Connecting Communities

The Children at Little Prinz Children's Home, Kenya

     Certainly, I cannot remember the first time I encountered poverty but I can remember its existence always being present. My parent's business was in downtown San Diego growing up and I am sure there were individuals in transition that were houseless. We would visit Mexico and I remember the broken sidewalks and the smell of urine and beer brewing mixing in the air and filling my throat even while I plugged my nose. I remember collecting presents at Christmas time for kids that were in need of some joy. We would pick out a present and put a tag on it that said "girl, 5 years old". But, I think for everyone, there is a moment when we realize that we are only two steps away from being just like the houseless woman on the street. More importantly, I believe there is a time in our lives when we realize that "girl, 5 years old" has a name, and a face, she has hopes for the future, she had a family at one time and for some reason or another, they aren't there anymore. In short, at some point, we grow to understand that people are people, just like us and perhaps, it is intrinsically our duty to make sure they have a little love in their lives too.
     I remember my moment of realization clearly. I was in third grade and a friend of our family was struggling. It was Christmas time and they weren't making ends meet. They had four kids, one being disabled, and there was no way presents would be under the tree that year. For a third grader, it is hard to imagine what Christmas would look like without presents. We had been given an assignment in class to write a Christmas story and I wrote mine about one of the little girls in the family. My story explained her waking up in the morning to tons of presents that were left for her by a community that cared. When I read it to my mom, she helped make my fairytale into reality. We collected over 300 presents that year and their Christmas morning stands out in my mind as a true celebration of small communities connecting to spread a little love.
    My 3rd grade Christmas collection is a pleasant reminder for me that helping out is sometimes only an arms length away and then sometimes, it takes a little leap. Regardless, connection is attainable. When I reflect on my life, the moments that have been most life giving, that have expanded my understanding of the world and the people that live in it, have been moments when I realized that other people are not so different from myself. My Summer in Costa Rica, is an easy example. Here are these kids with a childhood that in a lot of ways is broken, that live far away from my home, that care about day to day survival instead of Christmas presents, and that hardly ever make it to the 5th grade. And yet, there was something so deeply similar between the children and myself. I know it is true, as humans we all look for love and seek ways to give love to other people; perhaps this is what connects humanity so deeply.
   This Summer, I will be heading to Kenya to help at a Children's Home for orphans called Little Prinz, in Kakamega. Presently, there are 13 children that are supported with a home, healthy meals, nurturing caregivers, an education, and health care. Little Prinz offers a home that children can be proud of and I can say without having been there yet, that there is a deep connection between myself and the children there. In fact, I would assume that if you are reading this, there is already a deep connection between yourself and a child that is waking up right now in a comfortable bed at Little Prinz. We are connected by a need for love and a need to give love. I urge you to continue to follow along my journey and be a part of the relationship that is built purely out  of a love for other human beings.