First two weeks with the Nasio Trust in Western Kenya

Tabitha has directly benefited from the support of our child sponsorship programme and has now decided to give back by becoming a volunteer her self. This is her story…

Hi, my name is Tabitha Carolyne and I am currently volunteering with the Nasio Trust Organization, i have just graduated High school and have been planning to volunteer for a long time and now, It’s
finally here. I absolutely love it and I must say that these two weeks have been the most exciting period and enthralling time I have had in a while.

I started my journey, quite literally on the back of a nduthi (motorcycle) with lots of dust flaring in my face and in my eyes and by the time I got off, i definitely knew why the ladies here cover their heads with scarves when they get on the motorcycles. I struggled with the amount of dust, battling the allergic reaction my eyes had to it, soldiered on and so far this experience has been the greatest.

Recently we visited a lady whose roof had fallen in and it was raining in her house so she had to move everything out of her house and create a temporary house under a banana tree while we constructed her roof with iron sheets. she could barely believe it and kept yelling in amusement. The workers mentioned that she thought she was dreaming and was waiting to get up and find that her life was just as it was the day before. we had such joy in knowing that in that small act of kindness, we made her life better.
she is making a local meal; Ugali, so that we, her “guests,” would have something to eat.

We have had the opportunity to visit several homes and assess the material and emotional needs of the children and their families to help them receive healthcare, education and generally a better lifestyle. most children are malnourished, but the bottom line turns out to be hunger. seeing these children this way encourages me to be grateful and also yearn to create better living conditions for them through the nasio trust. if a child needs a blanket, we try our best to get them a blanket. which means that we don’t just give what we think is required, but we assess the living conditions and attend to the priorities. I remember working with a children’s home in the recent past and all we would do was take them clothes that we didn’t use any more and that seemed to be the most convenient and simple thing for us to give because it literally was like “taking out the trash” but this program allows me to go deeper and actually attend to what is required while actually making a sacrifice. Three of us managed to visit a boy named Fadhili and got him a mattress and some food (this was all a gift from his sponsor). he was previously sleeping on the floor with two of his siblings and some cousins. he is a little camera shy and doesn’t look too happy here, but the next day when we walked in to the school, he ran towards us and hugged our knees smiling up at us, that it was it means to really make a difference.

The classroom in my opinion is one of the greatest places i have managed to participate in. The classroom represents learning and for those that learn, a brighter future. some of the children come from desolate homes, but when they get to the class, their faces light up and you can see an entirely new lease to life. we dance and sing and play, and the way that these children behave and feel show that they have cast out all their worries and still manage to be happy even in their circumstances.

The Children have an excellent library and love to read! they have such a good collection of books. we had library time one lunch hour and they love to sacrifice some of their play time to hear Rajab; my partner and I read them a story or two.

All the Children are so beautiful and have smiles that can light up any room. any time i begin to feel tired from the heat or a little frustrated with the naughty ones, they give me bashful smiles that make me forget about how naughty some of them they are. these children are angels and i am so grateful to be a part of their lives for this period of time. This week some children had no sweaters and so we took them some lovely sweaters hand knit for them. The smiles on their faces is indescribable “tumeletewa sweater” -they have brought us sweaters, they chanted over and over in excitement as the teachers unsuccessfully tried to shush them

life in the Village area moves a lot slower than it does in the city and at first I had no idea what to do when i was done with the day’s work. the stillness and peace allows for reflection on life and moments where one can truly be grateful for all they have in comparison to what these people here do. make no mistake; these people here are some of the happiest people i have every met and i suppose this is so because they have found true joy and peace in things that money cannot buy. they have family, love and relationships that are strong and can withstand sleepless nights tossing and turning on reed mats because of hunger because of the love and Joy that holds them together.

In Musanda, there’s a cafeteria which Caleb, Millie and a couple of others and myself have been working to revive and bring back business. For current students and even for people that have recently graduated from high school, this is what i feel has been one of the greatest things for me. i remember working on my commerce and business assignments and really wondering where i was going to apply those skills. you need to know, that at the nasio trust there is an opportunity for you to start using those skills immediately and here’s a practical example. i did, ‘O’ level Commerce, and Business, and and as we are trying to bring the cafe up to speed, I find myself using strategies that i learned from both subjects without having to have made it to an office with desk job and a cup of coffee every morning. I am able to use my HIGH SCHOOL education and it’s not even my A levels, it’s my O levels! within only two weeks we have been able to start seeing small profits trickling in from the “highway cafe” with Joint effort from a bunch of high school leavers and some guidance and assistance from college and university graduates.

This short session of volunteering has allowed me to feel important as a part of an organization because i am empowered to use the skills that I have invested in at this point. so now, i’m about to get off this laptop and get my classmate who did health and first aid at her ‘O’ levels and my other friend that did ICT and together we can work to make a Difference in western Kenya and soon, everywhere around the world as well. and the best thing is, you can sign up as well. wherever you’re from.

Most people like to do this, and so will I, to get a kick out of it; THIS IS NOT SPONSORED!! haha please do join and find the greatest form of happiness in giving, and also in receiving because it is an opportunity to use your skills! and get experience at whatever age! which is what i love the most.

I have much to say about my experience and you will get to know about my adventures in future posts. In conclusion, (which is something Kenyan’s love to say without actually concluding) I am so thankful for the platform that the Nasio trust provides for giving. i keep thinking about where i would start if i wanted to build society all by myself and i cant imagine how or where I would begin. with working together, through the nasio trust, i can see the little that we have get multiplied a hundred times over.

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