Inspired by the Children of Africa

On Thursday, May 19, the Kenya team had the opportunity to visit Mwangaza College and The Child Discovery Centre (CDC). The CDC serves street and very poor children in Nakuru, Kenya. They enroll the children in local schools, and buy their uniforms and school supplies. This was easily the best day of the trip for me. In talking to both the college and high school students at the CDC, they both very clearly had one major similarity: they love to laugh. Being around these students allowed the travel team to gain a new perspective on education and truly understand that education is a privilege, which is often so difficult to recognize in our bubble of Syracuse, NY. 

The children at the CDC were some of the most positive and inspiring people I have ever met. I had the opportunity to joke around with them and their laughs were contagious. I showed them pictures of snow, and asked about their favorite soccer (football, as they say) players and their dreams. Despite their difficult backgrounds and circumstances that brought them to the CDC, these students were smart, driven and kind. Some of their dreams included becoming doctors, neurosurgeons or engineers. All of them wanted to work in Kenya in the future and give back to their community. 

I was amazed at their ability to laugh with us and ask us questions about our lives in the U.S. These students showed me a kind of resilience and strength that I would have never thought was possible, and I am forever thankful for the opportunity to have met and made these connections with the children. They will change the world one day!