January 19, 2009
Dear Kids for Kenya parents and guardians,
Happy New Year, happy Martin Luther King, Jr, Day, and happy Inauguration Day. We are entering the exciting home stretch in our preparation for leaving for Kenya in March and would like to share a number of activities and ideas. This is a very exciting time for all of us Kids for Kenya. Polly and I feel more confident and prepared for this trip than ever before, though ironically, I think we have done a poor job of communicating this thus far to families, something I regret. I realized through conversations with parents and students that as my personal comfort with the trip has increased, my communication around it has decreased. That is a foolish oversight on my part, and I apologize for it. I am grateful to the students and parents who kindly helped me see this perspective. To that end, here is information that we trust will help everyone feel more connected to the trip.
We are going to Kenya! In this letter you will find information about:
• A Mandatory Parent Meeting
• Our trip itinerary
• Our daily schedule while there
• What to pack
• Information about vaccines and medicines
Mandatory parent meeting.
On Friday, February 13th, at 6:30 in Ken’s room, we will discuss the trip as a group. Students are not required to attend, but are welcome. We will discuss all of the below information, discuss preparation, and answer questions about the trip.
Balance due.
The $500 balance of payment for the trip is due on or before March 1st. Checks made payable to Trillium Charter School can be given directly to Polly or Ken.
Flight information.
We have purchased tickets! Hurray! We will give each parent an official itinerary at the meeting, but here are the basics:
• The way there:
o We depart from Portland on March 7th at 4:18 p.m. on United Airlines.
o We arrive in San Francisco 6:05 pm and depart 6:53pm.
o We arrive in London March 8th at 1:20 pm, and depart on Kenyan airlines at 7:00 pm.
o We arrive in Nairobi, Kenya at 6:30 am on Monday, March 9th.
• The way back:
o We depart from Nairobi on Kenyan Airlines at 11:59 pm on March 21.
o We arrive in London on March 22nd at 6:25 am, and depart on United Airlines at 9:25 am.
o We arrive in San Francisco at 1:30 pm, and depart at 3:57 pm.
o We arrive back in Portland at 5:40 pm on March 22nd.
Hotel and contact information. We will be staying at the Rusam Villa Guest house, a trusted location which we personally know and with which we have developed a good relationship. In the event of an emergency, the simplest way to get a hold of us in Kenya is to contact the guest house. They will at all times know where we are and how to get a hold of us. The Rusam’s contact information:
Rusam Villa Guest House
P.O.Box 4327 Nairobi-Kenya.
Telephone: 254-02-799979/0733893915
Fax: 254-02-799979
Email: rusamvilla@yahoo.com
Website:www.rusamvillanairobi.50megs.com
Day to day itinerary
In general: For the majority of our time in Kenya, we will be engaged in service at Humble Hearts or Angel Cottage. Except for our safari in southern Kenya, we will spend each night at the Rusam Guest House, where we will take both breakfast and dinner. The close proximity of the school to the Rusam allows us to walk to and fro each day safely. Each morning, we will leave just after breakfast, at about 8:30, to begin our day of service. After our day at the school, we walk back to the guest house, and have a forty five minute mandatory meeting to check in about our next day’s plan and process the day’s events.
• 7:30 am – breakfast.
• 8:30 am – leave for our day of service.
• 9:00 am – 5:00 pm: Service. See more detailed descriptions below.
• 5:00 pm – Arrive back at Rusam Guest House.
• 6:00 pm - Dinner.
• 7:00 pm. Mandatory group meeting.
• 7:00 – 10:00 pm – Student free time at the Rusam.
• 10:00 – Lights out.
Day by day:
• March 9th: Arrival.
o We arrive in Nairobi at 6:30 a.m. We will go to Humble Hearts School and spend the morning meeting the teachers and students and getting a lay of the land. We will leave school in the afternoon making it a short day after all of our travel.
• March 10th: Service and study.
o We will focus on building, painting and gardening projects in the morning. In the afternoon, our students will join their Kenyan counter parts in a social studies lesson co-taught by Ken and a Humble Hearts teacher preparing the students for a field trip we will go on the next morning.
• March 11th: Field Trip.
o We will go on a field trip to the Nairobi History Museum with high school students from Humble Hearts.
• March 12th: Projects.
o Arrive at school early and spend the day working on projects.
o Student’s can:
Do building projects with Ken.
Help Polly teach art classes.
Work in the school kitchen.
Work on painting projects around the school with humble hearts students.
