By Kiara D. Chavez, Tosca, Mary Dudley, and Maytal
Hola mis quieridos amigos,
Last week we finished staying at the Munfindi Children’s Home. It was amazing to experience bonding with the children and learning about the large presence of HIV/AIDS in the region. Tosca, Rachel and I even got the opportunity to play soccer in the rain with the older boys, best believe we were soaked by the end. While we did that, the rest of the group participated in the wonderful “baby power hour” at the nursery.
We also had the opportunity to celebrate Easter with a water balloon fight at the Fox’s farm. We learned about the history of the Fox’s NGO and how a tea farm transformed into an organization that works with vulnerable children, health care, and education.
While on a walk through the village, Rachel ran into another couple who has worked in the region for over 30 years. We had the amazing opportunity to visit their home and learn about their work. We even got to visit the clinic that they started, which is now fully-run by locals.
Throughout this week the concept of service has been brought up many times. We have learned that success starts from within and community and local empowerment is the key to improvement.
This week we are looking within and improving ourselves here in the Holistic Retreat and farm: Ohana Amani. Ohana Amani means “Peace Between Those Who Breathe Together.” As the trip continues we hope to carry with us these new tools we are learning here. I along with Mary Dudley, Tosca and Morgan have been working tirelessly to build an outdoor classroom. The rest of the group has been working in the garden weeding, turning compost, and eating as many fresh raspberries as they can find. Being here we have been eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown right here in our backyard! The farm to table lifestyle is INCREDIBLE in comparison to the normal rice, beans, and ugali.