Back to the Watoto: Never Give Up

During the full moon last month, as our four boys walked me home under the brilliantly glowing savannah, Eric asked me, “Auntie, why is the moon always here when you are here?” Smiling at the question, I answered simply “Because I bring it with me.” Confounded for a moment, the boys and I started to laugh. “It always rains the day you leave” Mundia announced. “This part must be magic” I said, grinning.

It seems there is always magic in the air during my trips. This magic (I’m beginning to call it divine intervention) kept Tony and me going, despite continued emotional upheavals regarding the children and their parents/guardians. On the flip side, we got an enormous amount done in this regard, enhanced by ongoing dialogue each day, sometimes extensively. I spent my last hours in Kenya this evening, on the phone with Tony, rehashing events, brainstorming and focusing on diverting a serious storm with the social services department. Both of us are exhausted, sick with heavy colds and well...energized at the same time. That’s the thing about passion. The more that is thrown your way, the harder you get down to business. It simply isn’t work, until it’s over and we are able to look back and learn from the process.

Having a two-year-old is like having a blender that you don't have the top for.

~ Jerry Seinfeld

The social worker we had two years ago, is back. She is not our social worker, but commands the lead in that department, under the DCO. Grace is a power hungry, corrupt individual. She wears an ugly crocodile smile and quickly bears her sharp teeth when someone does not agree with her, or asks her a question she cannot or importantly, doesn't want to answer. This is an important distinction. Grace has problems with me, on multiple levels. She was, after all, the one who initiated me being stripped of all my executive functioning at Watoto World Center, or face deportation, back in 2013. I was simply dubbed “The Donor”. It was meant to be a slam to render me powerless (and useless in Grace’s eyes) to make any decisions or have any say at the table. Even today, she simply refers to me as “the mzungu”, and I haven't seen her in 5 years. Her disrespect and unprofessionalism are glaring. At the time, I was devastated. But I quickly realized this could be a good thing, a rash decision on the other side that might backfire.

This decision to demote me to “The Donor” not only backfired, it empowered me. I am technically not responsible for anything to do with WWC. Grace loves this, and lives on her own island. She doesn't understand that she did me a favor. I have quietly gone about my business while we have turned WWC into a Mecca of hope and progress. We have a bustling little community within the walls of WWC, and are about to expand a great deal more hope with life skills programs to our community and beyond. EVERYONE knows it, most specifically the DCO, VCO, CDO, local churches and Police Departments in our region...and beyond. The people that matter do not want to stand in our way. We are including them all and seeking their counsel in the process. It takes a village, after all.

Any kid will run any errand for you if you ask at bedtime.

~ Red Skelton

As of last week, Grace has decided to make Tony’s life hell. For every single demand from this woman’s mouth, I countered it quietly with logic. That’s the thing - logic doesn’t drive people to take others down. Jealousy, spite, racism and ignorance do. I overheard conversations and took shorthand notes on my phone (easy to do, when you’re the topic of conversation). The problem is our refusal to cave to this woman’s ire when it comes to our policy changes regarding Secondary School Education for our children. The Ministry changed their policies, I followed suit and formalized our updated policies within a day. From this day forward, every child at WWC will attend Secondary Day School provided by the Government. Period. Grace is simply out of her mind over this change. The DCO and all guardians support it. Grace wants us to pay, however, and my answer is no. I am, after all, just the donor. She knows this, and is fighting the policy she put into place. I refused to turn over any financial documentation which infuriated her. “WatotoWorld is a US Non-Profit which supports WWC. I am not under any obligation to disclose WW’s financials.” After she indirectly called Tony a liar, insinuating he pockets all monthly budgets instead of supporting the children, I contained my outrage and suggested “please come visit WWC and take a look at our books. All the information you are seeking is available at the Center.” My flat statement that we do not have the funds to support Private Secondary School tuitions for students who are placed in schools in every corner of Kenya made her wild. “It is a must” she countered. “Why? You are asking me to spend precious resources on frivolous expenditures when we have Secondary Schools within 10km. I won’t do it, because it is an illogical move and makes no sense.” I thought Tony turned white momentarily, right before my eyes, while Grace had to hold herself back. “I am just the donor, who is responsible to my Board and every donor of WatotoWorld. This is a serious obligation, one I am committed to. You can examine WWC's monthly transactions if this is in your realm of responsibilities, and I encourage you to do so. Every transaction you are seeking comes directly from WatotoWorld. Anything that goes to Tony separately is likely coming out of my pocket and is, quite frankly, no ones business but my own". Bristling, she stared at me with a blank expression. Grace had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, none. To her, 'donors' are banks: endless sources and streams of funds that should come in anytime she requests or recommends we frivolously squander said funds so she can get some take in the process. This sort of corruption is rampant in Kenya, normal and expected from people like Grace, because their motives are rarely good, only self serving. We will never give up fighting against it. Never. Give. Up.

