Students return from Kenya after making long-lasting impact

Students in Nigong Hills, Kenya.

Not your typical summer vacation

Going on a safari, meeting new people, and leaving a lasting impact on a community that is halfway across the world.

This summer Illinois State’s Alternative Breaks sent 14 students to Kenya. The students spent their time in a town called Ngong Hills that is just outside of Nairobi. They worked with an organization called Living Positive Kenya. The idea behind this organization is to “take HIV positive women and their children out of the slums and help them grow and flourish.” While on their journey the participants met some amazing women apart of the Women Economic Empowerment Program (W.E.E.P). “W.E.E.P is an initiative that aims to save HIV-positive women from a life of rejection and poverty by empowering them to live sustainable lives.”

While in Kenya the participants spent their time building a urinal for the daycare located in the slum. This is the daycare where some of the women that are apart of Living Positive Kenya send their children while they are taking classes. The participants also painted all the classrooms in the daycare facility. The contribution of the urinal and the painting of the classrooms made a significant impact on the future of the daycare.

Students also got to experience a safari of Maasai Mara where they saw cheetahs, lions, and elephants. This once in a lifetime experience made for lasting friendships and the feeling of fulfillment through service.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, registration for the next trip opens the first day of classes. Students can qualify for a trip like this one by having went on a winter, spring, weekend, or summer break trip. To find out more information, visit the Alternative Breaks page.