Distribution Trip!

Hello ESTC Team,

The first Eat So They Can distribution trip for 2011 returned from Kenya last month. Here are some reflections from the leader of the trip, Simon Hart.

Reflections on the Distribution Trip 2011 

What an amazing week it was! Working and bonding with a group of global strangers, with a shared passion for ‘giving’ was a great experience, and I have had plenty of chance to sort through the photos, talk to our project directors and generally reflect on what we experienced and enjoyed in Kenya. 

One of the highlights was undoubtedly the visit to the Happy Life Orphanage, where we were able to distribute the baby milk formula to keep those little mouths satisfied for a few months! Alongside this, the funds went towards an operation for one of the orphans, and the participants formed such a bond with the children that it crossed my mind to check Zoe’s bag when leaving, just in case she decided she wasn’t ready to say goodbye! 

Visiting the IDP camps was particularly rewarding for the participants, providing a real eye-opener into how much impact the Eat So They Can funds have on communities. The construction of 6 houses for those displaced by the election violence provided a wonderful opportunity for the participants to show their friends and families back home, who so kindly donated, exactly what their money could do – seeing the end product is always more rewarding! 

During the trip, the participants saw the full range of children homes, from the relatively comfortable, privately run orphanages to the most under-funded government shelters. Significantly, the underling need behind each placement this year was food security, with government relief being redirected away from Nairobi to assist with the droughts. For me, this really highlighted the vulnerability of the Kenyan people and the children in the placements, how valuable campaigns like Eat So They Can are, and how we very much need your continued support in the future.  

Whilst seeing lions at Lake Nakuru and adopting the baby rhino at the animal orphanage were fantastic experiences, I am confident distributing the porridge at the IDP camps, seeing how grateful the orphanage staff were when receiving their new fridge, bed sheets or food, and generally playing with the children at Shelter orphanage will live longer in the memories of the participants 

Thanks for a great experience everyone!

 

Thanks Simon, and thanks again to everyone who went on the trip! 

Don't forget that you can join our next distribution trip as well! Our next distribution trip is to Peru in August, and you can find more details here.

- Luke and the ESTC Team