Dr. Chad Stephens of Winston-Salem with children in the Rift Valley area of Kenya
Dr. Neena Lekwauwa, a Winston-Salem physician, and an infant at New Life Home in Kisumu
Megan Ritchie, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill with a New Life Home child
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After visiting the first satellite New Life Home in Kisumu and seeing the impact the home was having on the community there--and the radiant babies and caregivers, we were ready to get to Nakuru where we have committed to starting the next New Life Home!
Nakuru is a city about the size of Winston-Salem that sits on the edge of Lake Nakuru--the home of breathtaking flocks of flamingos. Because it is an urban area, the directors of New Life Home believe that the babies that are brought to New Life Home there will ultimately have a good chance of being adopted--no matter what their tribe is.
Posted by Rob Stephens:
The group has arrived in Kenya safely and have already experienced some of the miracles are a way of life at New Life Homes. The first morning they arrived in Kenya, 5 babies arrived at the Home and will be loved by the most devoted nurses and staff, they will have access to the best medical treatment available in Kenya and will most probably be adopted into a loving family within the first year. 2 babies were also adopted that same day. Thanks to the work of the Amani Scholars and all your support for the Amani Children’s Foundation, more and more abandoned, orphaned and HIV positive infants are able to live and be loved like all babies should. Keep posted for upcoming reports and reflections from the members of the group! —Rob Stephens
On October 12, 2005, the second Amani Leadership Trip will depart for a ten-day study tour of Kenya. They’ve got learning, partnership and the urgent need to develop sustainable care for abandoned babies in Nakuru on their agenda!
The 2005 team is composed of 17 individuals from a variety of backgrounds: social workers, professors, business people, musicians, graduate students, researchers, and doctors. More than anything else, they are community volunteers who would like to see their US communities connect with the work being done in Kenya to respond to the crisis of orphans.
The group includes: Norma Goelst, Missy DeBole, Kelley Hancock, Landon Weeks, Michell Weeks, Chad Stephens, Jane Stephens, Marcia Vaughn, Bob Vaughn, Brenda Morie, Megan Ritchie, Neena Lekwauwa, Marti Larson and Kip Larson from Winston-Salem as well as Lynette Aytch from Raleigh, Emily Bloemeker from St. Louis, and Mary MacNamara from Cleveland.
Their goals for their 10 day trip are:
1. To develop a core of American leaders able to speak from first-hand experience about the crisis of AIDS in Africa in order to make sustainable advances in caring for orphaned infants and children.
2. To work with the staff of New Life Home, Nakuru, to open a new home for abandoned children and to develop ties between the communities of Winston-Salem and Nakuru in the process.
3. To meet with social workers and advocates involved in the work of caring for orphaned children and protecting their rights.
4. To meet with the medical staff at New Life Home to consider ways to better support the medical care of the infants in the homes.
5. To meet with infant caregivers and early childhood professionals to consider ways to ensure optimal early development and learning for every child.
6. To study best practice approaches to the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time.
Please join the discussion as they journey through Kenya, learning all they can about these issues.
Posted by Jane Stephens:
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From Chaz and Chris’ Bike Blog:
The morning after they graduated from Mt Tabor High School, Chaz Edens and Chris Wozniak boarded a plane that would take them from North Carolina to Oregon.
On June 30th, Chaz and Chris began a unique journey home. The two friends are biking across the United States—sharing the Amani story,
collecting donations, and raising awareness of AIDS in Africa as they go.
Posted by Jennifer Ray:
a few of our friends and collegues from Kenya Polytechnic’s Humanitarian Club
Posted by Jennifer Ray:
Ok, this is my first try posting a photo, if this works, there will be more to come shortly.
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Thought this was worth sharing ... it’s about other Kenya blogs, and it’s a post from Global Voices Online, a blog from Harvard that writes about other blogs around the world (yeah, such times we live in).
Posted by Bart Steen:
Who can send me a bunch of digital pictures from the trip? I know there were like 15 photographers, all of which I’m sure took better pictures than my disposable camera could manage.
Asante sana