Umoja – callie daniels-howell

translating care

I’ve been considering prayer. In the past week, I walked kilometer after kilometer over red dirt roads, muddy footpaths, rocky hills, grassy plains, splashing puddles, cracked earth, and over the thresholds of the homes of fifteen of the orphans and vulnerable children, specifically those living in child-headed households, that the Umoja Project supports. And asContinueContinue reading “translating care”

1 week

32 hours of flying. 1 happy tear. 100 (ish) kilometers walked. 26 pieces of white bread. 1100 ml of warm soda. 17 home visits. 33 student interviews. 1 host mama. 4 frigid bucket baths. 13 cups of tea. 2 rainfalls. 3 of 4 Friends episodes watched. 19 bottles of water. 4 avocadoes. 1 package ofContinueContinue reading “1 week”

Hellen and Lucy

When I think of success stories of GET UP (Girls Empowerment Team of Umoja Project), I think of Hellen and Lucy. When Mariah and I were planning for our summer working with Umoja Project’s GET UP programs, we knew that we wanted to work with post-secondary Umoja Project girl students. In part, this was becauseContinueContinue reading “Hellen and Lucy”

a list to give a glimpse

I was looking through my notebook today and found this list/poem/reflection that I wrote on June 23, about the day of our first GET UP (Girls Empowerment Team of Umoja Project) seminar at Bar Anding’o Primary School. I thought I would share, not because it is high-quality writing or profound, but because it gives aContinueContinue reading “a list to give a glimpse”

i mean the words i say

We approach as a parade: first the primary student, then the LINK teacher, Umoja Project volunteer, us. Occasionally we greet others as we pass, speaking mostly to the teacher and volunteer as the students whose homes we are to visit trail behind, nervous and shy. It is the home visit routine, something we do atContinueContinue reading “i mean the words i say”

to the teachers, i thank you

After 3 days of planning meetings, orientation meetings, fellowship meetings and more meetings, I am left with a contented tiredness and an overwhelming admiration for the Umoja Project and all those in both Indiana and Kenya who work tirelessly to make it the beautiful organization that it is. All of the staff, volunteers, guardians andContinueContinue reading “to the teachers, i thank you”

i’m no expert

After a year and a half of missing Kenya more than I have missed anything in my life, I am back in this wonderful place. I hardly have words for the joy I feel to be back amidst my Kenyan family and friends and to be in this country which I love. This morning, afterContinueContinue reading “i’m no expert”