majimazuri.org

Seeing pictures and thinking about my home and the hard times Kenya is going through has sparked my motivation to fundraise for Maji Mazuriagain! I already have someone who will match $500 dollars once I raise 500 which means a whopping $1,000 will be going straight to Kenya!!!!!!! PLEASE help me help my friends by donating!! $20 goes along way! write a check payable to Maji Mazuri USA (a tax deduction!) and send it to me at 4256 Vicasa Drive Calabasas CA 91302! Once I reach 500 Ill get the match and send $1,000 to KENYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please share this!

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Today I did another workshop with one other volunteer and it went so well! The teachers really seemed to learn and enjoy it, and a lot of them even came up to me afterwards to say thank you! The workshop like the other ones focused on how to engage students in lessons, classroom management, and ways to discipline WITHOUT "the cane." Teachers were open and interested in learning new tips to teaching! Wonderful day! :)

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

I am so humbled and awed at the generosity of the donations you have made. I can not thank you enough. Please know that your donation is making a difference in people's lives and together we can make change happen.

I want to let you know that Kenya is facing it's worst drought in 60 years. Combine that with the rising price of fuel around the world, and you get a huge food crisis in Kenya. In the last couple of months food cost have more than tripled. In addition to these problems donors, who once sponsored a child, have stopped due to an economic rescission. Now, it is up to Maji Mazuri, who will not turn the child away, to find a way to cover the child's basic needs. All in all Maji Mazuri is struggling to make ends meet, I encourage all of you to consider a donation of even just $10 to help this amazing organization that I now call home.

You can donate on the website at majimazuri.org, or by writing a check to Maji Mazuri USA and send the check to Kevin Corcoran President, Maji Mazuri USA Inc. 4783 Summerset Lane Atlanta Georgia 30338. %100 of your donation goes directly to the organization and as I have been here on the ground, I can tell tell you if you want to help an organization, it's this one!

Maji Mazuri is the most incredible project I have ever been involved with and I have yet to see a Nonprofit, thats as dedicated as this one. Again to those of you who have donated, I thank  you and can't tell you how much good you are doing!

P.S. My kids at the special needs center makes necklaces and bracelets. If anyone would like one, they are $5 and I would be HAPPY to bring one home for you! Just let me know!

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Just starting to feel better! Went to the hospital, got all checked out and it seems it was just a horrible flu. NO malaria, thank G-d! I tell you though, its not easy being a hypochondriac in a third world country! All jokes aside, I am looking forward to getting back to the kids. I think I'm already attached. I am also looking forward to this weekend in Mathare Valley. The youth group have been working on a peace project to promote peace in their community, and on saturday they are holding a "futbol" (soccer) tournament. Stay tuned for updates on that ;)

ps... on a brighter note if anyone would like to know, I'm worth about 400 goats.

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Still very sick. This is no fun :( no work today either. You start to miss the simple things when you're not feeling well, like your mom! Oh well this is a personal challenge I have to face myself, time for me to grow up also. Really hope to be feeling better soon!

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

AHHH NO internet for four days! And I'm sick thats when the homesickness will kick in! Could not go to work today because I cant risk getting the kids sick hopefully I will be better soon! I drank a Kenya remedy ( hot water, garlic, ginger, lemon, and honey) it will probably work better than anything else! I went to the animal orphanage over the weekend and got to hold a baby cheetah and lion! Will keep them updates coming as soon as I feel better! P.S. I made the two week mark!

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Wonderful day today! Informed the teachers that most of the children CAN learn life skills to take care of themselves (i.e. bathing themselves, washing their clothes, ect.) but they need to be taught explicitly and step by step . Today for the FIRST time the teacher guided the two students (13 years old) how to bathe themselves! The WHOLE school was watching including the other teachers and staff, and the kids knew EXACTLY what to do, but who wants to wash themselves when no one has made them do it before! Time to grow up kids, Miss Fingleson is here and she makes you work! Now just repeat this exercise for a week and you have kids washing themselves for life! :) I have to say Teacher Carol did an excellent job!

Just so you all know the kids were wearing clothes! Rolled up pants and shirts!

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Started work today!!! After an hour ride in the Ma-ta-tu listening to Michael Jackson and Boyz 2 Men "I'll Make Love to You," I arrived at the Children's Center of  Maji Mazuri! I was so happy to be back. Today we practiced letters, numbers, and colors! After 40 times of reminding the kids of my name I was still "Mazungo! Teacher Mazungo!" (White Person!) We had fun finger painting also! They wore me out, I cant keep my eyes open! Lala Salama! (Goodnight!)

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Spent some time with the youth at Kiserian (another project of Maji Mazuri). Amazing girls! Lost of questions! Today got more familiar with Nairobi spent time in a local park, museum, ate lunch and practiced inappropriate Swahili!! Lots of fun! Looking forward to tomorrow- the opening day of the health clinic in Kiserian with performances by the students. I'm off to bed.

Wow. Poverty is an understatement. The Mathare Valley is the second largest slum in East Africa and is home to more than 500,000 people living in the worst conditions humanly possible.  I could not take my camera out while inside the slum for my own protection. I've never seen such a dire situation. Open sewers, trash overtakes walkways, the smells are like nothing you could imagine, dogs and cat roam with puppies everywhere. I spoke for a long time with a man who grew up there and has now (which is very rare) gotten out of it. He joined the youth program of Maji Mazuri when he was 12 years old and now works for them, reaching out to teens and youth. He told me when there is a riot you can not walk it is too easy to die, people kill without remorse, and he says you will walk and see a dead body every couple of steps. He also told me one of the communities biggest challenge is fire. A fire will break out from cooking and spread like a wildfire. The police are corrupt and violent towards the people. It is a vicious cycle. Maji Mazuri is doing such amazing things there, like their headstart program and teen and youth groups. I am so lucky to be working along side with some of the most unselfish people I've ever met. Below is a picture of Mathare from the top, again I could not take my camera out while inside.

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

P.S. I'm trying to learn Swahili! Napapenda hapa!!! ( I love it here!!!)