February 23, 2020
Hard to believe that the team has been home for 9 days already! The first 10 days of our trip were jam-packed and time consuming (partly because of Nairobi traffic) but successful and rewarding days. On our 11th day we headed out for a couple days of R&R at Ol Takai Lodge (very near the Tanzania boarder). It was much wetter than usual as Kenya was experiencing much rain in the month of January – a very rare thing!….but alas, it was all part of the adventure.
Today we are posting some of the photos taken on our 2-day rest for all to enjoy. The pesky monkeys could be quite funny – or quite intrusive. You’ll notice in one photo, that another traveler had left the door to their room unlocked – and in they came, escaping with coffee creamers… and a few other items! Our own team had a face to face experience, or perhaps hand to hand is more accurate, when they too left a door unlocked. Although they were able to chase them out without loss of any belongings, the monkeys proved quite strong in the battle to see who would win at opening/closing of the door!
Remember, if you have any questions or would like to discuss this trip (or future trips) in detail, please reach out to us at our.kenyan.kids@gmail.com
Monday February 10th, 2020
Alas, our work here is done.
It’s been a whirlwind of activity and projects, traveling and traffic, but for the most part, our work has been completed.
We rose today with a plan of visiting the giraffe orphanage, Kazuri beads and Ocean Sole Africa, then returning to the hotel by 2pm for a meeting with Eunice, then Josphat and wrapping the day up with one final meeting with Monica before enjoying our last dinner in Nairobi and packing up to head south to Ol Tukail Lodge very near the Tanzania boarder. However, things didn’t go quite as planned.
Kazuri beads was quiet, much more so than it was during our last visit. Although we had already completed the store purchases, we wanted to drop by for some personal shopping and much to our surprise, 30 minutes in, the place started filling up with police motorcycles, then one, two, three, four, five, big black suburban’s, and sure enough…. It was the presidential motorcade escorting the Kenyan Vice President in to do some shopping! John was quite impressed when the Vice President stopped to speak with him!
Needless to say, we headed out of there before things got too hectic and headed to the giraffe orphanage. We were caught off guard that the entry fee was 1500 shillings (about 15 USD) as we had expected it to be more in line with the elephant orphanage (500 shillings – 5 USD) but even more to our surprise, the fee HAD to be paid by credit card! They wouldn’t even accept their own currency. That said, we arrived at the perfect time, and there were minimal people on the property allowing us ample time to see and do all that we wanted before the crowds arrived, though they were certainly filling the parking lot quickly as we left. Stephanie was completely overjoyed at the “up close and personal” experience. Note to self** – ALWAYS bring a “newbie” with us on a project experience trip as they give new life to every experience, even if it is one that you have done multiple times before.
Our third stop was a new experience – Ocean Sole Africa (https://oceansoleafrica.com/) –where they turn flip flops into art. It’s really quite amazing. We took a wee bit to find the place as it was well hidden, but once we finally arrived, we knew it was worth the wait. We were given a tour by a lovely young lady named Lillian and then into the gift shop where at least a few purchases were made.
This is where the day took a turn.
Our 15-minute drive from Ocean Sole Africa to our hotel suddenly turned into 3-1/2 hours! We completely missed our meeting with Eunice, who waited for close to 3-hours before having to leave, missed our meeting with Josphat, who left but arranged to come back and meet with us this evening after 8pm, and Monica was just heading out of the hotel to head home when we pulled in, so thankfully we were able to complete at least one of the three planned meetings!
We enjoyed our last dinner here in Nairobi at “Wings” which was one of two of our favourite restaurants. Both “Wings” and “Manara” are located in the same small strip mall which is a mere 10-minute walk from our hotel, which was quite convenient and inexpensive.
Josphat dropped by for an hour long visit after our return to the hotel and then we managed to get all the store purchases and our personal luggage all packed up and ready to go! It will be a very early morning for us, as the drive to Ol Tukail Lodge is so far away. Traffic has been a nightmare here, the one thing we will definitely not miss.
