RAY OF HOPE 2014: Back with Friends

KIRSTI:



The youngest class with their morning porridge

They say it takes a village.

Today, we spent the day in what could be considered a small village. Four small classrooms with nearly 100 children crammed inside of them. And teaching them are two teachers who have done an amazing job of not only teaching the basics for school, but the basics of life.

Evelyn Waneloba and Alfred Gatimu are two remarkable teachers in this tiny learning center in the heart of Kawangware, Kenya. Kawangware is the second largest slum outside of Nairobi, home to over 400,000 people. In this small learning center called Ray of Hope and Little Ray of Hope, Evelyn and Alfred and a small group of others, make sure the children are clothed and fed each day before they go to school. The older group of children, all go to public schools during the day, and get their breakfast and tutoring at the Ray of Hope. The Little Ray of Hope is home to over 50 children from ages 2 – 7 who are being taught the basics before they can go to public school.




Kirsti with Gabriel, whose birth she attended
the last time we were here

The true story here, however, is Evelyn’s story. She is a single parent, who has adopted (brought home) 4 children, in addition to her own at home. She lives in a modest home in Kawangware and is not only raising her own children, but making a living teaching others during the day. When the funding changed for the Ray of Hope, there wasn’t a spot for Evelyn to continue in a paying job. In the midst of going to college and getting her teaching credential, Evelyn decided to open her own “Little Ray of Hope” and brought young children in to the learning center. But she made one minor change. Instead of being dependent upon the funding from an outside source, she gathered the resources of the community, and asked families to pay what they could, for their children to go to school. While sometimes the pay comes in the form of money, other times it comes as food, or clothing, or whatever a family has to give to help with the cost.



Teacher Evelyn (left) and community worker
Hendrika (left) with student Brian

Evelyn is the true story of success here. She went from being an employee of a foreign sponsored non-profit to a strong role model in the community, finding a way to make her business work for all that are involved. Yes, it takes a village. And sometimes, it just takes a strong will to move forward and  love to make it work.

KAREN:

Today we arrived at the Little Ray of Hope in Kwangware. This is where Glide teams have come for the last three trips. The agenda for this trip, however, is much different. Instead of providing programming, we are here to listen and learn. There have been many changes in the program since we were last here, and we want to understand the changes better, so we can best support the amazing work that is being done here.

When we arrived at the learning center, we were greeted by four of my heroes: teachers Alfred and Evelyn, community health worker Hendrika, and cook Agneta. These four have committed their lives for caring for vulnerable children: orphans and those who are HIV+. When a child loses a parent, or the parent abandons the child, these four think nothing of welcoming the child into one of their (already overcrowded) homes. Every additional child means a greater strain on their already meager resources, but that does not deter them one bit. Their understanding of family and community is far wider and deeper than anything I have ever seen anywhere else. Resources are meant to be shared, not hoarded or stored up. We at Glide say, "If someone is hungry, you feed them." Here at the Learning Center, if a child is hungry, an adult will make do with less to make sure the child has some food. Imagine a world where we all made that kind of commitment to each other!

The children welcomed us with song, as they always do. There were so many new young children! Most of them do not yet speak English, so we had fun communicating beyond words. We played together and then in the afternoon, Kirsti led them in a craft. She had brought plain t-shirts for the children to customize as their own, using magic markers.



Our newest Glide enthusiast!
 

After leaving the learning center, we went to a hotel to have dinner with a new Ray of Hope representative from the States, to learn more about the changes to the program. As we were eating, GLIDE member Josh Biddle strolled in! Josh was on our first Ray of Hope trip and fell in love with the people of Kenya. He is here on a Fulbright Scholarship as part of his medical training (he is studying to be a doctor at UCSF). He came here last fall and will return to the states in June.

It was great to see him and hear of all he is learning here. He will stay down here while we in Nairobi, so look forward to having more time with him.

Day Seven: Play Day

Agnetta the cook couldn't join us last night, so we gifted with with a GLIDE apron this morning!

 Kirsti:

Roomies Angela and Kirsti

I can't get enough of the singing around me. The children at the Ray of Hope school,  at church on Sunday, even here at the guest house where we are staying. People sing with such joy. Families in the park, kids on the bus. It is a language that has no boundaries. 