• March 13th-15th: Safari.
o We leave Nairobi at 8:30 on Friday morning. We will travel for the early part of the day and arrive in the afternoon. We will go on different safaris on Friday, Saturday and early Sunday. We will arrive back in Nairobi in the afternoon on Sunday, March 15th. All details and accommodation information will be available at our meeting.
• March 16th - March 18th : Angel Cottage.
o We will be going to Angel Cottage Orphanage and the new location of Humble Hearts School, currently under construction. We will help paint and prepare the rooms for the students to move in the coming months. We will work on building a chicken area, put in a water collection system, and begin work on a garden for the school and orphanage.
• March 19th -20th : Last Days.
o We will spend our lasts days at the school:
Participating in Humble Hearts girls and boys groups.
Finishing projects
Having a celebration with our friends.
• March 21st – Departure Day.
o Spend the day at the hotel preparing for travel.
Money needs.
Costs of all travel to, from and around Kenya, as well as accommodations and food, are covered in the cost of the trip. Personal spending money is not included in the cost. During the majority of our time in Kenya, we will be engrossed in service and there will be no need for personal spending. During travel, and during a trip to the market, students will have the opportunity to purchase items.
London: Students may want spending money for the London airport. We will be there twice for several hours. An ATM card or prepaid Visa card is ideal to avoid having to change money. (If this is difficult to obtain, Polly and Ken can exchange money for the students while there.) London is very expensive currently and it will cost about twenty five dollars for a meal.
Nairobi: When we arrive in Nairobi, we will go to the grocery store a few times for supplies and snacks, twenty-five dollars will easily cover these. All meals are covered in the cost of the trip, this is for any extra wants. We pay a small fee to use the internet. Average use will cost about fifteen dollars for the whole two weeks. The only other money need is buying souvenirs. We will go to the market once or twice; fifty to a hundred dollars will get you lots of scarves, jewelry, bowls, masks and more. I have also gone and spent twenty dollars and come away very happy. It really depends on your child’s expectation, and your shopping wants. All money for Nairobi should be in the largest, newest bills you can get. It sounds bizarre, but newer, fresher American money gets a better exchange rate than older, tattered bills.
Polly and Ken are happy to personally carry and manage student money. There will be a safe in the guest house in which to leave valuables once we arrive.
Communication.
Students will have the opportunity every other day to send emails. We will send out an e-tree message every other day with trip updates. Parents needing to contact students can most easily do so through email. In the event of an emergency, parents could call the Rusam Guest House, who will be able to call Polly or Ken directly. It will not be possible to dial our cell phones directly from the United States, but the Rusam will answer their land line at any hour of the day or night.
Emergency plan.
Both Ken and Polly will have cell phones at all times. Our friends and partners at Humble Hearts are extremely considerate and conscious of our safety. After three years of partnership, we have developed many trusted contacts and advisors in Nairobi. We have registered with the US Embassy in Nairobi. Kenya is currently enjoying a stable political time. In the unlikely event of any problems, the Embassy will directly and immediately advise us on an appropriate plan.
Documentation.
Students will need a valid US passport and birth certificate for travel. If possible, please bring passports and birth certificate to the meeting so that we may make copies of them for our records. We will travel with two copies of these documents in case an original is lost or stolen. If you have not received your passport yet, we must have two copies before we travel. A
Visa is required to enter Kenya. We will fill out the Visa forms at the meeting. Polly and Ken will file and pay for them as we enter the country.
Packing list.
Students will bring to Kenya only what they can fit in their carry-on. Yes, really. We will pack all of our checked luggage with clothing and supplies we will be donating to Humble Hearts. It will be summer when we are in Kenya. The temperature ranges from seventy to ninety degrees. Students will wear pants each day to the school. They can wear long shorts or skirts when we go on safari or at the hotel. All clothing should be modest and not flashy. Kenya is a conservative country, and we should dress accordingly. We will have the opportunity to hand wash and hang clothes at the hotel.
We suggest:
• 3-4 pair of pants.
o Jeans are ideal for the school, but light weight pants are also good for packing, washing and the climate.
• 5 light weight t-shirts.
• 1 light weight jacket or sweat shirt.
• 2 pairs of shoes. One pair should be sturdy and good for walking on rocky, muddy ground. The other pair can be sandals or sneakers for the hotel or travel.
• Socks and underwear for five days.
