Cedric Asiavugwa died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday 10th March. He was flying home to Kenya for his wife's mother's funeral. He was one of the most extraordinarily generous people I've ever known and the sense of loss that I feel for the work he would have done, and the people he could have helped, is almost boundless. The loss I feel most, however, is for his wife and son - Linet and Jabali - two truly generous and thoughtful people who welcomed me into their home, and into their lives. At this unbelievably tragic time, it is incredibly important to me that she need not worry about money. I'm hoping that everyone reading this can help raise funds to contribute to her living expenses, while she figures out her next step.

My name is Sarah Swanson and I met Cedric just before Christmas 2018, when he picked me up at the Nairobi airport and took me to his home to stay. Cedric had known my parents for years - my Mom is President of the Board for the School of Hope Foundation. They fund St. Aloysius Gonzaga School in Nairobi and Cedric was a Board Member, social media director, adviser and friend.  Cedric was also a third year law student at Georgetown, deeply committed to social justice issues. He has worked in refugee services, for women's protections and rights, in pastoral care and ministry, and planned to continue that work globally upon completion of his studies. He didn't know me at all. 

I wanted to see the school that had meant so much to my parents for years. Despite it being four days before Christmas, Cedric hosted me in his home with his family, arranged for me to see the school, meet the directors, meet students, visit some tourist sites and more. His lovely wife, who didn't even know my parents, disrupted her schedule, cooked meals for me, accommodated me while taking care of a young baby with a cold. I felt almost guilty that they had to give me so much of their time. They were so kind and generous, so beautiful.

For me, that trip was life-changing. I saw both so much incredible poverty and so much work being done to combat that.  I got to know Cedric and Linet; I got to spend time with their gorgeous baby son, who was just learning to walk. I anticipated a lifelong friendship with all of them, working together in Kenya, seeing each other on travels, watching Jabali grow up.  I saw Cedric on my trip home to DC just three weeks ago - we watched Georgetown beat Seton Hall in double-overtime. It's a wonderful memory. A week later, he was gone. It remains incomprehensible to me. 

I know that meeting Cedric, and spending time with him and his family, has made me a better person.  I feel blessed for the time we had together. It is my intention to continue the work that I had hoped we would do together, without him. If you are inclined to help support that work, please donate to the School of Hope in his name - link here: School of Hope Foundation You can find more about how they educate and support AIDS / HIV affected and other vulnerable children from the Kibera slum.

This appeal, though, is for Linet and Jabali. Linet lost her mother two weeks ago - she has lost so much. I am hoping we can all help alleviate at least some of the financial pain, knowing nothing can help with the emotional loss.