The Sweet Life

Camp GLOW was such an amazing experience. It was great to see the girls from different parts of the country making friends and trying new things. Some of the girls were deaf and at the beginning of camp they gave an introduction lesson on deaf culture and sign language. It was great to see the girls mixing together and watch the hearing girls practice their newly learned sign language skills. One of my students was so excited about it that she took a sign language poster home to teach the other kids back at school. We spent a day at the Impala sanctuary in Kisumu and another one of my students looked at me with wide eyes and said this was the first time she had seen Lake Victoria (her home is only 45 minutes by public transportation from the lake).

After almost 3 weeks away from my village I was on the main road to my house and the children were flocking to the side of the road yelling “Sister!” It always feels so great to be welcomed home like hero or celebrity or something. It truly felt like I was home as I was standing at my front door in the clinic. As I walked into my house I noticed that all my furniture was rearranged. I thought hmmmm, this is strange. Then as I walked a little further in I realized the sisters had installed a new solar powered electricity system and a full size fridge! Some of us volunteers joke about people being in the “posh corps” instead of the peace corps and I think the new electricity system and ability to store COLD things has sent me over the edge. I may still be 12 kilometers from the nearest paved road, bank, or supermarket, but life is pretty sweet right now.

This past weekend Sister Tina and I organized a youth seminar at Ang’iya church. We had almost 100 youth from age 10-21! I taught lessons on male and female anatomy, reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, healthy relationships, and peer pressure. The more I work with young people, the more I realize that they truly are the future of Kenya. I’m so proud to be a part of it and when I think of how I will never forget these kids, I’m sure the feeling is mutual.