I have clearly not been showing this blog an TLC at all while in Kenya but what can I say, I have been to busy being alive, taking in every single moment.
The only downside of being here is that I have to leave in 6 days. The more time I spend in this incredible country the more I am falling in love with it. May 1st I was cone my internship which I spent with the remarkable women of Living Positive Kenya.
I cannot say enough about how much I love and respect Mum and LPK's work. The women who are accessing the program continue to lift my spirits every single time that I am around them with their determination and positivity in life no matter what they have experienced. I want to take a moment to shamelessly plug one of their awesome programs which I 100% back and guarantee.
I say again, i am a skeptic and I tend to not trust organizations I don't know or haven't had recommended by someone I trust but the Educational Sponsorship is fantastic. There are 110(ish) kids who are currently being sponsored by individuals around the world, including the incredible Stephen Lewis Foundation which currently sponsors 7 kids in primary and secondary classes. If you have ever wanted to support and help someone I really recommend you contact LPK and see the kids who need a bit of help( www.livingpositivekenya.org livingpositivekenya@gmail.com )
100% of the money you give is going directly to the institute which they are attending. The money will provide housing, food, supplies and most importantly education. If you need/want to do an internship consider LPK. You will safe, welcome, loved, and you will learn a lot more than you expect about life and yourself. You have many options from helping with their farm, the day care, social work, fundraising, or you can fundraise and conduct your own project. Lord knows if I could afford to I would not leave i would just be an intern for life! I had to do my pre-goodbye last thursday as I am no longer living in Ngong but I cannot wait for my visit before I leave Kenya.
I spent the weekend on Safari, enjoying the tourist side of Kenya and I was baffled by the amazing things we saw. 21 lions including 7 cubs in one morning alone, the elusive leopard, a cheetah with her cubs, countless giraffes, zebra, buffalo antelope, impala, elephants... Need I go on? There is nothing like seeing these animals hunt and play in the wild as if you aren't even there watching them. It was a really incredible experience and good to have a break from working although those are some early mornings! I was lucky to have a very diverse and interesting Safari group and of course makes another reason you want to stay to continue meeting new people.
I am being utterly spoiled in my currently lodgings where I am eating delicious food cooked by a wonderful young man I am calling my personal chef, my host is introducing me to life in Kibera at his awesome library project and a nearby daycare where I feel like all i am doing is being loved to death. I could spend all day sitting holding toddlers and smiling at them. Everyone needs a bit of love sometimes!
The daycare is run by a really wonderful husband and wife who seem to just be so kind and patient and who I think really want to look out for these children and I wish I could stay and help out because they really have their hands full but soon they are getting some funding and remodelling to make it a bit safer, cleaner an environment for the little ones. I cannot wait until I come back and see how it looks. The kids and people of Kibera are really remarkable. My teacher had told me that it was not at all like you expect it to be. She was right, it is an organized busy community with a neighbourhood feel, I didn't feel in danger or unsafe, perhaps I felt stared at which is to be expected but I really like what I have seen and all the further potential in the local people who are working at it. I am looking forward to spending another day helping out as I can.
This week I am also extremely excited to spend two days with a local doctor going out to some masai villages to help in his clinic. It has been very important to me to get my hands into health care where i am able to see where my heart lies for my future endeavours. I am hopefully that I am able to come back in a professional context, or at least able to come and make enough money to live on. My head is already going crazy thinking of all the projects I could help with or maybe expand etc. I am hopeful for what the future holds for me!
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