Kenya 2010

As a parent on the trip I wanted to just take a moment to let all the other parents know how proud they should be about their boys.  The last two weeks has been an amazing experience for me, one that I will treasure forever.  All of these young men demonstrate tremendous character.  The brotherhood they showed to the people of Kenya as well each other was beautiful to see.  They obviously worked hard but balanced that with humor and levity.  Problems when encountered were dealt with perseverance and group effort.  Although the trip was relatively short in duration I could see growth in all of the boys and feel very privileged to have been able to get to know them.  They are respectful, kind and have amazing heart.

            I have an appreciation now for the importance of these trips and can see why Brophy encourages them to the students. I hope all appreciate the great job that Mr Sheer did in arranging the trip.  It was perfect and smooth let alone an unbelievable learning experience. Mr Matt Hooten and Mr Sheer formed a perfect team.  The boys responded well to their direction. They were encouraging, supportive and provided the right challenge for the students.  Thank you Brophy for such quality staff.  I would also like to thank all the staff from Free the Children and Me to We, especially Alex and Sankei for the experience they provided.  I am sure lives are changed and improved.

            Thanks again to all parents for their efforts in raising such fine young men. Be very proud which I am sure you are.   P.S.   They all heal quickly!!!!

Larry Kelly  

            Today we finished our fifth day of work on the build site here in Kenya. After doing most of the work on the foundation of a school building and laying bricks all across the school campus, we all feel very successful. The work on the site was very difficult but it's always like that in Kenya. Whether it's doing construction or fetching 10 gallons of water and bringing it over a mile back to your house, everybody here works hard for the things they have. These exercises and chores are part of the everyday life here for the locals. This trip has made me realize how lucky we are to have what we have but more importantly, the trip has shown me how different our lives are. One day, after our truck stalled out, we heard a women's reaction to learning someone close to her had died. After hearing the wailing from the woman, the entire community stopped what they were doing to comfort her. The chances of that happening in America are slim to none; in fact, most people would just think she was crazy. These simple things separate Kenya from America but hopefully we can change for the better. Coming home from this, I have experienced life in third-world Kenya. I now realize how lucky I am for the simple things I have but I'm not just leaving Kenya with gratitude for my material things, I'm leaving with the hope that I can change myself and those close to me to be more like the people that I have been with for the last two weeks.

Although we will bring back pictures and stories from our stay here in this beautiful country it is going to be hard to accurately convey the impact the people had on us. Day in and day out we have been greeted with love and kindness from everyone we came into contact with. This trip has changed each one of us into better men. Whether the fundis (workers) at the worksite or the headmaster of the school each one has shown us how the world works. We have found out that its not about the money, the cars, the homes etc. but rather its about the love that you show. The guide that was with us for the trip was named Senkai and he has shown each one of us how to be a friend. He showed us compassion and love everyday and when he had to leave us today there was a sadness that came over our group. I have been forever changed and I want to thank my parents for giving me this opportunity because without your love this would never have been experienced. I love you more than words can convey. God bless. Garrett 

            Today was our last day here in Kenya. The overall trip has left me with an deep feeling of appreciation for this community and what I have learned. Though this feeling is a bit overwhelming, I feel very fulfilled. I want to bring back all of these positive vibes to my community at home! Each local person and facilitator that we have come into contact with has been greatly welcoming. Today especially, we experienced this feeling of welcome to the fullest through a final thanks and goodbye from the school. What touched me most was the children singing and dancing for us. There was such purity in their happiness that I knew at that moment I wouldn't rather be anywhere but there. After experiencing the overwhelmingly warm embrace of these people, I know that this trip will impact me for the rest of my life.

During our entire trip, one common aspect of the community came up again and again. From the very beginning to the very end, the community opened up their world to us and accepted us. This is what I felt effected me the most out of everything we experienced on the trip. When we arrived we were greeted with singing and dancing to show us that we were welcome in the community. Everyday something came up that showed us the openness and unity within the community. We experienced this through the group talks with the natives, the children opening up their games to us at the schools, the tours through the schools, and the trip through the lives of the people of the community. This is the one main thing that I hope to bring back home with me. Whether I show this through helping others in small ways or just saying hi to people, this is my goal when returning.

