Thursday, January 22, 2009

All Packed Up

Today, was the final team meeting and team packing. The excitement is mounting for all fifteen of us. The team encompasses a variety of professions and individuals. There is a veterinarian, a dentist, a dental assistant/housewife, an ER nurse, Hematec/Sales Rep, a CNA, a Physical Therapist, CEO of a pizza corporation, a midwife, a clinic nurse, an Insurance agent/student, a student (who is 12 years old), the founder & co-founder of AILC, and a plumbing contractor. WOW! What a variety people who also want to fulfill a dream. At the meeting we learned after arriving in Nairobi, we will travel in a van to Atha River, an extremely poor village where the natives live in cardboard boxes. After two days there is is on to St. Catherine's School, where we will spend several days, before going to other villages. It will be an eye opener for all of us Americans, who have life so well.
Also at today's meeting and packing we all packed our bags, with school supplies, medical supplies, fabric, yarn, reading glasses and sewing supplies. There is a total of 1500 pounds of humanitarian supplies that will board the plane, and then distributed where it is needed the most. Along with the supplies there is several thousand dollars that will be put to use for woman and children to live a more productive, self-reliant, happier, healthy life. It was a great feeling for me to donate over $500.00 dollars of supplies and $500.00 in financial assistance, thanks to countless friends and family. I can't wait to see the look on the faces of the woman and children in Africa. One thing is for sure, I will bet that they give me, far more than I will give them.