9 February 2020
Saturday and Sunday – A quick visit to the Turkana District and the Uji Projects
Yesterday we started our day at 7am, had a quick breakfast, packed up and left the hotel before 10am. Our journey to Turkana district was not to start until 2pm, but with the viewing of Kenya’s past president, we were advised to allow extra time to get to the airport and to take the backroads. As it turns out – everyone actually listened!! We couldn’t believe how quickly traffic was moving. NO ONE was on the road!! We made it to the airport in record time! And then…. We waited.
We should have departed at 2pm but our plane was delayed and we were told we would be leaving at 3pm. A short time after 2, the plane finally arrived, and it appeared to be getting a tire change! Sure enough, next was an announcement that we would now be delayed until 4:20pm in order for the landing gear to be repaired.
We finally made it into the air shortly after 4. The 540 airline was unfamiliar to us, and although a smaller aircraft (only 48 seats), and loud, it had a remarkable amount of legroom and the flight was rather uneventful and thankfully, quick. None the less, the delay left us arriving in Lodwar just after 6pm. By the time we were unloaded – and that was interesting – and in the vehicle on our way to Kakuma, it was almost 6:30, putting us after 9:30 getting to our hotel, famished, filthy and exhausted.
Sunday,
We arose rather early today – most of us before 6am. The plan was to have a very early breakfast and then hit the road running so that we could visit at least three villages before having to head back to the airport and return to Nairobi.
Everyone was very welcoming – well, except the very young – who were actually quite terrified to see white people! Thankfully, most of them warmed up to us, perhaps because we blended in so well, or maybe because we helped to distribute the uji, or maybe it was the soccer balls, ( from Senda Athletic Company )t-shirts (donated by Beth and Dan) and dolls, (handmade by Rita) either way, we won them over.
It’s been a long and exhausting day and we truly believe that a picture says a thousand words. Therefore we are going to post a multitude of photos from our visit from Turkana, allow you time to absorb, and in a weeks’ time, we will elaborate on all we have absorbed.
7 February 2020
We had a very prompt start to our afternoon, arriving at the Nairobi Children’s Rescue Centre right at noon – I think our promptness may have actually caught them off guard, considering they must always account for Kenyan traffic.
Secretary-deputy, Zynabu greeted us and took us into the office where she reviewed challenges and successes over the best year. We were rather dismayed at the non-compliance of the current government. The home is deteriorating at an alarming rate, staff do the best that they can, but adequate numbers are not provided. For example, the government pays for only one security guard. The gates must be guarded 24-hours per day. Is it that the government expects this one gentleman (who is suffering from a brain tumor) to work 24-hours a day, 7 days a week? If not, why is there not a second security guard employed? That is just one, of the many discrepancies we found in staffing.
Thankfully, the 44 children currently living in the home are healthy and lovingly looked after. The manager, Margaret, took us on a tour of the building where we were enlightened to the dilapidated state of affairs there. There are two classrooms, but only one is usable due to severe leakage. The same is true for the playroom. Sleeping accomodations are very cramped as there is not enough staff for them to spread out the sleeping quarters. As a result, some the children are developing rashes.
Outside, Margaret showed us their thriving gardens of kale, cabbage, onions, bananas, avocados and spinach. They have just recently harvested the one field and are preparing it for the next planting whilst the other field is blooming.
The irony of the state of conditions at NCRC is that at the entranceway, we see a sign that reads “Mankind owes the child the best it has to offer” and yet clearly, the Kenyan government is falling short of this at least in this particular home.
7 February 2020
Our morning started with a trip to Hope House. We had planned to arrive for 9:30, however, Kenyan traffic had other plans. None the less we were only a tad late and made it to Hope House Babies Home just before 10am. Rosaline met us in the driveway, holding the hand of one of the children (whom will remain nameless) where we chatted for a bit before heading into the house.
