Leah's Volunteer Trip to Kenya
Donation protected
Hi friends and family! IN LESS THAN A WEEK I AM FLYING TO KENYA!!!! What the?!?!?!?
"Due to lack of support and education around disability awareness in Kenya, many disabled children and adults are hidden from public view by their families. The Kenyan culture is built largely around family values and beliefs, and it is expected that children should be able to contribute while at home and then ultimately provide for themselves when they reach adulthood. However, there are increasing numbers of children born with either mental or physical disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome, who do not have access to support and cannot provide for themselves. There are also many children and adults in Kenya who become disabled through the course of their lives."
After reading the above, the disabled children and adults of Kenya immediately had my heart. So with three of my classmates, from December 12-23, I am volunteering through IVHQ to assist with the special needs population in an orphanage in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. While Dana, Ashley, Brittany, and I are in Kenya, we will be working with the children and adults, ages 3-25, of the special needs population (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Intellectual Disability, Down Syndrome, etc.) while also passing on our occupational therapy knowledge to the volunteers on hand.
This volunteer trip is also the basis of my Thesis Project, assessing caregiver burden in Kenya culture, with my classmate, Dana Van De Vaarst. We plan on assessing level of burden and implementing the occupational therapy interventions of training and education to willing caregivers. We have worked incredibly hard the past four months on our research project and and cannot wait to see it unfold in KENYA!
This GoFundMe is to assist with the cost of travel, insurance, visa fees, vaccinations, and project fees. No amount donated is too small, and every little bit means the world to me.
I am SO looking forward to this challenging and life changing experience and cannot wait to make make a difference in the lives of others. Thank you you so much! :)
"Due to lack of support and education around disability awareness in Kenya, many disabled children and adults are hidden from public view by their families. The Kenyan culture is built largely around family values and beliefs, and it is expected that children should be able to contribute while at home and then ultimately provide for themselves when they reach adulthood. However, there are increasing numbers of children born with either mental or physical disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome, who do not have access to support and cannot provide for themselves. There are also many children and adults in Kenya who become disabled through the course of their lives."
After reading the above, the disabled children and adults of Kenya immediately had my heart. So with three of my classmates, from December 12-23, I am volunteering through IVHQ to assist with the special needs population in an orphanage in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. While Dana, Ashley, Brittany, and I are in Kenya, we will be working with the children and adults, ages 3-25, of the special needs population (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Intellectual Disability, Down Syndrome, etc.) while also passing on our occupational therapy knowledge to the volunteers on hand.
This volunteer trip is also the basis of my Thesis Project, assessing caregiver burden in Kenya culture, with my classmate, Dana Van De Vaarst. We plan on assessing level of burden and implementing the occupational therapy interventions of training and education to willing caregivers. We have worked incredibly hard the past four months on our research project and and cannot wait to see it unfold in KENYA!
This GoFundMe is to assist with the cost of travel, insurance, visa fees, vaccinations, and project fees. No amount donated is too small, and every little bit means the world to me.
I am SO looking forward to this challenging and life changing experience and cannot wait to make make a difference in the lives of others. Thank you you so much! :)
Organizer
Leah Anne
Organizer
Afton, DE
