As the only SE 101 participant to not receive their luggage in Kenya, I think I have a unique point of view from which to tell my story. I have yet to receive my bag from KLM or any sort of compensation.
Being in Nairobi for 3 weeks with little more than the clothes on my back, put a definite twist on the trip. I was able to find the things I needed and my fellow SE 101 girls (and oddly the guys too!) were all more than willing to share their stuff with me. Also, I can confirm that the once locally “famous” Woolworths and Bata are still going strong in Kenya!
This added challenge certainly put things into perspective for me. I felt as though being in Nairobi and being a part of SE 101 forced me to let go of the reliance I had on those items in my luggage. After all, they were just “things” and many of our SE 101 students had never seen such “things” in their lifetime. I had so much to be thankful for… I was in Kenya, with an awesome team of friends, with a mission to educate and mentor. And I had my health… or did I?
The second twist was a weeklong run in with Salmonella. NOTE to self and reader: Never eat garlic cheese bread in Africa! This was the most debilitated and humiliated I had ever known myself to be. But I was NOT going to let it ruin my chance to go on safari! Again, NOTE to self and reader: Do NOT go on safari with salmonella! Enough said.
Being back in Vancouver has allowed for many chances to reflect with friends and with myself. Many ask about my trip and it’s so hard to keep their attention beyond the lost luggage and salmonella. But after you get past those events, you’ll see that I truly had a profound experience – not all of it was good, but when is it ever ALL good?
I had my doubts about what role we were playing. I had become so close to many of our students and I was afraid of letting them down. It is quite overwhelming when these “kids” share their hopes and aspirations with you. Few had misconceptions of aid work and thought we would be funding their business plans. Even though we told them from the very first day that we were “educators and not lenders”, it was tough to see the disappointment in their faces. However, the greatest experience was witnessing the growth in each student over the three weeks. Hopefully the student realized the value in this growth - even if it was not monetary.
I feel so privileged and grateful to have been a part of their growth, as both an educator and as a friend.
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