Friday I brought the boys a gift from a friend in the states. They were humanitarian kits containing towels, a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and a pencil. They were so excited to receive the gifts I had brought them. Some of them told me that the toothpaste tasted so good and that they would eat it when they got hungry. 
Program Volunteer Kenya
Project: Volunteer in the Children's Home/Orphanages in Kenya
We taught them about shadows and light and took them outside to trace their shadows in the dirt then went out later and traced them again. They had so many questions about shadows. A boy named Bruno asked me why shadows couldn’t talk!
Week 1
Tuesday - After two long flights I finally arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. The views from the plane flying over Kenya were amazing I was so excited to start my journey here. Jacob, a friend of my hosts picked me from the airport. While exiting the airport he told me to look out my window. There were two wild zebras very near to us! When we arrived at my new home I met my host Monicah. She showed me the house and my room and let me sleep. When I woke up Rafael, another member of the agency was there to start my orientation. I learned so much about Kenya; it was very helpful and made me feel at ease about being in a foreign country. After orientation we did some shopping for food and visited the butchery which was unlike any meat buying I had ever experienced. The animals were hanging by ropes and pieces were cut off as needed. We walked home and while Rafael finished orientation Monicah cooked us goat and stew. I was delighted when I tasted Kenyan food for the first time. It was delicious! Wednesday- Monicah made me breakfast, a boiled egg and bananas. We stayed in the house for most of the day because it was a Muslim holiday so no one had work. Later on, Rafael took me to the city center to show me what the actual city was like. The city was much smaller than Los Angeles with lots of city buildings and restrictions. It was fun to learn about their culture. That evening Monicah showed me the walking route to the food stand so I could be going by myself when I needed to. Fortunately we live in a very safe area with lots of families and guards.
Thursday - was the day I got to start my project at Raja Kids! The center which opened in 2009 is run by the Coptic Church based in Egypt. They currently have 35 boys at the center. When I arrived most of them were busy doing their washing and being very shy. Eventually they made their way over to talk to the visitor. We played with a chameleon that we found. The boys all thought that they were poisonous so they laughed when I asked if I could hold it. Denis, one of the teachers, gathered some of the boys so they could sing a few songs for me. The songs were beautiful and the boys sung them well. After lunch and class we played games and talked about the differences between the United States and Kenya. On Friday I brought the boys a gift from a friend in the states. They were humanitarian kits containing towels, a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and a pencil. They were so excited to receive the gifts I had brought them. Some of them told me that the toothpaste tasted so good and that they would eat it when they got hungry. I laughed and told them it wasn't for eating. They also couldn't wait to bathe with the soap that they thought smelled so good and couldn't believe how white the towels were. For the rest of the day they cleaned their classrooms because they would be starting school up again on Monday. They were so excited to get out their notebooks and the few books that they had and start learning. On Saturday I told the sister who lives at Raha that I would go do visits with her near the city center. I rode a matatu for the first time it was quite the experience! The city center is very fast pace and like any big city you have to be cautious but the experience was good. We walked through an outdoor market which I compared to a swap meet. I found it incredible how hard people tried to get me to buy things. Mostly because I was a "mzungu" which means white in Swahili. I stuck out in the crowds because of my white skin and blond hair.
Week 2
September 5th - the bus the boys ride to the center wasn't able to bring them to Raha so me and the teachers went to them at their home in Kaberia. It was a long bumpy road but a beautiful drive. It was fun to see where the boys lived and have them show me where they spent lots of their time. They all did their parts to make the house function. For some it meant sweeping the kitchen for others it meant picking Kales from the garden. They have excellent "house parents" who love the boys and take good care of them. A clean water truck followed us to the house and filled the two water tanks outside so the boys could have water since running water in this area is not possible. The next day the boys came to school as planned and had their first day of class. I was supposed to teach the Lions and Tigers; the two most advanced classes. It was fun to play teacher and they caught on so quickly. They struggled understanding my accent at times but did well. Their staff was full before I got there with Kenyan teachers so it will be a challenge to find things to do. On Friday the boys were unable to come again so me and another volunteer from Los Angeles went to the Coptic Church. She is a member and invited me to a meeting the staff was having concerning Raha Kids. On Saturday I decided to go to New Life Orphanage. I got a tour and learned a few of the stories about the kids and their mission to help abandoned children. It was touching to hear that a child who had been found in a dumpster is now healthy and happy and being adopted. The kids are separated by age and each age has their own separate room. I decided to walk up and go to the "crawlers". They are such sweet babies I fed and played with them and planned on coming back again.
