CTC announces September 09 Volunteer of the Month- Valerie Stull

CTC would like to announce our September 09 volunteer of the month, Valerie Stull.

Valerie Stull came to CTC in the summer of 2008 along with our medical team. She will be obtaining her Masters in Public Health. While Valerie was in Kenya in 2008 she was able to establish public health needs and decided she would return the following summer to further educate the people in Maai Mahiu. During 2009, Valerie along with two other CTC volunteers Kiera Evans and Courtney Held hosted a 5K race in Kansas. They sold CTC bags made by the women in our programs and were able to raise funds to travel back to Kenya in 2009.

FAAST Race:
http://faastfunrun.wordpress.com/


Valerie returned this past summer with Courtney Held and they together worked in the local community teaching nutrition and womens health (mainly breast feeding and it's importance). They made GIANT posters that demonstrated health and nutrition. I know it may sound insignificant but they worked very hard to write these demonstrations in both Swahili and English so that they would be able to teach with efficiency. Valerie worked in the community for two months or more and completed very useful studies of the women working in our community gardens.

We are so thankful for volunteers like Valerie and want to give some real BIG LOVE back to her just as she has given to CTC.

Here are some questions that we asked Valerie about her trip.

1) How did you hear about CTC?
I first heard about CTC from Dr. Bill Hargrove, a professor at Kansas State University who has worked extensively with CTC. He connected me with Dr. Steve Segebrecht prior to the summer of 2008. Before I knew it, I was a part of the medical team for 2008 and returned to Kenya in 2009. Bill Hargrove also introduced me to Zane Wilemon during one of Zane’s trips to Kansas. It was amazing to hear about CTC from the founder firsthand.

2)What has your experience been like in Maai Mahiu?
Wow, this is a loaded question! I would have to say that my experience in Maai Mahiu was always challenging, but also always rewarding. I learned the beauty of stillness while in Kenya. The common phrases hakuna matata and no hurry in Kenya are truly evident in the way the people live. Zane once reminded me while I was in Kenya, to let go of the “Western Desire” to always be doing something and the need to accomplish something. Instead, we should try to savor the moments of calm—to focus on building relationships rather than only on worrying about outcomes. I took Zane’s comments to heart and while I worked hard, I tried to just “be,” opening myself up to the experience. Going to Maai Mahiu was never about what I could “do for them,” but rather what we could learn from each other. I learned so much.
Looking back, my favorite moments in Maai Mahiu were the conversations I had with the Kenyans and the other volunteers over chai tea, playing soccer with the kids, breathing through the dust while just listening to the sounds of the town, and long walks with the volunteers. I loved waking up every morning to familiar noises…trucks, chickens, women, someone’s radio, and people walking. Maai Mahiu is vibrant, moving with a joy that I don’t find here in the United States…greetings, celebration, and just being alive are reason enough to smile. I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend time in Maai Mahiu. I am touched by the Kenyans; my life has changed forever because of them.

3)What are the goals and dreams that you seek for the people in Maai Mahiu?
My primary hope for Maai Mahiu is that basic sanitation and public health needs can be better met in the community. I also hope that HIV-assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the community improves, and that HIV-prevention efforts for the entire community also improve. Women in the community can be empowered with knowledge and financial independence, allowing them to better care for their children and have a greater impact on the community. I know that gender equality is possible in Kenya and Maai Mahiu. It is my dream that by educating and empowering women in Maai Mahiu, health and the quality of life for everyone will increase. I hope that community gardens and environmental programs will flourish in Maai Mahiu, inspiring individuals in the community to grow and eat nutritious food, all while protecting the precious environment. Maai Mahiu deserves the hope for a better future.

4)Why Kenya?
Kenya is rich in culture, history, and opportunity. My passion for and work in Africa led me to Kenya. The people of Kenya are what have captured my heart.