Over the past few months I have come to discover just how generous my friends, family, and complete strangers are. :) I am so grateful to be surrounded by such fabulous people! I sent out a letter to friends and family asking for monetary donations to assist with the cost associated with my trip as well as to buy donations for the children I'll be teaching. And, I am so pleased to say that I received A LOT of generous donations. :D I also asked the members of my folk group at church for some material donations (crayons, school supplies, coloring books, etc...), and was again blessed with generosity! One woman in the folk group has a child in 3rd grade and offered to ask her son's teacher if they would consider collecting items for me. I was so touched and excited when she told me that, but when she didn't mention anything to me about it for a couple of months I didn't think anything of it. I just figured it wasn't going to work out, and I was totally cool with that. Well, surprise surprise, she told me last week that his teacher had, in fact, collected some items. "Some items" is a massive understatement! I received half a dozen soccer balls, color wonder paper, markers, and paints, coloring books, notebooks, pens, pencils, and a box filled with watercolors, crayons, and markers. I can not even begin to express how grateful and appreciative I am! I got the name of the teacher at St. Ignatius that so generously made this cause her class' service project, and am planning on sending a thank you card and offer to come into the school next (school) year and show the kids pictures of the Kenyan kids they helped. Hopefully that will work out. I think the kids would really enjoy that!
My only "problem" with all this generosity is that now I think I have too much. Too much? I never thought I would say that. But, I am. I most definitely have too many things to bring with me. I bought an enormous suitcase that comes in a whopping 1 inch under the size guidelines imposed by Swiss Air and I already have the bottom almost filled with donations. I have come up with three options; 1) buy another suitcase and cough up the money for the excess baggage fee, 2) ship the stuff, and 3) take some of the donations and give them to local needy kids. Other than the extra fee, option 1 also presents another problem- I am going to Kenya alone, and am already bringing a (huge) suitcase, a carry-on, and a messenger bag/purse. I don't see how I am going to carry everything much less store it all in my home stay. I feel like what I am already taking is pushing it. Issues with shipping the stuff are; a) the cost and b) I have absolutely no idea where to ship the stuff to or how I would retrieve the things once there. And, so, I'm leaning towards donating the things I can't fit to local kids. But, I'm torn about that, too. I asked for donations for the needy kids in Kenya not the needy kids in Reading. Although, God knows they need the stuff, too. Am I somehow doing wrong by the donors? Am I being dishonest, or is it ok to give it to other needy kids? Hmm I think I'm going to have to think about this one for a little while.
Something else I am struggling with is something that was brought to my attention via a Facebook discussion on IVHQ's FB page. One girl asked a question about what things to bring for the children. And, another girl (that has already been to Kenya) answered by giving a couple of good ideas (stickers, crayons, etc...), but also cautioning to not give too many things as to not give into western stereotypes for example, "they think Americans are made of money and have tons of things to just give away". Of course, I already knew that I would be perceived as a "rich American", that is why I am not planning on wearing my wedding rings or other jewelry. I know it's impossible for me to completely blend in, especially with the blond hair and all. But, I never thought about "western stereotypes" in regard to my donations and the amount I am bringing. I certainly don't want to come across as some rich American that thinks she can change these kids' lives with a few stickers and packs of markers. I want to be generous and give the kids great things- things they need as well as fun things- without worrying about "rubbing in" my perceived wealth. But, aren't I going to come across as a rich American no matter what? Probably. So, now I guess I need to strike some sort of happy medium and really make sure I check with the appropriate people (i.e. teachers) before giving stuff out. Which is going to be really hard. I tend to treat every kid as though they were my own. If I have an ice cream cone, I share it. If I have a bag of chips, I share it. I can't help but share my treats with kids, and those are American kids with homes and parents and a school to go to free of charge. This is going to be tough.
I completed one of the last steps before going leaving- I got all my shots. It was surprisingly pain-free (except for yellow fever, that one hurt A LOT). I went to a travel immunization clinic and had an amazing nurse who explained everything and gave me a ton on information. As far as shots go, it was a great experience. :) I simply cannot wait to go! It's getting closer....only a little over a month now.
Thanks again to all my family and friends who made donations! And, thank you to all of you for reading this incredibly looong post. Stay tuned for more.
Peace&Love
Ash
