This is the first in a series of journals that will be written by members of the SRU Athletes for Forgotten Angels service group from their trip to Hekima Place in Kenya. All journals will be available through the Forgotten Angels page.

Day 1 Journal


Upon landing in Nairobi, we were welcomed by warm and sunny weather, a wonderful contrast to what we left behind, and Sam who came from Hekima Place to pick us up, whose smile is as vast as the local landscape.

Our ride to Hekima Place was and adventure in itself… the absence of traffic lights and basic car lanes was quite an interesting thing to see as he weaved his van in and out of cars, trucks, pot holes, the lot! Sam drove us by Kibera, the second largest slum in Africa, and that was an eye opener in itself. It seemed to go on for a mile, and instantly, we were reminded of how fortunate we truly are.

Upon arriving at Hekima, located in Kiserian, we were again warmly welcomed by some of the "Moms" and "Uncles" - people who work here at the girl's home. There are three houses for the girls with each house being assigned a Mom who also lives on site. The girls range in age two to 17 and are one big family looking out for each other and assisting with chores, etc. 

We unloaded our bags and jumped right into action and not surprising, the soccer balls we brought were an instant hit with laughter that that filled the air. For the next couple of hours, introductions were made, games were played, and laundry was done outdoors with bars of soap and water.

At 6 p.m., the bell rang, signaling that dinner was being served with rice, cabbage and some fish. Tonight we also got to experience a birthday, and what a celebration it was. The birthday girl, Wamboi, gets to sit at the head table and invite four of her closest friends to join her. Girls were called upon to come up and speak directly to Wamboi and share their thoughts of her to her and it was clear to see the love they have for each other. They came as strangers to Hekima and they are now sisters joined together by a common thread, a past best forgotten and a future hope that shines from the dedication and care shown by Kate (founder of Hekima) and those that choose to help make a difference in the lives of these girls.

So we are now settled in for the night. Everyone is tired but we are happy to share we have arrived safely at our destination, but there is no doubt our journey is just about to begin. More journal entries will follow, but for now, goodnight to all!

Also, a special shoutout to Erienne Roberts for getting us to the airport at 3:30 a.m.

- Noreen Herlihy