Even more pictures...!

Thank you for all of your support and interest! As you can see, the Alego community really needs our help.  The two weeks that Tori and I spent over there were life-changing.  We were immersed in a culture so unlike ours that it became a learning experience for us as well as the students. 

We spent every school day from 8-12 helping the nursery school teachers with their classes.  Tori spent most of her time in the nursery class (our pre-k) while I spent most of my time with the pre-unit class (our kindergarten).  The children quickly warmed up to us and it seems couldn't get enough of our attention!  They were fascinated with our skin, hair, clothes, and most importantly, our "accent," and made sure that they walked us home every day after school.  From 2-4, Tori and I divided our time between standard 2 (2nd grade) through standard 8 (8th grade) in the primary school.  Tori spent a lot of time teaching English and math skills to the 2nd graders while I spent the majority of my time with the 3rd graders.  We also made sure we visited every other grade because they were all anxious to be taught by us and we left it up to them as to what we talked about.  They asked us all sorts of questions from what school was like in the US and how our governement worked to questions they had about multiplication and adverbs.

It was so sad to leave Alego but I know that we changed the lives of these students forever; just as they changed ours.  It is our hope to return in a few years, but time will tell.  In the meantime, this organization really does need all the support it can get, in order to provide the children of the community with a postive environment conduciveto learning and success.

I hope you enjoy the pictures and that you are touched by these children just as we were.

Justine  

Enjoy :)

More Pictures !

Pictures !

Tomorrow !

Hey everyone,

I am so excited to announce that Justine and I raised over $1,400 dollars for the Alego Community Development project. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for everyone who has shown support for what we are doing. I want to stress again that ONE HUNDRED percent of the money we raised will go to Grace Ouma and her project in Kenya.

Justine and I leave tomorrow for Africa and we are both beyond excited. Packing for a trip of a life time is overwhelming, but I cannot wait to start helping in these schools. Justine and I will try and update this blog when we are in London, before we board for our flight to Nairobi.

'TILL NEXT TIME. Wish us luck tomorrow,

Tori

Article!

Tori and I had the opportunity to talk to  Renee Kiriluk-Hill of the Hunterdon Democrat who showed a great interest in our trip and offered to write an article  The online version can be found at nj.com or if you follow this link:
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2011/06/buy_cupcakes_to_help_college_s.html

Another version of the article will be printed in this Thursday's Democrat!

We are so excited and grateful with all the help and positive support we have received and this can only shed more positive light on the work that we will doing.

On another note- cupcake sales are going great! Just keeping telling everyone to stop in to Baker's Treat and pick up one or two :)


We are getting SO close- only 22 days left!!!

Until next time, Kwaheri!

-Justine 

First attempt at a video post ENJOY :)

Getting Closer!

In the words of the great Martin Luther King, Jr., “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”  I came across this quote a few days ago and I instantly fell in love with it.  Words cannot express both mine and Tori’s eagerness to begin this incredible experience and I know I speak for both of us when I say that I couldn’t think of a more rewarding way for us to spend two weeks of our summer vacation.  This opportunity not only draws upon our love for children and our eagerness to teach, but also, and most importantly, it will allow us to make a difference in the lives of students who need it the most: students who display such an eagerness to learn but who lack the appropriate materials or support to excel .   

Hopefully, this will be the start of a great partnership with the Alego Community Development Project and that we will make a difference for the children and families of Kindu Bay even in the two short weeks we will be there.

Please consider making a donation to the program-as Tori mentioned before, they have already had to cut back programs due to lack of funding.  I couldn’t think of a better organization to support.  100% of what we receive will go straight to the many programs that Mrs. and Mr. Ouma created within the ACDP.  They really need our help.

With that being said, Tori and I are leaving in 38 days now and boy are we excited!  All of the travel plans are booked and we even managed to squeeze in a safari in Kenya- I can’t wait!

The weeks have flown by and before you know it, it will be Tutaonana (good-bye)America and Hujambo (hello) Africa!  We can’t wait to blog about our travels and share all of our pictures with you!

Until next time, Kwaheri!

Justine

Its been a long time coming

Hey everyone!

We have continued to speak with Mrs. Ouma regularly to keep ourselves updated with news from the Kisumu villagers, and the children from the Alego Primary School.  We were both shocked and disappointed to hear that the breakfast program at the nursery school became temporarily suspended due to lack of funds. Additionally, the roof of the school (as previously mentioned in an older post) has continued to leak, and is in need of desperate repair.  As you can see on the Alego Community Development Project's (ACDP) website, and from our recent blog updates, DONATIONS ARE NEEDED! Every penny counts and will be used, one hundred percent, towards the development of the ACDP.

As the time comes closer to our departure, I am so excited to embark on this once in a lifetime adventure with my childhood friend, Justine. Justine and I met over a decade ago, at a local YMCA. We quickly became close friends in the years that followed. In high school, we discovered a common interest in teaching. We later chose to each pursue a degree in education. I never thought that I would have an opportunity like this to teach with my best friend, in AFRICA! 

We are so thankful for all the support we have received. If you would like to make a donation to the development of the Alego Primary School, Please click on one of the several PayPal links on our blog :)

Until next time, Kwaheri!
Tori 

Justine and Tori, Age 5

Inside Alego Primary School

Here is just a quick glance at where we will be teaching in Africa.  It might not be what we are used to here in the States, but it's still a school that provides great education to its students!

The entrance to Alego Primary School, Kendu Bay.

  

The outside of Alego Primary School.  A portion of the donations we receive will go towards updating the condition of the building.

One of the classrooms at Alego Primary School.

 





This is NOT another typical donation letter so please read on

We have the opportunity of a lifetime this summer. We will be volunteering at the Alego School which is affiliated with the non-profit program (501-c3), Alego Community Development Project (ACDP) in Kisumu, Kenya.  Along with our work at the school in July, we are actively seeking donations to assist the program with the many projects that provide education and support to the community.   

The Alego Primary School and the Priska Orimba Nursery School were founded by Henry and Grace Ouma in 1986 under the ACDP. ACDP's mission is to "establish long-term and sustainable community development projects in Alego, Kenya and surrounding areas in education, social and economic development, health and wellness and to empower residents to utilize local resources available to them to their fullest potential. Check out their website at: http://www.alegocdp.org/

The ACDP and Alego Schools have not had the benefit of outside volunteers so we will be the first!   Mr & Mrs Ouma have 4 daughters who spend summers in Kenya and have worked tirelessly to expand the programs. The opportunity to volunteer came as a result of Tori’s mom working with Mrs Ouma who is a mid-wife and experienced HIV Nurse Specialist. Together, Mrs Winters and Mrs Ouma have worked in Africa training nurses to provide comprehensive HIV care and treatment. Mrs Winters has known about ACDP and the Alego Schools for many years and planned for this experience when she knew that we were committed to a career in education.  

It is our dream to see that the children at the Alego Schools have the chance to receive quality education! Please join us in changing the lives of the children of the Alego School!  

Donations can be made through PayPal which is located on the website or if you would like more information or have questions about our upcoming work, please contact us at:

jerseytoafrica@gmail.com

THANK YOU in advance for your support.

Goodbye, or as they say in Swahili, Kwaheri !
Tori & Justine