Dani Blogs-Kenya: What’s in a Name?

Kenya: What’s in a name???

There’s no way to fully describe to anyone what this trip has done for everyone involved. Personal growth and development is rampant at our camp. The team has come together and accomplished simply amazing things. The children at the school and orphanage are now our friends. I remember sitting at dinner at what was SUPPOSED to be our last night in Dago as one of our team members Agata summed up how she felt about her experience very well. She said, “I went from being a Muzungu to being Agata.” Muzungu is what we are affectionately called by locals here….it simply means white person. Some may be offended by this but it is quite endearing. However, after two weeks we were no longer Muzungus…I am Dani, Andrew is Andrew and Agata is Agata….however….Jeff is now “RASTAAAAAA”….LOL. We began to forge along to our second project 6 hours away in Bukura to work with a youth group from Kibera we had bonded with our first day in Nairobi. I was excited because I was going back to stay with the family that I had lived with last year….they had been preparing for an entire year for our arrival. We arrived in the village very late…we were exhausted. As we pulled up to the oh-so familiar gate we heard drums…then singing…then we saw KCYP bust out their famous infectious energy as we were greeted by a multitude of people. We sang and danced our way into their compound. Energy was HIGH. I hugged and kissed all the family I had been missing for so long. There was more singing….then more dancing…then a prayer as we all dispersed throughout the two homes to settle into our rooms. KCYP and ASB blended and became one as team lines blurred….my dreams were coming true….soooo MANY people’s dreams were coming true….the plan had worked!!! We couldn’t believe it was actually happening. But…some one somewhere had other plans. I awoke the next morning to be greeted by my Kenyan mom Sarah. We reminisced over a cup of chai as she told me all that she had accomplished since my last visit. Then someone from our team told me I needed to go talk to Jeff….apparently something had gone missing. As I entered their room I could feel the energy, my body became heavy as I saw the faces of my fellow team mates. “All our money and camera’s are gone.” This one act of…desperation?…greed? selfishness?….hate???….sent ASB on a course that was not anywhere in the plans. Danger lurks everywhere and thank goodness no one was hurt. After hours of police investigation, tears, remorse and helplessness the majority of the team felt they could not stay and so we made the difficult decision to leave Bukura and return to Dago, the place we had called home for the past two weeks. Everyone involved was devastated and we are certain that NO ONE involved with the project was part of the theft. We suspect that someone worked with the night guard and pulled off an incredible heist…..at least they didn’t get their passports. We sat with KCYP and all the family and said a prayer before we left. Much time had passed before we eventually departed and by that time many had reconciled the occurrence. I, as many others have chosen to believe that the universe is protecting our team from a much worse scenario that may have occurred had we stayed for the duration of the trip. Many have been affected by this single act of unkindness however it will not stop us from continuing on. We arrived back in Dago later that night, tired, sad and hungry. Morning time was filled with mixed emotions as many team members branched off in different directions to contemplate what had just occurred. I was sitting with Emma, future ASB leader and good friend of mine. We were discussing some differencing of opinions surrounding the situation and had come to a happy medium. All of a sudden Felix, (a boy from the school that stole my heart the first time we met) showed up with his cronies and sat down beside us. He said, “Dani, I drew something, can I show you?” I replied of course and prompted him to unfold the recycled paper he clenched in his hand. I opened it up and my heart did some flips…this child has that effect on me….lol. There was a picture of the orphanage, an airplane, a helicopter, flowers and much more. Above the drawings was the name “Felix” paired with various ASB member names. I looked at Emma and we both knew we were exactly where we were supposed to be. We sat with the boys, our friends…we know all of their names….and their know ours!!! Although my empathy for KCYP and my family in Bukura still lingers with strength I am trusting that there is a higher purpose for our variance in plans. Sometimes we must trust the universe and the signals it sends us, because when we listen, when we pay attention to what the world around us wants….we tend to end up right where we are supposed to be. This TEAM has come TOGHETER through it all and we are moving forward to do more good work in Dago. I remember the night we got back. I had no appetite and my energy was low. I went alone into the kitchen where my ladies where at. Heleda said, “You are alive, that is all that matters…your life…you….you are Akini.” She remembered the Luo name she had given me, I felt at home, I felt loved, and I felt very alive. So what is in a name?….more than any of us could have ever imagined….here in Kenya…names have the ability to heal, teach and show perspective.