Our last night in the Mara region has been very successful. We visited the Emorijoi children one final time, enjoying their song and dance, playing a game of soccer, and exchanging our last goodbyes. Although the small language barrier and the culture difference between us, everyone felt a universal feeling, whether they could explain it or not does not deem relevant. This is when I truly understood the universal language. That language is love. Love to mom and dad, my family, friends. Hope to see you soon. 

For some, schooling and an education is a burden, but for others, like the Kenyan people, it is the chance of a lifetime. Education is the key to rising out of poverty or providing a better life for you and your family. Spending the last couple of weeks here in the beautiful country of Kenya has opened my eyes to more than I had ever expected. I have come to realize what an incredibly important opportunity for education and better life that has come out of working to build a school for the very deserving members of the Masaai and Kipsighi community that we have grown to know and love. When looking at the big picture of things, building a school is more than just giving children a building or place to go for hours a day, it is the opportunity to create a more educated and better world. One thing that has been stressed throughout the trip, by everyone we've met, has been the importance of education. From talking to our mama in Kenya, Jane, to talking with our wonderful guide, Sankei, it seems to me that education is a vital step in making a better world. This trip has been such an amazing and formative experience, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to share what I can with the Kenyan people, but more importantly learn from what the mamas, babas, and kids of Kenya have to offer. Thank you so much everyone for the support, especially my wonderful parents for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip. Kwa heri and asante sana! 

For me this trip has been way too fast. Ten days may seem like a short time to experience a culture but that's what we've done. We've immersed ourselves in the Kipsigis and Ma'asai cultures. Before I came on this trip I was like most people at home. I heard stories of famine and dirty water in Africa and thought that their lives must be horrible. The truth is the opposite. My parents have taken me all over the world but I have never been somewhere as unique and amazing as the small Kipsigis village we are surrounded by. The problems of clean water and education are still very prevalent, but all these problems, hardships, and obstacles are still not enough to oprress these peoples spirit. There is more life in this small town than I have ever seen in the United States. And that is one thing I want to bring home. Life. The happiness these people get from eachother and the sense of community they all share. I know I am a changed person and I hope I can bring that change back to Arizona and Brophy so that we can all live a little more. I want to thank my family for supporting me on this trip, I love you guys!

For the past two weeks I have given, seen, experienced, and learned so much. From the first day on the build site to the amazing experience on our safari everything this trip has been far more than I had ever expected. Along Everything in between, including our walk for water with Jane to the afternoons spent with the students at Emorijoi, I have had to time of my life here. Before coming on the trip I had many ideas how what it would be like. I thought maybe we would work a lot and just kind of be behind the scenes doing the hard work. Or maybe we would even interact with the kids helping them with their studies and teaching them. But it has been so much more. I have learned more from the children in the rural Kipsigis village than I could have ever taught them. I'm not talking about learning from books and studying but the way these people live. They was their culture interacts and the sense of community between these people is unheard of anywhere in the states. The random "Jambos!" while driving on the road always put a smile on my face. I live in a gated community and I don't even know half my neighbors. We call it a community when it really is nothing like one. What I have learned here in rural Kenya will be with me for the rest of my life. This experience has been amazing. Although I am feeling sad about leaving this wonderful place I am very excited to tell all of my friends and family about what I have experienced. All my thanks go out to my parents for allowing me to go on this trip, I love you. 

Wow. Time has really flown by the past week and a half. While the time seems short I have learned much from the Kipsiki and Maasi people. In America, we live in a very independent society. If we want entertainment we have huge flat-screen TVs with over 600 channels to choose from, along with videogames and the internet. If we are hungry, there pizza and Chinese restaurants that will cater directly to our houses. Technology has evolved us to lose our sense of community. In Narok, the people are interdependent. If they want a simple meal, they have to go to the market and buy meat and vegetables. They then have to go to the Mara River for water to cook with, seeing many of their neighbors on the way. For entertainment, the children play soccer or other made-up games were communication is necessary.

            This sense of community has also extended to the Brophy group. Everywhere we go, people are always waving and yelling, "Jambo!" at us as we pass by. The children at Emorijoy Primary School always let us play their games, regardless of how bad we are at them. Jane, A Kipsiki mother, accepted us as her children and opened everything she owned to us. This sense of community has kept me the happiest I have been in a long time. I would like to thank my mom, dad, and grandparents for supporting me during this trip. Kwaheri!