Africaniversary (500 Words)

I can't believe it's been three years since my first volunteer trip to Kenya, Africa. I'm feeling nostalgic so here are a few of my favorite pictures and excerpts from the original tumblr that I managed during our trip. I can't wait to return here and explore other parts of this beautiful culture and continent. 

Day 1: Yep, it’s 4 AM in the morning and I haven’t been able to sleep all night. Partially because I am so excited/anxious and partially because there’s a few things I still need to wrap up before I leave. I am unfortunately quite the “packrastinator.” My whole life it’s been nearly impossible for me to pack more than a day in advance. I wonder if my fellow WFM team members are nestled, all snug in their beds, while visions of the Serengeti dance in their heads...

Day 3: Today...We got to visit a village benefitting from the One Acre Fund micro loans. They were so friendly and we were all touched by their hospitality. We learned about their work and culture and also participated in harvesting millet and planting trees...  

Day 7: Thursday, our fantastic host/tourguide Ruby Ruth showed us around Maai Mahui and introduced us to CTC and the Malakai Moms that expertly craft and sew the lifeline products we sell in our stores. We learned all about CTC’s mission and multiple initiatives including Community, Environment, Education, Health and Economy. And the kids there were adorable, of course!

Day 8-9: Friday and Saturday were spent exploring the Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Mount Kenya. Truly a once in a lifetime experience where we got to see elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and even ultra endangered white and black rhinos…

We are all still in awe of Africa - everything we’ve seen and experienced, everyone we’ve met and the memories we’ve created.

Day 12: Tuesday, we laced up our shoes, put on our gloves and went to work transplanting trees… [and] painting the bakery floor bright blue…. and built a berm to help block the bakery from the evening wind, (Maai Mahiu can get very windy!)...

Day 14: I can’t believe this incredible journey has come to an end. And what a memorable end it was! … We took a bumpy road out to one of the Massai villages where we met and mingled with the kids and were so graciously invited into the home of one of the grandmothers. This was personally one of the most memorable a experiences of the trip.

Day 15: Friday morning, we all headed to the CTC bakery for a lovely breakfast… [and] got ... Cafe Ubuntu painted on the wall before having to head back to ... the Nairobi airport.
It was hard to say goodbye as we all felt like we had become a family the past two weeks. We all created lasting friendships, gained valuable insight and created amazing memories that we can’t wait to share with our teams, families and friends back home!
Asante Sana!
Love, Team Rafiki

If you've been to Africa, what are some of your favorite memories? If you haven't been yet, where would you like to go?

Throwback Thursday: Kenya Memories

Most of my friends and family will remember my volunteer trip to Kenya in July 2013. But if you're not familiar with it, this has been my most memorable and impactful trip to date, as well as a stepping stone towards my upcoming trip. I was part of a group sponsored and hosted by the Whole Foods Market Team Member Volunteer Program, the Whole Planet Foundation and CTC International.  

I had to pay for my vaccines and plane ticket and the company covered pretty much all the costs for two weeks in Kenya. Fundraising was encouraged, so I invented a Mirandathon in which I ran 26.2 miles barefoot on the beach over the course of a month and asked people to pledge money per mile or just make a donation. Honestly it wasn't terribly successful from a financial standpoint, but I was in great shape by the time I left for the trip. If I were to do it over, I would have something tangible in exchange for donations like vegan cupcakes or postcards made from photos from the trip. 

Our group totaled 10 WFM employees from throughout the US ("And Canada!" - Lindsay) and I was a designated blogger and photographer for the trip. You can read the complete tumblr blog that I kept during the trip - which was a challenge because we rarely had internet access - and my favorite photos from Africa in the Pics section of my website. 

To sum it up, we spent time meeting and interacting with microcredit clients throughout the country, visited other businesses making a positive impact in Kenya, had a short Safari which included interacting with protected rhinos in the park, met the Malaika mums who sew LIFE line products to support education for their disabled children, met a group of Massai artisan women and we spent the majority of the time working towards finishing Cafe Ubuntu, a bakery and coffee stop that would bring more money and jobs to the community. My fondest memories included seeing a trio of Cheetah brothers during our Safari, receiving a special gift to bless my home from one of the Maasai ladies and freehanding/painting the logo about 4 feet tall on the back wall of the bakery with nothing but a pencil and some oversized paint brushes. 

Today, Cafe Ubuntu is thriving and expanding into a whole host of other projects and programs that are benefitting this little village in the Rift Valley. However, there are several more ways to support CTC & their mission closer to home by:
• becoming a donating Tribe Member
• buying a #loveisproject LOVE bracelet at American Eagle or LIFE line products
• and/or buying Allegro's Cafe Ubuntu coffee at your nearest Whole Foods Market.

It's a great cause to support because I can tell you firsthand that money is going directly into Maai Mahiu, whereas something like the (red) project is really nebulous and you're not sure how much money actually gets to Africa.