I recorded the kids on the bus singing today. Clap clap stomp, clap clap clap stomp. When one song ended, another started. They sang in Swahili and English. Everything from If You're Happy And You Know It, to hymns that now sound familiar. 

The music fills my soul. It is the end of a great day, with some amazing kids, playing in the park, and singing on the bus. 

Craig:

Craig talking with Evelyn

Today we had a chance to play outside.   The Learning Center does not have any open space or grass, so the children do not get any regular exercise while in school.     After a trip to a local animal park, we spent the afternoon at a very large city park near downtown Nairobi.    Soccer balls, basketballs, jump ropes and hula hoops were flying around everywhere.   The shrieks of laughter, cheering, racing, singing and dancing said it all-  it was great to take time out from the day to day worries of life and just play.

Our goodbyes were expressed by hugs with each child, and we promised we would be back again soon.

Ominous sign at the crocodile park: No Pets Allowed and
management will not be responsible for lost children!

Angela and Kirsti and a baby crocodile

Christina:

Day after day, the spirit of generosity rings true at Ray of Hope. 

Christina and the children

If some food remains after all of the children and staff are served lunch, a few (not all) of the children may get seconds.  Nothing goes to waste - and more importantly - those that don't get seconds never complain.  The same was true playing games or doing creative projects.  No one snickered or sneered if someone received more furry balls or pipe cleaners than the person sitting next to them.  This is going to sound cliche, but when one child is happy, the other children are happy for them.  Truly.  And it's genuine.  There is no bitterness or animosity.  No greed or entitlement.  Just love.  Having spent 6 days straight with the children, relationships and trust were formed, and each of their respective personalities had the chance to shine. Some kiddos had sass.  Some were shy.  Some loved attention.  And others, without many different material items than the rest of their peers except, perhaps, an item or two, had a fun flare or distinct style - however, one thing is true: these children look out for one another and love each other deeply.  Alfred teaches all of the children, primarily the boys that come in, to be role models for each other - regardless who is older in age.  A moving story Hendrika shared today was learning about Richard's transition to Ray of Hope recently.  Again, he came homeless with barely any clothes on his back.  One of the girls (if memory serves, it was one of the Sharons)  was the first to give him an extra shirt because she had two. And quickly thereafter, Richard had a pair of socks, a pair of shoes and a sweater.  All of these items were immediately gifted to Richard within 2 days by the children without prompting.  They wanted him to have what they have.  As Alfred explained, this is simply their nature.  This is how they show love.  They are kind.  And they are selfless. And they are generous.  May we all be inspired to be as giving - and loving - and compassionate as these individuals. And while I'm 20 years their senior, *they* have been *my* teachers this week.

Angela:

IT IS WELL

Today was the last day with the children, the week went faster than expected.  The children were not given a meal before we left today, because in the past they were so excited about the trip, they got sick.

Angela ensuring that teacher Evelyn can see the
children dance

The Crocodile Park was our first stop, and it was a new experience for everyone. The crocodiles were plentiful. I have never touched a crocodile before, but our guide picked up a baby crocodile and allowed us to touch it. The adults were just as excited as the children.

I was impressed with the number of older kids who on their own brought their small journals with them today, and were taking notes as the guide spoke.  We also got an opportunity to touch and hold turtles.

The ostrich and giraffe were an interesting combination of animals to see in the same fenced-area together. In an open field, without any restraints were several beautiful horses, who were not bothered by the presence of the children.

After a short visit to the Crocodile Park, we went to a park that was large enough for the kids to run free, play ball, jump rope, play basketball and be kids. Seeing the kids unabashed joy while running, reminded me of the small spaces that they spend most of their time in, home and school.  The yard as school, is a courtyard of an apartment complex; where at times games are interrupted by a car either coming in or going out of the courtyard.  But today they could run,run, and run. The kids singed on the bus, one of the songs that Classy taught them, and religious praise songs, to and from the Ray of Hope.

Back at Ray of Hope, we lined up to receive goodbye hugs from the kids. The kids, gave great hugs, and said thank you repeatedly. Kids who less than a week ago were total strangers, today were a part of my extended family. I did not feel sad, it felt as if I was saying goodbye to a relative that I expected to see in the near future.

