Volunteering in Kenya
Experiencing a very different world.
Three weeks ago I left the comfort of my Dublin home in exchange for the remote countryside of western Kenya, along with fourteen other classmates, three teachers, my mum and a Sacred Heart nun.
Our journey into western Kenya brought us to a small, isolated village called Chekalini, nestled among the green fields, miles from the main road. Our arrival in the village was met by a great welcome from the people, each greeting us with huge enthusiasm and interest. On our first day we attended mass and we sat engrossed for three hours as the congregation sung, danced and shrieked. We watched in amazement as goats and hens were presented to the priests at the offertory, it would certainly put an Irish mass to shame.
The following day we went to the local primary school. On our arrival small children hung from the barbed wire fences, stretching out their small arms to shake our hands. We were surrounded by smiling faces as we entered the school grounds, many of the children were curious, and stroked our hair or touched our skin. Most of the children were barefoot and their uniforms were frayed and tattered, nevertheless they kept smiling. Their classrooms resembled brick huts, none of them had doors and there wasn’t adequate space to accommodate all 1068 pupils in the school.
During our stay in Chekalini, our group worked with the students in the special needs unit of the primary school. Their small classrooms were void of colour and stimulation. We worked with these children, designing creative artwork, which we hung on the classroom walls, making it brighter and happier. As well as doing artwork during the day, we also worked in the open air, playing games, singing and dancing with the children. When we returned to the unit everyday, the children were eager to do all the activities we had organised for them, and their teachers were equally as keen to join in. It was amazing to see how happy all the children were, despite the hardship that they face in life.
Everyday a social worker called Rose brought some of us with her as she did her work. She visited children in the surrounding area who were unable to attend the special needs unit. The morning I accompanied Rose, we visited a nine-year-old boy called Kelvin. When we arrived in Kelvin’s home his face filled with delight. Unable to walk, he shuffled along the ground to greet us. Only a few yards away sat his younger siblings, wearing only t-shirts, minding their three-month-old brother. Rose lay Kelvin on a mat and massaged his face to help improve his speech and did exercises with his feet to assist his mobility. Kelvin’s father had two wives, and between both wives there was nine children. They family’s impoverished state meant that they could not afford for Kelvin to stay in the residential special needs unit.
Our time in Kenya was short but in that period our eyes were opened to a very different world than the one we live in. We witnessed unpleasant and often upsetting things, however this helped us to realise what is really important in life.
By Barbara Feeney, Age 17
Find out more about volunteering and search for volunteer opportunities at www.volunteeringireland.com/
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