A New Dawn
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Mr. Raphael Kivuva The beginning of each new day is an opportunity to start again. After a long journey of Pre-Service Training (PST) that runs for 5 weeks, I got a 4-day break back at home saying goodbyes and thinking of the commitment I was about to make. Pre-service Training provided […]
From a Parlous Single Story to a Home Away From Home
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Mr. Kelvin Mutuma On December 10th, 2022, after setting everything in order and getting ready, the car engine roared, destined for Kitui County, Kenya. Aboard were us; four CorpsAfrica Volunteers about to begin our service in the county. Since I was selected to be a Corps Africa Volunteer, in Kenya’s Cohort […]
My Host Mum: My Inspiration
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Ms. Irene Kihumba To be honest, I didn’t want the Pre-service Training (PST) to end because that would mean that my service at my community would begin and the reality of it was that I didn’t know how things would pan out. I was very anxious and worried, trying to imagine […]
A Month in the East
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Ms. Sharon Jelagat It’s been a month and a few weeks since I arrived at my site, a village called Vota found in Machakos county, the eastern part of Kenya. It is a dry, slightly flat area full of baobab trees. You already know it’s hot. I remember we arrived at […]
Undeniable: Women’s Lasting Impact In Society
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Mr. Raphael Kivuva The real journey of integration commenced on the first day of arriving at the site and it was a moment of deeper reflection on the next 11 months and what it will be like. During the first 3 weeks of staying with the host family, everything seemed very […]
A Personal Experience in Facilitating Community-Led Development
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Mr. Kelvin Mutuma My first big assignment when I got to the site and held the very first community meetings was to trim down the walloping expectations of the community members. It was not a walk in the park to stand there and inform them it was not as they thought. […]
A Beautiful Discovery: How & Why I Have Been Wrong Since Childhood
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Sam Kibebe Growing up, all I heard about Kambaland was how dry it was and how famine hit hard in the region. A land with no rain, where nothing can grow, and where water was a story found only in books. This was the picture I had in my mind all […]
Never Draw A Hare Based On What You Hear
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Mr. Samuel Mwangi Have you ever heard of the danger of a single story? If yes, I know you will bear witness that it can make you perceive things the way they are not. If you answered no, then this is your chance to learn about it! I am an CorpsAfrica […]
Women: Many Faces & Colours
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Ms. Dawn Chemoiwa I was dropped off at my site. They dropped me in the middle of nowhere, nowhere to me but home to someone. And in a few weeks, this place has become my home. I was curious yet scared and wondered how l would fit in and how to […]
My Sublime Host Family
Written by CorpsAfrica/Kenya Volunteer Mr. Samuel Matiru First and foremost, I want to thank my host family for opening their door for me to experience a new culture and give me a second home. On the first day, my host mum warmly welcomed me to her home, she was with her grandson who had […]