I’ll keep you posted

Until next time

Dani

Dani Blogs…KENYA!

ASB…in Kenya…making a difference!

Well….we’ve been here for a week and this experience has gone way beyond anything we could’ve ever imagined. We have painted an entire girls dormitory inside and out. The team is building (from the ground up) latrines for both the girls and boys. Many of us are teaching classes next week….I have opted for social studies and will be teaching about tea! We have also started an after school Girls Club where the 6, 7, and 8 girls from the school and orphanage will hang out with the ASB girls and play games, sing, dance, talk, work on homework and hopefully discover that girls can do anything boys can do…and maybe even better!

From a personal stand point this trip is simply amazing. We are completely immersed in the community and have learned so much from all the people we interact with. After one solid week with 13 other people I opted to hang out in the kitchen with our cooks last night. I have only ever read about women like this…and yesterday I had the chance to cook with them. Helena, one of our cooks and Dago volunteer mother told me she is part of 27 organizations. She takes care of 89 children who are HIV positive. The women collectively oversee over 3000 people…this includes counseling and homecare. They also have a marry-go-round operation going as well as their catering company…did I mention that they also take care of their own families???!!! They are an incredible inspiration to us all. I have made so many friends, Beatrice a 13 year old 8^th grader comes to mind. My first encounter with her was at the orphanage where she lives as she frantically looked for her belongings that we carelessly tossed aside not realizing that what to us looked like garbage was actually all she had. I was mortified. I helped her look for her stuff and what started as an incredibly sad and awkward situation turned into one of the most pure friendships I have ever had. We washed dishes together later that night and the next day we were singing and dancing in the grass together. Today we nodded to each other as we both sat through an incredibly long church service; her strength and charisma amazes me and motivates me to continue to work even though the sun is hot and my body sometimes aches.

We are so happy here and loving every moment of it….sadly we will be leaving this magical place next Sunday as we head to Bukura to meet with KCYP. Our work is meaningful and we are making a difference…we feel it and we know it.

I used to say it is impossible for this student group to changes lives. I WAS WRONG…simply because we are…we have no doubt of this.

Until next time

Dani

Agata Blogs-Kenya

Aagata Blogs-An ASB Journey…in her own words…

And now it hits me… finally. An overwhelming feeling of immediacy, the feeling that I have indeed very little time from now till my departure to Kenya. (or lots, depending from which angle you look at it)

A mixture of anxiety, excitement, adrenaline, impatience, lot’s of “to do”s, anticipation, joy and a belly full of butterflies. This is how I’m feeling right now, this is how I woke up. The calmness I felt yesterday having spent the whole day on my own, has suddenly transformed into an emotional turmoil.

As I write my shopping list for tomorrow, I envision moments in Kenya that I can’t even imagine. I’m planning things like not shaving or wearing deodorant or not giving a fuck about my hair. Once I land, I want to stop “worrying” about these insignificant things that have been branded in me by society. I want to solely focus on all the reasons why I’m embarking in this adventure; some of these I know, some I will discover there. I understand that it may be gross and the men in my group may not appreciate it, but here and now I want to try what it would be like to not care. For some reason I feel that once I land in Africa I will be able to free myself from all the taboos society has imposed on me.

I look at my packing list and it pretty much sounds like for the next month, I will be living in the jungle or something like it. I really hope so. Mosquito net, sleeping bag, duct tape, headlamps, carabineers and lots and lots of bug repellent. It’s so freaking exciting! I can’t wait to detach myself from the city, break free from society and let go of its rigid structure. I’m so excited to get a chance to live the simple life, working together with a group of people that has been nothing but amazing from day one.

My heart is beating so fast now, I think is ready to abandon my chest and fly out the window. “I’ll catch you in Kenya” it says. The anticipation is just amazing. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Four days and so so much to do. From watching films at the Hot Docs, to meeting for coffee with one of the directors I met yesterday, to visiting a kindergarten school and spending the afternoon with my friend’s mom and her students -learning what is most likely to be my side-career. I need to buy socks, camping gear, clothes and equipment tomorrow, party tonight, drum circle after our last meeting, hanging out with friends, etc. etc. etc. But the more I think of what I need to do, the more anxious I get. Oh well, let’s just keep moving then. Doing rather than thinking is what always calms me down…

I want to thank my team for being so amazing, for making this happen, for believing, for sacrificing, for achieving the unthinkable, for thinking the unthinkable, for the amazing energy that has been flowing in each meeting, even when the level of tiredness was up to the roof. It has been great and we haven’t even left… Yaaaaaaaay! See you all tomorrow.

