Culture Trek

Posts Tagged ‘Kevin Sudi’

I have just received the following story from Kevin Sudi, the volunteer coordinator at Kenya’s Common Ground Program. Kevin asks that anyone willing to repost this article do so freely.

IN NEED OF HUMANITY

Mr. Elie Nduwayesu, FCYF founder/director and the man behind the child-headed households development project shares a light moment with baby Hirwa while Aisha looks on

At the base of the majestic Parc de Volcanes mountain in the north-western part of Rwanda, in the town of Musanze, is a household headed by 19 year-old Aisha. She always has a smile on her face but a talk with her provides a glimpse to a life that would be near-impossible for some of us to even fathom.

I was introduced to Aisha and her siblings by Mr. Elie Nduwayesu, a modest man with a big dream for the poor children of Musanze.

This is Aisha’s story:

My siblings and I lived with our parents up to 2004, when my father passed away. My mother later confided in me since I was the eldest, that my father had died of the disease called HIV/AIDS. She asked me not to tell my siblings so as not to cause them any discouragement and worry. Later in 2005, my mother too succumbed to the same disease. It is then that I became the provided for my four siblings, who, by then, were aged 13, 11, 9 and 7.

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“KENYA IS MINE” is the latest motto for Kevin Sudi. Kevin?first introduced himself to me?after I had posted to the Facebook Village Volunteers’ group about my pending trip to Kenya.?He has been instrumental in working with the?Common Ground Program and as?part of Village Volunteers. He?works at a local level:

mainly with widows, teaching them organic farming, HIV/AIDS awareness and positive living, micro finance, entrepreneurship, nature conservation, and we also have a primary school catering majorly for orphans and other vulnerable children.

It is because of our communication that I chose to join forces with the Common Ground Program.

I?recently wrote?asking where?Kevin was, what has happened to Common Ground, and?what he thought might come next. My guess is that I?was just one?of many who had bombarded him with these questions. His reply was?an?informal mass email?written with anger, disallusionment and,?most importantly,?a?passionate sense of national pride and determination:?

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