With Stephanie being a “newbie” on this particular trip, we asked if Rosaline could just give her a quick rundown of the home whilst we all enjoyed a tour and recap. Currently they have 21 children, 7 newborns, 7 that at 6 months to a year; and 7 that are 1 – 2 years of age. After reviewing the years challenges and successes, we ventured outside to play with the children for some time.
The children were all very happy and healthy, excited to have the added attention from the new muzungas. As our way of helping out, we dropped off new baby clothes and diapers today.
The children did not make shy and with the exception of one, (who was rather dismayed when Rosaline left for her meeting), all were happy and quite content to cuddle. Team members who are currently in the adopt-a-cot program were happy to meet their little one, and other team members left, quite certain that they too would be joining the adopt-a-cot program. It is such an easy way to help, and a mere $150 per year, not only helps to feed and clothe the child in the cot you adopt, but will provide you, the donor with quarterly updates and photos.
6 February 2020
Thursday was our day to visit the grandmothers. Thankfully, Nelson had already been to market and purchased sorghum, cow peas, green gams and rice, which saved the team at least an hour this morning.
After visiting all three groups, it was evident that their needs are similar and so are their successes over the past couple of years.
Itabua was the first group that we visited and right away we were all amazed at how wonderful and healthy they all were. Even Mother Margaret, who had appeared so terribly ill during our last visit was thriving. The poultry project that Our Kenyan Kids sponsored is very successful and all the chickens are truly flourishing. They are producing more than enough eggs for all the group and are they are even able to sell a few. This year they had a bumper crop of maze, avacados and mangos! They warmly greeted us with song and practice exceptional hospitality with all visitors. They treated us to hot tea, boiled eggs and arrowroot and presented us with flowers of appreciation.
Joy Kagamouri group was the second group that we visited. Seven of the eight grandmothers were in attendance, and we were also joined by a retired local doctor who lives within the compound that each of the grandmothers share. They displayed a large table of wares that they have been working on, everything from knitted childrens sweaters, to beaded purses, necklaces, bracelets and more. Goats that had been purchased for this group are all healthy and multiplying! As with the Ibabua group, they feel that their basic needs have now been met and they are asking for assistance towards education for their children.
The final group of the day was the Rwika group, and also the only group that met with us in the same regular location as in previous years. They eagerly danced up to the roadside to meet us, and gleefully danced with us to the back of the home where we sat together where they shared stories of all that has happened over the past couple years, challenges as well as successes. Since our visit in 2018 donors have successfully provided water tanks for 9 of the 13 members. Water tanks collect the rain water and then are used not only for fresh clean water to drink but also for cooking, washing, watering vegetable crops.
Overall a very good day, and we were very pleased with the status and health of all members in the three groups. All three groups have made remarkable improvements and we could clearly see how our assistance has benefited each of them.
5 February 2020
Today the team headed for Embu to meet with Nelson and the other board members at St. John Ambulance. The drive was long but relatively uneventful. We arrived in Embu and went directly to the Panesic Hotel.
Having over an hour of free time before our meeting, we headed down to the pool area for a little relaxation before our board meeting. A little awkward in the beginning, being the only white folks in the house, eventually the fascination wore off and everyone redirected their attention back to their own affairs.
When we arrived at St. John Ambulance, we immediately noticed the addition they have made to the building. It looked truly wonderful. Nelson came out to greet us and three of the other 6 board members had already arrived. We began our meeting promptly at 2pm and the remaining 3 board members arrived shortly thereafter.
The chairman of the St. John Ambulance board explained their plans, including phase 2 (in which the brick and mortar part is complete) as well as their plans for phase 3 and 4. It is a very ambitious plan and yet they have faith that it will indeed all come to fruition. We reviewed the list of needs that Nelson had previously submitted for desks, chairs, computers, and more to be used in the section of the building that is now complete.
