PTPI Blog

It’s the last day for our Young Generation (YG) IMPACT: Kenya delegates, the last day of volunteering before heading home. View more photos of their adventure on PTPI’s Facebook Page.

Today began with a traditional worship service where we learned a song in English & Swahili.  Everyone enjoyed starting the day together.  We journeyed to the Mukeu Special Learning School for the Disabled located in the Rift Valley.  We assisted with physical education class, a weaving project, cleaning the classrooms and enjoyed outdoor sports and activities with the students.  Mukeu is a boarding school for students who have autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hearing impairment, or a serious emotional disturbance.  There were a total of thirty students at the school.  The staff consists of two teachers, two house parents and a cook.  The teachers go home in the evening, but the rest of the staff stay at the facility twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Weaving at the Mukeu Special Learning School for the Disabled

They perform a remarkable service with very few resources.  They have no electricity or running water.  All of the water they use is drawn from a shallow well on the grounds by the students.  Despite the daily struggles they face the staff work diligently to teach the students valuable life skills which will prepare them for life after they leave the school.  The teachers said that this is one of the first schools of this type in Kenya.  Until recently children with disabilities were either left to run the streets or were tied to trees.  There is still some shame in having a disability in Kenya but there is much more tolerance than in the recent past.  Mukeu offers a very warm and supportive environment for the children it serves.

New stove donated to Body of Christ school by the PTPI YG IMPACT group

After leaving Mukeu we headed back to Body of Christ (BOC) school to check on the delivery of a new stove that was purchased by our group.  When we arrived the school was buzzing with excitement over the arrival of the big new stove.  No longer will they work with a single pot over an open flame, but they now can cook with three separate burners and an oven!  This would be our last visit to BOC so we took pictures of all our work and more importantly of all the children and teachers.  We slowly boarded the bus and waved as we pulled away.

Class photo at Body of Christ school

When we arrived at Brackenhurst we had our final reflection where we discussed the entire experience and what it meant to each of us.  Following the reflection we were joined by all of the African Impact volunteers for a barbeque on the lawn complete with a bonfire.  It was the perfect ending of another wonderful day.

Tomorrow our group will leave Kenya.  We will each leave a little of ourselves behind and a take a little of Kenya home.  We came here as a group of nineteen but will leave tomorrow as a PTPI family.  We couldn’t have asked for a better team.  Each unique individual brought something we needed to be successful.  Everywhere we went we would hear what a great group we were – full of passion, enthusiasm and team spirit.   Collectively we know that words and photos can never capture what we have done and how we have changed as a result of this program, but we hope by sharing this blog with you that you’ll capture a glimpse of our time here and hope you may be inspired to help spread the mission of Peace through Understanding around the world!

Steve Ferringer and Karen Hoch (Group Leaders)

To learn more about People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org

The Young Generation (YG) IMPACT: Kenya program is nearing the end, and the students are finishing up their volunteer work at Body of Christ (BOC) nursery school and orphanage. View more photos from students’ time in Kenya on PTPI’s Facebook Page.

Day 8

It is a sad thought, but our trip is almost over.  We are just now realizing that tomorrow will be our last work day at Body of Christ (BOC).  We are all doing our best to make our last few days in Kenya the best they can be.

We started our day off with a debriefing of the past few workdays with Carmen, Charity, and Patrick (African Impact employees).  We discussed in depth the assets and needs of BOC.  Some assets included a great new facility and warm hearted, caring teachers.   Our group decided that BOC’s greatest need was to be registered with the government as a school and orphanage. This would allow them to be federally funded, supported by NGO’s and provide the school with community recognition.

Preparing the floor for painting in the girls room at Body of Christ school

Our tasks for today included finishing up some of the walls and preparing the floors for painting in the morning.  We are hoping to paint the floors tomorrow and put the finishing touches on the rest of the building.  We were glad to have some new additions to our BOC volunteer group today all the way from Scotland. Honor, James, and Angus fit right in.  They will help us complete our goal.

Today we spent much more time with the kids than usual.  Normally we play just after lunch but today we took every moment we had to see them.  We have all made bonds with different kids and our love is growing stronger everyday.  We will miss all of the children, and dread saying our goodbyes.

At the end of the day went out to a local restaurant in Limuru and enjoyed a traditional Kikuyu dish.  It consisted of a beef stew, a green potato mixture called Mukimo and some vegetable side dishes.  It was delicious. We look forward to seeing what tomorrow has in store.

Love,
Erika and Jourdana

Day 9

Today we went to Body Of Christ (BOC) with the intent to finish painting the boarding house walls.  We had a great group effort to finish the upstairs by painting the walls and floors.  We finished painting the downstairs main room which the community can possibly use as a banquet hall for future events.

Newly finished girls area at Body of Christ school

Over the past week and a half, our group was able to accomplish a lot at BOC. We are very happy to know that we contributed to helping provide a new school, rooms for the kids to stay in, and for future community events that can strengthen the local community to BOC. Our group was also able to provide a better play area for the children. A few students each day would work rigorously outside to level the ground to provide a safer area. In the future, a swing set and other equipment could possibly be placed in this area to provide new activities for the children during their break.

Students at Body of Christ school with their new colored pencils

One of the most touching moments of the day occurred when we were able to give some of the items we brought from home to the children and teachers at BOC. Many of us brought toys, while others brought essential school supplies that can lead to a better school experience. A photo was taken of all of the children and teachers with either a toy or the school supplies. It was evident how much those toys meant to the children because during lunch break you could not find a child who was not smiling in joy from the toys that they now had available.

The children at Body of Christ with their gifts from the YG IMPACT delegates

The rest of the night we had a relaxing time at Brackenhurst.  Some of us took naps while others surfed the web or read outside.  The night ended with a group discussion about the days events and we are slowly realizing that our time is short in Kenya and we plan to make the most of it the rest of the trip.

Much Love,
Michael Bashline and John Meehan

 

To learn more about People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org

After a two-day safari at Lake Nakuru National Park, our Young Generation (YG) IMPACT: Kenya delegates are back to work volunteering in Limuru. View more photos of their experience on PTPI’s Facebook Page.

Morning assembly at Body of Christ nursery school and orphanage

Today was dedicated mostly to painting at Body of Christ nursery school and orphanage.  Looking back at all that we’ve done gives us a sense of joy to see the progress we’ve made and how much we’ve accomplished since our arrival a week ago. Being able to actually see the progression of the state of the orphanage makes the work we’ve done more real, and the noticeable changes and developments in our relationships with the children has made our work that much more enjoyable. It provides us with incentive as we now have a loving connection with the kids we’re working so hard to help.

Girls painting the bathroom at Body of Christ school and orphanage

As a group, our time together and the work we’ve done, along with the shared goal of finishing the orphanage, has brought us so close. We no longer feel like individuals who happen to be working in the same area, but instead we feel like a family trying to meet a shared goal. Tonight some of us watched the film Blood Diamond and from this we got a sense of how devastating things can be and how blessed we are to be able to work with such wonderful people in a safe and friendly community. It was sad to see the hardships many people go through but it inspires us to continue working and trying to help and trying make a positive change.

Jillian (Jill) Sciscione and Caitlin Wynn