Summer Service Trip
Every summer a group of ten to twelve North American volunteers travels to the Orphan Care Center in Kakamega. These volunteers are mostly from Maine, but also from other parts of the US and Canada; their ages range from high school sophomore to retiree. In Kenya, they meet the children and help out with homework, English, and daily life, developing bonds with the children. The focal point of the trip is a summer-camp type experience with the children as "campers" and the volunteers running activities as "camp counselors". Sports, woodworking, singing, dancing, sewing, and other activities fill the days with many opportunities for fun.
In the end this trip is educational and eye-opening for volunteers, who often dedicate themselves afterwards to raise funds for the project back home. The children, meanwhile, make friendships with loving volunteers, often get to meet their personal sponsors, and experience an exciting two weeks that could well be the highlight of their year.
Read more about this topic: Kakamega Orphan Project
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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