Upon completion of the meeting, Nelson gave our group a more indepth tour of the newly constructed building and then explained that he has already completed the shopping for tomorrows visit to the grandmothers, which will save us a considerable amount of time in the morning. We agreed to meet at 8:30 tomorrow morning and departed to give Stephanie a short tour of the fruit/vegetable/grain market before heading out to dinner.
It will be our first early evening since our arrival. Getting to bed before midnight will be a sweet treat. Tomorrow we will pick up Nelson at St. John Ambulance and head out to visit each of the grandmothers villages.
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
Up and at it early again today, the team headed out for Gathaithi Home for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, but not without two quick pit stops first!
We picked up Pastor Dan along the way and then our first stop was on the roadside of a coffee plantation where John and Dan both explained the growing and harvesting process. Only a few minutes further down the road and we made a similar stop at a tea plantation where we were once again schooled on the process from planting through to until it hits the shelf.
We entered the gates of Gathaithi, greeted by hundreds of waves and smiles! David, Margaret and Patricia came out to meet us as we stepped out of the van and welcomed us into the office where David gave us an overview of all that has happened since our last visit.
He thanked us for our support (of 122,000kes for education; 35,976 kes for medical care; 25,500 kes for Mackintosh mattress covers and 357,433 kes for food support – now go look that up!) over 2019 and also for our continued dedication to their program. He explained their ambitious plans for their planned move (and expansion) that is to take place over the next couple of years.
They took us on a tour of many of the classrooms, giving us an opportunity to meet and speak with many of the children on a more personal level. We took this opportunity to hand out a variety of pins that were donated by both MPP Steve Clark and MP Michael Barrett. The children absolutely love receiving the pins and will often ask if we have brought any with us, each time they see us. After visiting several of the primary classes, we visited a grade 7 class where Donna was asked to give a brief geography lesson. She asked the children questions about Canada (what oceans surround us; what our seasons are;)and then explained winter to the children, how cold it currently is in Canada as compared it to Nairobi.
We were able to spend a few brief moments with Joseph and with Simon but both were called back to the children (as we visited in the middle of a school day). We visited the dorms and the kitchen and discussed the greenhouse situation, understanding that it is best to wait until they move to repair it.
They currently have 3 cows, which unfortunately do not produce the amount of milk that they should. Their plan is to try to sell the three that they currently have and in turn buy one (more expensive) better breed, which will produce more milk for them to use.
The children prepared a short song that they performed for us. Tracey (who is one of our previously sponsored students, who has now graduated high school) dropped by the school to meet with us, and present us with a thank you card. She did ask if we would consider supporting her in her continuing university education.
Currently OVC has 30 children who live onsite and an additional 54 who are outreach students. The school as a whole however, currently has 720 students, with only 20 teachers!
Monday February 3, 2020
A little bit later start today, we headed out to Kambui School for the Deaf just after 9am and arrived before 11 – thank goodness for the lack of traffic this morning.
Secretary at the school, Ann, greeted us and led us into Connie’s office where Margaret, the school deputy (better known to most of us as the vice principal) joined us and led us through the many changes that have taken place over the past couple of years.
Margaret explained that one of their greatest needs is for more support for the children. There are currently over 20 children who come from extremely poor families who are in need of financial support, and their hope is that we will consider the possibility of providing financial aid for more children. We discussed the two elementary students we currently sponsor, Geoffrey and Anthony and then Margaret gave us a detailed account of what the Kenyan government pays for and what they do not. We presented both boys with gifts of backpacks filled with both school and hygiene supplies. We chatted for quite some time before heading out on our tour of the grounds.
The school has seen a great many improvements and the team was very pleased with the progress. The first thing we noticed was that all three dorms had brand new tin roofs and one even had solar panels and a water tank atop it. Thank goodness the asbestos is finally gone! We learned that the other two dormitory roofs would be having solar panels and water tanks installed while on the student’s next vacation.