Thank You Dancing Dani

Thank You Adventurous Andrew

Thank You Rocking Robin

Thank You Dreamy Darya

Thank You Super Steven

Thank You Magical Majalyn

Thank You Acrobatic Ahmad

Thank You Funny Filipe

Thank You Eager Emma

Thank You Joking Jeffrey

Thank You Magnificent Miranda

Thank You Interesting Isaac

Thank You Corageous Caroline

And of course… amazing Agata!

JAKUNA MATATA!!!
Love,

Agata

Miranda Blogs-Kenya-Oh the Anticipation!!!!

Every now and then, when I’m sitting in class, spending time with friends or working on an assignment, it hits me. In a little over a month thirteen fantastic people and myself are flying to Kenya, to Kenya. We are going to Kenya. No matter how many times I say it I still can’t wrap my head around it. It feels like I’m having one of those dreams that are so good you just don’t want to wake up. But I’m awake and this is really happening.

On May 7, 2010 we’ll be sitting on the tarmac of Toronto Pearson International Airport waiting for our plane to take off. We’ll be staring out those little oval windows, with our seat belts fastened tightly, our chairs in an upright position and giant smiles spread across our faces. A voice will come across the speakers, welcome us, give safety instructions and then before we know it the plane will be moving. We’ll take off from the runway and be on our way to Amsterdam where we will catch a flight to Nairobi. And once we land in Kenya our adventure will really begin.

The experiences we have will be ones we won’t forget. The memories we’ll make will be ones that will never fade. And I’m glad I’ll be sharing this adventure with such a great group of peopleJ. Kenya here we come!

Isaac Blogs-KENYA! Guilt Free Procrastination

It seems like the countdown is on, the first big hurdle for me, was finishing the last of the major assignments for school. The problem is, once in a while I zone out and start writing about Kenya- luckily I have been able to write a paper on Nairobi . Personally, I’m crazy excited about going on this trip with such a good team. Everyone has been plowing ahead and we are full of energy and drive (despite the time constraints). Every time I walk around downtown Toronto i think about how different it will likely be in Kenya. This is interesting for me, I am preparing myself for the furthest trip i have ever taken from my city of birth, and I am ready to embark on what I think will one of the best trips of my life. I really don’t know what to expect once I am there, so i have decided to keep an open mind. I’m not going to write anything as artistic or as spiritually self-aware as my friends Majalyn and Jeff have contributed though I do feel blessed to have met so many motivated, dedicated and cool people. While finishing school work, I have taken 3 main procrastination strategies, all of which happen to have surrounded the topic of Kenya-

1) Random Web Searches on the history of Kenya

 2) Google Maps expeditions (though they don’t have google street view)

3) Reading the newspaper The Daily Nation (which is from Kenya).

On that note- I was unable to find the average temperature of Dago Village, luckily our wise group leaders have explained that its going to be reallllly hot. I was able to find out that Kenya DOMINATED this years ‘World Cross Country Championship- 9 of 12 titles in cross country running! you can read it here–> (http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/Kenyas%20best%20showing%20in%2016%20years%20/-/1100/888652/-/s1ciujz/-/index.html) I have been impressed with the support and interest of lots of people at Ryerson and in the greater community regarding this project.

All the best, Isaac.

Jeff Blogs-KENYA!