One of the hardest things for me during the week, was looking at the Ray of Hope neighborhood kids, who would stand in the gate, or on the stairs looking at our kids, wanting to play or go to class. Every day the same kids would gather, and you knew that these kids were not getting, nor probably would ever get an education.

I am physically tired from activities of the week, but it is well with my soul!

Robin:

Robin playing with a hula hoop

This is always our favorite day, when we go on an outing with the teachers and students of Ray of Hope. We had a great time at Nairobi Mamba Village, where everyone got to touch a baby crocodile (with big teeth!).

Then, on to the park, there the children (and all of us) get to play.  After an afternoon of play and eating chicken and chips (French fries) we were presented with gifts. This is one of the hardest parts of the trip for me, because they have so little, and yet they give each of us a gift in front of the children.

I am aware that the children probably don’t receive a Christmas or birthday gift, yet we are given so much from Kenyan friends. My hope is to remember this generosity and do likewise.

Robin, Angeline, and Hendrika doing the Macarena

Classy:

Today was a bittersweet. We had a wonderful day with all the children and staff. We took them to the African zoo and the park where for the first time this week they got to run wild.... It was good to play with them for hours none stop. The day went by pretty fast. At the end of the day we said our goodbye to the kids and staff. We all lined up and each kids and staff gave us a hug and said thank you...I told them I would see them again and they smiled. All and all, I am blessed and looking forward to next year!!!

Classy and the children dancing for Evelyn, was out sick all week.

Evelyn watching "her children" dance.

Karen:

Words cannot describe what it is like to see these children, who live in such tiny cramped quarters and then spend hours in a school room that is equally cramped, run wild through the park, playing soccer, jumping rope, hula hooping, and even (thanks to Kwame) playing basketball.

It is like seeing a spirit run free, unfettered. There is joy. There is laughter. There is blessedness.

Thank you, children and staff of Ray of Hope, for opening your lives, your community, your heart to us. We have been touched and changed by you!

Karen being dressed by the Ray of Hope staff

Agnetta taking on Kwame in soccer

With our Ray of Hope friends

Kwame and a new friend

A tired but happy team!

Day Six: Surprised by Joy

Craig:

Craig walking with Ray of Hope children
through Kawangware

The porridge had been served, a cup sitting before each hungry child in the younger class of 5-8 year olds.   The adults had left the room.   The children had been alone for a moment and as I rounded the corner there sat the children, hands folded, eyes tightly shut, reciting a prayer of thanks in unison.   Once the prayer was completed, no one touched their food.  They waited patiently for permission to begin.   Some had more in their cups than others but there were no comparisons and no complaining- just a concern that everyone had a cup in hand before beginning to eat.

No matter the urgency, when greeting someone for the day it is impolite to launch into a discussion about the business at hand without first taking the time to ask about the individual and his family.  It’s surprising how often we do not do this in the U.S.

Craig and a budding symphony conductor

On our way to the hospital the other day we saw a bus on the side of the road.  The driver was on the ground beneath the bus, the passengers with raised voices crowded nearby.  Our taxi driver chuckled and said, “there seems to be a drama unfolding”.   Apparently the bus had broken down and the driver was trying to avoid refunding the passengers their fares.   Women were shouting for the driver to come out from underneath the bus, hitting him with their packages and trying to pull him out.

Angela:

JOY

After our morning ritual of camp songs, all of the kids and our group went to the homes of several of the kids.  The children were so proud to show us where they lived. It was heart-warming to see how some families are not together because of  blood, but because of love. Some kids are living with classmates' family or other relatives, because they were being mistreated or unwanted by their relatives.

Angela working on backpacks

I was surprised at the distance some of the kids walk to get to the Ray of Hope. One home we visited brought us to a lush green valley, where corn, cabbage and other vegetables were grown. It appeared to be a farm that was community operated. I believe it took us all by surprise because it is so different from the hard-stoned dirt that we've been walking on for the last few days.

Much to Evelyn's (Head teacher, who has been sick) surprise we all went to her home, which gave the children an opportunity to see her and give her a hug. Evelyn was so happy to see the kids, and got hugs from all of them.

Kwame and Angela walking in Kawangware

Today, we were to wrap up all of the activities of the week, and give the kids their backpacks. The first surprise was the project that the kids had been working on with Christina and Kwame. All week they had been decorating this square, that they were told not to decorate the middle. Today they received the square with reflective plastic in the center of their decorated frame. It was heart-warming to see their reactions, because most of them do not have mirrors at home.