Dormitories were immensely improved! Very clean, very tidy, all the beds made, trunks stored neatly and shoes lines up along the walls edge. The sound of running water drew us to the back of the dorm where we witnessed a hot water shower for the first time at Kambui School.
They currently have 13 head of cattle that are really enjoying the playground. No kidding. They grazed in the grass as we toured, whilst the children were in class. The three months that the children are in school, they use the milk from the cows and then the one month that the children are home with their families, the milk is sold to the local dairy and dollars used to buy feed for the cattle. The school has a new biogas system in place that provides fuel for the kitchen. This provides enough energy for two of the five stoves in the kitchen.
They have a vocational training centre that offers hairdressing, carpentry and joinery, knitting, sewing and weaving. Team members took turns pretending to weave.
After visiting a couple of classrooms, we were taken to the library. We had met Jennifer earlier, the schools librarian. She had given us her top 5 wish list. The most needed item was a carpet for the library, followed closely by paint, curtains, books and a fan!
When we had completed our visit, we ventured off to find the supermarket in nearby Kiambu County. Unlike our grocery stores, this one had groceries on one floor and a vast variety of furniture on the lower level. Thanks to a donation made by team member Carolyn Matheson, just before we left on our trip, we were quite certain we would be able to accommodate their wish of a nice big carpet for the library. And alas, we were able to find the perfect carpet for the library at Kambui School for the Deaf! We purchased it and returned to the school where they laid it out and allowed us to take pictures of the children enjoying it right away.
Tomorrow we are off to Gathaithi and then Wednesday to St. John Ambulance in Embu!
Sunday February 2, 2020
Our morning today was spent at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. Stephanie, Donna and Joanne had never had the pleasure and despite the dismal weather the experience did not disappoint. There was a bit of a kafuffle at the entrance; first time any of us had ever heard John raise his voice, but alas we were allowed to pass and enter the reserve.
They currently house 17 elephants, 7 babies, 9 two-year olds and one who is currently injured and did not follow the fold into the ring to visit with tourists. As usual, they explained the history of the centre, the necessity of it continuing, even though the founder has passed away.
Having had an exponentially grand amount of rain recently, the grounds were far muddier than ever before. Placing your foot down NEVER meant you had secure footing! Everyone was literally slipping and sliding, shoes and sandals completely covered in thick reddish mud – and still, nothing deterred from the experience of seeing, touching and hearing about the elephants. Stephanie and Donna took their enthusiasm one step further, and each sponsored a baby elephant before we departed.
We traveled from the Elephant Orphanage to the Nairobi Market. Christopher met us the moment we parked. Having clearly remembered us from our previous years, we felt at ease with him and followed him into the very loud, often aggressive market, feeling at ease. He led us through the congested market, aisle by aisle, having us pick and choose all the items we were interested in, all the while another gentleman carried all of our possible purchases until finally he led us to our “office area” where we were perched on man-made wee wooden benches and the bargaining began.
Two and a half hours later after some extreme heat, followed by a quickly moving rain storm and all the shopping was finally done. The market organizer played a tough game, but in the end we left with almost all the purchases we wanted, for the price we wanted. Well…. We thought we did.
Just before heading to the hotel, John took us to a grocery store so we could pick up some snacks and essentials. While inside, Simon (another gentleman from the market) called John to inform him we had forgotten a bag. How reassuring it was, to know how honest they were, taking steps to find us and make arrangements for us to collect our forgotten purchases.
Back at our hotel, munching on tidbits we had just purchased, and planning our day for tomorrow at Kambui.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Today the team went to visit Amazing Grace Children’s Home in Nakuru. On our way, we stopped atop the Rift Valley to do some shopping for the Kenyan store (where we were treated wonderfully once again by the owner, James), were able to collect almost all the items we had hoped to find there. The few items not found, will hopefully be found tomorrow as we tour the market in downtown Nairobi.
