Highlights and Challenges

During the final days at Maasai Mara the group had time to reflect and debrief about our time together. Here are some highlights and lowlights that were shared.

We'll start with the challenges: The drive to Maasai Mara (Bob could not get over the roads in Kenya. This was a clear challenge for him and others.)
Leaving Utooni was hard. We grew very fond of the staff and work experience. It was also hard having to split our group. We like each other. The second week was good, but very different.
After our week with sand dams, many of us were unsure of how to use our down time. We felt like we needed to be doing something. It was good for us though.
Trying to figure out what poverty in Kenya looks like was a struggle. Were we seeing poverty everywhere we thought with our Albertan perpective?
The Najile group had a difficult time on day 1, not knowing what to expect (and not knowing when dinner would actually be served!) We were tired.
How do we accept gifts and praises? It seemed we were thanked for any positive experience that anyone had with Canadians.

Highlights: Seeing so many local solutions to local problems was very encouraging.
Travelling with our teammates resulted in many good times:)
We heard that the sand dam we worked on was filling up! God blessed the rains down in Africa! Seeing the hope center and hearing Lucy's story was inspiring. This was a good example of seeing MCC partner with an organization in a healthy and positive way.
Spending time at Maasai Mara was a really good way to relax, spend time together, and debrief. It was nice to just be able to hang out and be together after such a significant experience together. Not to mention we saw cool animals, all of which Mugasa has eaten.
Learning from our hosts in Najile. They taught us so much about Maasai culture and were warm and welcoming.
We were able to visit Joseph Kiranto's family. They overwhelmed us with their generosity. We were fed a feast, given gifts of Maasai jewelery, and sent home with many warm greetings.
Connecting with Simion Sitonik (a former IVEP participant) was wonderful! It was great to see his life in Najile.