Pic of the Week

I call this picture "Oh My Goodness", though I am unsure exactly if I am referring to her expression or mine at seeing her sheer cuteness.

Contest #2: Winner Announcement

We would like to announce that Chrystal is the winner of the second WoD caption contest. Congrats Chrystal! See Chrystal's super funny caption below:

"At the Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, we teach you that there's more to life than just being really, really, really good looking."

Chrystal please contact me at dori_jennings [at] yahoo.com to claim your handcrafted African prize.

We will be announcing Contest #3 any minute now, so stick around :)

Recipe: Ugali

One of the most common dishes in Kenya, and especially on a World of Difference expedition, is Ugali, which is best enjoyed when used as an eating utensil - the Kenyans refer to it as "the original fork". Make Ugali for yourself with this easy recipe:

• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups white cornmeal, finely ground

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the cornmeal slowly. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring regularly, smashing any lumps with a spoon, until the mush pulls away from the sides of the pot and becomes very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool somewhat. Place the ugali into a large serving bowl. Wet your hands with water, form into a ball and serve.

This dish is just scrumdidlyuptious when served with Sukuma Wiki :) Check back in the coming weeks for recipes to other tasty East African dishes.

Pic of the Week

This picture was taken by WoD team memer Chelsea. I refer to it as "One".

Contest #2: Voting

We got some pretty hilarious submissions for our second online contest, narrowed it down to our three favorites, and now its time for you guys to select the winner!

Here was the picture:


And here are the top captions. Which is your favorite?

Contest #2: Voting
"Don't worry, no tongue...I promise...." "What do you think, should I blot one more time?" "Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too"
	Results

This Week in Kenya

We at World of Difference love to stay apprised of Kenyan current events. Here are some of the headlines that caught our attention this week.

• Telkom Kenya Welcomes Scrap Metal Ban [Capital FM]
• How Kenya Will Be Affected by Russian Wheat Export Ban [The East African]
• Chaos in Kenya's Capital City Hall [Capital FM]
• Teaching in Kenya Leaves a Little Welcome Baggage [Daily Herald]
• More Trouble for Kenya's Public Health Cover [Daily Nation]
• Kenya Referendum: How Groups Came Together to Prevent Violence [MinnPost]

Recipe: Sukuma Wiki

One of the most common dishes in Kenya, and especially on a World of Difference expedition, is Sukuma Wiki. This leafy green vegetable dish translates to "to push the weak" indicating a Popeye-like effect. I absolutely love it and love that my town has an East African corridor in which I can find this dish and many others. Make Sukuma Wiki for yourself with this easy recipe:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1 Tomato, diced
• Garlic, as much as you like
• Salt (to taste)
• A bunch of chopped greens (kale is most common, but you can use collard greens or spinach, or all three!), chopped
• 1/2 cup water

Heat oil in a pot and add the onion and garlic. Stir well and saute for a bit. Add the tomato and saute for another bit. Add greens and saute for another bit. Add water and salt. Let the mixture simmer until the greens have reached a desired tenderness.

In Kenya, this dish is most commonly served with ugali or chipati; check back in the coming weeks for recipes to these, and other, dishes.

More Animals in Swahili!

Last week we introduced "The Big Five", the most sought-after animals on an African wildlife safari. This week we will learn the names of some of the other animals you would see on safari.

Zebra = Ganj'a

Warthog = Ngiri

Giraffe* = Twiga

Hippopotamus = Kiboko

Ostrich = Mbuni

Stay tuned to see what next week will bring :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.

*Like giraffes? Check out our latest caption contest and enter to win a hand crafted African prize!

Pic of the Week

WoD team leader JD and I drew a happy face on one child's hand...naturally the children swarmed, all of them wanting one. I can still here them calling out "And me! And me!"

Contest #2

Welcome to the second WoD Blog Contest! Now here's the low down. Below is one amazing photo of a giraffe in Africa. In the comments write your best, most clever caption for this picture. Feel free to enter as many times as you want, but don't forget to put your name; we can't give awards to "anonymous" :)

The contest will be open for ONE WEEK, until next Friday, August 20th at noon. At which point, we, your editors, will select our three favorite captions and post those for you, the readers, to vote on. Voting, in turn, will be open for one week, and the winner will be announced the following Friday. There is an awesome African prize up for grabs, too!

Here is your pic, now lets the comments begin!

Contest #1: Winner Announcement

We would like to announce that Carol Myers is the winner of the first contest here on the site. Congrats Carol! See Carol's laughtastic caption below:

I Always Get Picked Last for Dodgeball!

Carol please contact me at dori_jennings [at] yahoo.com to claim this beautiful, handcrafted perennial calendar from Kenya as your prize:

We will be announcing Contest #2 any minute now, so stick around :)

This Week in Kenya

We at World of Difference love to stay apprised of Kenyan current events. Here are some of the headlines that caught our attention this week.

Every year WoD offers to their team member the opportunity to stick around in Kenya post-expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Next year I plan on climbing Africa's highest peak for my very first time. This is something I'm a bit nervous about because, among natural apprehension related to such a trek, I have scoliosis. Aside from my back and neck being pretty uncomfortable most of the time, this puts a good deal of pressure on my knees and ankles resulting in unusually advanced arthritis for someone my age (30). Our first article in the line up is about three veteran amputees who just climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. I found this to be MORE than encouraging and motivational, not to mention really put that "oh dang my knees hurt" into perspective! I couldn't wait to share it all with you today:

• Amputees Climb Kilimanjaro [Associated Press]
• A Bloodless Poll in Kenya [The Wall Street Journal]
• Kenya Not Out of the Woods Yet [Capital News]
• China Agrees to Help Improve African Food Production [Automated Trader]
• New Constitution is Only First Step [AllAfrica]

The Big Five in Swahili

Last week we wrapped up our multi-part Swahili times and dates lesson, and this week we introduce "The Big Five". This term refers to the most sought-after animals on an African wildlife safari. All of the following photographs were collected on safari on the Maasai Mara with World of Difference.