Then there was the distribution of the backpacks. I reviewed the journals that the kids wrote in my class and attempted to give them a backpack in their favorite color. Inside the backpack was their journal, pencils, erasers (they call them rubbers-British term), a blank journal, coloring books, crayons, and a Warriors t-shirt. The joy that those kids expressed, almost brought me to tears. They were so appreciative and expressed their appreciation with hugs and repeated thank yous. One boy was so overwhelmed by the Warrior's t-shirt that he began kissing it.

To wrap up Classy's class was the Afro-Hawaiian song and dance, complete with hand-made hula skirts, and leis. There were two versions of the Hawaiian song. The first version was the Hawaiian, and then there was the African-Hawaiian version. It truly was a sight to behold, it was followed with the Macarena, and then the cha cha slide, all in hula skirts and leis.

Today, was the day that made all of the work, planning, and personal expense seem like a mild inconvenience given the joy that was on the faces of the kids.

Kirsti:

Kirsti with Teacher Alfred, who is wearing a shirt that
 former Ray of Hope team member Josh Biddle gave him.
Now if we can  only replace that Cardinal's hat!

There is an old Kenyan saying that if you wake up to the sound of birds calling, you will have much to sing out about all day. 

I woke to the call of birds this morning, and there has been so much to sing out about all day. 

As we walked through Kawangware today, we heard the usual "how are you" as we passed the children on the street. There is such a difference between our cultures. We don't ask strangers how they are. In fact, we hardly say hello. But here, in the heart of a slum in Kenya, the children ask, "how are you"?  Of course I don't expect that they really understand the social implications of what they are asking. 

But when the do ask, it's generally with a smile on their faces. They don't seem to notice, the way I do, the litter in the streets, the goats roaming around or the chickens picking through the trash. How are you? Many of the children at the Ray of Hope school will tell you they are fine. They were proud to take us to their homes today. They are proud to introduce us to their families. They are happy to be walking with their class and their visitors, through their town. 

How are you? I am grateful to have learned so much from so many this week. My heart is full. I have so much to sing out about. 

How are you?

Kirsti with Boyce and his daughter

Robin:

Robin with Evelyn in her home

Karen and Robin with Ray of Hope friends

Today we walked for miles in Kawangware to visit the homes of many of the Ray of Hope children.  It is always shocking to see this level of poverty but the children are so happy that we come to visit them at their homes.  Two of the boys lived with their grandfather who has severe malaria and can rarely work. Teacher Evelyn worries about what will happen to them when their grandfather passes away. Juma, one of the boys, told me that he and his brother do the cooking, and they can make anything, though there is rarely food.  I feel so inadequate and wonder what I can do. Karen and I sponsor two children to go to school and we hope each of the children will have a better future.

Karen:

It has been a very full day as it was our last day in the classroom with the children. This is usually the day that challenges me the most, because my North American understanding of time and work kick in big time: what have we accomplished? What do we need to finish before we leave? Hurry, hurry, hurry, time is running out!

What my Kenyan friends remind me is that doing is not as important as being. There will always be unfinished projects, things that should have been done, items on the “to-do” list that await completion. But the bigger question is: have I taken the time to talk with someone, listen to the stories of their life, deepened the relationship I share with them?

Glide and Ray of Hope enjoying a festive dinner

Tea time!

Today, we deepened our relationships with our Kenyan friends by walking with the children around Kawangware and visiting several of their homes. Children would come up beside me as we walked and shyly take my hand. And soon they would point to their home, to a friend, to an aunt walking by. They were so proud to share their lives with us.

This evening, we invited the Ray of Hope staff to dinner. We gave them gifts from Glide and they gave us gifts from Kenya. We danced together, told stories, and laughed hard.

It was a blessed day!

Classy:

Classy enjoying manazi with tea

Today was another full day. We wrapped up our curriculum with the kids. We brought them down at the end of the day where we did our performance. We had all the teacher, the clinic staff, and the cook come down and join us. We made outfits for them and they were so happy to be part of the celebration. It was a wonderful thing to see all the staff and kids dance to the Cha Cha and the macarena. All in all today was a good day....good night sleep, here I come!!!

