| As tourists wear their shades protecting their | | | | community. |
| eyes from the beaming sun, their eyes are also | | | | "Many people carried two bags for food, one for |
| protected from seeing the extreme poverty | | | | their family, and another for a neighbor or friend. |
| conditions Kenyans are faced with. | | | | The Maasai chef told me many people were sick |
| It had been three years since rain had graced | | | | and could not walk the distance and so neighbors |
| Kenya's soil. This resulted in the worst drought in | | | | collected a bag for them. Even when people live in |
| more than a decade within East Africa, leaving | | | | poverty they still have a sense of community and |
| millions of Kenyans suffering. The local people are | | | | look out for not just themselves but others also" |
| the biggest victims as they watch their livestock | | | | Ironically the day the food arrived the rain came |
| die and their crops destroyed, making it almost | | | | with it. But the miracle of rainfall soon turned into |
| impossible to a make a living. | | | | mayhem for other parts of Kenya. Heavy rains |
| Mark Jenner, 18, from the United Kingdom, | | | | have now resulted in poor transportation |
| decided to give 3 months of his time volunteering | | | | conditions and flooding, making it difficult for aid |
| with the Global Volunteer Network in Kenya. | | | | distribution to reach the villages compounding the |
| Rather than attend an organized cultural dinner | | | | problems. |
| evening which you would normally find on a typical | | | | "The main issues facing the Kenyan people are |
| package holiday, he chose to experience the true | | | | finding enough money to eat, go to school, and |
| essence of the Kenyan culture through living and | | | | have a decent standard of healthcare. Malnutrition |
| working within the local community, he felt | | | | is a major issue. |
| volunteering was much more authentic. | | | | According to the International Development |
| "I wanted to do something helpful and | | | | Research Centre the local Kenyan people do not |
| constructive in Africa, this is a continent which | | | | reap the benefits of the income generated from |
| needs the most aid as each segment of society | | | | international tourists. For example less than 2% of |
| has its own problems." | | | | the money spent at the world-famous Maasai |
| The aftermath of the drought had an impact on | | | | Mara National Reserve benefits local Maasai people. |
| not just the local villagers but also on orphanages | | | | Instead, most of the money goes to luxury |
| and schools in the area. Many schools already had | | | | lodges, transport costs, and foreign package tour |
| a shortage of supplies but the situation has | | | | operators. Even revenue from park entry fees as |
| escalated which meant local schools were at risk | | | | high as US$27 per day goes straight into the |
| of closing due to the conditions and the lack of | | | | central government's treasury. |
| food needed to supply daily meals for the children. | | | | According to UNICEF, however, one out of every |
| "Daily survival here is such a struggle, there is no | | | | five children under the age of five in Kenya is |
| security for anybody. We all have an obligation to | | | | malnourished. |
| try and make that struggle easier, volunteering is | | | | This was one of the shocking realities that Mark |
| a fantastic start." | | | | and the other GVN volunteers came to terms |
| Kenya is also commonly known as a safari holiday | | | | with, that the impact of tourism, if not |
| destination which receives visits from thousands | | | | responsible, made the rich richer while the poor |
| of tourists each year. As holidaymakers enjoy the | | | | silently suffer. Mark was happy he chose to |
| running hot water and the luxuries in modern | | | | volunteer rather than go on holiday. |
| Nairobi resorts, local people in most cases do not | | | | "One of my most shocking moments was when I |
| reap any of the benefits generated through | | | | visited my fellow volunteer at Kibera slums, the |
| tourism. | | | | levels of poverty were overwhelming. About 5 |
| "People who live in rural areas rely on the rain for | | | | minutes after I walked out of the slums we came |
| their livelihood. They live in tiny mud huts with no | | | | across a huge western supermarket which has |
| ventilation, windows, or electricity. Many women | | | | everything you would typically find in a market. |
| don't have an opportunity to get an education or | | | | Kibera was shocking but the contrast between |
| a good standard of healthcare as it's too | | | | the slums and the supermarket was unbelievable, |
| expensive. This makes diseases such as | | | | it spoke a lot about how drastically wealth is |
| Tuberculosis and HIV more prevalent, contributing | | | | polarized in Kenya. |
| to the levels of poverty which most people are | | | | Although Kenya is very dependent on money |
| not aware of. | | | | generated from international tourists, the local |
| Lack of rain meant lack of food which impacted | | | | people do not feel nor see the benefits in their |
| Kenya and other East African countries which | | | | community; instead they see holidaymakers |
| were victims of the drought. Mark, along with | | | | swimming in pools while they work all day waiting |
| other volunteers and GVN staff, had a passion to | | | | for rainfall to grow their crops. |
| help. GVN sent out a donation appeal for the | | | | Many developing countries suffer the same |
| drought and raised nearly US$10,000. GVN staff | | | | imbalance of rich and poor people. With the help |
| and volunteers transported two trucks of food to | | | | of volunteers like Mark, who trade in a summer |
| two local schools and local villages, enough to feed | | | | package holiday for volunteering with the local |
| the community for at least another month. | | | | community, the dreams of change can some day |
| "Around 600 people stood waiting for the food | | | | be reality. |
| for as long as 8 hours, some walking many | | | | "Numerous Kenyan people have said to me, give |
| kilometres just to get to the site. They reacted | | | | Kenya 5 years and it will be a fantastic country. |
| with a sense of relief and appreciation, as if a | | | | Even in Kibera, a huge slum, there is a sense of |
| weight had been lifted off the whole community. | | | | development and a sense of community" |
| As Mark and the volunteers helped to distribute | | | | Mark volunteered with the Global Volunteer |
| 10 tons of beans and ground corn, the people | | | | Network, a non-government organization based in |
| grouped together standing in line with their empty | | | | New Zealand, which connects people to |
| bags of hope. Despite the poverty conditions and | | | | communities in need. |
| the risk of starvation, together they united as a | | | | |