With just a wee unexpected detour, we arrived at Amazing Grace by 2pm, greeted at the gate by Margaret and her daughter. Once parked and debarking the van, many of the children had already gathered around to welcome us. We spent a few minutes on introductions and then followed Margaret into her office where she gave us an account of the last year, their accomplishments and their challenges. She was beaming with pride as she relayed to us the story of young Faith, who has received top scores on her recent exams – so much so that the local paper had done a feature article on her.
One of the first projects we were shown was their bore hole which now has a pump atop of it run by solar power. Next she followed up by explaining their biogas system which is working, but essentially too small for their home, but also very appreciated and works wonderfully. We then traveled to the back of the property where they have two large, very luscious greenhouses filled with tomatoes and kale. The garden surrounding them was filled with pumpkins, squash, potatoes, and avocado and banana trees.
After our tour of the grounds we had a very short visit with Margaret’s mother – who remembers us, even at the ripe age of 88.
Margaret has in place a very well organized and ambitious plan for the future of Amazing Grace. This plan includes generating all of their own electricity, making them totally self sustainable without the need to purchase wood, water or electricity. The hope was to even produce enough water that they could sell the surplus. Her warm philanthropic side also spoke of giving excess water to the surrounding community who may not be able to afford it.
Margaret has had great success with these bigger projects but they still struggle with day to day life realities such as the cost of food, electricity and medication and education. They are extremely grateful to Our Kenyan Kids for our assistance over the years and hope to continue to build on our relationship. The children were thrilled to each receive a bright red backpack (courtesy of Shop4Charity), as well as a variety of shared materials, such as chalk, crayons, frisbees, balls, skipping ropes, beach balls, dolls and books.
The day was concluded by a wonderful presentation of song and poem by the children of Amazing Grace to the team. And off we went, for another year.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Kawangware
The team was very abruptly awakened at 6am this morning, not by barking dogs or the sweet sound of birds singing, but rather by a very energetic, extremely loud aerobics class, taking place just outside our room on the lawn below. It’s not as though we would not have normally loved the excitement, or even their choice in music, but 6am, after 15 hours in the air, no sleep and having only had laid our heads to rest a mere 5 hours earlier…. ‘twas not our first choice of “wake up” music.
None the less, being the fun-loving, ready-for-anything, cheerful bunch that we are, we shook it off and decided to start the day a wee bit earlier than planned. Showering took far less time than allotted, as we may be ready-for-anything, but that does not include ice cold showers. Thank goodness for wet ones as not one of us was prepared to stand beneath the glorious trickle of ice cold water to rid us of the airplane stench. What the heck, one more day won’t kill us. Lol
Breakfast was tasty, John was early, traffic was…. Well, traffic was typical Nairobi traffic, but what can we say? We still made it to the tailoring school in relatively good time. There were 11 students at the Kawangware Community Tailoring School when we arrived, as well as their teacher, Faith. However, there was an unfortunate miscommunication and Monica was 500 miles away visiting her daughter! Determined to make the best of the situation, we introduced ourselves to the students, chatted about their experiences, their families and took the opportunity to get to know them all on a more personal level. There are 20 students enrolled at present, including one young man; some attend for full days, others part time. Depending on their level of knowledge entering the program and their time committed, they could graduate in as little as 1 year, though many take a full two years to complete it. The youngest student, Ruth, is 15 years of age, and the eldest was 41-yer old Zainab. They use Singer treadle sewing machines and practice their skills by sewing strips of cloth and graduate to brown paper bags that they have been able to draw their patterns on, before graduating to full fabric. Only 13 machines were functional today and 9 others are currently in need of repair.
They were all very thrilled with the bright red backpacks, donated by Shop For Charity, filled with toothpaste and toothbrushes that were kindly donated by Dr. Dong Li. Selfies were all the rage today, and the students were very cheerful and welcoming. We then traveled a short stint down the road to make a quick stop at Monica’s shop before heading out on our tour of the city.