Christina:

Over the course of 2.5 hours, with the entire RoH Team, while accompanied by almost 50 students, we all took a walk through the village and visited the homes of a few students - Bravin & Sharon's, Oliver & Electine's, Richard, Faith & Treza's and Jack & Juma's. What a privilege to have almost 50 tour guides through Kwangware!  I spent a lot of time with Oliver, Kevin, Richard & Bravin. 

Christina handing out reflection projects

I didn't realize Oliver lived with Electine (their moms are sisters), or that many of the other children were related.  Oliver wants to be a lawyer and has a dog named Pinkey, who was bartered for manual labor. He is exceptionally inquisitive, a clear communicator, outgoing, proud to be a brother to two siblings, loves doing somersaults and football, tells good stories about the hyena and the hare, and loves to be photographed. 

Also got to spend QT with Kevin, a very quiet, gentle soul - who doesn't speak much English. Because of the language barrier, the challenge of the week was how to show him love in other ways besides using words. So after a handful of days with helping make his hula skirt, gifting him an orange ring made of pipe cleaners made by Joy Bet, and always scooting next to him on his stool when chatting with other kiddos on that side of the room - a bond had been established and this walk was icing on the cake. 

Richard was a new buddy made today, who is very quiet and shy, who asked (with Oliver chiming in) if I knew Naima. Naima was originally intending to come back to Ray of Hope for her second visit, but regrettably had to back out, which is how the opportunity presented itself to me... Naima - both Richard & Oliver have exceptionally fond memories of your time together, they reminisced about your killer breakdance skills and remember songs you would sing with them.  You left quite an impression! You are missed here!

The children looking at their reflection

Last, Bravin (pronounced "bra-veen" with a rolled "r") was the 3rd new friend made on this excursion. This little guy, probably around 7ish, is advanced academically - so even though he's a little peanut, he's in class with the taller, stronger, older guys. He warmed up to me today and it unexpectedly melted my heart.  Like Oliver, he's also a great story teller (ironically, another hyena and the hair story - but a different one), he lives near a farm and explained all of the veggies that are grown (cabbage, corn and an unfamiliar sounding green). He also learned many words in Ukrainian, including "cabbage" (his favorite), "cat" and how to pronounce "Christina" with the same rolled "r", which took about 20 minutes to master. 

These kiddos were SO. DARN. PROUD. to show us their homes.  It was beautiful, actually!  We walked a long time together, it was super hot, and a new perspective about this land was formed.  They were little rockstars - walking around knowing all of their neighbors and friends - and it was neat to experience Kwangware through their eyes for a brief blip. Between Oliver, Kevin, Richard & Bravin, I've never held hands with children for so long - and it was brilliant.  What a day.  My soul is happy.

Kwame ready to greet our guests for dinner

Day Two: Ray of Hope Homecoming

Angela:

Day of Anticipation

Angela and Kwame helping serve the
children lunch

Well after months of preparation, meetings, making lists, fundraising, today we meet the children. There is excitement among the team members, some because they will see old friends again, and children they have seen grow over the years; and others like myself, we are excited to see the smiling faces of the Ray of Hope children.

Much to our surprise, the driver was able to take us and the sixteen bags of supplies in one trip. The Ray of Hope is a short drive from the Methodist guest house, which was an asset at the end of the day.

We were first introduced to Florence, who gave us the history and tour of the clinic. Of course I was Florence's favorite, because her granddaughter's name is Angela, ( a fact that I created). It is beyond amazing the work and care that is given in the clinic, when it is so understaffed, and under-resourced. Patients come in desperate, with life-threatening conditions, unable to pay, but never rejected for non-payment.

We were told that three babies had been delivered the day before (Sunday) in the clinic, but much to my surprise, the mothers nor the babies were in the clinic on Monday. On average the women remain in the hospital 2-4 hours only after giving birth. We also learned that the reason why Kenyan women do not scream during childbirth, it is believed that the baby will die, if the mother screams.  

Most of the mother's giving birth are HIV+, but if a mother breast-feeds her baby exclusively for a year, the baby will be HIV-; what a miracle.

While we were in the clinic, the children came downstairs, and recited a poem to us, that expressed their gratitude for our visit, and the poem included each of our names. The poem, their singing and their smiles, nearly brought me to tears.

