In Kenya we have a famous phrase that says “kwa ground vitu ni different” . Which basically means that it’s not until you face the actual reality on the ground that you realize that your imagination is actually different from the reality.

‎In my case, the weeks and days leading to my arrival at St Mary’s pastoral centre for PST was a mixture of fear, anxiety, confusion and self doubt. I was scared of the people I was yet to meet, anxious as I didn’t know what to expect and I doubted myself as to whether I was really cut out to be at CorpsAfrica/Kenya.

However, after my arrival to the venue I was met with warm, smiling and friendly faces from the staff to my fellow trainees who made me feel like I belonged. 

Looking back the training has been nothing short of educative, impactful, fun and has been an opportunity of unlearning, learning and relearning, and overall a transformative experience.

‎I can confidently say that as the pre service training is nearing the end, I have learnt a lot, from the program.From the soft skills such as empathy,resilience, listening, and facilitation to the hard skills such as liquid and bar soap making,making charcoals briquettes yogurt making and baking. 

I am confident that I will carry the skills and lessons with me to the service and even beyond. I am grateful for the network of the amazing trainees and staff that I’ve made and I look forward to an amazing experience ahead where the reality is far much better!