After a much needed nap, we headed out (yes, on our own) to explore the neighbourhood, enjoying a delightful dinner at a new restaurant, just up the road, called Manara. After a delicious meal, the owner treated us to an authentic middle eastern sweet dessert known as Aluah and a wonderful cup of mint tea.
We cut things short today, in order to catch up on some rest and are now preparing for our day tomorrow at Amazing Grace.
Stay tuned.
%MCEPASTEBIN%
January 30, 2020
Alas, the team has arrived in Nairobi safe and sound. Not without a few bumps along the road, but that’s to be expected. No photos tonight, as honestly, we all look a wee bit rough! lol
Tomorrow morning we are off to Kawangware and then the city tour. We are charging the Kenyan phone and will keep everyone updated as often as possible.
Stay tuned!
January 21, 2020
Countdown is officially on. The travel team has their bags packed. We’re on our way in 1 week!
January 8, 2020
In just a couple short weeks, a team of 5 will be heading to Nairobi to visit the Our Kenyan Kids Projects. We encourage each of you to follow along on our journey, share our stories and photographs and of course, by all means, communicate – send us your questions and we will be happy to share our experience with you.
Internet willing – we will even try to share some videos!
Stay tuned.
April 2019
Board members of Our Kenyan Kids are currently in the process of mapping out the 2020 PET (Project Experience Trip) to Kenya. If you have ever thought about taking such a trip, then pull out your calendars and mark yourself “busy” on Tuesday, June 18th, .
On the third Tuesday in June, the board will present “Kenya 2020”. We will provide an update on each of our projects; the ups and downs of 2018/2019; what we have done to support our projects and what we would like to do going forward. We will provide those in attendance with an overview of the 2020 PET, including lodging, project visits, excursions and financials. There is no obligation of any kind. Join us for an evening of information. Feel free to ask questions, make suggestions, or just sit back and enjoy the show.
It is an eye-opening experience and our mission on June 18th is to make that trip come alive for you – in the living room of Wall Street United Church. Come on out and bring a friend.
Watch our Facebook page for more details as the date draws near.
https://www.facebook.com/ourkenyankids/
April 2018
Many Canadians will never have the opportunity to visit (let alone live in) a country such as Kenya. Even trying to imagine such a thing is difficult as the way of life, though similar in many ways, is also completely different in others.
2007 Inaugural Mission Exposure Trip members.
Our Kenyan Kids has been organizing trips to Kenya since 2007. Every year the members of the “travel team” come home and share their experiences with friends and family as well as Our Kenyan Kids supporters.
These adventures are not a “holiday” and one should not sign up for one expecting such. Each member of the team raises their own funds and pays their own way – everything from flight, hotel, meals, even the tip for their guide. The purpose of the trip is not to have a vacation, but to visit the projects that Our Kenyan Kids support and help to find ways to support them and help them to grow. As a member of this team you will see a multitude of challenges that our Kenyan partners face on a day to day basis; you will also see another culture that looks at life much differently than we.
Those who decided to travel with us each year can be assured that they will experience a life changing adventure. Your eyes will be widened; your heart awakened, to a beautiful country, a brilliant group of people and an adventure you will tell your friends about for years to come.
These yearly trips serve several purposes. Each year we purchase wares to sell in our own “Our Kenyan Kids” store; just one of the ways we raise money for our projects. Another is to bring awareness in hopes that more people will feel compelled to donate to our organization and finally, our chance to meet face to face, to share ideas and renew friendships with our Kenyan family.
We are dedicated to ensuring that no donations to Our Kenyan Kids are spent on travel. Almost 100% of donations go directly to our projects and helping them to flourish. Any assistance provided to travelers is in the form of independent fundraisers and sponsorships arranged by the individual themselves.
We encourage you to reach out, ask questions, and get involved.
2017 Travel Team
Our Kenyan Kids 
Awesome very inspiring
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