I returned this weekend from a fantastic 3-week trip to Kenya and Tanzania and while in Kenya was able to successfully deliver the medical supplies that your wonderful organization donated.
As you may remember, I have been working for the last 3 years on a privately funded well-building project in two villages in the Samburu region of central Kenya. With the wells now completed, I wanted to go back and see how everything was doing and also take the opportunity to deliver the much-needed medical supplies to the health and maternity clinic in Archers Post.
Arriving there on Feb. 17th, having managed to get through Kenyan customs without any problems, we gave the enormous suitcase of supplies to Sister Matilde who runs the clinic along with Sister Eugenia who is in fact, her real sister. These two extraordinary women from Italy have dedicated their lives over the last 50 years to helping the Samburu tribes in this very remote, arid and poverty-stricken region of the country. Along with now having running, potable water which helps the clinic function more hygienically, the addition of the donated medical supplies was a huge bonus.
In gratitude, some of the village women came to greet us. Dressed in traditional clothes and sporting magnificent necklaces, they sang and danced for us (see attached picture). It was a wonderful morning, spent among people who will benefit greatly from the generosity of organizations like yours.
The remainder of our trip was spent on safari in both Kenya and Tanzania and it was also a wonderful family holiday as I was able to show my husband, son, daughter-in-law and my husband’s brother and his wife what I’ve been working on for the last few years. We saw many fabulous animals, slept in authentic tented camps, and in Tanzania, spent time at an orphanage I have been supporting for some time as well as visited one of the last remaining hunter-gather tribes in East Africa – a really remarkable experience, where we went hunting with them. Attached is a picture taken at Archers Post with the two Sisters as well as a couple of my favourite wildlife pictures from our trip.
Africa has always been a special place for me; my father grew up in Kenya and my grandfather was born in South Africa and my grandmother grew up in Egypt. So, you could say, I have an emotional connection to this part of the world. To be able to give back on any level has always been important to me, and I thank all of you at Not Just Tourists for helping me achieve this goal.
I hope that in the not too distant future I will have the opportunity of taking more medical supplies to other parts of the world that I travel to frequently, so, you’ll be seeing me again for sure. I am also telling as many people I know who travel a lot about your very special organization.
Until then, keep up the good work.
With kindest, personal regards to you and all your staff,
Fiona
