INTERN REPORT: 7/16/09 By Kerrie Koon

This month has been one of laughter, sadness, compelling moments, hard work and inspiration.

Three of the four interns slated to come this summer have arrived. Ashley Pavilic, a medical student enrolled in Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who is also getting her Master’s in Bioethics, arrived about June twentieth. I say, “about” because she was delayed in Burundi for a day. Upon arrival for what was supposed to be an hour layover became a two-night stay because the plane hit a “bongo” (antelope) upon landing and it’s brake-lines were severed. She arrived a week earlier than the other two interns which was she felt was a benefit because she was able to shadow Dr. Neil Flynn on some of his assessments of WEEP women.

Tina Dreier was the second intern to arrive. She arrived June 27. She is German but has been living in Texas for the past five years. She just graduated with her Bachelor’s in International Business from Northwood University in May.

Katie Bowman arrived with her mom, Ellen, on June 28. Ellen works for Procter and Gamble and has arranged for HEART to receive enough sanitary towels for 20,000 girls for a year. Katie had been studying abroad in Paris for the past semester. She is a Senior at University of Virginia with a double major in Foreign Affairs, with an emphasis in Africa and French and a minor in Religion. She is planning to take the entrance exam (LSAT) for Law School.

Each intern is stellar. They are self-motivated, hardworking and are great with each other and the staff.

On June 30, Vickie took us to a meeting called KAFP (Kenyan Association of Fundraising Professionals). That particular meeting was about fundraising within Kenya for Non-Profit Organizations and Vickie challenged each Intern to write a proposal for a HEART project they felt compelled toward to submit before they leave for funding from within Kenya. Each Intern has taken on their projects and will be submitting their proposals this week.

The Interns are also working on several projects besides: Ashley is working on putting together a devotional complied of devotions the staff lead each morning. Katie is working on the catalogue for this fall, Tina is working diligently with Isaac on Kids For Schools information.

The girls have also been such a valuable resource for the projects in the field we have taken them to. They have been to most of the WEEP Centers several times, including the one in Mombassa where they were able to work with the women there. They have also helped with the Freedom for Girls Projects, Community Transformers Projects and a children’s feeing program. Ashley is being funded by a grant from her university and has been upcountry to interview Little Binta about her leg.

It’s difficult to encapsulate all HEART accomplishes in a month because just when one moment seems so amazing another eclipses it.

I asked the girls to write a summary of their experiences over this past month and would like to include those as well; they are quite moving.
It has been a privilege to work with these Interns. All of them are talking about returning and continuing to support HEART and I’m so grateful.

Kerrie Koon
HEART Intern Coordinator

ASHLEY PAVILIC

I brought my clown shoes to Africa. Two sizes too big, the blue flats had been sitting in my trunk for months. When I figured out I was going to Kenya, I threw them and some light, durable, and unfashionable clothes into my suitcase and jetted off. I thought I’d be doing gritty work, as I had when I lived in Haiti, so I intentionally didn’t bring anything that I was attached to. And I thought I’d be stressed, underfed, and over-stared at, so I packed my iPOD and plenty of chocolate powerbars. What I found turned out to be quite different.

When I landed in Nairobi, aside from the two overturned semi trucks that we passed, the city struck me as quite modern and put together. Paved roads, round-abouts, electricity, restaurants. Organized, clean. My work was likewise less gritty. I quickly realized that the “muzungu” (white person) would not be most useful in the field, interrupting the programs that the Kenyans were far more capable of running. Instead, my contributions would be to pop in, brighten a day with a goofy American smile, and of course, to listen, be present in every slow moment. Take pictures, and write about my experiences. Write the stories so that the other Americans could see what I saw.

We were asked to write our first impressions of Africa, and for many, I think it is the big things – the massive, oppressive poverty. The smell of the slums, the sight of barefoot children in torn clothing. But I had seen it before. Poverty, in some senses, is generic, and exposure in Haiti can dull one to it in Kenya. But the heart doesn’t harden completely. The difficult things came, the small, sharp things, like the little images, the offhanded comments. The child holding his hand out to our vehicle, his mouth sucking a jar filled with glue to dull hunger pains. Pastor Wickliff, director of an orphanage in Migori, mentioning that when little Dorosira first came to their center, she could not eat meat because it reminded her of what her father looked like after her mother knifed him to death. The image of Susan, hearing her drunken husband entering their home, bracing herself for the inevitable beating that would come when he would not find leftovers because she had hidden them in her children’s clothes basket, so that they could have something to eat in the morning. And the small fact that what made her finally decide to leave him was not that he chased her away in the middle of the night, but that when her youngest became old enough to walk, she began teetering after her mother, and Susan didn’t want her 18 month old getting lost or hurt on the street in the night.