Fridah, who just left for boarding school - Form 1. We will all really miss her lovely presence.

If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers.

~ Edgar W. Howe

Moving forward, I wrote up an agenda for the conference which Grace will chair, on Thursday, one I am not able to attend due to airline conflicts. Penina will take my place and it’s just as well. She needs the exposure and is up to task. I listed the most salient problems we encounter as well as our policy changes, due to the Ministry’s abrupt decision to force Rescue Centers to send their children home during the holidays (without satisfactory supervision). Worse, they are demanding that all children, at the end of Class 8, be reintegrated with their families, regardless of where these families are located. We are recommending that the children are safer in our hands. Depends on the age of the child of course, but I know this is the right recommendation. WWC will be exiting all the boys by 2022. We are already in discussion regarding this transition, and will make appropriate moves that will be in each of the children's best interests. In 2022, our boys will be 21, 20, 18, 17, 16 and 15 years old.

In 2012, I drew up the plans for WatotoWorld on a Delta airline napkin, as Peter and I were flying to Utah. This past week, I drew up plans for our Community Center, on a single piece of paper, which is safely tucked away in the desk in our office at WWC. Tony loved the plan as I sat across from him. At one point as I was drawing and explaining, Tony had a huge grin on his face. "Nini?" (what?!) I asked, smiling. "Simmie, you are simple, and I like this very much." "Thank you, Tony. Let's get to work. You get estimates on the piece meal construction. I will work on programs." Tony is currently building his own home and has beaten down every supplier on cost, because he is sub-contracting the job. Once one job is complete, he hires another fundi to do another job, and so on. In the process, he has saved over 2m ksh (about $20K). He is so pleased with himself; we spend countless hours laughing about his experiences, which he loves. Tony is not an idle man. When he is not at WWC, he is working his electronics store and helping others.

Our Community Center is slated to be built when I return to Kenya in April. It will be a 50x20ft permanent structure, in the same design as WWC. We are waiting on a land owner to switch our lots, so that we can have this center built adjacent to WWC. This project will eventually be connected with our projected Medical Center. Everything moves slowly in Kenya, and so will this project.

Below is the business owner of a shoe shop in Kiserian. I was endlessly intrigued by the craft and skill. He was very kind to me, to allow me to video, and took great delight in watching this clip, which made me smile.

Our Kuku project is doing well. We must continue to sanitize the area where the airborne illness affected the kenyedgi chickens, the remainder of which were sold or consumed. We cannot purchase another round of 100 layers until February.

Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favorite colors.

~ Khaled Hosseini

If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all.

~ Pearl S. Buck

There are only two things a child will share willingly — communicable diseases and his mother's age.

~ Benjamin Spock

Children are natural zen masters; their world is brand new in each and every moment.

~ John Bradshaw

From somewhere over the African Continent, I am coming home. This work, while rewarding, deeply satisfying and wonderful, is full of sacrifices. I am deeply indebted to my family for allowing me the luxury of pursuing my passion. My frequent and lengthy absences are not something every family is built to understand. Thank you Peter, Emma, Cary and Tarak. I'm grateful to each of you everyday and thank you for this gift. To our sponsors and donors, once again....YOU make this happen. You matter, and I take your dedication to WatotoWorld, Inc, seriously, with endless gratitude.

Nawapenda wote, tena na tena.

Simmie and Rophan

Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen... yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.

~ Bradley Whitford