It’s all about the context...

Visited with the Senior Officer, Mohamed Shoman, here in the UN Humanitarian Compound. His primary focus is education — he believes it is the only way the camp itself will eventually become irrelevant. He is not open to just any education programs though, and I was glad to hear it. He believes that programs must provide open access, quality, and — the most difficult — proof of sustainability. There is often a trade-off between access and quality, he notes, and he is uninterested in one-offs or training that is not linked to improvements in the lives of the residents of the camps. I’m impressed, both with his passion and his thinking. As we talk, I note that there are steel plates that can be slid over the windows and double steel doors with bolt locks. This place can be turned into a bunker in a matter of minutes. Coming back to the compound, we move through three security checks, the last with a fellow walking around the vehicle inspecting the undercarriage with a mirror. I don’t know whether to be concerned or reassured — I settle on the latter. Stay tuned.

The most enthusiastic graduation I’ve ever seen!

Graduation day today! 300 people attended to watch 29 refugees from Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda cross the stage and become college graduates. Ten speeches (!!!), three dance troupes, two songs (including one rap), and three and a half hours later, we have our newest alums. Check out one of the dances by copying this URL into your browser: https://youtu.be/nE5R827O2V8. We’re not in Kansas anymore — or Colorado for that matter — as this was the most upbeat, excited, enthusiastic group of non-drunk students I’ve ever seen at commencement. Families danced, lunch was served, and I felt like a movie star — so many photos, with each student, their family, and, in some cases, complete strangers. An added bonus: it rained overnight, so it was overcast and almost cool this morning. In a diva moment I asked for a fan and it made the event not just tolerable but enjoyable. Tomorrow, visits to mother-baby clinics to start a needs assessment for a new specialization. Stay tuned.

Pretty much says it all...

In the refugee camp for two days now. I’ve never been fond of taking pictures to show how bad it is, but the second sign here pretty much sums it up....

“We are alive, but we have no life...”

Up before dawn to catch the UN flight to the camp. A couple of hours later, we were pleasantly surprised by a sunny but mild day with a lovely breeze. (I heard it’s 100 degrees in Denver so perhaps I’m the lucky one!)Staying in the UN Humanitarian Compound, we had a safety briefing about scorpions and cobras. Basically — don’t stick your fingers in any holes in the ground. Our first visit: the home of a recent graduate. Her whole family came out to talk with us. They brought out bottles of soda pop and served it to us in beautiful cobalt blue glasses — a rare possession that survived their flight from Sudan. I want to resist taking a sweet commodity from people who clearly have nothing, but they are proud people and follow their traditions. Their culture requires that they serve their best drink with us, even if it means they go without. I drink half a glass of grape NeHi. The father has been in the camp since 1992, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. He encouraged all eight of his daughters to go to school, which is rare here. He knows it is the only way out for them. “We are alive here,” he says, “but we have no life.” Our graduate tells us she walked two hours each way on the dusty roads to get to the school. “It doesn’t matter where you learn; it’s about how badly you want to learn,” she told us. On to a computer class, where students are learning the fundamental skills to start their diplomas. They ask me to speak. “What you learn can’t be taken from you; you may lose everything but you will never lose your education. Persist!” I try to encourage them. With at least one student, it took. He stopped me afterward. “I have lost my family, my home, and all my possessions, but you are right, they won’t ever take this from me.” Yes, my friends, it is worth the trip. Stay tuned.

Can you put the lion on Floyd’s side?

Spent a day in the Savannah, with a private safari guide in an open Jeep. We saw more animals than we could count; the annual Wildebeest migration is underway. Was unaware zebras joined them. The herd was as far as you could see. A few pics here. You can see how close we got to the lions, and somehow they were always on my side. Headed to Kakuma tomorrow. Stay tuned.

A Massai warrior took us for a hike...

Arriving in Kenya a couple of days early, Floyd and I are on a safari in the Massai Mara, a national park and conservancy that’s in the middle of the savannah. Makes me feel at home — looks like the Great Plains. We were greeted by singing women who invited me to join the dance. Our tent is the size of my living room and has a shower and bathroom. I asked what keeps the lions away — the nearby canyon isn’t called Leopard Gorge for nothing. We were told the camp is guarded by Massai warriors, so I’ll sleep just fine. Our fearless guide took us on a rare walking safari. We were able to get relatively close to zebra, elon, wildebeest, giraffe, gazelles, and impala. We didn’t get close at all to the two hyenas we spotted. Back at camp, a lovely dinner fireside and early to bed. Up early for a day-long drive to find the migrating wildebeest. Stay tuned.

Into Africa

It has been sometime since I have been on one of these mission-aligned trips. This one will be the capstone of them all! Into Africa, to refugee camps, to confer diplomas on our students in these remote outposts. I am excited and anxious -- and that's just about trying to get all this stuff into two backpacks! So happy that my hubby will go with me. The adventure begins on Sunday. Stay tuned! ps I have used this blog since 2010 to follow my service trips to Ethiopia, Joplin, Viet Nam, and Nicaragua. They are in time order, most recent first. Should you want to read any of the earlier posts, scroll down and hit "older posts."