Kenya in 3 Days

I have been so busy with so many things that it seems surreal that Christmas is tomorrow and I am leaving for Kenya in 3 days! I have a little bit of time this morning to pack and get ready for Kenya before moving on to Christmas stuff.

I am leaving at 7am on the 27th. Since there are so many of us (100+) the best group flight was out of Montreal (we also have an office in Montreal). So we are taking a bus to Montreal and catching a flight that evening. Laying over somewhere in Europe (Brussels, maybe? all these layovers just run together eventually) and then arriving in Nairobi the evening of the 28th, Kenya time.

I will not have access to Internet for most of my trip, while I am in the Mara. Like I always do, I will be journalling every day and blogging it when I can. But don't expect too many blog posts, if any, until I get back on the 7th.

Becuase there are so many of us, we will be split in rotating groups, but below is somewhat of a basic schedule (although many things will likely change). But this should give a good idea of what I will be doing.

Merry Christmas, and I will be posting again likely when I am home on January 7th!


December 29th: Giraffe Sanctuary, leave Nairobi and drive to Bogani, our center in the Mara.

December 30th: Tour of FTC schools- visiting old school vs. new school to see the differences. Official opening of the All Girls Secondary School! Being passionate about higher education, this is what I am most excited for. This is the newest FTC school for 30 grade 9 girls (will expand to grade 10 and further every year). Grand opening party and getting to meet the girls.

December 31st: School building and New Years party

January 1st: Take part in the alternative income program (beading) and do a water walk to experience the difficulty in fetching water for the family. Visit traditional homes and learn about women's issues and community development.

January 2nd: Safari Day! Maasai culture night

January 3rd: Medicinal garden and health clinic tour, organized games in the community

January 4th: Tree planting, duka visit (artisans sell their jewellery here), Maasai Weapons Training

January 5th: Depart for Nairobi, market shopping, dinner at the Carnivore (famous restaurant)

January 6th: Return flight to Montreal, then bus back to Toronto. Arrive home (Toronto) in the late evening... then back at work on the morning of the 7th!

Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children

Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children is the newest book by Romeo Dallaire, author of Shake Hands with the Devil, about his experiences working with the UN's peacekeeping mission to Rwanda during the genocide. His new book, Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children, focuses on child soldiers.

"Roméo Dallaire was first confronted with child soldiers in unnamed villages on the tops of the thousand hills of Rwanda during the genocide of 1994. The dilemma of the adult soldier who faced them is beautifully expressed in his book's title: when children are shooting at you, they are soldiers, but as soon as they are wounded or killed they are children once again. Believing that not one of us should tolerate a child being used in this fashion, Dallaire has made it his mission to end the use of child soldiers. In this book, he provides an intellectually daring and enlightening introduction to the child soldier phenomenon, as well as inspiring and concrete solutions to eradicate it."

I was able to hear Romeo Dallaire speak last week at the University of Toronto, where he was accompanied by Stephen Lewis, Emmanuel Jal (former child soldier- Sudan), and Michel Chikwanine (former child soldier- DRC). I have heard Stephen Lewis speak before and think he is wonderful, but I have been wanting to hear Romeo Dallaire for many years, and was thrilled to be able to attend.

The wonderful thing about Romeo Dallaire is that he offers tangible solutions. He is very knowledgable about child soldiers and his book also offers an extensive list of further reading, which I am going to have to look more into. When he was speaking, one idea he brought up really resonated with me.

In Canada, it should be a rite of passage for every young man and woman to volunteer in a developing country before graduating from school.

I couldn't help but wonder what our world would be like if this were the case. If every single person in my generation had seen some of the things that I have seen while volunteering and had a passion and heart to eradicate these humanitarian issues, like the use of child soldiers. Romeo Dallaire said that the worst people are not those that are implementing the use of child soldiers, but it is those people who stand by and let it happen.

We have the resources to eradicate poverty, child labour, child soldiers, trafficing, and forced prostitution. I wonder if any of these would still exist if Romeo Dallaire's wish came true, and if it became mandatory for all Canadian youth to "get their boots dirty" (as he put it) in a poverty-stricken country.