The Joy & Stars in Kenya - A Tripper's Reflection

“In Funyula, 64% of the population lives in absolute poverty, and children are also at severe risk of abuse and exploitation from negligence, inadequate protection and education.” This forewarning in the briefing notes before our trip did not belie the reality before our eyes – families living in mud huts that leak when it rains, lack of clean water in the homes, pregnant teenagers not attending school, handicapped children lacking the mobility means to move about. And that’s just for the area we visited.

The 12 brave souls who signed up for the Funyula Area Programme trip from 2 to 10 March 2024 were moved by the conditions that confronted them. Despite weathering more than 24 hours of flying and waiting time from Singapore to Kenya, they were undaunted in their enthusiasm to make the lives of those they encountered better. The Funyula AP was in Phase 1 of the programme, hence the trip was more about understanding the needs of the community and witnessing with our own eyes the impact that World Vision has created in the community.

The week in Funyula opened our minds. We saw the passion of the local staff and the outreach they embarked on. We observed how a community united themselves to provide microfinancing to each other. We witnessed how adversity did not hamper the drive of cerebral palsy children to adapt to normal life. We felt the gratitude of the vulnerable families when they shared their little worldly possessions with us. We experienced the joy of school children who danced and sang for us. Above all, we realised that there was so much more that we could offer the community.

Day 1

Our schedule was well-curated to enable us to see different aspects of the programme. The first day was more for acclimatising ourselves to the weather and squalid conditions. Although we were travelling in jeeps, the rides were bumpy as the mud roads provided us with unrelenting “African massages”. The sun was blazing down on us, and there was little respite from the heat when we were outdoors – neither shade nor air-conditioning. We paid a courtesy call to the Deputy County Commissioner of the area, then proceeded to the AP office for a briefing on our itinerary and the details of the Funyula programme.

We then headed to a view a Savings for Transformation (S4T) session. We were welcomed by an enthusiastic group of Kenyan women singing and dancing. As we were reminded in our briefing earlier, the programme seeks to uplift lives, not provide paternalistic handouts. It was truly eye-opening how a simple micro-financing scheme helped the small community of participants achieve financial security and independence. The leader shared how, in just over a year, he could build his own house for his small family; while another woman told of how she could now afford to send her children to school.

Saving for Transformation meeting

After witnessing how the scheme had transformed their lives, we were pleasantly surprised when they presented us with their local produce as a parting gift. We then proceeded to a cozy lunch by Lake Victoria (the largest lake in Africa, and 90 times the size of Singapore). A buffet spread of different meats, millet, and maize-mashed dough filled our stomachs.

Day 2

After breakfast, we set off for the AP office for a briefing and reflection. As there were 4 jeeps transporting us, we spread ourselves into different groups, so that we get to interact with different trippers on our rides. This became the routine for the week.

Our first visit was to a Child Protection Committee session. This unique committee was formed in March 2023 and comprised volunteers from all walks of life – doctors, pastors, policemen, social workers, etc. - coming together to oversee child protection issues sponsored by World Vision. They have a network of facilitators and mobilisers which helps World Vision keep in direct contact with children and their families. These volunteers on the ground would surface cases that require intervention to the committee for action. Truly inspiring!

Child Protection Committee

This World Vision-initiated project was so successful in helping to keep children in school that one of the volunteers led the members in a rousing chant of appreciation to WV:
“To whom, to whom, to whom does it belong to?
To whom, to whom, to whom does it belong to?
To World Vision, to World Vision, to World Vision!”

After the session, we went to a nearby primary school where we met up with students of a Child Rights Club. They shared how they have learned the importance of school, and how the kids looked out for one another to ensure that no one was left behind. We then played games with them and distributed books, footballs, and stationery packs to them.

Child Rights Club presentation

We then went back to the AP office for lunch. We were then split into 3 groups to visit 3 different vulnerable families. We learned that World Vision would help a family once any of the children in the family is registered as a sponsored child. In short, the entire family benefits once any child comes under the sponsorship of World Vision.

House of one of the most vulnerable family we visited

We came face to face with the dire conditions the vulnerable families had to contend with when we visited them. The family of five which I visited lived in a mud house that was so small, we were amazed how the five of them could squeeze into it to sleep. It leaked when it rained, so they had to stand and fold up the mattresses to keep them dry.

Their home was in a remote area surrounded by shrubs. Water was from a nearby stream which they boiled for drinking. They have a small vegetable patch where they grow maize for subsistence and some chickens. They also have a small solar panel to generate some electricity for light. The man of the family worked odd jobs while his wife looked after their 3 kids: 2 elder school-going girls (aged 5 and 8) and a 5-month-old baby. He was struggling to put food on the table and take care of the family. When asked what they wished for, the man replied that their hope was for their children to be educated so that they could have good jobs and a better life.

We presented the family with some provisions at the end of the visit. In return, the man untied a chicken and gave it to us. It was a significant gesture – we learned that they were so grateful for World Vision’s assistance that they wanted to honour our visit by sharing with us one of their few treasured possessions. I was very touched, “accepted” the chicken and duly it returned to him, explaining that we were equally happy to be given the opportunity to visit them. We could feel their heartfelt gratitude and assured them we had accepted their gift in our hearts.

