Jambo! I just returned from my journey to Kenya with my Mom and ME to WE. Through my years with Free The Children, I have learned about Kenya, passed on my knowledge through my blog, social media, campaigns and events and it was so special to be there to see it all for myself. My journey as a #changeagent has been empowered by the support and encouragement of many people – my parents and teachers, my mentors like Marc and Craig Kielburger, like-minded friends I have made along the way and by companies that support Free The Children. RBC Canada has been at the center of so much of my engagement – WE Create Change campaigns for Clean Water, Education and Empowerment, their sponsorship of WE Day the WE Create Change Tour and now my trip to Kenya to bring it all together.
I had a special assignment in Kenya – to explore the impact that RBC Canada is making through Free The Children Virtual Debit card which donates a portion to Free The Children for every dollar that is spent. For those of you that know me, you know that I am all about daily habits that make the world a better place and this card is exactly that. Through making everyday purchases from books, to lunch, to movie tickets, we all can create change. I also believe that there is no such thing as small change, because it all adds up. To date, RBC Canada has donated $405,000 through cardholders’ use of the Virtual Visa Debit Card. The donations have touched every part of Free The Children’s WE Villages communities in Kenya and what I saw, felt and experienced all of it on my trip
In this first post, my Mom and I share our first reflections upon our return home:
When I first got to the Masai Mara and through my entire trip, I took it all in and just kept thinking, “I can’t believe that I am here”. Since I got involved with Free The Children, I’ve wanted to go to Kenya. Everyone told me that it’s a life-changing experience. And now that I have been, I understand why.
I was so excited to have the opportunity to see each of the 5 Pillars in action – Water, Education, Empowerment, Food & Agriculture and Health – and how interconnected they all are. I have worked so hard over the years to fundraise, mobilize, advocate and speak about these issues. To see for myself why I had been doing it, meet the people and see the impact, was indescribable. I was so proud and humbled to have been even a small a part of that.
The people in the communities in the Masai Mara made us feel so welcome. The word that I used in Kenya the most was “Jambo!” – “Hi” in Swahili. As we were driving to go to and from places, every person – no matter how young or old they were – always waved to us and shouted “Jambo!” and I always responded the same. I think that it is that feeling that I miss the most right now.
What I discovered in Kenya is the strong partnership with the communities themselves. The people have welcomed Free The Children into their communities with open arms and it has changed their lives for the better. These people are so incredible and are dedicated to build a sustainable future for themselves and their families where everyone thrives. The people in the community are the true #changeagents. Now, when I think of WE, it includes the people in the Masai Mara.
– Hannah
Our short flight from Nairobi to the Masai Mara landed on a dirt airstrip and we drove in the lorry to make our way to Bogani. We passed zebras, impalas and hippos in the Mara River, green hills and lush valleys. We snapped photos of it all. They were our firsts.
As we continued to drive, the scenery changed and I put my phone down to take it all in without distraction. Even as I write this, I am overcome with emotion. This was it.
To the left, a clean water well with a sign on top – Free The Children. It was in that moment that it fully hit me that we were Kenya, the Kenya we have known (but not seen) for all these years. Another well and then Baraka Hospital and next to it, Kisaruni and the site that will soon be Ngulot, the boys secondary school. Another well and Enelerai Primary School. My camera remained in my lap and I was grateful for my sunglasses to hide the tears that welled in my eyes. You never forget the first time.
Pieces of Hannah’s speeches, WE Day moments, WE Create Change Tour memories and blog posts flooded my mind. Years ago, she worked tirelessly on WE Create Change to raise funds and awareness for clean water. She gave her first speech, mobilized her school and community and collected pennies. So many full- circle moments.
Driving that road where we passed the wells, we saw what WE (the big WE) had done. Hannah and I spent 10 weeks travelling across Canada celebrating the students and schools that had raised money to build schools on the WE Create Change Tour and there they were. In one of Hannah’s speeches, she talks about the value of experience and connecting to your issue in person. In that moment and the many that followed over our week in the Masai Mara, we lived that truth.
We have been home for only a few days and as I continue to reflect, the words that are ever-present are community, partnership and WE. These three words were part of every moment – the relationships that we formed with our group as we experienced Kenya together, the partnership in action between Free The Children and the people in the communities and the way that we were welcomed into all of it.
– Candace
My mom and I are looking forward to sharing pieces from our journals and all that we saw and learned in Kenya while seeing the impact of the RBC Free The Children VVD card in blog posts to come. What I can tell you for sure is this: everything that WE have been doing – it’s not only working, it’s thriving.
In June 2016 I went on a long-anticipated journey to the Maasai Mara in Kenya with Me to WE. I was on a special assignment from RBC Royal Bank to explore the impacts that are being made in each of the WE Villages’ 5 Pillars: Education, Water, Food, Health and Opportunity. Like me, RBC is passionate about making a difference and they have been donating a portion of every purchase made using the Free the Children RBC® Virtual Visaǂ Debit Card to support WE Villages initiatives. To date $500,000 has been donated and I can tell you that the impact goes a long way to creating lasting and sustainable change. This blog post is part of a series that I am writing to share how far our change goes – both in distance and in impact.
What an amazing story, thank you for sharing your experience.
It was a pleasure reading about your travels through this great country and its people.
I would like yo read more please. I was born in Kenya and lived there for a long time before we came to Canada.
Thank you so much Asgar! I loved everything about the time that I spent in Kenya and will be sharing many more pieces of my journey over the next few months. I have a lot to say!
Reading your posts reminds me so much of my time in Zambia Africa with World vision. There work sounds very similar.
Meeting the people and experiencing their lives is truly amazing and life changing. It’s something you will never forget. It truly changed my life for the better.
I am sure you will enjoy speaking and sharing your experiences with others.
You are very lucky to have had this opportunity. Use your experience wisely and continue to share.