Upon arriving in Kenya on ASEC’s Service Learning Trip, I was greeted at the Dorothea Rescue Centre by the kindest young girls I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The Dorothea Rescue Centre provides rehabilitation and development opportunities for girls from the streets of Nairobi and surrounding areas. The girls are housed, fed, rehabilitated, taught, and cared for by a lovely group of sisters.
After a quick introduction, many hugs, and a couple happy tears, the girls took us by the hand to Our Lady of Assumption Mission School, which is a day/boarding school for children in the nearby areas. I spent the next 21 days working with these incredible children. I spent each day at the school with the preschool-aged kids. We sang, danced, and colored, but also worked on academics such as reading, writing, and speaking English. The teacher of this class, Teacher Carol, often allowed me to lead activities and assist her in grading. I was beyond impressed with their skills and dedication to learning. When the school day ended, I often found myself volunteering at the center, where I had the opportunity to get to know the girls better. We played games, did crafts, watched movies, and sometimes just talked. At both service sites, I created important and impactful relationships that will last a lifetime.
As a wheelchair user, I was worried about the reactions I would receive in a foreign country. In hindsight, I had absolutely nothing to worry about. ASEC, the kids I served, as well as the sisters and teachers I worked with, fully embraced me and my disabilities. Everyone I met was eager to make things as accessible as possible. I will never forget the love and kindness that I was shown.
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Children at Our Lady of Assumption Mission School play
Truthfully, I imagine that the impact I left on the kids I served is not as intense as the impact they left on me. I went to Kenya with the hope of showing children that nothing is impossible regardless of disability, and I can proudly say that I did that. I taught kids how to respectfully interact with people who have disabilities and educated them that sometimes people’s bodies don’t work in the same ways as theirs do, and that it is okay. That was my personal mission on my Kenya trip and I was happy to see it come to fruition. These kids weren’t trying to make a difference, they weren’t trying to inspire me, yet that’s exactly what they did. Creating relationships with them, hearing them call me their “new best friend” or “Teacher Madi” and watching them thrive was incredible for me.
This service learning experience taught me so much about Kenya. I saw what extreme poverty looks like and witnessed the results of their reality. I learned that some parents in Kenya cannot afford to raise their kids which leads to an increased number of orphans, homeless children, or kids getting trafficked for money. I listened to the children share their lives before the Centre which included the most heartbreaking traumas I have ever heard. Furthermore, I also learned about and experienced a beautiful Kenyan culture. I had the opportunity to learn their daily prayers, some Swahili words, and some of their customs and traditions. I fell in love with the mountains, red dirt roads, acacia trees, animals, the night sky full of stars, and the overall beauty of Kenya.
Being in Kenya changed everything for me. On our last day, Sr. Caro told us to say hello to our families in America, and to never forget our new family in Kenya. I cannot wait to reunite with my Kenyan family. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have made an impact in Kenya, and equally as grateful for the impact they made on me. I am forever indebted to Marywood University and ASEC for providing me with the opportunity to be a participant on the 2024 Service Learning Trip.
