necklaces and bracelets!

SO happy and excited making necklaces for all of you beautiful people!

Working hard!

Please let me know if you would like to support this school by purchasing a necklace or bracelet!

Workshop

Today I did another workshop with one other volunteer and it went so well! The teachers really seemed to learn and enjoy it, and a lot of them even came up to me afterwards to say thank you! The workshop, like the other ones, focused on how to engage students in learning, classroom management, and ways to discipline WITHOUT "the cane." Teachers were open and interested in learning new tips to teaching! Wonderful day! :)

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Your donations :)

I am so grateful and awed at the generosity of the donations you have made. I cannot thank you enough. Please know that your donation is making a difference in people's lives and together we can make change happen. I want to let you know that Kenya is facing it's worst drought in 60 years. Combine that with the rising price of fuel around the world, and you get a huge food crisis in Kenya. In the last couple of months food cost have more than tripled. In addition to these problems, donors, who once sponsored a child, have stopped due to an economic recession. Now, it is up to Maji Mazuri, who will not turn the child away, to find a way to cover the child's basic needs. All in all Maji Mazuri is struggling to make ends meet. I encourage all of you to consider a donation of even just $10 to help this amazing organization that I now call home. You can donate by going to the website at majimazuri.org, or by writing a check to Maji Mazuri USA and send the check to Kevin Corcoran President, Maji Mazuri USA Inc. 4783 Summerset Lane Atlanta Georgia 30338. %100 of your donation goes directly to the organization and as I have been here on the ground, I can tell you if you want to help an organization, it's this one! Maji Mazuri is the most incredible project I have ever been involved with and I have yet to see a Nonprofit, that is as dedicated as this one. Again to those of you who have donated, I thank you and can't tell you how thankful I am to see us all working together to better the lives of others.

P.S. My kids at the special needs center makes necklaces and bracelets. If anyone would like one, they are $5 and I would be HAPPY to bring one home for you! Just let me know!

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

the rains coming

Kenya knows I am leaving soon, and thus like my heart, it is crying. It is pouring here now, and hope it clear by tomorrow morning, so I can enjoy a Sunday in Nairobi flea markets. I am also going to the youth group tomorrow in the Mathare Slum to talk about what life is like in America. Can't wait to hear some of their questions. Praying and hoping and dreaming the wheelchairs will be done before I leave, so I can be there when they are delivered, especially for my boy William. I gave another workshop this week to the special need teachers on how to teach life and occupational skills. Last week, I did a workshop with the general ed teachers who work on the slum of how to create a loving a safe community within the classroom, and how to make learning fun. I did this workshop with two other volunteers and the outcome was just amazing! Today, I went back to happy life and saw the babies again! Love holding and feeding the babies, although it broke my heart when I was given a 3 week old to feed and they handed me a cup and spoon to feed him. no bottle :( But anyways still loving life in Kenya and am so thankful for the time I have here. Enjoy some pictures!

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

some pictures :)

LOVE

LAUGH

LIVE

FRIENDS

AWARENESS 

RESPECT

what Kenya has taught me

Realizing I only have 2 and a half more weeks in Kenya is getting to me. Do you know what it feels like to wake up everyday happy, excited, and having a sense of purpose? I do. Kenya taught that to me. Love a simple life, and don't worry about the petty things. Live your life and realize how beautiful it is. I have learned so much about myself and the world being here and everyday I continue to grow, I never want to stop learning. I'm rambling now, but I don't know how I am going to leave. Yes, I miss all of you my family and friends and if not for you, I wouldn't come back! But I dare you to step outside your comfort zone if even just for a minute. Ride the city bus, go down to Venice where the homeless live and talk to them, hear their story, visit an orphanage or a homeless shelter, go to a mosque and listen to their prayers, donate your time,  not your money.  GET OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. This is the only way to not be ignorant, naive, and to open your eyes to a world much bigger than you are. You will learn more about yourself in one day than you have your whole life. Now, I know most of you do this but encourage your friends and family to do the same. As I have said before, life is simply beautiful. A close friend of mine here said to me, " I may not live long, but I want the time I have here to be a series of fireworks. Each period of my life more explosive than then the previous one." I've adopted this philosophy and I'm ready to live an explosive life :)

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Happy Life

Today I took time visit a local orphanage called Happy Life. An amazing organization who has 53 abandoned children all under the age of 7 the youngest being 2 weeks old. These children were found at bus stops, trash bins, in front of hospitals, handed to a passerby and then abandoned. Such beautiful souls, and they warmed my heart. I'll spend more time with them next weekend, I loved holding the babies!!!! Still very busy giving workshops and meeting with teachers both special ed teachers and general ed teachers and loving every minute of it. I have the wheelchair technologist coming on Monday for more custom made wheelchairs and I am so excited!! Loving living life through an awakened
mind.  It's like I've been sleeping before Kenya shook me awake, and for that, I thank you Kenya.

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

Holding a 2 week year old baby boy. They received 3 days ago and named him Richard today.

                                    

potty training!!