Makuyu, Kenya

I loved my experience in Makuyu. When deciding on a program, Sarah Ehlers was very helpful. Any question I had she would explain in great detail and had a lot of helpful hints on what to bring and what to expect. From the minute I got off the airplane Geoffrey, the orphanage director, was waiting for me, which was comforting because I was alone. When I arrived at the orphanage, lots of little hands and big smiles were there to show me around and help me get settled in. The staff on site was very friendly, offering guidance when I wasn't quite sure what to do for the day. A typical day started with morning chores, sweeping the compound, gathering clothes and washing them in a wheel barrow, and having lunch. When the kids would come home from school, they did their chores and then we would play and do homework. For me, the language barrier with the kids was really hard at first, but when I picked up some Kikuyu-their tribal language- it got better. The staff speaks English well, and are eager to listen and learn about where we come from and how things are different from Kenya. Because things are so different, I felt isolated at times and very lonely. Being an American, I stuck out a lot and sometimes that got to be difficult. I also struggled with the fact that I couldn't change everything. Somethings I saw I didn't like, but those customs have been around for generations and I had to accept I couldn't change that overnight. The food is also hard to adjust to. We ate a lot of beans which my diet wasn't accustomed to. Keeping snacks and fruit in my room was really important because we ate every eight hours and I wasn't used to that.It's hard not to fall in love with the kids and the culture in Makuyu. Everyone is so friendly, kind and willing to help that it's hard to leave. The one thing I wish I had done differently was buy my items to donate in Kenya rather than bringing them from home. I think that the money would have been better used once I got there and saw what they really needed. Overall, my experience was really wonderful and I think about and miss the kids everyday.