Why I Go: Intern Post by Ben Hilton

People have asked me why I want to go back to Kenya as an intern for the third time. I can’t really answer that question without telling the whole story.I graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy with a background in marine transportation, navigation, and marine engineering. After graduation, I spent five years working as a navigation officer on commercial cargo ships. It was during this time that I was introduced to Kenya Keys. I accompanied Brent Hayes and two other interns to Kenya for the first time in the fall of 2008.This first experience in Kenya really gave me a deeper understanding of poverty, and I began to see that poverty is more often the result of an unequal distribution of resources rather than the result of having resources and somehow losing or squandering them. This birthed in me a passion for social justice and led me to return to Kenya with Kenya Keys two years later.My second experience working in Kenya really brought with it a great sense of hope. I was able to see the positive impact of the partnership of Kenya Keys with the local community in Taru. This impact could be felt not only in the children and in schools in Taru but also in the surrounding schools and villages. Wanting to foster that hope, I continued to support Kenya Keys after I returned home, sponsoring both secondary and university students through Kenya Keys’ sponsorship program.I recently obtained a law degree from Fordham University in New York where I studied topics such as nonprofit organizations, family law, and education. While at law school, I also worked as a legal intern in a nonprofit legal clinic that provided legal services to low income families in the city. My main area of focus was on the educational rights of children with disabilities.I am beyond thrilled for the opportunity to return to Kenya. My past experiences as an intern with Kenya Keys have been some of the most meaningful and impactful experiences of my life and have truly helped to shape me as a person. I am looking forward to the opportunity to give back and to be a part of the wonderful legacy that Kenya Keys is helping to create through their work in rural Kenya.