After a restful night at the Sarova Woodlands Hotel, we woke up to an invigorating breakfast and our ever friendly drivers ready to take us on the road for two major school visits.

Our first stop was Koige Primary School where we were greeted with—you guessed it—singing and dancing by the entire school population and community members! We were invited to plant a tree in honour of our visit and relationship with this school community, which was followed by even more celebration and cultural exchanges through performances and gift giving. Our students then went into each class room and taught lessons in Math, English, Music and Physical Education.

After lunch, we headed to one of our most anticipated events: the opening ceremony for the classrooms our PAA students fundraised to build at Mau Summit. Again, we were met with immeasurable gratitude and unbridled celebration.

Following our ribbon cutting, our students taught classes until the end of the school day. Such direct and prolonged interaction with students and their families left us challenged to ask ourselves what more we can do to improve the lives of our neighbours. We look forward to how this trip with continue to transform us individually and collectively.
 

We said goodbye to the hippos and zebras this morning and headed off to do a couple school visits. Did I say a couple? I meant five!

We were so thrilled to engage with the students and staff of each school, and they were undeniably just as eager! We were met with singing and dancing at the gates of each school and a warmth that couldn’t be attributed to the weather. On a Sunday when most Kenyan’s are in church, these students, families and administrators took the time to come celebrate with us.

Our PAA students we challenged to see themselves in everyone they interacted with today, engage meaningfully and intentionally with strangers, and acknowledge and let go of their judgments and preconceptions. We experienced the most beautiful exchange of culture and appreciation as our students performed for and socialized with the Kenyan students, who also performed for us!

Seeing the fruit that the generosity of so many A Better World donors has resulted in, inspired students to make humanitarianism a lifelong practice. We cannot wait to see the classrooms we built tomorrow!
 

After a restful night and a great breakfast at the Four Points Sheraton in Nairobi, we headed off to the Giraffe Centre where our trip participants petted and fed giraffes and learned about the 10 species of giraffe in Africa, with emphasis on the 3 in Kenya. They engaged in dialogue about conservation of the environment in hopes of protecting the future of endangered giraffes and other animals.

We then spent the afternoon on Lake Naivasha. After lunch overlooking the lake at Elsamere Conservation Centre, we had the joy of getting closer to the wildlife by journeying across the lake to the Sola Naivasha Lodges. On our way there, we observed countless species of flora and fauna. The birds and hippos were among the favourites!

Trip participants were delighted to disembark the boats and encounter zebras and impalas roaming the grounds of what would be our home for the night. Dinner and worship brought a beautiful end to an eventful day, and Pastor Romando successfully avoided being chased by hippos! It’s safe to say day 3 was another success!

Arrived in Nairobi at 10:30 pm. All are safe and our luggage is here. On arrival we have nice food. We are off to bed.