Lois introduced me through a email to a woman named Serah Mucha. At the time I didn't realize just how much Serah was going to be able to help me with my plans. In fact, I had no idea that she was going to not only be the one that was able to get me into the schools, but she also owned her own homestay ( http://www.mdawidahomestay.com/# ) in addition to helping manage a nonprofit with her husband. http://kosmossolutions.org/#
Serah has been my "go to" woman during this whole process. Since the grant was only a shot in the dark to get to Kenya I was very grateful that she was so willing to take take to help me figure out a itinerary to submit to the Hilton Teacher Trek Program. After telling her what I wanted to experience: visiting schools, making connections, visiting artists, understanding life in a village, getting to know the geography, having a little safari adventure, seeing the Indian Ocean, getting to know the culture of Kenya she created an amazing itinerary for me. I knew that if I didn't win this grant I was going to have to find some way to still take this trip. It was too real already and there was already another person on the other side of the world invested in me. The opportunity was too great. My fingers were crossed. Kenya was calling me.
The proposed itinerary:
June 29, 2014
Arrive in Nairobi
Picked up at airport and dropped at Mdawida Homestay http://www.mdawidahomestay.com/#
June 30, 2014
10 am - 4 pm: Nairobi Day Tour
Visit the Giraffe Centre http://giraffecenter.org/, Elephant Orphanage http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/, and the Karen Blixen Museum http://www.museums.or.ke/content/blogcategory/13/19/
July 1, 2014
9 am: Visit Women's Group in Kibera that creates crafts. Spend the morning with them to hear their story.
(Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. Wikipedia)
2 pm: Visit various craft shops and talk to the different artisans.
July 2, 2014
9 am - 4 pm: School Visits
Visit a few schools- private, public, and community run schools (high school and primary)
July 3 -5 , 2014
With hired driver depart for Wongonyi Village.
The village has been visited by Western Carolina University students the last four years. (Here I will get a true sense of the village life in Kenya as well as how development issues affect a village in Kenya.)
July 5 - 6, 2014
Whole Day Tour to Tsavo National Park
http://www.kws.org/parks/parks_reserves/TENP.html
Overnight stay at Voi Safari Lodge
http://www.tsavopark.com/entries/voi-safari-lodge
July 6 - 9, 2014
9 am: Depart for Diani Beach South Coast
July 9, 2014
6 am: Whole Day Travel to Nairobi
July 10, 2014
Depart from Kenya
July 11, 2014
Arrive in Asheville, NC
Serah has been my "go to" woman during this whole process. Since the grant was only a shot in the dark to get to Kenya I was very grateful that she was so willing to take take to help me figure out a itinerary to submit to the Hilton Teacher Trek Program. After telling her what I wanted to experience: visiting schools, making connections, visiting artists, understanding life in a village, getting to know the geography, having a little safari adventure, seeing the Indian Ocean, getting to know the culture of Kenya she created an amazing itinerary for me. I knew that if I didn't win this grant I was going to have to find some way to still take this trip. It was too real already and there was already another person on the other side of the world invested in me. The opportunity was too great. My fingers were crossed. Kenya was calling me.
The proposed itinerary:
June 29, 2014
Arrive in Nairobi
Picked up at airport and dropped at Mdawida Homestay http://www.mdawidahomestay.com/#
June 30, 2014
10 am - 4 pm: Nairobi Day Tour
Visit the Giraffe Centre http://giraffecenter.org/, Elephant Orphanage http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/, and the Karen Blixen Museum http://www.museums.or.ke/content/blogcategory/13/19/
July 1, 2014
9 am: Visit Women's Group in Kibera that creates crafts. Spend the morning with them to hear their story.
(Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. Wikipedia)
2 pm: Visit various craft shops and talk to the different artisans.
July 2, 2014
9 am - 4 pm: School Visits
Visit a few schools- private, public, and community run schools (high school and primary)
July 3 -5 , 2014
With hired driver depart for Wongonyi Village.
The village has been visited by Western Carolina University students the last four years. (Here I will get a true sense of the village life in Kenya as well as how development issues affect a village in Kenya.)
July 5 - 6, 2014
Whole Day Tour to Tsavo National Park
http://www.kws.org/parks/parks_reserves/TENP.html
Overnight stay at Voi Safari Lodge
http://www.tsavopark.com/entries/voi-safari-lodge
July 6 - 9, 2014
9 am: Depart for Diani Beach South Coast
July 9, 2014
6 am: Whole Day Travel to Nairobi
July 10, 2014
Depart from Kenya
July 11, 2014
Arrive in Asheville, NC