27 Jun Look at the Difference your Support is Making
As some of you know, I am about to travel next week to Kenya with Connie Viveros and two of our extraordinary partners, Sandy Gallagher & Fabienne Frederickson, to visit every one of the villages that your generous support has helped to create and sustain.
Today, I received this heart felt note from Robin Wiszowati, the Director of Kenya for one of our implementing partners, Free the Children. It brought tears to my eyes and I felt compelled to share it with all of you, so you know what a difference you have made and are making in this region of the world.
Dear Cynthia and team!
I’m so excited for you to soon be surrounded by the savannah breeze, echoes of children singing against the green hillsides, and a warm cup of tea in your hands while at your Bogani home. The mamas, students, and team are all counting down to your return – we hope you are at least half as excited as we are! J
There will be so much to see and do while you are here. Oleleshwa is simply flourishing right now! The amount of building that has taken place in the last year is staggering. I remember when Kenya would construct 3 classrooms in a year and feel giddy with accomplishment. The pace of work has increased throughout the years, and now to look at the last year is mind-blowing. With 10 active construction sites, 2 more boreholes, a newly opened second health clinic (like Baraka, but called Kishon located on Maasailand), 2 new communities, the Baraka Maternity Ward opening, a large scale farming project, and … our shared pride and joy … the Oleleshwa campus. The entire campus – 2 classrooms, 3 labs, a dormitory, teacher housing, a kitchen, dining hall, washing facilities, plumbing, … prepared to be blown away. It literally takes my breath away to have watched the construction come along so quickly. There are now roofs, plastering on the inside, we are about to start landscaping, … wow. To go from a rocky hillside to a school environment has been one of the greatest metamorphoses I have seen structurally in Kenya. We cannot wait for you to share this in person, Cynthia!
We had brought both the Kisaruni and Oleleshwa Girls (who are spending their first year at Kisaruni to create a sisterhood between the two schools and mentor a shared educational and philosophical culture) over to Oleleshwa for the “first lesson”. We literally sat beneath trees, in the traditional educational setting, while Mr. Charles facilitated a lesson on biology. The girls found being on the new campus completely thrilling. The Oleleshwa girls also received their uniforms!!! The Oleleshwa school colors are decidedly green and gold. Green for the Oleleshwa tree itself, and Gold for unity with Kisaruni. When you arrive, if you comment on how ‘smart’ the girls look in their uniform, they’ll literally melt right before your eyes J
The team is ready and waiting for you – so safari njema, safe travels!!!
Genuinely,
Robin Wiszowaty
Director, Kenya & Ghana Programs | Free The Children
I am beyond grateful for your support in helping us be Unstoppable!
Cynthia Kersey
Bestselling author, “Unstoppable”
Chief Humanitarian Officer
Unstoppable Foundation
www.UnstoppableFoundation.org