Bless up ASB peoples, Canada and most importantly Kenya! First and foremost, I would like to give thanks for this opportunity and experience! What a blessing it is to reach Kenya! On another note, it is truly a pleasure to meet each and everyone of the ASB crew. I hope we will spread positive vibes overseas and from what I see so far, we shall and most definitely will. I plan on being a true diplomat and ambassador in this beautiful country representing Rastafari, Ryerson, Canada, my fam, as well as myself. For the past two weeks, we’ve been up in the mix brainstorming possible events. Lightning! Of all the events, I am looking forward to the Project Pamoja fundraiser jam, the travel expo as well as the drum circle. Word! Another thing I have been curious about is how I will be received in Kenya. Being a Canadian Rastafari I wonder if interactions with people will be easier, tougher or perhaps all the same. From my brief research on Rastafari in Kenya, the highlights are that there are Rasta communities in Kenya (a definite positive) and other sources state Rastas in Kenya have a bad rep for trafficking bhang a.k.a. marijuana and are constantly targeted by police (definitely not so hot:).  Well received or not, I will maintain my positive vibes, outlook on life and resume my role as diplomat and ambassador. One great idea jumped into my head and I hope it can be accomplished. In Kenya, our group will assist the youths there involved in football/soccer. I wanted to set something up where people from Ryerson and Toronto could donate old football equipment. Anything from cleats, to kits and balls would be welcomed. This would be a great help and truly appreciated.  Many days will pass and much work will be accomplished before we leave for Kenya. The journey has been blessed so far and I am learning a lot. I have felt many emotions and have been humbled by those around me who have give more than enough support. Big ups to my fam and close friends….Much Love and Respect! This experience will inspire me to work harder become a better human being and one day, make a difference in the world. Until our paths cross again, One Love!

Majalyn Blogs-KENYA!

Dear Dancing Dani, Adventurous Andrew, Acrobatic Ahmad, Interesting Eye-Sick, Amazing Agata, Dreamy Darya, Courageous Caroline, Magnificent Miranda, Funny Filipe, Eager Emma, Me Magical Majalyn, Joking Jeffrey, Rockin’ Robin, and Soon-to-be-met Steven,  

How does everyone feel?! I would like to start the very first blog off by expressing to everyone just how incredibly good it feels to be a part of this amazing project.  Congratulations to everyone on shining brightly and Cheers to our days as an extraordinary league!

And now, the blog:

ASB oh ASB

The many things you mean to me

From word of mouth to info nights

A sincere application to thank goodness, an invite!

I seem to have started rhyming

And now I simply cannot refrain

Poetry does wonders for me

When simple sentences fail to contain

My excitement, I’m so keen

Tuesday’s meeting got me going

A group energy so productive

You could see the ideas flowing

Two months until departure

60 days until the day

We set off on our journey

On that faithful day in May

And then who knows how spectacular

Our time will be after that

Pardon my vernacular

But it’s on my mind like a hat!

An opportunity to exchange

A little knowledge, some understanding

To love thy neighbour across the globe

To form friendships is the main thing

For five fingers are but fingers

If they fail to make a fist

Working side by side

Will surely lead to ideas manifest

So here is to our efforts,

And the root of our unity,

To our soon-to-be comrades in Kenya,

And to the strength of communities!

Natalie’s Blog-Back to Life….Back to Reality

Now that I’m back home in Canada, I look back on what I was thinking the last few days of the trip: “It’s time to go home.” Aside from my family and friends, what did I REALLY miss about home?

Did I miss the fact that when I walk down the streets of Toronto that not one person says hello to me?

Did I miss looking outside into my backyard and seeing a fence that divides my property from my backyard-neighbours’, people who I haven’t spoken to for the 14 years that I’ve lived here. It wasn’t the backyard that I remember having in Peru, that’s for sure.

What about the wildlife? What wildlife you ask? All we have here are skunks and racoons, animals we consider pests and some that companies make a profit off of “controlling the population”.

What do I do for entertainment here on a weekday evening vs. what would I do in Peru? Would I spend time with family and friends playing checkers, Rummy, or listening to music? NOPE! Instead I think I’ll watch The Bachelor or go spend hours on Facebook.

When we were in Peru, Lent began, and it’s tradition to give up (sacrifice) something for about 40 days. I still haven’t decided what I’ll give up which makes me wonder what people in developing countries give up for Lent, considering they don’t have all the luxuries that we do to begin with.

I think back to the day of Carnival, when I gave my water gun to a little boy who didn’t have one. I watched him play with it for a bit and then pass it on to his friend, who then passed it on to his friend. That water gun cost me almost nothing, but to those kids it was gold.

Things are so different being home again. It’s hard to explain my trip to those who haven’t experienced it for themselves. That’s why I’ve been unusually quiet. What do you say to people when they ask you: “How does it feel to be home again?” I guess I just have to deal with the fact that it’s back to my reality for the time being…until my next escape, whenever that may be.

Mackenzie Blogs-It’s the Final Countdown!!!