The two classrooms are small and crowded, with no individual desks or chairs. The children are very respectful, asking permission to go to the bathroom, which is a hole in the floor. They are given two meals each day, unfortunately for some of the children, when they leave on Friday, lunch will be their last meal until Monday's breakfast.

The children recite a prayer before eating, and if you can envision this, all will wait until everyone is served before they will start to eat. The oldest student is 18 years of age. There was one boy who was 12, and had never been to school, he was beaten by his father who is an alcoholic. He arrived at the Ray of Hope, without even knowing how to hold a pencil at the age of twelve.

My class assignment was Journaling. So I explained that it was their personal storybook, where they could write about their feelings, family, friends, favorite things, and draw pictures. Today we focused on personalizing the journals with their names and whatever drawings, decorations they wanted on the front and back covers. The artistic talent of the kids was great.

All day long we had two classes going at the same time, it was exhilarating to hear the laughter and joy coming from the two classes, which made the day of anticipation, more than I could have possibly imagined.

THANKS BE TO GOD. 

Florence giving a tour of the clinic

Classy:


Today was the first day of teaching at the ray of hope school. We were greeted by the ray of hope staff and a few of the kids. I taught the macarena to two classes that had 24 kids each. Each classroom was the size was 10 by12 . Though I thought to myself' wow how can they learn in such a tight space? How can they even move? The classroom was so tiny yet their love of learning was so strong that it didn't matter if they were squished together all day long. It didn't matter that they played, ate and learned all in the same small space with not one of them ever complaining. Quietly they waited to be fed. As we served each child, they gave us a sincere' thank you.' it was truly amazing.

I was overjoyed to see how they embraced me with their hand claps everytime we entered the room. Everytime I walked out and walked back in, they clapped and cheered. Today's dance was the Macarena. They had a blast and wanted more. Each child got to show me their favorite dance, and I then found myself wanting more. We were thirsty for each others teachings and happiness that we could not get enough. Seeing these kids and looking at what the they see and witness everyday is amazing. We learned the stories about each child, some who were beat by their fathers and kids who go all weekend without food and kids who are HIV positive and yet, they manage to be happy all the time. They always manage to rejoiced and keep a genuine smile on their face. It makes me so proud to share this experience with them. We danced ,laughed and played games all day and this is only the beginning!!!

Classy leads dance class

Kirsti:



Kirsti in the classroom

But Miss Scarlet…I don’t know nothin’ about birthin’ no babies

After we finished our tour of the clinic and school this morning, I went back downstairs to help out in the clinic. There were three babies delivered there yesterday and as it turned out, another since we had been there earlier this morning.  Baby and mom were doing fine, and would be ready to go home in 3-4 hours. The staff was very carefully monitoring them both as the mother had tested positive for HIV and hepatitis. I also learned this morning that an HIV+ mother can improve her child’s opportunity to be HIV- if she breast feeds the child for a year (while she is getting treatment) and does not feed the child anything other than breast milk.

The clinic has very limited offerings, but they do so much with what they have.

The rest of my morning was spent meeting a young pregnant mother and assisting with her charts and exam, holding the hand of my new friend Beatrice while she had a procedure done, and meeting with a very young and scared mother who needed treatment for an infection.

The clinic offers services for everyone who needs them. And for the mother who had her baby this morning, she will pay maybe $20 to help offset the cost of her lunch, a taxi to take her home, and the wages for the clinic staff.

The services provided are amazing for the needs of a community that are never-ending.

Robin:

Laughter and joy are the words that describe today!

Robin working on her maraca

We have waited so long to see our good friends again at Ray of Hope! After greeting each friend with tears of joy, and hearing the children sing to us, we started our prepared curriculum.

Classy taught dance, and hearing the older class laugh loudly, I had to see what was going on. Classy was laughing and dancing and the kids were laughing and dancing with joy!

Craig, Kirsti and I introduced the children to symphony music through “Carnival of the Animals” (a symphony written by Saint-Saens in which each movement depicts an animal).  Kirsti, using her whole body, did rhythm motions with the kids that got faster and faster until we ended laughing the kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt.

The children colored maracas and used them to dance to the music. It was a special, wonderful day of laughter and joy!