Week 3
Sunday - I found a church building from my church and attended it was nice to finally see something familiar. That night we did some grocery shopping at "Uchumi", a small grocery store that has lots of the things a store back in California would have. I found it interesting that they don't refrigerate their eggs and their milk comes in bags instead of cartons. Monday we were expecting Coptic visitors. About forty people showed up. They played games, had a devotional, and taught the boys songs. They love visitors to come from other places. This week I talked to the boys about the importance of order and respect. Since they are street boys they struggle at times with respect and authority. I explained that all of the men they look up to who drive nice cars and work in big offices have worked hard and conformed. They told me they'd work on it. I got braids and felt like a real Kenyan! I got many less stares with this hair style. I finally ran out of clothes and washed my laundry for the first time ever by hand. My hands are so sore!
Week 4
Sunday - we went to Monicah's home town called Ngong. It is a small farming town near a mountain where the people live simply and peacefully. They are very warm and welcoming people. Monday I taught math to the Dolphins. We had a staff meeting to talk about school. I took some of the boys to the Coptic hospital because they had colds. One of our boys named Kassim ran away today it was hard for all of us. Hopefully he returns soon we worry about them when they go back to the streets. I finally got to go to the Giraffe Center in Karen. I loved feeding and petting the giraffes. Friday at the center is always cleaning day. After their chores they always play soccer and today they got a new ball. Saturday I did some shopping at the "Massai Market".
Week 5
Monday - I taught Dolphins 1 Math, Science and English. The other volunteer and I are planning on buying the boys rabbits so they can have meat on a regular basis. We started building and hope to be done soon. We found all the materials we need on the compound and finished in two days. Peter, one of the house parents, new a place and got rabbits for about $4 each. The boys named them and will take care of them from here until they are ready to eat. One of the boys made me a necklace and two bead rings. I went on safari to Massai Mara. It was incredible how close we got to the animals. They didn't seem to mind we were watching them. We slept in nice tent houses and were fed well.
Week 6
I resumed teaching Dolphin 1. I am now going in daily to help the other teacher because we have gotten some new boys lately. We taught them about shadows and light and took them outside to trace their shadows in the dirt then went out later and traced them again. They had so many questions about shadows. A boy named Bruno asked me why shadows couldn't talk:. At the end of the day since they had been so good I taught them how to play Simon says. I have been staying after Hamisi and Ilado because they are having trouble with Math. They were surprised when I stayed after with them I don't think it's something teachers do here. I learned how to make "chapatti", food similar to tortillas. It's a lot of work to make 100 of them. It took us hours but they are worth it. The teacher I teach with found an abandoned baby in a marketplace by the dumpster. I convinced him to take the baby to the New Life Orphanage I volunteer at. We named him Kudus. A small boy came up to me asking me for money. I asked him if he was a street boy and couldn't understand much English so I took him to Raha where someone could translate. He lived with his brother who couldn't feed him this morning so he was walking to his mother's house who lived miles and miles away. I bought him breakfast and a bus ticket and sent him on his way. We were sure to tell him that if his mother kicked him out he was always welcome here. The boys had a soccer tournament. My Swahili is getting much better. Some of the boys can't speak much English so they teach me Swahili.
Week 7
We visited Kudus and found out his mother had been giving him glue and paint thinner. He looks much better than when he came. I went to Toy Market. It's an outdoor market that has everything from sugar cane to denim. At first bargaining was very overwhelming but once I learned some Swahili they immediately lower the price when I speak so I didn't have to bargain much. I went to the Kibera (the slum) with a teacher and a boy named Rama so he could go home for his mom's funeral. The slum is thousands of iron houses hooked together with small pathways that lead into the middle. The poverty there is unlike anything I have ever seen but to my surprise they were all very happy. We had a nice visit in Rama's very small home. He showed us some printed pictures they had. He had about 15 and treasured them. This weekend the boys are getting scouts awards and having a campout at the center. We had a nice dinner, and awards ceremony them sang songs and danced around the fire it was a blast.Week 8
Monday we got three new boys who had been at the center about a year ago. The boys had group counseling with teacher Pauline on the different kinds of love. Thursday was a national holiday called Hero's day where they honor all of the passed heroes of their country. They had a ceremony at a big stadium in town where most Kenyans were. Monicah took me to her colleague's Ethiopian birthday party. My boys have asked me for homework this week. Two of them refuse to learn anything but Math. Friday the boys found an old mattress and did acrobatics all day. Our two new boys Mohamed and Kisii gave lessons. Later on we played musical chairs.