Lion = Simba

Elephant = Tembo

Cape Buffalo = Nyati

Leopard = Chui

Black Rhinoceros = Nyeusi Kifaru

Next week we will learn the names of some of the other animals you would see on a safari :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.

Pic of the Week

This is a sign that hangs in the Kwa Watoto school. It is so simple and yet so undeniably powerful.

Contest #1: Voting

We got some awesome, LOL-inspiring submissions for our first ever contest, narrowed it down to our three favorites, and now its time for you guys to select the winner!

Here was the picture:

And here are the top captions. Which is your favorite?

Contest #1: Voting
Hmm...shall I have the milk or the blood? They're doing it all wrong. I always get picked last for dodgeball!
	Results

This Week in Kenya

We at World of Difference love to stay apprised of Kenyan current events. Here are some of the headlines that caught our attention this week.

• Supreme Court Will Be Set Up Within One Year [AllAfrica.com]
• Polio Eradicated in Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda [Vaccine News Daily]
• Raila Rejoins Campaign [AllAfrica.com]
• Kenya Threatens to End Somali Pirate Trails [BBC News]
• Kenya Finishes with 25 Medals [ESPN]
• Obama Congratulates Kenya on 'Peaceful Transparent' Vote [AFP]
• Kenya's New Constitution Expected to Boost Economy [VOA News]
• Does Kenya's 'Yes' to New Constitution Signal New Era? [Christian Science Monitor]
• Kenya Constitution to Take Time [AFP]

Swahili Dates and Times, Part 4

Last week we learned some more Swahili times and dates, and this week we continue this lesson.

Next week we will learn the names of the animals you would see on a safari :)

Need help with your Swahili pronunciation? Refer to our guide.

Contest Reminder

We are having such a great time reading all of your submissions to our first contest! If you haven't done so already, be sure to submit an entry, or two or three! Good luck!

Pic of the Week

"BUBBLE"!!! Remember that fish from "Finding Nemo" who lived for bubbles and would shout "BUBBLE" whenever they burst from the trunk in the aquarium? It's kind of like that :)

Team Member Experience: Jillian

Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway.

-Mary Kay Ash

Apparently no one told a group of stay at home mom's/wives, students, school teachers, wine distributors, health care professionals, event planners, and children that we couldn't go and build a school. So we went and did it anyway.

Well, we got a good start on it at least. I am sure that past groups felt like they had the best mix of people possible. This year was no different. It felt like we had the perfect storm of volunteers.

Each person had their own reasons for taking on the task of helping children in a far off corner of the world. I was hoping for some perspective. I had gotten into the habit of letting circumstances, work and people determine my level of happiness. Those outside forces obviously, weren't very concerned that I stayed on the sunny side of things. So, I left for Africa with a heavy heart. Not because of any one horrible thing...just the sum of many little things. I wasn't particularly happy and wasn't particularly happy with the person that I was becoming. The thing that worried me the most was that I wasn't smiling nearly as much as I used to, and more than a few people had mentioned it. As we left the plane and transferred into the bus that would take us to the Amani Centre, I was worried. Horrified almost. There was exuberant harmonizing of both church songs and boy band songs coming from the back of the bus. I was certain, and fairly upset, that I had unwittingly signed myself up for some coked-up version of EFY-goes international.

That first day brought with it a lot of visits. Visits to schools and orphanages where World of Difference had already been in years past. One school in particular had Gordon B. Hinckley's now famous "Be's" painted throughout the hallways. It was a surreal experience to walk through the halls of an orphanage on the exact opposite side of the world and see the words of the prophets standing as a reminder of how to be just a bit better today than the day before.
The kids came out to sing and dance, as is the Kenyan way, to welcome visitors. It was sweet to see the excitement on the faces of the returning volunteers, and the children in the orphanages, as they were reunited.

But there was no getting past the reality that these sweet kids lived a reality that most of us could not even imagine. Typically each bed slept 3 kids....and they are stacked three high. The conditions of the orphanage certainly left much to be desired if measured by American standards, but the kids at this particular orphanage could not have been happier. They have learned how to play instruments and dance, so that they would have a means to make money...and were as tight as any blood related family I have ever seen.

Laura, one of the women in our group, was talking to a young boy at the orphanage. As they were talking, she wondered about what it must be like for him not to have a mother to run to when he got hurt, or any siblings to conspire and make mischief with.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, than the young boy looked at her with the excitement that only a child can muster and said, "Oh- do you want to meet my brother?"

Of course she went to meet his brother, and it all became clear. This boy was obviously not introducing her to his actual brother...but a fellow orphan who he loved so much, he considered a brother. That feeling seemed to permeate every place we went. They may not have the comforts, luxuries and families that we do....but they have a degree of love, peace and happiness that I can only dream of.

At our first team dinner, we debriefed what happened that day and made a plan for the coming days. Brie, who had a cousin that had been on this trip many times before had been given the advise, "Expect it to be everything." It seemed like a pretty bold statement at the time, but over the course of the next two weeks, I realized that statement was one hundred percent accurate. It was everything. It was exciting, sad, intriguing, healing, exhausting and exhilarating. In the end, I came to wonder who actually benefited more from this trip, the Kenyans who simply needed to expand their schoolhouse, or the Americans who have much more stuff than we need, but still can't manage to find the happiness we desire. I may have come to Kenya with a bit of a heavy heart, but I certainly did not leave that way.

***
You can read more of Jillian's Kenyan experiences on her blog Sunny Little Rain Cloud.