Monthly Archives: June 2011

So you may or may not know that I’m returning to Kenya on July 16 to spend two weeks working at the school and enjoying a safari that I missed the first time around. I’m really excited to be returning to the school, and its made the entire process of raising money so much easier to know that I get to see the kids again. I remember as I was setting up a display for my 18 for 18 party, I almost started crying looking at all the blown up pictures of the Royal kids. In my head I could see the moment that came right after the camera clicked, and could hear all their adorable voices, and I just couldn’t wait to get back over there.

Since I’m about to leave town for a week, I wanted to start packing all the donations I’ve received from people over the past few months so it wouldn’t be quite so overwhelming upon my return. In April my aunt was in town and read some of the letters the kids had written to FA students. She loved them, and was a little surprised at how many kids were asking for soccer balls jump ropes, story books, and other forms of entertainment. Even though she had already donated to my campaign, she gave me another $200 to buy the kids fun things to do. So I recently started purchasing different things the kids would enjoy to play with and would be a special treat. In the below picture you can see all the things I was able to purchase for $200, its amazing how far money can go if you really look for deals.

Gifts for the Royal Kids Students

Some of the things I purchased were jump ropes, crayons, markers, colored pencils, colored paper, stickers, frisbees, legos, dolls, american footballs, playdough, and cards. In addition to those purchases, a friend donated soccer balls for the kids.

A few months ago FA approached me about some soccer gear that had been left in the athletic shed that they were going to get rid of. They wanted to know if I would be able to somehow use the jerseys, shorts and all in conjunction with my project. I said sure, I’m sure the kids would love it…but I didn’t know what I was getting into. There was SO MUCH stuff…jerseys, shorts, t-shirts, socks, shinguards…anything soccer related was in the giant tupperware containers. It was already packed by the time I got around to taking pictures, but the kids are going to be ecstatic when they see all the stuff. I’m so excited to get over there and see them again.

It’s been amazing raising money to support them, and its been great getting recognition for that, but at the end of the day its all about giving those amazing kids the opportunity to continue learning. I’m so excited to get there, reconnect, and be able to share more about the kids here.

When I started my exploration of global education it was because of Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea. His work in Pakistan/Afghanistan sparked a passion inside of me. I was in awe of his dedication to such a troubled area of the world, and how passionate he seemed about providing the young Pakistani girls with a better future. I went around speaking highly of his books, recommending them to anyone who would listen; he was the reason I started to work with this school in Kenya…I wanted to be like Mortenson. All was good until suddenly his book came into controversy. There were allegations that he was using Central Asia Institute (CAI, his non-profit) money for personal use, wasn’t recording expenses, and severely embellished events in his two novels Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools. 

Initially I didn’t know what to think about the whole scandal, and I defended Mortenson. I felt like maybe he didn’t think about how his actions would be perceived, and yes obviously he made some mistakes, big ones. However, I couldn’t just give up on him and discredit everything I personally had taken from his endeavors in the Middle East. Even though since his organizations inception he’s made some big mistakes, I don’t think you can question that his initial motives were true and that he truly wanted to make a difference. Yet, it seems that everything since the beginning has been a web of lies, and what am I supposed to think about that. When I first started to hear about the controversy I was out of town and didn’t really follow too closely. I took the position that while Mortenson had made some big mistakes that doesn’t take away from the fact that he inspired me to make a difference, and it doesn’t change the fact that he has still made a huge difference in the lives of Pakistani girls, even if it isn’t as many as it could possibly be (if funds were used correctly).

Now that its summer and I have a little more free time to do leisure reading I decided to read Jon Krakauer’s Kindle byliner Three Cups of Deceit analyzing Mortenson’s mistakes and summarizing all the falsehoods associated with his agency, books, relationships, and overseas projects. Krakauer himself was a donor to CAI, donating over $75,000 to the agency over the years, and seemed bitter that he had been tricked like everyone else.

I was a little nervous to start reading the article because I was afraid that it would be hard to read something negative about someone I was truly inspired by. But I quickly realized that the way his argument was presented was actually really helpful. Yes, Krakauer got some jabs in at Mortenson for his fraudulent practices, but he also reinforced that he still believes in the organization’s mission. Krakauer’s Three Cups of Deceit actually ended up reinforcing my initial position. Yes, Mortenson has made some big mistakes, but you can’t discredit the fact that he’s inspired millions of people to make a difference in the world and that his vision has merits. His belief in targeting out of the way villages, and focusing on girls education are things I still believe in.

I guess I’ve come to the place where I no longer am looking at Mortenson for guidance on how to go about creating and running an international aid agency – no worries readers, I’m totally legit and honest about my fundraising.  But at the same time, I also am not going to hide the fact that Mortenson’s work changed my life. Mistakes are mistakes; hopefully Mortenson will find a way to right his wrongs and continue to make a difference. I’ll continue to follow him and his work, but I will also continue to pursue my own aid work in the way that I see fit. Mortenson was my launching point, but in the time since I read his books I’ve created my own blueprint for change.

Welcome to my blog! I’ve started this blog since I no longer have my blog from high school, but still want to share my thoughts. Over the past year I’ve become passionate about reforming global education and providing kids around the world with a comprehensive education to prepare them to succeed in today’s world. I’ve been working with the Royal Kids School in Mombasa, Kenya and the local non-profit organization E3 Kids International over the past year. I’ve worked with the sixth grade class in Kenya, and the sixth grade class at Fredericksburg Academy to help them create international relationships and further their understanding of other cultures. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit Kenya once already and will be returning in July to continue to volunteer at the school. I’m hoping this blog will be a way for me to  share my experiences and continue to express my thoughts on the world for others to read.

If you’re curious about my work with the school in Kenya, visit www.fablogs.org/pmfa11 to read my blogs from my senior exhibit process. I hope you enjoy those, and will continue to check back here!