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Bringing the Habitat Message to Kenya

A Testimonial by Cinthya Anaya

I wanted to travel to Africa so I could experience what it is like to be in the "cradle of civilization." So, in June 2002, I joined a Global Village Team headed for the village of Gikuuri in Kenya. Our team consisted of fifteen people selected from various parts of the United States, Canada and France.

We met in Atlanta, Georgia and departed for South Africa, then Kenya, where we spent two days in a beautiful guesthouse in Nairobi. The real fun, however, began once we reached the village and were greeted by a very enthusiastic group of Kenyans, some of whom were meeting Westerners for the first time.

Making camp inside an empty church, our stay there was rough but worth it. My day consisted of getting up at 5:30 a.m. and going for a run along the roads hugging Mt. Kenya and then proceeding to the work site and working from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m. After we returned from building, our activities continued with a two-hour hike and visits to many schools. Sound exhausting? We then had evenings filled with singing and dancing with the local church choir followed by a peaceful group meeting by the fire. By the time I crawled into my sleeping bag, I was ready to pass out from pure fatigue ... then start all over the next day. After ten days of intense labor, we went on a Safari to the Masai region and finally relaxed.

Since I've been back, people ask me if it was worth it. After all, the problems facing Kenya and most African countries are so complex and can seem daunting. How can you really make a difference when the poverty and political struggles are impossible to conquer? I made a difference because I showed a side of my culture that I am proud of. I showed the side of the West that cares and wants to help regardless of how impossible the challenges may seem. This is the Habitat message that I hope others will choose to bring.

For more information on how to become a part of a Global Village Program, please visit www.habitat.org/gv.

Do you have a Global Village trip story you'd like to share? Please e-mail it to us we'll post it in this section.