The following is the fifth in a series of journals written by members of the SRU Athletes for Forgotten Angels service group chronicling their trip to the Hekima Place orphanage in Kenya. All entries in the journal can be viewed at the Forgotten Angels page.

Day 5 (Written by Emily Lobdell)  |  Photo Gallery

What a day! Shannon, Dana, Kalli and I excitedly jumped on the opportunity we were given to accompany the girls to school and we woke bright and early to catch the 7:15 a.m. bus with the girls.  

From our first steps off the bus, we were greeted and welcomed enthusiastically by all the staff from Good Hope Elementary. The head teacher eagerly gave us a tour of her school and allowed each of us to spend the morning in one of the younger classrooms, where we helped the teacher however he or she needed us.

When the children took a break for their morning tea, we said our goodbyes and began walking up the road with a destination of Tania Rehabilitation Center in mind. Tania is a boarding school for children with mental and physical disabilities in the surrounding area of Nairobi. Again, we were joyfully welcomed and given a tour of the grounds, which included an extensive amount of information about the living and learning systems from the director. Like Hekima Place, Tania is working towards the goal of becoming self-sustaining and has a very progressive vision for the future to care for and support the needs of all the children.

Back at Hekima, Freddie, Brooke, Bella and Noreen worked hard weeding the shamba (garden), helping in the kitchen and doing chores in the houses. After lunch, our group, along with our friends from New Jersey and Norway, went on a hike to the valley rift. Along our journey, we saw incredible views of Kenyan landscapes and had an intense rock-throwing contest.

The principal of Good Hope allowed the older girls from Hekima to leave school early to substitute soccer camp for their physical education class. Everyone had an enjoyable time as we had friendly and competitive relay races between the teams of Green House, Yellow House, Blue House and my Red Washingnabis (Champions)! The soccer players taught the younger girls soccer skills and led drills to help master them, while Kalli and I… offered encouragement.

Ugali (made of corn, rice and water) was on the menu for dinner tonight, which is yet another traditional meal we have been able to share with the girls. Following supper, we divided among the different houses to tackle homework. To celebrate our victory, we have spent the late evening playing cards and watching a movie.

Tomorrow is sure to have some interesting tales from the adventures we have planned, so stay tuned!  We appreciate all of your thoughts! :)

Shoutout to all of our families and friends… thanks for your constant support!