My time in Kenya has helped me realize help is not a zero-sum game; but rather, a gift that can wilt over time, the way flowers picked by the ignorant do, or can blossom into a beautiful flower tree that will create bouquets for generations to come. Help is offered with the purpose of uplifting, not with the purpose of exchange. Also, help creates value, and does not require an equal and opposite reaction to justify its existence. As a wise man once said, “A man stands no taller than when he bends a knee to offer a helping hand.”
My time in Kenya has helped me realize that while the view looking in will say it’s not good or its evil, seeing things upfront completely changes your perspectives. Whether it be seeing the opposites of the stereotype or seeing whether you can’t judge anything by what people say until you truly experience it for yourself. You must branch out to change that stereotype for you and everyone around, but also you’re allowed to have negative ideas about things. You’re human – you must think, and it’s ok for others to have their opinion even if you don’t agree.
My time in Kenya has helped me realize that I can make a significant impact on others and grow as a person by simply being myself. I went into this trip not fully knowing what I wanted to gain from it, and I’ve learned that taking the time to fully immerse myself in this experience is incredibly important for myself and those around me. Being here has shown me that following my interests and intermingling with others with an unfamiliar version of myself, benefits me more than trying to hide or simplify myself to fit in. This realization does come from both my friendships I’ve made in our group, the connections I’ve made at KACH and TIRIJI, and working on our project. Basically, I’ve realized that I can serve and learn from others by letting go of old ideas of myself.
My time in Kenya has helped me realize that we are so lucky with the little things we have that we overlook every day. Talking about school with these kids has helped me realize how much they value education and community in TIRIJI with Dr. K. I see now that I need to change some of my views to see the bigger picture. In a conversation with a Kenyan girl I learned about sharing and how she values it.
My time in Kenya has helped me realize the power of community. When we met Dr. K, she told us “don’t pity the children; even though they don’t have parents, they have Love from the KACH community. They don’t SEEM happy, they ARE happy!” Their community has made me realize you can have no materials yet still have everything – LOVE! You can’t buy that and that is what makes LOVE in a community so special.
