Kenya 2019, We Arrived!

I left my home in Chagrin Falls, Ohio on June 12 at 10:00 AM, flew to JFK and then to London, meeting up with the rest of the team.  We landed in Nairobi, Kenya around 9:30 PM June 13.  

 

Molly, Doneva, and myself after finally stepping
out onto African soil.

Loading all of our luggage onto the van then heading
to The Mayfield Guest House for a good nights sleep. 

Our team of twelve, four who have traveled to Fiwagoh several times, and eight high school students, most of which were traveling to Kenya for the first time, woke up in Nairobi on Friday, June 14 ready for whatever we were called to do.  After 36 hours of traveling and a brief night of sleep, we hit the ground running:  breakfast at the Mayfield Guest House, a quick meeting/introduction and photo with my friend Musa, our usual team photo in front of the Mayfield, a stop in Nairobi to purchase 400+ Bibles (English, Swahili, and mother tongue translations as well as a few large print), a quick lunch at Java House, and then finishing with a two hour drive to Fiwagoh Mission School and Orphanage.  

Musa, myself, and Duncan Okuku taking our, now annual,
photo at The Mayfield Guest House.

Our annual team Mayfield photo less our team captain Ryan.

Heading to Fiwagoh and very happy.

While riding in the van to Fiwagoh, I sat next to Duncan Okuku who now does driving for Fiwagoh. We chatted about the many updates at Fiwagoh: who is no longer there and why, who is married, who has a baby, and many other random topics.  I had lots of questions. We also discussed how the various tribes in Kenya pronounce words differently from one another.  This makes so much sense to me now because on my first trip to Kenya one of my little friends, Lucy,  when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, said “a pirate.”  I was a bit confused. Duncan explained in some tribes the ‘l’ is pronounced like an ‘r’ and visa versa.  So she actually wanted to be a pilot!  I also found out that our team was pronouncing the name of our nonprofit, Unafaa, incorrectly.  In Swahili if a word has ‘aa’ then that syllable is accented.  Instead of pronouncing it Unafaá, which means “you matter.”  We were pronouncing it like Unáfa, which means “you are dying.”  OOPs!

One of my questions for Okuku.  “Does that tree really grow like that or has it been genetically engineered or pruned to look like that?”  Answer:  “That is how it grows.  You often see them in front of houses, used as a landscape wall.”

The interesting palm tree.

We arrived at Fiwagoh at around 3:45 PM, with huge smiles and warm hugs impatiently waiting to greet us. “Welcome, Welcome happy to see you, happy to see you.”  These are the words 200+ kids and staff sing to us as we pull into the compound.  It is impossible not to have tears of joy flowing down your face.  Even as I type now, tears are filling my eyes. We chat and briefly get reconnected, while our luggage was taken to the team dorm.  

Joy fell in love with Tyler instantly.

As we head to our dorm our team found out we would no longer be dining in the team dorm, but would be having all of our meals in the Culinary Arts dining area (in the Trade School). Two of the experienced and licensed Culinary Art seniors from Fiwagoh, whom both work at restaurants outside of the orphanage, have been conducting a class for three of teens at Fiwagoh. These three are looking to pursue a career in catering and/or culinary arts and also hope to pass the Culinary exam after going through this course.  We became part of their training experience.  Lucky us, YUM!

The instructor, Duncan (Senior), and two of his students, Joyce and Angeline, are three of our amazing chefs.
Missing are Peter and Joseph.

The delicious cake presented to us for our first dinner.  I still crave the icing.

The culinary team went all out.  Our table always set with multiple pieces of silverware, napkins folded in creative ways rested on the plates, as we sat down one of the chefs would pull out our seat and place our napkin on our laps. The chef of the day, the one who planned the meal, would introduce the food which would be served. We would pray over the meal and the events to come, thanking God because He is so good all the time and then fill our plates and enjoy!!

The first day ended with the beginning of Sabbath celebration (they celebrate Sabbath from sundown Friday evening to sundown Saturday evening).  We are home!

Growing Pains and Healing

This photo is from my first visit to Fiwagoh in 2012.  I found out in 2018 more
about the boys in the photo and you will too in future posts.  
From front to back: Jacob, Charles, Peter, David, John, and Hilary.

This is Nahashan, AKA Nash, in 2014.  I really liked his work suit, 
so I asked if I could buy it from him and replace it with
a new one.

His answer was yes. I wear it whenever I am "arting."

Nahashan in his new work suit.

     In Kenya, once an orphan reaches the age of 18, he is no longer able to live at the orphanage, but because of the number of orphans in Kenya, it is not closely monitored.  Pastor Benson keeps the children/young adults as long as he can.  He wants all to be prepared when they age out or decide to do life on their own, so besides having a grade school to educate the little ones, he built a trade school so the young adults would have experience in a trade (tailoring, culinary arts, carpentry, and medicine). Later he added a secondary school, so those who wanted to pursue a university education had the opportunity.  This makes Fiwagoh a top-notch orphanage. Having done all of that, the additions came a little too late for the older orphans.

