Mission Kenya 2023

May 28 – Jun 8/9

You are invited to join me on a life changing experience that will impact the lives of those we meet and work with as well as your own.

I have been to Kenya 7 times since Feb 2018.  I originally went on a Mission Trip with the group Reaching Beyond Ourselves in Feb 2018 and while on that trip met the ladies of the Kipsongo slum (See "Our Story" tab for full details). 

The founder of that organization Steve Rutenbar was a retired Pastor from Saddleback Church in Lake Forest California who had been going to Kenya for over 20 years.  His last trip was in 2021 and he passed away in November 2021. 

 

Pastor Steve and Eldonna in Feb 2018 

I have worked to carry on his legacy of the work he did in Kenya and expand our own efforts there by working with the ladies of Kipsongo to sell their handcrafted products here in the U.S. and now working wth ladies at Mt Elgon where we are creating a farm for those ladies who are widows to earn income. Our goal is to create self sustaining micro enterprises through entrepreneurism one woman at a time.  We teach leadership, money management and community building.  

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US IN KENYA 

Several people have shown interest in going with me to Kenya to meet the ladies we work with and experience the Kenya culture.  This is your opportunity to join us on our next trip in May/June 2023.  The trip is planned for our normal activities, you are welcome to join us and experience the amazing country, culture and people of Kenya. 

WHAT WILL WE DO? 

You will experience the sights. culture and people of Kenya and learn about the different tribes we work with.  You will learn some of the their history and the Swahili language, learn to make paper beads with the ladies of Kipsongo and see how they create other products.  We will see the harvesting of crops at the farming project in Mt Elgon and maybe get to help harvest some crops at our farm. We will stay at Mt Elgon National Park and have a conference with the women of Mt Elgon and assist medical personnel in setting up and running a medical clinic we will fund. We will travel to visit the all women village of Umoja in Samburu and close out the trip with a Safari.  

Most of all, you will gain a better sense of gratitude and appreciation for your own life and make lifelong friends. 

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TRIPS? 

There are organizations that take people on trips and exploit the people they are claiming to help, especially children.  You may or may not have heard the term “voluntour” or “voluntourism.” The term voluntourism is a combination of the words volunteer and tourism. It is also sometimes referred to as volunteer travel or volunteer vacation. Voluntourism is a form of tourism in which travelers participate in voluntary work, typically for a charity.

The negative side voluntourism is when the people doing the help exploit the people they are helping and turn it into a business that makes them money but causes the people they are helping to suffer.  Or they come in and do projects and take away the work from the local people or bring supplies with them vs buying them in the local economy.  

If the voluntourism opportunity is well-thought out and sustainable, a volunteer’s actions can have long-term positive impact. Our goal is to ensure we buy almost everything we can from the local economy, invest in the local economy by not taking away work from the locals or provide things that they do not need or want.  For example, kids need school supplies to go to school.  We would ask for donations to buy them there vs bringing them with us.  There are some things we provide that we bring with us but mostly we strive to invest in the local economy.

You will learn about a new culture and have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a community, to surround yourself with new friends and activities and to see first-hand the issues a community in poverty faces. It will broaden your scope of the world and your understanding of the complex nature of poverty and sustainable development.

Our visit will stimulate the local economies, as we will be providing income to many people.  We will hire drivers to drive us and our accommodations will employ local help to cook our meals and we will eat locally.  You will have the opportunity to purchase items from our ladies who make the products of baskets and beads.  We will provide medicine and employ medical staff to do a medical clinic in Mt Elgon.  We will assist with the medical clinic to ensure all who need medical care are able to obtain the care they need. Oftentimes medical care is too far away for many villagers to get to so they go without.  

The people you meet will create lifetime memories that will impact you in a positive way and give you a perspective and understanding that you cannot experience from looking at it through photo's or videos.   

QUESTIONS? 

Email Eldonna@basketsandbeadskenya.com

Connect with us on social media to see the schedule of our online sessions for Q&A

 READY TO JOIN US? 

Please email us. 

Estimated cost $3,950.00 plus Safari, Visa Fee and Airfare. We are compiling costs for accommodation and transportation. 

The fees do not include airfare. You will be responsible to book your own roundtrip airfare and arrive on May 28th.  Your passport must be valid for 6 months from the expiration date.  If it is not valid for at least 6 months, you will be denied boarding and not permitted to travel.  Check your passport. 

Kenya requires a Visa to enter the country. You will be required to complete a Tourist Visa application and pay a $50 fee.  You will need to complete this request at least 1 month out to ensure time for processing.  You will be given the details for how to complete the visa application online.

Visit the state department website for information on the country and health considerations.  

The trip covers the cost of your accommodations at all locations, most meals, transportation in Kenya and all activities we will do there.  The Safari will be an additional cost.