I am going with a group of 3 other girls, Ashley, Azaria, and Torianna!
We will be going through Circle K International to Kisumu, Kenya on the 2011 Global Service Trip and teaming up with the Kiwanis Club of Kisumu to work on some very important projects they have initiated.
Two of the projects we will be working on while in Kisumu involve public health and education. While we are in Kenya, our projects will include evaluating malaria education at various nursery schools and following up with students to ensure they are using their bed nets properly, promoting the use of reusable sanitary pads in rural areas, and running a soccer camp in August. There will also be opportunities to interact with students at local schools and visit patients at a local hospital.
Despite being the third-largest city in Kenya with a population of 500,000 people, Kisumu is still facing many hardships. According to the Kisumu Municipal Court, 48% of the population lives below the poverty line (compared to 29% nationally) and 60% live in high-density slums with a shortage of basic services (electricity, water, and sanitation). In addition, only 40% of Kisumu’s population has access to piped (i.e. clean) water, and 14% of the population has HIV or AIDs, compared to 7% nationally. However as a UN Millennium City the citizens of Kisumu are hopeful for the future and it is my hope that I, and the other members of the CKI 2011 Global Service Trip, will play quite a role in creating that future.
Kisumu, Kenya is located on the border of Uganda and Kenya right next to Lake Victoria.
I am VERY Excited for this journey to begin! It all starts tomorrow night with a 26 hour trip to Nairobi, Kenya! We will arriving at 12pm on the 24th and will be staying in a hotel and leaving for Kisumu the next day on a 6-7 hour bus ride.
I will do my best to update this blog as often as possible :) thank you all for your support!!