Week 9
My new roommate and I went to the Sheldrick Animal orphanage and watched the elephant orphans play soccer and then took a matatu to Nairobi National Park to go on the safari walk. It was somewhat similar to a zoo but the animals were not as locked in. There were baboons everywhere! One walked up to this couple we were standing by and stole one of their bags and went through it. When he wasn't satisfied he jumped up on the bench and stole the woman's Fanta drink. He walked away, opened it, poured in on the ground and drank it. It was absolutely terrifying! Because of some issues with the neighboring country Somalia we have been warned not to travel or go to crowded places. It's too bad I won't get to travel to the coast before I leave. Rafael took us to Bomas of Kenya where they do traditional dancing and a show. It was amazing to see how different the dancing in Kenya is and how long the traditions have been in place. The boys did exams this week. We got seven new boys on Friday.
Week 10
On Monday we got two new older boys Abraham and Edmond. It was Halloween so I tried to explain to the boys how we dress up and go knock on doors for candy. They thought it was very strange but wanted Kenya to start celebrating it. This week I went to Nyeri with a friend of Monicah's. Nyeri is almost 3 hours outside of the city. Most residents grow tea plants and have farms. The president of the country lives there. While we were peeking through the fence we talked to the guard who let us walk to the field where the president lands his helicopter it was crazy to see such a big house in Kenya. We hiked up to a waterfall with some little kids that followed us. I bought a bag called a kiondo that the women use when they are hauling heavy things around but instead of carrying them on their shoulders they put the strap on their foreheads! Three days in Nyeri was not enough it is one of my favorite places.
Week 11
The younger boys love playing with my hair and touching my freckles. I visited Kudus at New Life and checked on my other boys Max and Angus. Monicah and I finally attempted to make mandazi which are like small fried pieces of bread that are sweet. We took another boy home to his mom in the slum to get shoes from his house. My skin has gotten dark so people don't stare as much as they used to. The kids still race after me and yell "how are you" but I don't mind.
Week 12
At the beginning of this week we got two girls at the center. I had met these girls before in the streets and was excited that they had come to the center. Thursday the teachers had a meeting so I did devotional with the boys. I only have one more day. I'll be so sad to leave Kenya. We went over the exam scores with the boys and retaught what they had gotten wrong. They have made so much improvement since I've been here. Two of the boys, Hamisi and Anton, weren't able to read when I first came and just scored two of the highest scores in reading. It's amazing how much progress my class has made. Friday I traveled to Nakuru for the weekend to visit a family friend. They built a house right next to a national park and Lake Nakuru. Their view is absolutely spectacular. They have zebras, elephants, wildebeests, and a beautiful lake that 3 months out of the year is filled with pink flamingos, right in their front yard. When I returned home the next day I did my last souvenir shopping and got the native price:!
Week 13
Monday I went and said goodbye to my babies at New Life. It's so sad to leave; I want to take them with me. After New Life, I walked to Coptic to say goodbye, then to Raha. The day went pretty normal then one of the teachers told me something had happened to my camera and to come see quickly. I walked into the kitchen and found all my boys. Then at once they said thank you and goodbye. A member from each class stood and said a special thank you; then the teachers. We ate popcorn and took pictures then waited for the bus to come. It was heartbreaking to say goodbye. That night I packed and the next morning made my way to the airport.
My experience in Kenya was life-changing. I wouldn't trade these memories for anything. I learned a lot and felt like I helped these boys in and out of the classroom. Uvolunteer was a great program to come with and took good care of me. I enjoyed my time here and hope to return someday.
Alexandra Albrechtsen
