Always Welcome: Intern Post by Lauren Eccles

There are so many things I will miss about Kenya. I love so many things about this country and the time I have spent here.One thing I will miss most is how friendly and welcoming the people are. Whenever we are driving or walking down the streets the people stop what they are doing and say “Jambo!" (Hello) or "Habari gani?" (How are you?). They also say “Karibu Kenya!” (Welcome to Kenya!).In America it is very rare for this to happen. It is common to walk down the sidewalk and not even want to acknowledge the person who is passing by.One evening, we interns were walking back from the watering hole. We passed by a man sitting with his family outside his mud hut.  He eagerly invited us to come into his hut and meet his family. He was so happy we stopped and talked to him for a while and he invited us to come back again.I’ll always remember how loving and welcoming the people of Kenya are and the difference they have made in my life.