I decided that having worked nearly 20 years as a university academic staff person, I needed a sabbatical. But academic staff don’t get them at my institution, so I would create my own by squirrelling away my vacation time and designing one for myself. I began researching and planning, staying late at work and googling like crazy.

    My “unsabbatical” became a journey which started that very day. After Sigurd’s presentation, I had a conversation with Wallace Waruiru, a Kenyan student in pre-pharmacy, There had been an international scandal, at the time, involving churches, NGO’s, and governments that had mismanaged or actually stolen donated aid money. I complained to him that an ordinary donor has little oversight for what happens to his/her dollars half a world away. He told me of his family’s efforts to keep two bright girls in school and how difficult it was. He and his mother, Mary Heyward, had been sending them money for years. Many immigrants who move to areas of increased economic opportunity often send money home to relatives who are struggling. Out of a family of nine children, Mary had been the one “who made it” in the states. She was expected to assist the family back home in Nairobi and Machakos as unemployment had reached 40% in Kenya. The father in this particular nuclear family was unemployed and the mother had never worked outside the home. I volunteered to take over for Wallace, since I knew how much he was struggling to stay in school. His mother was working two jobs as a vocational practical nurse to pay for his international student tuition of approximately $18000 per year. Previously, an uncle who lived in Texas had been assisting with the tuition, but he had died. If I could help this family, that would be one thing that Wallace and his mother would not have to deal with. For $35 a month, I could make a difference in a family’s life. And I was sure they would make a profound difference in mine.

    As a result of my research and interactions with Wallace and his mom, I decided to volunteer with HIV/AIDS affected children and adults in Nairobi, Kenya.