Last few days at Mahali

On a lighter note, this week has been super busy with finishing projects, starting new ones, and hanging out with friends! Julia's birthday was this weekend and the girls went out on the town!



This doesn't happen often but this is me working at my desk. Normally I'm out hiking about to find someone's home but now I'm working on putting the kid's files together.




This is a slum community (about a 7 km walk from the school!) where one of our students lives. After the post election violence many had to flee their homes and were placed in villages such as these. One of our students and his family were victims of the violence and don't know if they can ever return home, they live here in a semi-permanent structure unsure of where they will go next.

Where is time going???
This week it my last at Mahali and I am so very sad. The only way I can describe my time at Mahali is beautiful. It truly has been the perfect internship. I have been able to get an inside view of the lives of my children, my co-workers (the teachers) have embraced me as one of their own and I walk away not only having blessed good people but also being blessed in the process.

Somewhat jokingly but half serious I have been offered a job at Mahali as a teacher! (Something to think and pray heavily about) The project I have been working on for them (family data intake) they are now doing each time they get new students, its awesome to see that the work I have been doing has been pratical.

This week has been a series of insights and my heart feel constantly torn now between home and Nairobi. Sometimes I miss home and my loved ones terribly and some days I am so content being here and working. I have realized how strong I am through my time here but also how weak I am and (as my mother put it) interdependent on my family.
It's funny I heard a phrase this week someone said, "I didn't create this world, I was given it." I thought how true that was to my situation here. Unlike home I didn't create my world here in Nairobi I entered into it, unable to control what this world was like around me. But when I thougth about it again I did create the little new world for myself. Everyday I was given a series of choices to close myself off or enter into this new life. With a little help I created a beautiful world here that is not closed to the pain around me but I can acknowledge it and still find hope. And hope I was given, with that hope we are able to find beauty.
-a