An Amazing Month Comes to a Close

Yesterday we said good bye to all 13 interns, as a most incredible experience in the bush came to a close. It ended in a frenzied storm of activity, as interns worked into the night to finish up their projects and try to find their belongings. A five-hour farewell ceremony had left everyone exhausted, but spirits were high as they looked back with satisfaction on a job well done. They had survived the extreme living conditions, the lack of personal space, the monotony of the same food every day, the hours and hours without food, the blowing dust, the heat, the “showers” that consisted of a small bucket of water, and the patient waiting for some form of transportation. They had weathered it all with great maturity and stamina.There was nothing easy about combining all these strong, capable minds and personalities, let alone trying to match them with vital projects and needs. But it somehow came together in an amazing amalgam of experience and growth. How wonderful it was to watch them grow, as they struggled with the extreme culture clash, the difficulty in communication, the constant demands on their patience and ingenuity. We were so proud of them as they learned to “dig deep.”  Africa demands “digging deep.” Its people and its pain find a way into the deepest part of you, and you are never the same.Thank you interns, for the lasting footprints you left in the soil of this piece of Kenya. The children you chased and laughed with, taught, loved, and researched, will long remember you. Their families and teachers, as well as the whole Samburu community, will be forever impacted by the contributions you made in so many ways. It is with great relief and gratitude that we end this month with safety, good health, and countless rich memories. The light of learning has strengthened the bridge between our two worlds in unforgettable ways.