The people in Yimbo welcomed us back to the village after a three-year absence due to the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, we learned new ways to stay connected with Yimbo and remotely supported them. On June 28th, the melodic singing by the women and dancing, was what we had all longed for since our last visit in 2019. 

Humanitarian Trip Dates: June 25, 2023 – July 5, 2023

The trip included five days in Muguna Village, three days on safari at Masai Mara Game Reserve and two optional extended trip destinations.

Optional Extended Trips:

The two bucket-list places were a 4-day River Nile Cruise with a day trip in Cairo, Egypt or a 4-day visit to Cape Town in South Africa and Victoria Falls in Zambia.

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19 volunteers wrapped up another remarkable trip to Muguna Village in June 2016. During this trip, the volunteers worked alongside the people of Muguna to continue our FOY work in the focus areas of education, micro-enterprise, public health and clean water.

Other highlights:

Safaris in Amboseli National Park, Tsavo West National Park, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

Boat rides at Lake Naivasha and Lake Victoria to watch hippos

A 7km bike safari in Hells Gate National Park and 5km hike

Visit to giraffe and elephant sanctuaries in Nairobi

3-day visit to the Island of Zanzibar

2016 Trip Calendar

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This trip had many returning volunteers some visiting for the third time. As an organization, FOY appreciates that this trip is more than just a onetime adventure for some but a mission to accomplish many things. As FOY always provides a time for the group to reflect round a camp fire, many returning volunteers shared their reasons for the multiple visits. The one that struck me the most was, “They (the village) have become my people”.

Among the donated items were:

#1: Science kit

#2: Over 800 donated books

#3: Over 500 donated t‐shirts

#4: 300 FOY pre‐printed mini plastic bags for all student and teacher gifts

#5: Discovery science t‐shirts

#6: Basket, volley, and soccer balls

#7: Sanitary kits

#8: Health kits

#9: The game of BINGO

The cultural exchange activities included sisal rope-making, cow milking, porridge tasting, local brew tasting and dances. The featured movie this year was Mandela – Long Walk To Freedom.

The trip culminated with safaris in Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Game Reserve and Lake Manyara Game Park in Tanzania. A highlight was the stopover in Oldupai Gorge (Olduvai), located in the Great Rift Valley, between the Ngorongoro Crate and the Serengeti National Park. This location is a historical site best known as the oldest evidence of mankind’s evolution.

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What an incredible year it was. Not only was it the largest number of volunteers that FOY has ever organized but we delivered on the clean safe water that the village had waited for so desperately! This was a year for FOY to remember for a long time, by every account our proudest moment! Through the tens of fundraisers both in the village and California with every trickle of contribution, together a borehole was sunk in Muguna. There were tears and cheers as the drilling trucks from Water Masters rolled into the village. Soon the generators were fired up and the drill bits sunk into the earth for 48 hours straight. Village residents offered tea and food to the workers or anyone who cared to join as it quickly became the congregating spot for stories and questions alike. Finally when water spewed out, everyone rushed to get a taste of it and soak in the moment. The children splashed their faces while some collected the water.

Muguna Primary got Science kits, library books, Discovery science t-shirts for scientists of tomorrow and a hand-sketched world map on the exterior wall of the school. To accompany the donations was a well-choreographed daylong teacher professional training. The training emphasized the importance of reading by third grade. Many teaching strategies were shared and some volunteers plan on bringing back the lessons learned to their classrooms in California.

The health and sanitation workshop has become a staple for the village residents. Up to one hundred people attended the workshop jointly hosted by two volunteers from California and a local nurse from a nearby town. At the end of the workshop, all participants received a hygiene kit.

The cultural exchange activities included sisal rope-making, cow milking, porridge tasting, local brew tasting and dances. The featured movie this year was Africa Cats – a documentary about Cheaters and Lions in the Masai Mara narrated by Samuel. L Jackson. The trip culminated with safaris in Masai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Bogoria Hot Springs, Lake Nakuru National Park, Mt. Kenya National Park and Sweet Waters Tented Camp.

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Determined to keep the momentum and promises made in 2009, Friends of Yimbo managed to send a small team of three volunteers to the village. FOY continued to develop the partnership with the village. We learn from each other and together the quality of life improves. Kaye, Carolyn and Mary become the mighty three volunteers for they accomplished so much.

Working together with the village, the three volunteers stocked the library with the much needed textbooks identified by the teachers. They spent time with the teachers learning how best to use the teaching manipulatives to improve instruction. Every student received a care package with toothbrushes and toothpaste donated by a Sacramento dentist as well as new school uniforms.

The newly formed village committee shared their vision for the village and how best they could partner with FOY. The village identified one household that was in dire need of support. It was woman taking care of her orphaned grand children living in a leaking house with no beds. The volunteers were able to assist the village in repairing the roof and purchasing some basic furniture. This showed how the village works together to take care of individuals whenever possible.

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An important milestone for Friends of Yimbo. Ability to organize a follow up trip so soon after the first one is very gratifying. It was yet another big Yimbo welcome and expectations were high. The opening of the school library in 2009 was a tough act to follow. What we came to understand is that the village is not looking for a handout but a hand up. Simply knowing that there are individuals rooting for them and willing to provide some support was good enough for the village. They understood that continuous improvement would require the willingness to learn from each other and exchange ideas.

In 2009 when the library opened, there was barely one shelf of books. So the mission in 2010 was to install wall-to-wall shelving and fully stock it with the books requested by the teachers. Textbooks were purchased from the local bookstore in Kisumu while additional reading books were donated by a school district in southern California. This was the year to also deliver the manipulatives the teachers said would tremendously aid instruction in a rural school like Muguna Primary. The teachers participated in a professional development session that covered the use of math counting cubes, counting bears (k‐2), tangrams & puzzles (3+), pentominoes & puzzles (3+), geo boards, protractors (31), world beach globes (3), world map softballs (14), checkers, addition & subtraction flashcards, and Magic boards.

The volunteers also joined two hard working young men from the village in painting the library, classrooms, and staff room. For the first time the teachers had a room with furniture where they could meet rather than their traditional spot under a tree using student desks.

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Seventeen volunteers got on a plane to Nairobi then took the six hour drive to Yimbo where a momentous welcome awaited them. This marked the first FOY humanitarian trip to Yimbo. Over one hundred people from the village turned out in their “Sunday best” to welcome their visitors that had flown over 10,000 miles to spend four days with them. The synchronous singing of the kids, beating of the drums and the dances by the women’s group filled the air. Curiosity struck both the visitors and hosts. None of the volunteers had been to Africa. Likewise, the village had never hosted anyone from overseas. This made for the perfect cultural exchange. The following four days marked the beginning of a strong bond between Friends of Yimbo and the village of Muguna.

The 1,100 sq ft library was officially opened. The only one of its kind in the region. Many in the village opened their doors for visits. Volunteers walked in the village and this truly marked the beginning of a dialogue and exchange. Developing trust between FOY and the village was accomplished during the trip. Many villages in rural Kenya had been disappointed over the years by non-profits that would make promises that were never fulfilled.

A quote from a volunteer “This was a life changing experience and I will return for sure”, Kaye, Glendora, California

On the final day, the village hosted a people’s forum to give everyone a chance to speak directly to FOY volunteers. The overwhelming request was for clean safe water. As one gentleman in the village stated, “… we feel blessed with what we have and special to have many friends from across the oceans. The library is source of pride that will outlive many of us, but lack of access to clean, safe water is pulling us back”.

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