued here. Marafiki means friends and I am so grateful to have made some here. Thank you everyone in Kenya who has made our time here unforgettable, and leaving so hard and asante sana Emily, Matthew and Dom for making this month awesome, I miss you already and cannot wait to see you in October and call you up this weekend, hug an elephant for me! And everyone reading wherever you are, I hope that these random thoughts scattered throughout the month have made you smile and inspired you in some way. Kwaheri!

Adela August 14th: The Second Letter

08/13/13

Dear Friends,

As Matt and Emily wrote about things have been going great.  I’m learning many new things on a daily basis about Kitale, the people and myself.  The first week of camp was definitely interesting.  After spending most of Sunday preparing T-shirts with numbers the big day arrived.  As we stood by the gate of the compound little eyes peeked through the gate excitedly. Once every child received a T-shirt, their name was written on it along with their group number (from 1 to 3) and they were asked to meet us outside.  The first day set the tone to our usual morning routine. 

We all stand in a big circle and do stretches; Dom does the funniest ones involving fun dances and numbers.  Then we play some circle games like ‘’nyama nyama nyama’’ which is a call and response game about what animals people eat or not.  Then we play Emily’s and my favorite game: ‘’Ya Ya Ya’’ which is a dance game about body itches and soccer so I’ve been told... Once we finish and everyone has arrived Aaron or another one of our amazing helpers introduces us and themselves. We have 6 helpers as mentioned, Sara, Bernadette( Berna), Mora, Aaron, Solomon(Solo) and Lawrence (Lawy). Then we split up into our number groups and each group does 1 of three possible activities: Arts and Crafts with dancing, Enrichment and Outdoor games. 

I lead the Arts and Crafts and dancing room, something that became norm after my first day.  I really love being there.  Not only because it reminds me of my time at the museum and my nostalgic Kid’s Day memories but because I have the chance to make a quiet activity exciting and fun for the kids.  Usually we start with stretching and some yoga and explain the logistics of the project.  After the project is complete, we go over some key words and all or some kids stand up in front of the class and introduce themselves, their project and their favorite part of it. Usually when a name is given everyone excitedly says ‘’Hi (Persons Name)!!!’’ with great joy and clap after the presentation.  I really enjoy watching each kid get a moment in the spotlight and be recognized. 

My helpers are Mora and Lawy who are fantastic.  Every day I feel very blessed to work with Lawy because I know how hard translation is.  In the words of my beloved Dr. Mitre ‘’Translations are just approximations’’ but he conveys my same enthusiasm and love for the project which I really value.  He also makes every child feel special and loved especially the shy ones which I see helps them come out of their shell, which inspires me to be at my best. Even when we have introduced the 70^th child on the fourth hour, he still smiles as if it was the first which is very special.  We also make a great team as we have begun to incorporate dance into our curriculum with Shakira, Alicia Keys and Mackelmore being favorites just to name a few.  That's Lawy.

With my wonderful team and VLM we were able to complete lots of fun projects like paper monsters, maracas, family portraits and frames, math books, journals, a soccer tournament and more. Another special part of camp has been being able to have tea time with the kids, something I think Americans should consider doing. Right in the middle of each session everyone stops to share Chai and Mendahzi. We serve the kids first, spend time with them and then share with each other.  The first day was hilarious as the kids were so amused at our skin color. Some of them played with the hair on Matthew’s legs, and carefully analyzed my finger nails, compared our complexion and were fascinated by my bangles as if I was under a microscope.  After carefully observing most of them shared laughs and hugs with us and their love which has been the most special part of camp.  The love the kids have for us and the helpers is enormous, as well as their gratitude.  I have never worked with such polite children, so well behaved and loving always open to share their sunshine. While there are many undeniable challenges within this community like hunger and brewing in certain areas, there is also immense light I experience every day at camp and through the Daughters and friendships we are building with Beatrice, our helpers, Alfred, The Nyota staff and each other.

 

Of the many friendships made one of the most special so far for me has been with George, one of the kids at camp from the afternoon session.  I first spoke to George on the first day when I noticed his drawing of all 6 farm animals perfectly on his shirt.  I immediately complimented him in my broken Swahili expressions Lawy wrote out and he got very shy but then shook my hand. Later that day he showed me the Kenyan handshake which is a pound, your fist onto your heart and then outward again. Every day at camp this became our tradition: greeting each other with our handshake, him showing me his beautiful artwork and laughing together about the silly dance moves Lawy, Mora and I did.  George and I are to the left :)

On the fourth day, George told me in English (which he probably practiced) that he drew me or kudro? in Swahili.  The very next day he handed me a beautiful picture of Emily, him and I and smiled waiting for my expression.  The paper was worn out and I could tell how hard he had worked on it. This moment meant so much to me because though I couldn’t always communicate perfectly, I knew that our friendship had been as important to him as it was to me. On the very last day, I knew we had to say goodbye which was tough. Even though we are only with the kids one week, we share so much with them, learn and care a lot.
 

