Bringing Laughter and Learning
to Children's Lives
Geographical Kenya straddles the equator, and has many different regions and landscapes making it a very interesting destination to visit.
As the slideshow of our photos conveys, we spent much of our time visiting sponsored children in their schools, vocational training centers, and homes. These were very inspiring visits, with the opportunity to meet their teachers, principals, and guardians. We traveled up country with Mark to his rural home near Eldoret*, in western Kenya, where we enjoyed a celebration with many of the sponsored children and their guardians. We also traveled with Mark throughout that region, so hard hit by HIV/AIDS, to visit children in their schools and homes.
Photo Slide Show
Jirani Co-Founder, Beth Swadener Travels to Kenya to Meet With Mark and the Children
Beth's Log: From June 27 July 18, 2007, Anita Jackson (new sponsor and longtime colleague and friend) and I visited Kenya, in order to visit all the sponsored children and support the work of Jirani Project Coordinator and social worker, Mark Okello. We had many meetings with not only Mark but others who work with children in extremely difficult circumstances in Kenya, some of whom will likely serve on a Kenyan advisory committee to the Jirani Project. Jirani Project is not only a non-profit in the U.S. but is getting registered as a Community-based Organization (CBO) in two districts in Kenya. We brought a new laptop and digital camera for Mark so that he can better communicate with the board and child sponsors and of course gifts for all our kids!
Among our many moving experiences was visiting Brian, a sponsored youth who lives with and takes care of his blind uncle, as well as working their small farm in addition to attending what would be 8th grade in the U.S. They were really struggling, so it was great to see Mark in action getting them more resources and providing guidance and support to Brian. We also visited some of the ghost villages, where an entire generation of parents have died of AIDS, and got a much better sense of all that Mark does to find extended family members to serve as guardians for orphans we support.
While in Nairobi we visited the slums where most of our sponsored children reside, including visiting schools and vocational training programs. We also had a gathering with children and guardians in the Nairobi area at which children wrote letters and made pictures for their sponsors. It was a truly joyful and informative experience and I am in the early stages of planning a Jirani Sponsor Tour of Kenya for summer 2009. Please let me know if you might be interested in this trip by emailing me at: bswadener@asu.edu
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Beth Swadener and Jirani sponsor, Anita Jackson, with members of Kangemi Ufanisi mothers' self-help group
Photo taken in the same slum that many sponsored children reside (some mothers are also gurardians).