Mackenzie’s Blog

 12 hours, we leave for the airport in twelve hours. As I sit writing this (and staring at the huge mound of stuff I must fit into my backpack!) I wonder where have the last four months of my life have gone? Four months ago I sat in a classroom with 50 other people getting the information on Project Peru 2010 and during that meeting I text my mom and said “I want to go to Peru!!,” little did she know four months later I would be packing up my backpack to hop on a plane to South America.

When I applied for ASB my parents were not all that thrilled, it meant coming up with more money on top of tuition, books, rent, etc. and they weren’t keen on the idea of me being 6205 kilometers away, yet to me none of this mattered. ASB was a fabulous opportunity and a great life experience and I knew the rest would fall into place. They had no idea how this would change their “little girl”.  And man, has it ever. 

I have learned so much already, from fundraising, to grant writing, basic Spanish (cause lets not kid ourselves, Spanish was not my forte), teamwork skills, that’s what she said jokes, information on Voluntourism and the impacts of international development and just enjoying others company. And we haven’t even left yet!

Our weekly meetings have become the highlight of my week, I have laughed to the point of tears at those meetings and developed some fantastic friendships. On top of having fun, we have all worked SO hard (especially our fearless, INCREDIBLE leaders!!) I am extremely proud of how much we have accomplished as a group and cant wait to see what we do in Peru!

After four months of hard work, frustration, disappointment (due to the floods), excitement, anxiousness, fear, really any emotion you can think of its all about to pay off. I will be on a plane in 15 hours for what I am sure will be one of the best experiences of my life, with 15 AMAZING people. Bring on more hard work, altitude sickness, early mornings, cold showers, lots of laughs (and I’m sure tears as well!) floods, rain, life lessons, I’m ready! (Aside from the packing part! I guess I should probably get on that!)

Steph Blogs….”I Have the Fear…”

PREAMBLE

Hello ASB enthusiasts! This is your friendly Peru Crew member Steph signing in. There are no words to fully capture how amazing this experience has been. It would take a blog-novel to fully express the intelligence, thoughtfulness and humor of the team and its leaders along with a series of complex diagrams to illuminate their charm and good looks. I couldn’t begin to explain how we managed to raise our money and arrive at the five day mark from departure. Instead, I have tried to spill out the accumulated ASB contents of my own brain from the last few months via this blog. Enjoy/Beware.

THE FEAR

In October, I was accepted to Alternative Spring Break in the mood for an existential crisis. This mission may come across as overly self-aware, possibly destructive and probably a little silly. While I always hope to create change, however big or small, I admit my initial intentions for applying were largely selfish ones. It was time to break the bubble I was beginning to feel a little too comfortable inside. To shake myself up and out, I was looking to be thrown full force into a project which would push me to relinquish two of my favorite things: control and knowledge. If there’s anything I cannot stand in this world, it is being out of control and/or under informed. As a member of a volunteer team in a country I had never been to, I would potentially have to embrace these feelings often. Hence, the Fear.
The Fear is a sort of philosophical pal I’ve been spending a lot of time with over the last four months. It has been wonderfully motivational throughout the ASB adventure, encouraging me to ditch my wall-flower habits, helping me practice my less than stellar Spanish and visiting me late in the night to remind me of the dangers of tropical diseases. Essentially: an internal voice ensuring I don’t become a total disaster when I’m dropped into a foreign country I have little to no knowledge about. It is the Fear that has been prompting me to wonder: How can I be culturally sensitive as a citizen of a wealthy Western nation? Do I understand that this project is only a very small contribution to a very complex and conflicted issue? How can I minimize the less-than-camera-friendly appearance I am sure to develop in front of the documentary crew? These are the important questions. However, this inner interrogation occasionally brought on great anxiety as I chased these issues arou
nd inside my head, worrying that somehow I would offend, misunderstand or miss out.

These are the things I was worried about until four days ago.

Over the last week Peru, specifically the area our project was assigned to, has experienced devastating floods. Towns were swallowed by the overflowing river, mudslides have blocked, if not destroyed, many roads and thousands of Peruvians have been left homeless. Upon hearing about the disaster, my reaction was, perhaps, not what would be expected. I was instantly calm, more so than I had been in days. Refocused. A discovery: there are more important things at hand than whether I am going to be able to navigate my neuroses. There is no more time for messing around. We are by no means going to “fix” Peru, but there is work to be done, and ASB may be a part of it somehow. While I will do my best to be a responsible voluntourist, a valuable team member and seek answers to my own questions, I am reminded by my Fearful friend: Peru is in crisis, not you.