Craig teaching

Craig:

It is good to be back with our Ray of Hope family!  August is a school vacation month, but the kids have come back this week for our enrichment curriculum full of dance, music, and arts and crafts.   The classrooms are extra full, as the 25+ kids who have graduated from the Ray of Hope Learning Center into the public schools are joining us for the week as well.    Robin, Kirsti, and I are organizing our week around the symphony “Carnival of the Animals”, with focuses in music, animals, geography and arts and crafts.   The class exploded with smiles when we brought out a variety of percussion instruments.    Everyone received a wooden maraca to decorate, and we ended the afternoon dancing and playing all of our instruments in a loud and energetic accompaniment of a video showing a percussion band on Venice Beach.

Christina:

Christina helping the students

Today was special in so many ways. Finally meeting the staff and children at Ray of Hope was powerful and seeing the fruits of our teams labors come to fruition after months of planning individual curriculums was cool because the children were so stoked to be dancing, making symphony instruments or decorating the covers of their new life journals.

My personal project this year is called the Reflection Project. Words can be similar to a living organism - capable of growing, changing, spreading and influencing the world in so many ways, directly and indirectly, through others.  Words boast self-belief, self-confidence and self-esteem. The reason why words have the power to affect others so much is related to personal identity.  Words are very powerful. If we hear words that are affirming, reinforcing of who we are and desire to be, we are likely to accept them as an accurate description of who we are, which then increases our motivation to fulfill and enhance that description even more. 

Every day, each student will pick a name out of a hat and deliver a compliment or affirmation. By the end of the week, each child will have delivered 5 complements to their peers, and in turn, will have received 5 in return. The children will also be making an arts and crafts project that will "come alive" over the course of the week. Plain white frames will ultimately burst with color using pipe cleaners, buttons, glitter, and feathers. And on the very last day, they will be gifted a mirror to put behind their frames.  The message here is to confirm how wonderful the children felt when they were receiving those daily complements and affirmations - but to communicate that there may be a span of time when they do not receive a complement or affirmation - but not to be discouraged. Because all they simply need to do is take a look in the mirror, see their powerful reflections for themselves, and remember the greatness, strength and beauty that they already know lies within them.

Kwame:

Today we arrived to the Ray of Hope School and clinic.  We finally got to meet the staff and students.  After unpacking all the wonderful gifts and donations given by the Glide community and friends, we were given a tour of the R.O.H facility.  Just before the tour ended the staff had the team sit for a presentation in our honor, welcoming us.  The children walked into the room, totally quiet, in formation, eyes glaring, focused in our direction.  The teacher gave a signal and the group began.  What came next, no one could have ever prepared me for.  The children, in perfect unison, began to welcome our group, in perfect English, stating our names individually, and thanking us for not abandoning them and continuing to come back. Then they ended with the most beautiful song, before the end of which, kids from the group leaped out of formation, pulled us out of our seats to dance with them until the song was finished.  It was by far, one of the most beautiful moments of my life.  I was stunned and shell-shocked by it all. It took all the strength within me to not burst into tears.  I will never forget the way that moment made me fill.

Working with the children, teachers, and my teammates today has been an immense honor.  I can’t wait for tomorrow to come. My soul is good!

The Welcome Poem

Karen:

It was great to return to Ray of Hope. This is Glide’s third trip back and it has been great to develop and deepen relationships with the Ray of Hope staff and students. Hugs were in abundance today!

All the staff at Ray of Hope—whether in the clinic or learning center—are incredibly dedicated to the people they serve, particularly the children. The staff regularly take into their homes children who have been orphaned or abused. They go the extra mile and then some to make sure those they serve are safe and cared for.

Evelyn, one of the teachers, talked about how many of the children are HIV+, or orphaned, or living with violence or abuse. Many, when they are not in school, go hungry. As a result, they come to Ray of Hope with many behavioral issues. One boy used to beat her whenever he came to school. “We just kept loving him, and now he is a changed boy,” she told us. “It is all about love here. We know that by loving people, they become transformed. This is what God promises us. This is why we make sure the children who come to Ray of Hope know they are loved.”

I think this is why we have found such a great partnership with Ray of Hope, for this is what we know to be true at Glide as well. When we love, really love another, meet them where they are with the power of love, transformation happens. And it is not just the person who is loved who changes. The person reaching out in love changes as well.

Our Kenyan friends are teaching and loving us well. And we have no doubt that when our time is done here, we will be changed, too.