In January this year, I went on a three-week volunteer trip to Kenya, with the Evie Grace Foundation. What was only such a short experience has become one of the most rewarding, challenging and eye-opening experiences of my life.
Once I came across the Foundation and read all about their mission and aim to help eradicate child trafficking and commit to improving the lives of children in Kenya, I instantly wanted to be involved. While I was nervous about the challenge, being my first overseas volunteer experience and my first trip to the continent, I was very much excited.
I’ve always had a degree of skepticism when it comes to overseas volunteering, with the many cases of “voluntourism” around. However, when I came across the Foundation it was clear that the importance of the work being sustainable, community-focused, and driven, was a priority.
Kenya is such a beautiful part of the world and from the first day, it was hard to miss it’s relaxed and laidback nature, despite the many struggles people face there on a daily basis.
On my very first day, I went with Maddi and the other volunteers to Kibera slum, the largest urban slum in east Africa, to purchase reusable pad kits that we would be distributing to girls the following day. To a degree it was what I expected, however seeing it and smelling it in person was a whole new experience that can be a bit confronting. People living in terrible conditions with next to no access to basic necessities, rubbish and sewerage covering the ground, dirty running water, and the smell that is very much hard to miss.
It was also a new experience to be so stared and pointed at, as an obvious foreign person. Children excitedly called out “muzungo” (white person) when they saw us and often would run up to touch our hands or hi-five.
It was a whole new world coming from a very privileged first world country, to be moving through slums full of such poverty and desperation. Some people around us were drug effected, with glue being a common drug used as it staves off hunger and makes them feel warm. An obviously popular choice where so many people are starving and homeless and thievery was another concern to worry about. While I did feel aware of the risks around me, I was lucky to not feel unsafe or at any real risk.
I helped teach at 2 schools during my 3 weeks, where we taught various topics to both the boys and girls on vitally important topics that are generally taboo in Kenya; such as puberty and mensuration, sexual abuse, human rights and mental health.
One thing I was apprehensive about going into schools was how well I would do at it. As I’m not a natural-born public speaker, speaking to a room full of strangers was a new experience and challenge for me, but it’s one I’m grateful for in pushing me further out of my comfort zone and for teaching me something new. I enjoyed preparing and giving the classes and to be involved in something making a substantial difference to so many children in need was incredibly rewarding.
Getting to meet all the smiling faces and see how happy they were to see you and how eager they were to learn was one of the highlights of my trip. These are kids just like any others, who just want to be safe and play and learn. However, it was also challenging to hear how starkly different their experiences are to so many other children.
One school we taught at was Everton Primary in Kibera. Here many of the young girls we taught were facing challenges of missing school due to getting their period, had been raped, living in a household where they were at constant risk of being harmed, were getting harassed by other boys at their school and in their neighborhood and had very few people, if any, to turn to. To hear such things firsthand was difficult and eye-opening in a very raw way.
The young girls we met at Everton are not faces I’ll forget and on our last day teaching there, there were many hugs goodbye.
Another highlight of the trip was the Global Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for Street Boys. An organisation that Evie Grace has partnered with and supports. Founded by Joe, a former street boy himself, over 100 boys were being housed, with that number increasing. Through the center, these boys are able to receive shelter, food, a home, with many of them also being able to receive an education through sponsorships.
On my first visit, the place was loud and busy, full of boys running around. While I was trying my best to remember all the new names, I felt very warmly welcomed by them all and I was excited to get to know them better.
They were cheeky and funny, loving to joke around and they’re also incredibly resilient and bright. I loved listening to them tell me about school or show me their magic tricks, and them asking lots of questions about Australia.
Even though I only got to spend a short amount of time with them, I always looked forward to visiting them all and when 3 weeks came around it was really sad to say goodbye. I walked down to the center on my second last day to say goodbye and I was there till dark. The boys love to dance, and they brought out their speakers and we had one big last dance party.
Travelling to another school, which required taking several buses and a motorbike, I was also able to see and experience the rural life of Kenya with its maize fields, mango and banana trees, and many animals. It was a wonderful experience to slow down, walk through the shamba, pat some cows, and travel through sparse roads by motorbike. We were very lucky to have the family of our house mum, Mercy, as our host. Through Mercy and her family, I was able to try many Kenyan dishes, including chapati and ugali.
The number of mangos we were able to take back to the volunteer house, from both the school and our host family, was also a big highlight.
However, there was some risk and need for caution involved, particularly with thievery and corruption and I was unfortunate enough to get my phone stolen near Nairobi. Despite the inconvenience everything eventually worked itself out and it was definitely a lesson learnt of just how careful you need to be at times, particularly in big cities. These experiences also put into perspective just how lucky we truly are back home.
I was also got to spend a weekend exploring Mombassa, including the Jesus Fort, Old Town, the markets and riding in tuk-tuks. We got to explore the beaches and jump in the water, even though it involved a lot of stares and attention. Haller park was also a cool experience, where we got to walk among monkeys, see crocodiles and giraffes. I sure did get to see a lot of animals throughout Kenya.
We also took a very bumpy drive through the Nairobi National Park, as we tried to spot as many animals as we could.
Every challenge comes with a reward and my trip to Kenya brought so many rewards. I met so many amazing people and got to experience so much of a country that I can’t wait to come back to. I loved staying in Ngong, exploring various parts of Kenya, meeting many wonderful people, preparing classes, and trying new foods.
I wouldn’t have been able to see and experience as much as I did without the Evie Grace Foundation. I would very much recommend Evie Grace Foundation to anyone who is interested in volunteering in another country.
Written by: Faith O’Malley
