Karibu!

Karibu to my blog!

I leave tomorrow (Friday) afternoon from the Atlanta airport. We have a 3-hour layover in Amsterdam and then straight on to Nairobi!

I'll have internet access, so I'll keep you updated over the next 9 weeks on what I do and learn during my stay at Hekima Place in Karen, Kenya, which is a suburb of Nairobi. Hekima Place is a home and boarding school for 54 girls who have been orphaned because of AIDS. It was founded by Kate Fletcher, from Pittsburgh, PA, in 2005 when she saw a great need for children who have lost their parents to AIDS, particularly for girls, who have very little access to education in Kenya.

While there, Lindsey Mullen and I will be making a promotional video for Hekima Place as well as producing a 15-minute documentary film for Documenting Justice.

From www.hekimaplace.org :

"Education in Kenya is not widely accessible for girls. In fact, 65% of Kenyan girls are enrolled in elementary school. Out of this 65%, only 30% are enrolled in high school. This number only gets worse when a young Kenyan girl is orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Without education, her future is likely to be out on the streets or in the slums.

While there are children infected with HIV/AIDS, there are even more that are not. These children that are HIV negative are often treated as if they are due to the fact that they were orphaned by it.

Due to the stigma and irrational fear that often surrounds those affected by HIV/AIDS, children orphaned by AIDS may be the first to be denied education when extended families cannot afford to educate all the children of a household. The distress and social isolation experienced by children both before and after the eventual death of their parents are strongly exacerbated by the shame, fear and rejection that often surrounds those affected by HIV/AIDS. Children who live through their parent’s pain and illness frequently suffer from depression, stress and anxiety.

The early plan is to take only girl children since they are the most discriminated of all African children. Male children are given top priority for schooling and the girls must remain at home. Kate’s plan is to give these often neglected girls and opportunity for schooling.

We hope that with education and some loving care, we can raise up some children for Kenya and the world who will have choices and will go on to do great good for their country and for the world.

Education in Kenya is not widely accessible for girls. In fact, 65% of Kenyan girls are enrolled in elementary school. Out of this 65%, only 30% are enrolled in high school. This number only gets worse when a young Kenyan girl is orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Without education, her future is likely to be out on the streets or in the slums.

While there are children infected with HIV/AIDS, there are even more that are not. These children that are HIV negative are often treated as if they are due to the fact that they were orphaned by it.

Due to the stigma and irrational fear that often surrounds those affected by HIV/AIDS, children orphaned by AIDS may be the first to be denied education when extended families cannot afford to educate all the children of a household. The distress and social isolation experienced by children both before and after the eventual death of their parents are strongly exacerbated by the shame, fear and rejection that often surrounds those affected by HIV/AIDS. Children who live through their parent’s pain and illness frequently suffer from depression, stress and anxiety.

The early plan is to take only girl children since they are the most discriminated of all African children. Male children are given top priority for schooling and the girls must remain at home. Kate’s plan is to give these often neglected girls and opportunity for schooling.

We hope that with education and some loving care, we can raise up some children for Kenya and the world who will have choices and will go on to do great good for their country and for the world."

Talk to you soon!