Leaving for Uganda and Kenya on June 28th

Hello Friends,

I will be leaving for Africa on June 28th. I will be studying and teaching in Uganda and Kenya, returning to New York City in August. In case you don't believe in miracles, I'm here to tell you to believe. Reevaluate your position about the concepts of hope, change, the power of intention and possibility. I've got a story to prove them all. Read on.

I have been planning this trip to Kenya with another NYC teacher for 2 years, but finding the money to get to Africa was a bit of a problem. I am a teacher. Need I say more about the money issue? But I volunteered to teach at the Father Joseph Oucho School for Girls during summer, 2010, and I wasn't going back on my word. I was a gadfly in how I approached finding the funding I needed. I kept talking to people, and stating that I was going to get to Kenya NO MATTER WHAT! I applied for grants, asked people for donations(thanks Dan), talked to rotary clubs, churches, and tried to align myself with established volunteer organizations, but the amount I needed seemed an impossible goal. I felt once again I was dreaming WAY too big!

One day a colleague with whom I work asked if I had a minute to talk about my travel plans to Kenya. He and I have Africa in common, and we always squeeze in a moment to tell each of our love of that beautiful continent, or let each other know about news in places we've both traveled. In response to his invite to talk, in "Hope fashion" I said,"I actually don't have time to talk, but can we make a coffee date? Things are not looking promising for my trip, but I can't talk about it now." My colleague stated that he might be able to help me find the funding needed to get me to Kenya. I wanted to believe him, but I left feeling less than hopeful. Who in the world was going to fund my trip to Africa? The next day I received this simple message from him, "You're going to Kenya. Details to follow." My colleague went to a private source and asked them to help fund my trip. Within a week I had a round trip ticket. How does one accept such a gift without questioning the concept of MIRACLE? When I wrote the benefactor to thank them for their generosity, I asked the question, "Why would you do this for someone you've never met? The reply, "How could I not?" Subsequent to that email exchange, I met this person. It was a quiet exchange;there was a knowing of the power of his gift to me, and the deep gratitude in my receiving it. It was a moment in time where the old adage, "There are no words" was understood.

So, I am off to teach and learn with an open mind and a grateful heart. While there, I will be blogging about my journey and posting pictures of this beautiful land and its people. I hope you will follow me and write your thoughts in response to my postings. Tell me what interests you; ask me questions about the flora and fauna, food, culture and tradition; and articulate your wonderings. Your queries will help provide the framework and focus of my observations and recordings, which is invaluable to me for my future work.

Upendo kiasi