Reflections from Liberia
(Written 6/14)
Ikumbo already feels a million miles away, although as soon as I take a second to think about it I can picture our friends and family, and everything they’re doing right now there. I arrived last night in Liberia, and I am writing this blog post with the sound of waves crashing in the background at ELWA beach. Between an emotional goodbye and a long day of travel I am reeling a bit from the change in environment. I’ll post more reflection on my time in Liberia, but first a few words about the conclusion of our time in Kenya.
Or slightly more than a few words... One of the reasons I think Davis and I get along so well is that he too is a man of many words. We sat down on my last day in Kenya for almost 4 hours to debrief on the trip. And as the group experienced on Sunday when Davis spoke to the students of Chogoria Girls Secondary School, give him 15 minutes and he’ll talk for an hour.
For a young man, though, there is a lot of wisdom that leaves his lips. The other day he said something that really struck me: “You can repay a debt of gold, but you can never repay a debt of kindness.” This is exactly I feel about my experience with the community of Ikumbo. I have always felt like family when I am in Ikumbo, and our whole group was embraced the same way. We have countless brothers and sisters around the town, and more than a few moms and dads who have taken care of us. At the center of it are the Nyagas. Over the past three weeks we have shared belly laughs with “Dad”, meals with Mama Mark and Mama Soni, soccer games with Matugi, Munene and the boys, and many hugs with “Mami”. For these relationships, we will be forever grateful.
Another nugget Davis contributed was the sentiment that despite some big achievements in our work with the community on the school, this is no time to “thump our chests or be content.” Throughout the trip we have begun drawing up a strategic vision for what comes next in Ikumbo: more teachers, better trained teachers, more textbooks, career guidance, scholarships for needy students, a change from the pattern of dictation and recitation, and the introduction of IT. This outline will be the basis for everything we do in the next year, and will motivate our development and fundraising as Harambee for All Children. For every need at the school there is also a student’s face, or a teacher’s voice in our heads to remind us of the personal need.
I can’t believe what a success this trip has been. From meetings with higher-ups at the Ministry of Education, to strongly personal moments with students, we are taking a lot away from our experiences. Thank you to everybody involved in Harambee for All Children for your support. We’ve been able to do some amazing things so far in Ikumbo and the sky is the limit going forward.
And now some random shots from the end of our trip:
Sign painted by Rajshri and Rafal, Natulenge Kilele - "Aim for the peak"
Ravi, Davis and Matt
"Harambee" - The National Seal of Kenya
Ikumbo already feels a million miles away, although as soon as I take a second to think about it I can picture our friends and family, and everything they’re doing right now there. I arrived last night in Liberia, and I am writing this blog post with the sound of waves crashing in the background at ELWA beach. Between an emotional goodbye and a long day of travel I am reeling a bit from the change in environment. I’ll post more reflection on my time in Liberia, but first a few words about the conclusion of our time in Kenya.
Or slightly more than a few words... One of the reasons I think Davis and I get along so well is that he too is a man of many words. We sat down on my last day in Kenya for almost 4 hours to debrief on the trip. And as the group experienced on Sunday when Davis spoke to the students of Chogoria Girls Secondary School, give him 15 minutes and he’ll talk for an hour.
For a young man, though, there is a lot of wisdom that leaves his lips. The other day he said something that really struck me: “You can repay a debt of gold, but you can never repay a debt of kindness.” This is exactly I feel about my experience with the community of Ikumbo. I have always felt like family when I am in Ikumbo, and our whole group was embraced the same way. We have countless brothers and sisters around the town, and more than a few moms and dads who have taken care of us. At the center of it are the Nyagas. Over the past three weeks we have shared belly laughs with “Dad”, meals with Mama Mark and Mama Soni, soccer games with Matugi, Munene and the boys, and many hugs with “Mami”. For these relationships, we will be forever grateful.
Another nugget Davis contributed was the sentiment that despite some big achievements in our work with the community on the school, this is no time to “thump our chests or be content.” Throughout the trip we have begun drawing up a strategic vision for what comes next in Ikumbo: more teachers, better trained teachers, more textbooks, career guidance, scholarships for needy students, a change from the pattern of dictation and recitation, and the introduction of IT. This outline will be the basis for everything we do in the next year, and will motivate our development and fundraising as Harambee for All Children. For every need at the school there is also a student’s face, or a teacher’s voice in our heads to remind us of the personal need.
I can’t believe what a success this trip has been. From meetings with higher-ups at the Ministry of Education, to strongly personal moments with students, we are taking a lot away from our experiences. Thank you to everybody involved in Harambee for All Children for your support. We’ve been able to do some amazing things so far in Ikumbo and the sky is the limit going forward.
And now some random shots from the end of our trip:
Sign painted by Rajshri and Rafal, Natulenge Kilele - "Aim for the peak"
Ravi, Davis and Matt
"Harambee" - The National Seal of Kenya
posted by Matthew at
8:57 AM
1 Comments:
That Davis is a wise and thoughtful man as is his friend and "brother" Matthew.
J. Gartland
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