It is finally possible for me to begin this journal, I have something to write about! Worry no more, I will be volunteering for Village Volunteers in Kenya. They are a non-profit organization located here in Seattle, started by Shana Greene who once worked for Bastyr I believe. Here is a bit from their website:

"Village Volunteers is dedicated to assisting village communities in their quest to achieve a healthy, sustainable life. By exploring ways to stimulate economic development, and always working in partnership with local villages, we are working to help insure sustainable self-sufficiency."

The exciting part is they work with NGOs that are already established IN Kenya and work to support them. There is no private agenda, no religious pressure, and the goal isn't for volunteers to "solve" problems, it is for us to help support needed and wanted services such as medical care, and orphan feeding programs. The villages choose what programs to bring into their communities so that their cultural beliefs are not undermined for some outside agenda.

This is very exciting and I cannot wait to meet with the executive director on Monday!! (Sept. 18th)