These things are hard to hear. But what has struck me the most is the hope! The raw strength. Dorosira is managing as a healthy 12 year old. Susan is about to move to Mwengi to start her first real job for an NGO. Just this morning, we went to a school as part of the Freedom for Girls Project and talked to 10 and 11 year olds about their menses and having the strength to say no to sex before they were ready for it. The hundred or so girls clustered together on the lawn outside of the school, transfixed on us as we explained things and answered questions. Most questions were about what was “normal” – how long menses last, how early they begin, etc. Some were clever, like “If our eggs are so small, why does the period last 7 days?” And some were heartbreaking, “If you are raped, can you still have babies one day?” They felt comfortable with us, and we were able to abate their worries, affirm that they were not alone, and encourage them to say no and seek help when they need it.

And the hope in the field begins with the people at HEART. No wonder the programs flourish – the base is so strong. I mean it when I say I have never met a more solid, fun, kind, hardworking group of people. God is present here in a way I have never before experienced. And it has been changing me in ways I had not known that I desperately needed. I thank HEART selfishly… it has not been the experience I signed up for, the gritty one for the clown shoes and unwanted skirts. The lessons have been more subtle, and nearly constant. May God continue to bless the work here.

KATIE BOWMAN

I have been in Kenya interning for HEART for just under three weeks now, and I can say without a doubt that my life will be forever changed by this experience. I came to Kenya very excited, but slightly afraid because I had not so much as an inkling of what I was getting myself into. Immediately upon my arrival, I was met by a whirlwind of new adventures and I instantly got swept up by the constant and pervasive love of everyone involved in HEART’s programs. My first day here, we went to the Kibera slum, which threw me into shock as I tried to take in and process the depth of poverty surrounding me. I was struggling with this intense feeling of sadness as we approached our destination; but one second after stepping out of the vehicle, I was met with boundless joy. A swarm of women sporting matching t-shirts and mega-watt smiles surrounded me with hugs and words of welcome: these are the women of HEART’s WEEP program. Never in my life have I met women of such strength, empowerment, love, and faith. Their light shines so brightly to those in the community that people are wondering how they managed to literally come back from the dead. Initially suspicious and judgmental, the community now realizes how successful the program has been.

A week after this initial unforgettable experience with HEART, it just continued to get better and better! We were so fortunate to be able to go to Mombasa, where we got to both ride camels along the beach at sunset and visit another amazing WEEP center. At the Mombasa WEEP Center, I had the incredible chance to have a one-on-one interview with a woman named Celina for about an hour and a half. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to finish the interview because my world was shattered by her story. Celina showed me what it truly means to be a hero and to have the strength not only to survive, but also to lead others on a path towards life, faith, and hope. I will always strive to be that kind of leader.

After coming back to the HEART compound for a mere couple of days, we departed again…this time to go on safari at Kilaguni! Every minute of that trip was beautiful and thrilling! We saw so many animals and the scenery was almost unreal, with Mt. Kilimanjaro standing tall in the distance. From the people, to the animals, to the landscapes, Kenya has never ceased to amaze me. Even the children have been extraordinarily inspiring. We went to St. Theresa’s Catholic School through HEART’s Freedom for Girls program to donate sanitary towels and underwear and teach about puberty and sex education. The girls were all extremely intelligent and asked great questions. But beyond that, it was so inspiring how excited they got by the fact that between the three interns and the intern coordinator, we represented four major professions—doctor, lawyer, businesswomen, and pastor—because many of them want to follow in one of those paths. Unlike some of the people we have worked with, these girls had no problem dreaming big and striving to succeed in every way, which really touched my heart.

I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve as an intern for HEART and although I will have to say, “good-bye” in August, it will not be “good-bye” for good. I cannot turn away from Kenya and live my life the same way as before. Not a day will go by that I won’t think back on all I have seen and experienced and what a blessing it has been because now I have my whole life to continue doing what I can to help the people of Africa.

TINA DREIER

When I packed my bags to depart for my Kenya journey about three weeks ago, I did not know what to expect. After only having been here for such a short time, I can honestly say that my expectations were exceeded on all counts. Starting from the Staff at the HEART compound who is always helpful and extremely joyful, to watching the most beautiful sunsets at Killanguna Safari Lodge, to going shopping at the Massai market and to meeting all the wonderful Kenyans who are full of life despite suffering from extreme poverty, Kenya has been such a wonderful experience so far.

It is great to get hand-on experience and to see that the concept of sustainability, which was constantly stressed in business school, is truly implemented through various HEART projects. I was very interested in the business aspect of how to run a non-profit organization. Being able to see for myself how the projects are working helped me to understand how HEART is able to survive as a non-profit. It is also very beneficial to know about Kenya’s problems from an economic perspective as I am hoping to work for an international company in the future.

Taking an overnight bus to Mombasa (8 hours ride on “great” Kenyan roads), riding a camel, but also visiting the WEEP ladies in Mombasa are some other highlights I have enjoyed so far. The HEART internship is a tremendous opportunity to both, getting to know the Kenyan culture but also to using serving the organization through our knowledge. I could have never asked for a better summer internship as this is a great opportunity to apply my business knowledge. All stuff members and other interns are so much fun to be around so that there has never been a dull moment at the compound so far.