• Toiletries and health supplies.
o When students go to the doctors for vaccines they should ask about travel clinic supplies for Kenya. This will include Imodium, one broad spectrum antibiotic, and re-hydration salts.
o Pain killers with which the student feels comfortable.
o Sun screen.
o Bug repellent (Deet free).
o Polly and Ken will have extras of all of these things in our first aid kits, but it is important that students do not rely solely on us for these supplies.
o You will not need to bring a towel.
• Backpack or bag.
o You may choose to carry your clothing in a back pack or small rolling bag. You can also carry a small personal bag for plane needs (your ‘purse’); this bag will also double as your everyday bag to carry water, jacket, and daily supplies around Nairobi.
• Money bag.
o Students will need a small money purse to wear under their clothes. It is very important that students keep all valuables put away. There are many different types to wear around your neck or waist. Look for one that feels comfortable for your child.
• Camera.
o Theft is an issue in Kenya, anything students have out in public can be at risk. It is, however, an opportunity to get some amazing pictures, so any camera your child takes will be an asset, but will also run the risk of not coming home.
• Healthful packaged snacks .
o Nuts, dried fruit, and protein bars (Cliff, Luna bars) become somewhat of a commodity between students on the trip. We will spend long days at the school. Our only opportunity to eat will be the school lunch. Your child may want to have an additional snack or a substitute. After a week of relying on your peanut butter Cliff bars, you will be thrilled to trade another student for some dried strawberries.
• Water bottle.
o One refillable, wide-mouth, Nalgeen-style water bottle.
• Laptops, iPods, video cameras.
o We suggest bringing the absolute minimum of what your student needs in this category. Kenya is a poor country. Flashy, relatively expensive items such as these are tempting even to honest people who are living in poverty. Students bring these items at their own risk.
• And, yes, you really can fit all of this into a carry-on bag.
Medical information.
This part has a tendency to sound kid of scary. Please understand that many of these are routine precautions taken when travelling to developing countires. Most of this information is take directly from the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov. Links listed below will take you to more information on their site.
Routine Vaccinations. Before travel, be sure your child is up to date on all routine immunizations according to schedules approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP). See the schedule for adults and the schedule for infants and children. Some schedules can be accelerated for travel.
See your doctor at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for shots to take effect. If it is less than 4 weeks before you leave, you should still see your doctor. It might not be too late to get your shots or medications as well as other information about how to protect yourself from illness and injury while traveling.
Recommended Vaccinations. The following vaccines are recommended for travel to East Africa. Discuss your travel plans and personal health with a health-care provider to determine which vaccines you will need.
• Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG). Transmission of hepatitis A virus can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested in contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling.
• Hepatitis B, especially if you might be exposed to blood or body fluids (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11–12 years who did not receive the series as infants.
• Meningococcal (meningitis) if you plan to visit countries in this region that experience epidemics of meningococcal disease during December through June, (see see Map 4-9 on the Meningoccocal Disease page).
• Rabies, pre-exposure vaccination, if you might have extensive unprotected outdoor exposure in rural areas, such as might occur during camping, hiking, or bicycling, or engaging in certain occupational activities.
• Typhoid vaccine. Typhoid fever can be contracted through contaminated drinking water or food, or by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected. Large outbreaks are most often related to fecal contamination of water supplies or foods sold by street vendors
• As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria, measles, and a one-time dose of polio vaccine for adults.
• Yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain countries in East Africa.
Malaria. Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. Humans get malaria from the bite of a mosquito infected with the parasite. Your risk of malaria may be high in all countries in East Africa, including cities. All travelers to East Africa, including infants, children, and former residents of East Africa, may be at risk for malaria. Prevent this serious disease by seeing your health care provider for a prescription antimalarial drug and by protecting yourself against mosquito bites. All travelers should take one of the following drugs:
• atovaquone/proguanil,
• doxycycline,
• mefloquine, or
• primaquine (in special circumstances).
For additional information on malaria risk and prevention, see Malaria Information for Travelers to East Africa .
Additional information and forms will be available at the meeting, including:
• Medical release form
• Medical history forms
• Notarized medical consent forms
• Notarized travel letter
Ways parents, relatives, and friends can help.
We will be bringing a tremendous amount of donated clothing, educational materials, and art supplies in our luggage to Nairobi. We have already secured many, many donations, but are still looking for:
• Packs of paint brushes
• Packs of pencils
• Rulers
• Pens
• First aid supplies to donate to the school.
• Old bags or suitcases into which we can pack our donated materials.
• Help packing the clothing and supplies.
• Help picking up donated goods from around town.
We look forward to seeing all of you on Friday, February 13th. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Ken and Polly
Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org, Polly@TrilliumCharterSchool.org