As the gates opened and the kids waved goodbye joyfully George stood by the gate shyly. 
I ran up to him and from my pocket took out a picture I drew for him. He seemed a bit shocked but opened it and read: ‘’Adela, Emily, George…’’ looked down a while and looked up and smiled, then held the picture to his heart to express gratitude. I like to think that certain things like friendship and gratitude surpass the boundaries of language. I will never forget the look on his face of joy of that moment as it has been one of the most special on my journey here. All I could say in that moment was ‘’Rafiki’’ or friend and give him a handshake, our handshake. As I waved goodbye I was overwhelmed with joy for that moment and gratitude for a great first week.

                                                                        Love,

                                                                                  Adela  xx

(George's Drawing to the left, Adela's to the right)

Matthew August 14th

Hello,

My trip started rough as I threw up before passing through security at the airport. A security officer said he could transfer me to a later flight if I wasn’t feeling well. Luckily, I felt better and was able to get on the flight where I spent time reading Harry Potter 7 and watching Life of Pi and Argo. While waiting in line at Customs at the Nairobi Airport, a conversation began with a man from Kenya who lived in Rwanda. He just jumped in on a comment he heard from us about a rosary necklace. The friendly aura of Kenya had made its first appearance. As we left the airport, we watched in horror as it was quickly swallowed up in flames, the heat of the fire beating against my face.

Just kidding. No one freak out. We found out about the fire four days after we arrived in Kitale. We did, however, meet Alfred, who is a different kind of madness in himself. He drove us from Nairobi to Kitale and I regret that I did not appreciate his presence while driving. I, myself, was too wrapped up in the world of Hogwarts as I attempted to finish the book. After meeting him around our compound a couple times, he is super friendly and understands English very well, allowing him to make clever jokes and poke fun at us.

In the first couple days of our tenure, we went for a walk with Aaron and Manu, two gentlemen who help with our camp. I spent most of the time talking with Aaron, asking questions about the area and the struggles and the schools. We saw a lot of homes, some made of mud, some made of tin sheets, and some nicer ones made of Brick. Most of the roads consist of a red clay. We saw one of the schools along the road. It had a soccer field in front of it where I was told the kids participate in soccer tournaments to keep them busy when they are not in school. I love tournaments so that made me happy.

At the beginning of the walk, I was addressed by an older man who told me he was hungry and that he had two daughters and that he had come from another area. After I had been listening for a bit, Aaron came over, heard the story, and instructed the man to go to the compound of the Daughters of Charity for assistance. Aaron told me about how the man expected that I could fix all his problems because I am white. Aaron then proceeded to tell me how that the man’s food struggles were common in Kitale. Not just the hunger of himself and his children, but the cause of his hunger. The man had been drunk and Aaron said that many families struggle because one or both parents spend money on alcohol when they need to feed their families. It seems alcohol universally has the potential to destroy homes. Aaron told me that many adults get into brewing alcohol to make quick money. Another surprising thing I learned from him is that most adults in Kitale have cell phones. I had no idea that phenomenon was worldwide. I guess we all feel the desire to be connected. They use their phones to get on Facebook as well.

Another interesting aspect of the walk was how many eyes consistently follow us. This is what being a celebrity feels like. Except we didn’t do anything to earn it. Kids constantly yell out, “How are you?” and we respond, “Fine”. We are the only white people that I have seen, besides Sister Karen, in the area so we stick out, heavily.

At the camp with the kids, I began at the outdoor rotation with the kids where we played blob tag, ran relays, and shot on “basketball hoops” that consisted of an eight foot post leading up to a rim. I’m really glad they have a form of basketball for my sanity’s sake. I realized I did not like being the outdoor station as much as I thought I would. Aaron was my partner and he was really awesome but I thought it would be better for me inside and Dom said he wanted to try outside so we switched. Greatest decision. Dom says he communicates much better with the kids out there and I love trying to learn the language and teach with what I have. I read them a book in English and we picked out key words that they had to repeat to practice English. The next day we taught math which was awesome and we used plastic straws to practice simple addition and subtraction. It was really great. The last day of the week we just watched the Lion King which still has a strong impact on me. Beautiful film.

This past weekend, on Saturday, we walked with several of the camp helpers through the town market area of Kitale where people were selling various clothes, food, and timber. We ended up at a museum where we saw snakes, crocodiles, and traditional Kenyan huts. It was getting late in the day and starting to rain so we quickly picked up some food (spicy fries) and caught a cab back to the compound. While walking toward the cabs in the city, some boys came up to us saying they were hungry and put their hands out. They followed us toward the cabs and were persistent. We eventually fit seven of us in a cab and were promptly told, “f*** you”, by one of the boys. Aaron told us about a policy that was put in place that forced the children off the streets and into homes for a while but many of the kids ran away and returned to the streets. They were addicted to the freedom of that life. It feels safe to say, though, that a majority of the kids like school and learning and take advantage of it.

Finally, last Sunday, we went to the home of one of the cooks for the Daughters. Her name is Beatrice. She always has a huge smile and is very kind to us when we thank her for the food she made for us. She’s an unbelievable cook. At her house, we met her husband Benjamin and her son William. The beginning of the event involved obsessing over William but the end of the event involved us asking questions to Benjamin. Benjamin had an idea for helping his community which involved helping people with two major problems: alcohol and pornography. He discussed how both were very detrimental to the families and community in general. I asked him to send me a seven page paper he wrote about his thoughts and a program he is starting. I look forward to reading about it.

