So today I sat down with Shana Greene, the executive director of Village Volunteers and we roughed out an itinerary for me. There are some dates that will need tweaking as I will hopefully be meeting some former Prescott College students and our dear, dear, friend Meitemei, who will be attending the World Social Forum in Nairobi January 20-25th. I may even provide networking at the WSF conference for Village Volunteers - they rely on networking with other wholistic grassroots organizations in order for their program to grow and offer more opportunities for volunteers. It could be a really important event for them.

The programs I have decided to visit on this trip are: ELAND Maasai; Namunyak Maasai Welfare; Mama Maria Kenya; and Common Ground Program. You will find more about the communities and their unique projects online at -> http://www.villagevolunteers.org/programs.php?PHPSESSID=cd7b02cd989a571fea123288c03e91e2 each program has a link with more information.

We also discussed some of my possible tasks, some of which include: teaching poetry, youth theatre club, their memory box project for HIV positive parents, volunteering in the clinic, orphan feeding program, and the bakery that supports it. Plus helping cook if it is appropriate, teaching English, showing a local seamstress how to make reusable menstrual pads for school girls in the Common Ground Program, and much much more that I can only imagine!!!

Below is the current fundraising thermometer - thanks to my sweet boyfriend there's a little more red!

Thanks again for reading :)

The next step in my trip preparation is... guess what? FUNDRAISING! Yep. Village Volunteers does charge volunteer fees. None of the staff is on salary - the executive director is living off money from selling her house on San Juan Island. Truly grassroots. The fees are mostly hospitality fees for the villages and anything leftover from hosting volunteers is put into the schools or libraries, Village Volunteers doesn't tell the villagers where the money should go. That's why villagers like this program so much!

So I embark on my fundraising adventure. I'm off to get stamps, envelopes, paper, etc. and I will keep you updated by posting a fundraising thermometer about twice a week. Any fundraising ideas? Please let me know, I welcome any and all ideas! I will also be trying to get medical supplies, and other needed supplies, donated either by stores or individuals.

I will say right now - if you would like to give me any gifts for my birthday (Nov. 12th) or Christmas, please DO NOT and instead buy GladRags to send with my mother who will meet me in Paris before I leave for Kenya. GladRags are reusable menstrual pads which are desperately needed by women and girls in rural Kenya, and can be found at most health food stores such as Whole Foods, PCC, natural markets, or local Co-ops. For more info on GladRags go to www.gladrags.com they have discounts for large purchases for school or other groups. I am actually waiting for information from them about direct donations from them to Kenya and will also keep you posted on that :)




Thank you so much for your interest in me and my exciting adventure!