Brett Weiss, July 2009

Would I recommend other people take the journey I just took? My quick answer is yes however I would have to say realistically that this is not for everyone. In fact for most of my life I did not think it was for me. While it was something I always had an interest in doing I never really thought I would do it.

I had to reach a point in my life where I was ready and willing to commit myself to making this trip and prepare myself mentally, physically, and emotionally and to buy all the “things” I needed for my trip and make all the travel plans. I am not an “outdoors” person and I think most of the people who make trips like this consider themselves outdoors people. I had to learn quite a bit about being an outdoors person to deal with this journey.

If one wants to do this kind of a trip one has to be ready to be very flexible and open to anything and everything. If someone does not think they can be this flexible, they should not even consider a trip like this. Another key point is that you cannot make a trip like this if you are going to get caught up in judgments.

I know each of us in our own way makes judgments…it is only human. However on a trip like this we have to do our best to put them on hold as judging people will take away what you can learn from them and we all can learn a great deal from each other, regardless of our financial status in life.

Another point I would make here is that one has to realize one person’s limitations. I do believe that the main way we make the world a better place is one person at a time taking actions that help other people. Thus if one makes a trip like this you need to be realistic about your impact. You need to realize that if you can do one thing to help out this kind of poverty that is a wonderful thing. Just think if everyone who is able does something this next week to help poverty….the world would be dramatically improved.

It was a thrill and an honor for me to have made this trip. There are so many people for me to thank. First, Village Volunteers out of Seattle, WA was the agency I made this trip through. They were incredibly helpful to me and were very patient with the many questions I would ask them either via email or over the phone. I could not have asked for more in the agency I chose to make this trip with. Shana Greene and her staff are wonderful and I would recommend to anyone who wants to make a trip like this to do it through them. Just go to www.villagevolunteers.org to get all the information you need.

Duncan and Pamela and their wonderful family who were our hosts were incredible. I could not have asked for more. They did everything and more to make me feel welcome and comfortable. They are truly wonderful and genuine people who are doing amazing things to try to help the people of Kenya. They are true heroes in a world where many people are called heroes but few really meet the definition. Duncan and Pamela are the real thing.

Wendy and Cindy and their home in Nairobi. They were wonderful in helping me trough my first and last nights in Kenya. They were full of class and were incredible hosts.

I thank everyone I met in Kenya who was so warm and wonderful. There will always be a special place in my heart for the people of Kenya and especially the people of Dago and the children in the Dago orphanage and at the Dago School. I will never forget them and they will be a part of everything I do in both my personal and work life.

Jessica Warner July 2009

After my trip to Ghana in July and August of 2009 I have fallen in love. I travelled and lived
in the village of Kpando, living and volunteering at Ryvanz-Mia Orphanage. I was also lucky
enough to teach at two of the schools in the village: Delta school and Miracle Preparatory
School. I brought YOM (Youth Outreach Mentors written by Devon De Leña) with me to teach
and found the curriculum to be a success for the village.

At Ryvanz-Mia I was adored and cared for with the utmost respect. Every morning there was
a breakfast of eggs and bread or oats with tea or Milo. The kids and the volunteers would walk
to school together; these walks were a joy in themselves. On one rainy morning in particular I
walked outside to find all the kids dressed up in bright colorful ponchos. It was a silly memory.
I’d teach in the morning at Delta School. I was the teacher for P2 level. I tried to bring YOM
to the school, but I was having difficulty making things happen with the headmaster. I instead
taught math, French, English, geography, etc. Anything I could bring to the classroom was
helpful.

At lunch time I traveled to my second school: Miracle Prep School, where I taught YOM. The
headmaster at Miracle was a delight to work for. He was very enthusiastic about my curriculum
and made everything work out that I wished. We ended up putting together a group of 17
students and 2 teachers that were open to learning about HIV/AIDS. My students all passed
their tests, and I granted each with a button: “Ask me about HIV/AIDS.” They loved the buttons
and I think this was a great gift to contribute to the students in the end of their studies.
At Ryvanz-Mia Orphanage, I helped out with cooking dinner for the volunteers and cleaning up
afterwards. I mostly played with the kids when they returned from school every day. I brought
Twister which was loved by all and was a fun afternoon game.

My trip to Ghana was an amazing success. I loved every day of it and was so thankful to have
done all that I did. The children at Ryvanz-Mia and all my students have left an imprint on my
heart forever. I plan to visit them again one day, as soon as I can.
Lastly, I wrote a poem while there, that I thought I’d share:

I love the SOUND of an African night. It's loud enough to make music. Crickets are chirping,
frogs are croaking, bats are screeching. Drums can be heard from afar. Families are quiet
because dinner has finally been prepared. It is just loud enough, to close your eyes, and be
content with what your ears bring to you.

I love the VIEW of an African night. A setting sun paints the sky with pinks, blues, and yellows.
Stars appear quickly, twinkling 'star light, star bright.' Fireflies illuminate the bush and you can
only imagine what is roaming around in the dark. Palm trees are faint shadows. The red dirt of
the day is now black and unpredictable. Children's eyes become droopy, it is time for bed.
I love the FEEL of an African night. The warm winds are changing cooler to please a salty face.
The sun ceases to burn into my fair and tan-lined skin. The balmy breeze is enough to rock me
to sleep.

I love the SMELL of an African night. It is almost as if the sun has left her scent amongst the
earth. Charcoal stoves are smoking from a long days work. Cassava leaves smashed into
banku and okra stew served for dinner. Soapy dishes for washing and soapy children cleaned
for sleep.

I love the TASTE of an African night. It is unknown to the world, yet home for its people. Few
strangers can accept the beauty it holds. For these few hold an entirely new beat in their hearts,
for Mother Africa has blessed another with her wise grace.