Except for Elmeltar and Peter the orphans in the photos on this post are no longer at Fiwagoh.

Joseph Muhoro, you will never meet a kinder more sensible young man.

2015, Charles and his sister Faith taking a goodbye photo with Ryan and myself.
I have been buddies with Faith since my first year at Fiwagoh and later got to
 know her brother Charles.  He is hilarious, always doing something to make you laugh.
He is not at Fiwagoh anymore and I know, even though Faith visits him, she misses him.

Frazier, learned to sew in the tailoring class
and made these curtains for the clinic.

Anastacia, one of the girls in our first sewing class.

Esther, seated next to me, joined in with every learning experience we had to offer.
Standing is Elmeltar, one of the beautiful girls I sponsor.

Emmanuel did everything to help at the orphanage and he was our tailoring angel.
Whenever a machine stopped working, which was daily, he would
drop what he was doing and come to our rescue!  You can see
he had left a painting job on this occasion.

In 2015 I had an accident and ended up having to go to Kajobi Hospital. 
The day before I was to go to the hospital for foot surgery we took the seniors out
for an adventure.  On the left is Jahari, another angel.  He was like a nurse at Fiwagoh.
 He looks like Usher and his smile is contagious.
On the right is Duncan, we call him Senior.  He loaned me one of his shoes that week
because my foot was infected and swollen so I could not wear my own shoe.

These two of four brothers.  Joshua is on the right and has become an
artist and humanitarian.  I have two of his paintings.  His brother Jacob 
(also in the first photo), played the guitar and sang at Fiwagoh. I called him Michael because I thought he looked a bit like Michael Jackson, especially when he sang.
He aspires to be a video producer, however he still writes songs and sings.

This is Black Beauty, at least that is what they called him.  I asked him if we could take
photo together.  I always leave clothing on the last day of my visit.
It made me smile the next year to see Black Beauty wearing the jacket my son once wore
for soccer.

     During the last three years our team has learned of several seniors and younger ones who are no longer there.  The children at Fiwagoh are not all orphans.  Some are there because of the education and it is a safe place for the child to grow up as the family or relatives can not provide for the child.  Therefore some leave after grade 8 to go back to family.  What happens then, I do not know,  The reasons for leaving vary, some good and some not.  Those who left without permission are not allowed to return.

     Fiwagoh has become a family to our team.  It’s difficult when we find out one of our buddies is no longer there, it's like losing a friend.  It also must be hard for the kids at the orphanage who called this one a “brother” or  “sister” and I know it breaks Pastor Benson’s heart.  But when in Africa you have to be strong.  He is raising 200+ orphans and his choices must be what are best for the whole and not the few.  

Pastor Benson, a saint to the orphan.

     When I arrived at Fiwagoh this past summer, I wondered who would still be there?? I hadn't been there in three years.  Throughout the visit our team slowly found out who was gone and what some were doing outside of Fiwagoh.  It made this trip different from other trips, one that will always hold a warm place in my heart.  More of this on the next few posts.

     Finally, Duncan Okuku.  Trying to find a photo of Duncan Okuku from the early years was impossible.  He is the one with both hands up in the photo below on the left.  This was taken in 2014 when the guys were trying to put a water tank on top of the structure.  Below is Duncan in 2018 with Doneva and myself.  He radiates peace!

 

Duncan Okuku, the older brother of Faith, Emmanuel, Luke, and John.

 I will feature Duncan in my next post.

Peace and Joy,

Krees

Happy New Year and Thank You!

     I am back ready to share more about Fiwagoh, the happenings of past trips, what is currently happening, and what the future holds.  This first post of 2019 is to report on the fundraising event I had this past December.

     The funds first began coming in this past fall when two of my mom's dear friends, Betty and Marge,  both sent generous donations just because they read the blog.  Thank you dear ladies.  Then from my Etsy sales, other donations, and lots of shopping at my Holiday Fundraiser Open House, I was able to raise much more.  My goal was to raise $2000 to supply all the classrooms at Fiwagoh with new chalkboards, whiteboards, and necessary supplies for mounting and use.  Well my friends and family did not disappoint.  I surpassed the $2000 and now will use the extra for the next project (to be announced at a later date). The funds have been wired and I hope to have before and after pictures at some point in the next month or two (Arfrica time).

Fiwagoh's high school classroom with it's first
set of graduating students, Dennis and Lucy. (2015)

     I mentioned I had an Open House fundraiser so I thought I would share with you some of my vintage snowmen that were for sale.  Really who wouldn't want their own snowpeople family.

Vintage snowmen.  Many found new homes.

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I will be posting soon with more information about individuals that I have grown to know and love at Fiwagoh.  Until then let me leave you with two sweet things:  a Fiwagoh sunset, and a note written to our team last summer by the girls working in the kitchen (one of which I sponsor).

Peace and Joy, 

Krees