WHAT'S NEW
Wenzi kwa Afya's Sponsored Students are Settling into College Life
Jacinta Otsembo and Miriam Daffodil Mumuli are here! They arrived at Logan Airport, Boston, on August 25 and after a few days with Susan & Lewis, went to live with their wonderful host families just in time for the beginning of the fall term at River Valley Community College. They have adjusted to this new life with aplomb—although pizza is not yet their favorite food. Meanwhile, they have used their skills to introduce their families to ugali and pilau. Both host families (more about them in a future post) are very eagerly supported in this endeavor by their church communities—Trinity Episcopal Church of Claremont, NH and The United Church of Christ, in Meriden, NH. The welcome at RVCC has been equally warm. Classes have begun, and even though American-style instruction is different in some ways from the approach in Kenya and may require some getting used to, Jacinta and Daffodil showed their mettle from the start—both achieved very high marks in a standard placement exam in mathematics and English composition that all first year students take. Meet Jacinta and Miriam. September 12, 2010
Host Families in the Claremont, New Hampshire Area are Sought
We are seeking host families in the Claremont area for our first two scholarship students who will attend River Valley Community College in Clarement beginning this September. Wenzi kwa Afya will provide a cultural orientation and continuing support to help host families and their Kenyan guests establish a satisfying and enduring relationship. Learn more about becoming a host family. 7-26-10
Preparations are Underway for First Two Scholarship Students
Jacinta and Miriam, the pioneer students in the partnership between St. Cecilia Nangina Girls High School and River Valley Community College traveled to Nairobi for their visa interviews at the U.S. Consulate on July 20. After several years of planning and conferring, this is an exciting moment for all of us involved in the Wenzi kwa Afya project. Here in New Hampshire we have launched our outreach to community groups to help identify host families in the Claremont area, near the college. In a recent exchange of e-mails Jacinta and Miriam raised questions about our winter weather and what they might expect as they come here from Samia, located ten miles or so north of the equator. 7-20-10