Kamau Family

I have arrived safely in Nairobi, Kenya and have spent 3 full days exploring this country, meeting great people, and getting to know the organization Missions of Hope. I am staying with my host family, the Kamaus, and I am delighted (and somewhat intimidated) to find that they are one of the most well known and best loved families in the whole city of Nairobi. Mary, who has 19 brothers and sisters and was the first in her family to go to college, has been working in the slums of Nairobi for over ten years. When she first ventured into the Mathare Valley slum, she bravely began a 50 child preschool, hoping that these children would be a gateway for her to reach out to their families. Now, in 2010, her organization is educating over 4,000 children and greatly affecting their families through various social programs. Her husband, Wallace, is a pastor and is a director at Missions of Hope. They have been married fifteen years and have three children: Faith, Victory, and David. The other American intern Audrey and I have made ourselves quite comfortable in this beautiful home that can be eerily similar to the states: We have running water and WiFi and as I was doing homework tonight, I heard the infamous Halo theme song as Victory played his XBox in the next room. I also am very aware of the differences though. We drink warm milk from the neighbor's cow for breakfast, I pull a mosquito net around my bunk bed when I go to sleep, and no one in the house comments when the power turns off for over 6 hours. I really love this house. I love the Kamaus and their children.I love my mosquito net. I love Africa.