From the Journal of Bob Sagan

Kenya Orphanage Playground Build-Volunteer

                                                                              

Bob Sagan of The Changing Point is in Kenya from Oct 25th-Nov 7th,he along with 30 volunteer from across north America are reaching out to the children of the Rift Valley by building two large playgrounds and distributing hundreds of humanitarian items donated by people and organization throughout the USA and Canada...read Bob's daily reports and get the "on-the-ground" view, as these volunteers "help change the world, half way around the world"

 

Wednesday, October 26, Day 2

              This is our group’s first full day in Kitale, Kenya, home to the first of two orphanages for which Let Them Be Kids plans building a state-of-the-art playground. Anytime anyone attempts such a project halfway around the world – normal logistical snafus aside – they should expect the unexpected on top of that.

So we weren’t surprised when we found out our equipment and supplies, sent by boat from New York in early August, had been held up at the Kenyan port of Mombassa – reportedly by some technicalities, though we suspected differently. It’s said Mombasa port authorities have a history of playing fast and loose in such matters, and some assumed such was the case here. It’ a way of extracting a friendly consideration from those whose goods and supplies were being detained, not unusual in Third World countries saddled with rampant poverty.

                                                                      

Nobody in the group is happy with the situation, but anxious to get started and  remarkably upbeat. As we old Africa Hands always say, “Barabara refu haikosi kona.” That means, “A long road is not without a corner” (or, nothing’s perfect, dude!).

Work was being performed on the project’s behalf by agencies and individuals in Canada, the U.S. and certain good offices in Kenya itself, but at this point it still isn’t clear when we can expect delivery of our supplies with any certainty – including $80,000 worth of new playground equipment donated by PlayPower, Inc. of Farmington, Mo.

Since it wasn’t certain at this time when delivery could be expected, it was decided today to divide the volunteers into two teams. The first, led by Kurt Baker, a supervisor with a Truckee, Calif., construction firm – and police officer Jack Munns, both of Reno, would go to the Kitale orphanage site and scope it out, preparing the land prior to arrival of the equipment. Once supplies had arrived, their team’s efforts would expedite the construction.

The second volunteer team, led by Tom McCarthy, a University City (Greater St. Louis area) parks and recreation professional, would coordinate the distribution of some 2,000 pieces of sports equipment, medical supplies and toys for the youngsters. The items represented only a fraction of the more than 8,000 donated by the volunteers from generous and supportive communities in which they live – some of which came too late and missed the earlier shipment; they’re being sent separately.

                                                                        

 Missourians make up the single biggest contingent among the Let Them Be Kids volunteers with a total of nine. Those from the “Show Me State” who pitched in on the coordination and distribution team included Nancy MacCartney and Monica McFee from University City; Dottie Phillips, Wentzville; Christy Humerickhouse, Lee’s Summit; Angela Ament, St. Louis; Ann Schroeder, Union; Jennifer Barnes, Hazelwood; and Christy Humerickhouse of Lee’s Summit. Most are directly or indirectly associated with parks and recreation departments, so their attraction to the Let Them Be Kids program is understandable, even to the point that each shelled out about $3,000 to be part of the adventure.

 The coordination and distribution team also included the efforts of Vivian Lau and Angela Gamez, two Dublin, Calif., parks and recreation leaders, who literally pulled off a tour de force, raising more than $4,000 dollars through school programs conducted by St. Raymond’s Catholic K-8 school in Dublin; as well as securing the donation of a thousand soccer balls (Kenya’s national craze), soccer cleats and uniforms from Pleasanton, Calif., home of the Pleasanton Rage Soccer Association. So caught up in the venture were Lau and Gamez, that earlier they had shown up at North Lake Tahoe on Oct. 7 for a $125-a-ticket, Tahoe dinner cruise fundraiser for Let Them Be Kids.

Rounding out the coordination and distribution team were Tanya Eklund, Suzanne Maynard, Maria Petrou-Steward and Beth Debney (Calgary, Alberta); Diana Thale (Truckee, Calif.); Mario Gurule (Reno); and Mary Foord (North Bay, Ontario).

                                                                                    

A short while ago, as dusk took hold, the Kitale orphanage scoping team returned to the hotel. In addition to Kurt Baker and Jack Munns, it included Glen Freeborn and Matt Bold, both of Calgary; Marco Francisco of Toronto; and Candice Garrison of Truckee, Calif. While the others went about the business of laying out the playground (deciding to demolish a standing structure in the process), Garrison recorded it on video. Still on the green side of 25, she owns her own video production studio in Truckee (weddings, anniversaries, graduations, etc.). She’s taken on the job of putting together a video of the project for eventual distribution to volunteers and their supporters.

Jack Munns briefed the rest of the group after dinner. As a big, overgrown kid himself, he couldn’t resist taking three of the soccer balls to the orphanage and throwing them out to the kids, whom he described as “going bonkers” over them. Not only is soccer Kenya’s national sport, but the kids almost always have to play with homemade “soccer balls,” made from whatever mix of ingredients they can scrounge from their homes and off the streets – paper, twine, the occasional piece of plastic or rubber band, etc.

Thanks to the caring people on both sides of the northern border who’ve lent their unbelievable support to this effort, we’re going to leave 1,000 genuine competition soccer balls behind for these kids, not to mention cleats and uniforms. If we did nothing else for them, they’d always remember us for that alone.                                                                                             

Interpersonal relations among the group are beginning to take shape as the volunteers, previously strangers to one another (for the most part), are feeling increasingly more comfortable working together. Probably, in part, it’s because 30-odd (somewhat odd) people are beginning to match names with faces, always a tough task when you don’t wear nametags.

Nuances in personal behavior also begin to surface, which make for great story-telling among other volunteers: Mario Gurule, one of Reno’s most popular breakdance and hip-hop teachers is accompanying the group. He’s also a black belt and/or leading performer in several different martial arts disciplines, so there’s a natural affinity of movement between the two main pursuits outside of his job – which is events manager for Ian Hill’s The Changing Point. On the side, he teaches and competes in martial arts tournaments, when he’s not busy playing every type of musical instrument ever invented.

Today he decided to conduct an impromptu dance lesson for a bunch of street kids hanging around outside the hotel. There’s always music playing in the streets so accompaniment was no problem. It’s questionable whether the instructor or the students had the most fun.

Next: Getting to Know You.