These people are amazing and overall fantastically kind. They have taught me many simple phrases and counting in Swahili and they make me feel very welcome in their community. I hope I can show this kind of welcoming to everyone I meet in my life and accept into my home.

 

Emily

August 11, 2013

I do not even know where to begin.  It feels as though I have returned to a place that I once called home.  On the journey here I had butterflies in my stomach and it felt as though it had been centuries since I had been in Kenya.  Once I arrived and saw some friendly faces—it seems like I was only here yesterday.  As I stepped off the plane in Nairobi, I knew that this was where I was supposed to be.  I felt tears of joy welling up in my eyes, and it has been wonderful to return to Kitale and see old friends while also meeting new ones.

There are so many things that I had missed so much without even realizing it…

The Kenyan nod upward with a raise of the eyebrows, stating “Yes,” in a Swahili accent.  If you have ever been to Kenya, you probably know what I am talking about.

The giggles of the Daughters of Charity when we act ridiculous.

The curious eyes of children courageously yelling, “Mizungu, how are you?!”  As a community mate mentioned, it seems as though it is a game to see who can get a wave or “I’m fine,” in response.

The stern, but kind waves of greeting from an older strong and beautiful Kenyan woman.

The cars buzzing past you that seem as though they are always on the wrong side of the road, and the drivers always use the blinkers or flashers, and none of us ever really understand the system of what these signals mean.  Thank goodness for our good friend and talented driver, Alfred.

There are many new joys that have been presented to our community this year.  We have been fortunate to spend a lot of time with the Daughters of Charity, sharing meals, laughs, and reflections.  We shared how we each got to Kitale, and why we are here.  These women continue to inspire me and bring joy into my life.  Matthew, Dominic, Adela and I have all expressed how much these interactions with the sisters have meant to us.  Many of us have done work with the Daughters of Charity in different parts of the world—Panama, El Salvador, Chicago, New York, and who knows where else.

It has been so wonderful to see some of the familiar smiles of the children.  Some of their pictures have been on my walls as a reminder of the times from last summer.  It is amazing to see how some of the children have shot up in the last year.  Rabecca sends her greetings and love to you, Alex.  She ran up to me and immediately asked about you.  It meant so much to be able to give her a big hug for you, but it was also a hard time for me.  We took this picture to send to you… 

 

 

The local people that help us with the camp for the children are amazing, as usual.  We have Aaron and Solo who returned from last year, and we seem to have a routine and understanding of how things work without even using words at times.  This year we have been lucky enough to make four new friends through the staff with Lawy, Mara, Berna, and Sarah. 

We went into town and to the Kitale Museum with Aaron, Mara, and Sarah yesterday.  We saw huge crocodiles and several poisonous snakes along with some of the historically traditional houses of different ethnic groups in Kenya.  I enjoyed seeing a new landmark of Kitale and spending time with the staff.

When we left Kitale last year, our beloved friend and the Daughters’ cook, Beatrice, told us that she was expecting a baby.  We left before she was even showing, and that has been one of the true indicators of time passed—now Beatrice and her caring husband, Benjamin, have a beautiful son named William.  They had us for lunch in their home, and I am so thankful for their hospitality and kindness.  It meant so much to hold little William and look through their photo album; pictures of last year’s chapatti lesson were scattered through the last few pages of her memory book.  Beatrice shared that little William is sick, but he is being cared for now.  He is a beautiful boy and takes after his mother with his bright brown eyes.

 

 

 

As we walk through the streets of Kitale, I struggle with the evident poverty that seems too normalized after being here last year.  It still pains me to see children with swollen bellies and without shoes, but as Adela expressed perfectly, the children will not let you focus on that.  We are working with the Daughters of Charity to work with children from the families that are suffering the most.  If all we saw of these children were infomercials on TV or a photograph, then we would be missing out on their joy and resilience that we all have so much to learn from. 

Illness is still a huge problem that the people of Kitale face.  Beatrice’s beautiful little boy has malaria in addition to one of the Daughters of Charity having Typhoid and Malaria.  I definitely feel the extreme amount of privilege we have to be vaccinated and have the medicine to prevent any of us from being infected with these illnesses.  Time and time again we hear of a person who has passed away or has to go to the hospital because of illness, often times they are the loved ones of those that we have come to care for during our time here.  It is difficult to see more and more people become deeply ill when I know that there are preventable medicines.  That has been one of the most challenging issues for me this time in Kitale.

As I return, I am reminded that there are so many misconceptions about Kenya and Africa that continue to be disproved to us every day and I feel that these are worth sharing.  We see people dressed up in slacks and polos or jeans and a cute top for the day.  We see the long paved road that continues all the way from Kitale to Uganda.  People want to add us on Facebook, and I still get notifications from the Youth Group at the Church in the Matisi area of Kitale.  Our friends text us when they are headed our way; almost everyone has a cell phone.  I continue to be surprised, challenged, and blessed every day that I am here.