As a child growing up in rural Mississippi, I always dreamed of traveling to Africa. My mother and father used to tell my siblings and me about how our ancestors came from there long ago. I wanted to visit that distant place from which our ancestors were stolen. Books and films did not satisfy me. I wanted to see Africa with my own eyes. This May, I got the chance. My niece Farah Stockman founded Jitegemee, and for the program’s 10th anniversary, she invited me and 19 other family members and … [Read more...]
‘Pioneer’ Class of Vocational Students Graduate
This year, we are celebrating many accomplishments. We marked 10 years of a steadily growing program. We moved to a new building, where we have classrooms, a minilibrary and offices. We built a kitchen and began a lunch program for our students. We have an active advisory board of local professionals who have been instrumental in the planning and implementation of our programs. But perhaps the most exciting development has been the graduation of our “pioneer†class of vocational students. … [Read more...]
Struggle with Poverty, Prostitution & Drugs Over
Last year, our new vocational class was a collection of shy youth struggling with poverty, prostitution and drug use. This year, these same 25 young people are confident, reliable workers immersed in their second phase of training. Each morning, they go to work as apprentices to carpenters, welders, tailors and hairdressers. Every lunch hour, they eat together as a class and share experiences. Once a week, they meet Jitegemee staff for counseling, learning and support. Mike Kimeu, our program … [Read more...]
Camping with the Jitegemee Kids
After hearing about Jitegemee for several years and seeing only glossies of the kids and staff, I finally got the opportunity to make the visit and see it all for myself, in August of 2004. I wasn’t disappointed. We arrived in Machakos to find the program’s small classroom of energetic students on the first floor, nestled amongst other quieter businesses. A class of 25 vocational students were convened in the classroom, where they were learning about things important to … [Read more...]
A Child with Sticks & Weeds in Her Hair
Years ago, when I was teaching street children in Kenya, a little girl came into my class who had a particularly troubled look about her. She had sticks and weeds in her hair, as if she had just come from sleeping on the ground. She had torn clothes on, an unruly smile, and an undoubtedly empty stomach. Something about her was wild and different from the other children in the class, who were also destitute, but well accustomed to the daily exercise of our informal classroom. I learned then that … [Read more...]
‘May God Bless the Jitegemee Program’
I remember some years back when I was not in the Jitegemee program. My life was very strange because I was not going to school and I was very bad behaved. Now when the Jitegemee program was started I joined St. Mary’s Girls Primary School. But when at first I joined the school my mother told me that I had no right to go to school and I deserve to stay at home. I was very angry and noted into my heart that I would not step in the school not even a single day. One day I said that I needed to … [Read more...]
Trip Highlight: Meeting the Kids
This August, I flew to Africa to meet the children. When I joined the board of Jitegemee last year, I knew only what founder Farah Stockman had told me about Africa and the street children she had taught there. I spent a lot of time before the trip looking at maps of Kenya and reading about Machakos, the semi-rural town southeast of Nairobi, where Jitegemee runs a scholarship program for homeless and destitute kids. Of course, nothing could have prepared me for the trip I made this summer with … [Read more...]
Thank You for a Promise Kept
Five years ago, I made a promise. I was a volunteer teacher at an informal school for street children in Kenya. My students were orphans, homeless kids, former prostitutes, very poor kids, and children just released from juvenile jails. Yet every young face had one thing in common: the indomitable desire to learn. I told them: "If you work hard to change your lives, I will work hard to support you." This letter is a message of thanks to all of you who have helped keep that promise. Your support … [Read more...]
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