Touched by their Kindest Gesture

Day 3

We woke up to wet ground and crisp fresh air due to an overnight storm, but the day turned out to be a physically exhausting one. We had a couple of outdoor activities lined up – tree planting and a football match with a girls’ football team.

After breakfast, we headed out to a school for the tree planting session. We were met by a rousing singing parade of students. After introductions, they put up several dance performances, a tribal dance, and a modern dance too. They ended with a rap about the tussle between a teacher and a parent over the World Vision programme. We were truly amazed by the exuberance, vibrancy, and colour of their performances. 

Tribal Dance by Girls’ School

After the match, we moved to a more somber surrounding to have a private discussion with “2nd Chance” girls – girls who were given a second chance to return to school after suffering setbacks. Some of them were even pregnant. Most were reticent and were probably too embarrassed to share their feelings in front of strangers. But a few of them did pluck up their courage to share challenges. A couple had alcoholic fathers who assaulted them, one had to sell her body to buy necessities after her father died, and one described how her classmates despised her after learning that she was pregnant. It was a humbling experience listening to their pain. Some of us were moved to tears.

We offered words of encouragement to the affected girls and assured them that they were not alone in their struggles. When we returned to the AP office, we realised the scale of the problems when we saw a full bulletin board of notes written by the troubled teens, telling of their struggles and their pleas for help. Truly heartbreaking to see such young persons being burdened with hardships and struggling to survive.

Note from a Troubled Teen

Day 4

Today, we learned about resilience and the will to survive. The visit to the Busembe Integrated School put life into its proper perspective. We witnessed how, despite the adversity, children with special needs could still manage to adapt to life. It was a humbling experience, to say the least. Despite their inability to use their lower limbs, the students engaged in a game of para-volleyball, played while seated on the ground and a lowered net. They even rotated their positions by shuffling on their bottoms for each new changeover serve – much like in the real game!

The kids suffering from cerebral palsy demonstrated their dexterity by shifting wooden balls from a big bowl to smaller containers and even buttoning up shirts with their toes. Watching them perform tasks that we go through daily without a second thought really showcased how determined they were, that physical disabilities are no bar to a ‘normal’ life.

Students Displaying Their Skills

With grit and determination, this boy suffering from cerebral palsy managed to move all the wooden balls from the big bowl to the smaller containers.

Para Volleyball

These kids demonstrate that their physical challenges are not a bar to participation in sporting activities. They may not have use of their feet, but they are able to adapt to the difficulties by improvising the rules.

It goes to show that with enough help and training, nothing is beyond them. We must never give up on them if they themselves are determined to succeed!

To show our solidarity with the kids, we sang “We Are the World” and put up posters with inspirational messages to encourage them.

In the afternoon, we visited the Odibo water project. It was a project sponsored by World Vision that utilized a solar-powered extractor to draw groundwater from underground and distribute it to the surrounding communities. At the time of the visit, we were informed that the distribution network reached a range of 9.4 km, and clean water was now available to more families than before. We then visited a water distribution center to experience the thrill of ferrying the water from the center to the homes. The ladies carried the jerry cans on their heads while the men lifted the cans with their hands.

Water Project

Children Drinking Clean Water
 

Water Carrier

Day 5

Our last day in Kisumu started slightly later, and we left for the AP office at about 9 am. At the AP office, we sorted the gifts we had bought for the families. Then it was time to meet the registered children and their families. We played some ice-breaker games, then split up to meet the children.

The trippers with sponsored children naturally met them individually and engaged in deep conversations to find out more about each other. Those without sponsored children met with 6 other registered children. We split into 2 groups and interacted with 3 kids each. We talked about the children, their family situations, and how they were doing in school. We also engaged in activities like drawing and colouring, a kickabout, before distributing the gift packs to them.

We then had a debrief session with the World Vision staff, where we exchanged feedback and conveyed our deep appreciation for their dedication and hard work.

Meeting Sponsored Children

The Trippers

A bitter-sweet goodbye

Our trip was both enlightening and a stark reminder that the world was not created equal. We saw first-hand how World Vision’s Area Programme Vision of holistic transformation was put into action. Not only was there a programme to provide access to education to children, there were also separate initiatives on child protection, micro-financing, health and food security, provision of clean water, and environmental protection. The multi-faceted approach clearly lifted the lives of the community, and we were privileged to see it in motion.

We were also reminded that there are people out there who require our assistance to make life a little bit more bearable. The flip side of this is that there are also many passionate people who are willing to lend a hand. The dedication displayed by the local World Vision staff was truly amazing. From chaperoning us, meeting our every whim and demand, and providing us with services that went beyond their calling, they were simply awesome. Above all, they truly cared for the children and families they oversee. Like the beautiful stars that we can see in the clear Kenyan sky, these people are real angels to these underprivileged kids.