This July we're happy to have a group of fantastic young adults, ages 17-27, travel to Kenya with WHOlives for an exciting humanitarian expedition. We like to keep our supporters updated, especially when we have a team in the field, so we'll be sharing guest posts from each of our expedition members while they serve in Kenya over the next three weeks. Stay tuned to read our team's firsthand accounts of their experiences in the coastal region of Kenya. You'll hear about their rural immersion in the village of Mnyenzeni where they'll visit local schools and health clinics. They'll shadow village members, too, assisting them in their daily chores like caring for their animals and fetching water. You'll read about the team's travels to Mombasa, their safari adventures and their service opportunities in a Nairobi slum. They've got three busy weeks ahead of them and we're excited to share it all with you through their own voices.
Today our first guest post is from expedition member Reagan Moss as she recounts the group's first day in Mnyenzeni, Kenya.
Today was a great start to a new experience! The group woke up late from the long journey and right away Leah, our host from WHOlives' partner organization, Koins for Kenya, showed us around the village. We got to walk through the market and see the shops. The radios played music and men rode through on their dirt bikes on the dirt roads. The huts aren't what you would generally expect, because some are made of mud and sticks, others of the grasses, others just wood. Then we were introduced to "Buffalo", who showed us where they make the desks for the schoolhouses that are provided by the Koins for Kenya program. There are so many plants, and they use them so resourcefully! After looking at the chickens, goats, cows, and gardens, we all met up again to have lunch and greet WHOlives founder, John, and Kaylie, another expedition member, who had just arrived. We ate chapate (not a torilla) with amazing tasting beans and carrots, with pineapple on the side. They're really spoiling us! Mariah, one of our group members, brought out a soccer ball and we all played with some of the village children. They love to yell "Jambo!" and "welcome" and test out the English they know. They're a pretty crazy bunch, and they are always smiling. They love to run up and grab our hands and touch our hair, and say lots of silly things. They always get excited when we say anything (in our limited knowledge of 2 to 3 words, haha) in Swahili. Leah then showed us around the surrounding area. Who knew Kenyans grew so much corn? Everywhere we walked (in the blazing sun) people said hello, and welcome--it's amazing. We also saw someone climbing one of the many palm trees. Apparently, coconut beer is as popular as it is lethal, haha. They drill a small hole into an unripe coconut, let it ferment for a few weeks, and sell it. But there are plenty of other plants growing here, such as passionfruit, papaya, and eucalyptus.
We're all just settling in, but it's already been a lot of fun! We're looking forward to the next few weeks of adventure!
By Reagan
for the Crew
Sounds like they're having fun! Below are a few pictures of the group from the team's first day in the Kenya.
Watch for our next update from the field and follow along as our team of seven experience the wonders of Kenya.
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