In the months of May and June, I visited Kenya and after a ten-day safari enjoying the beautifully scenic landscapes and wild animals of my country, I had the opportunity to visit the children sponsored by Youthful Faces. From Nairobi I headed 245 miles East to Mwingi District. In this journey I was accompanied by two of YF members; Mutua Kikanyi and Susan Nyeki. In Mwingi we visited Kuthea Sammy, Mercy Kathini Kalinda and Mutava Kimanzi. We first visited Mercy Kathini Kalinda. Mercy attends school at Eastview Primary School. Eastview is a boarding school two miles from Mwingi town. Mercy looked shy when she initially saw us but after a while she warmed up and told us about her experience at the new school and just how much she loved being there. She was happy being a boarder because she could now concentrate on her studies. In her former school, her schedule involved fetching firewood and water in the evenings after school but now she is happy to spend that time reading.

Mr. Munyithya, her class teacher told us that Mercy was doing very well. "When she first got here, she paid little attention in class, and never interacted with other students," Mr.Munyithya informed us. "She looked emotionally disturbed. But now she has turned to be one of my best students." Last term she was placed 3 out of 37 students in her class. She determinately told me she is aiming to becoming number one next term.

We then visited Kuthea Sammy at St. Paul Neema Primary School. St. Paul Neema is also a boarding school. When we got there, all the boarding students had gone out for Madaraka day (Independence Day) celebration at a different area of town. At the school compound we met the school principle. He was very welcoming and gave us a tour of the school. He was glad to show us the new Dinning Hall that's under construction. He was also kind enough to talk to me about the academic performance of the school and what strategies they were using to maintain their standing. After our tour and talk with the principle, we headed to catch up with Kuthea and the rest of the students at the Madaraka day celebrations.

Twenty minutes later, we caught up with them. Kuthea like Mercy was shy at first when she saw us but she was very happy to see us. She told us she was doing okay academically and that she liked the school. Kuthea started attending St. Paul Neema in September of 2005. We also met with the head-teacher Davy Mutemi and his deputy. The head-teacher informed us that when Kuthea started school, she looked very traumatized, disturbed emotionally and did not know how to relate to other students. But she had so far healed well and is also doing well academically.

At Mwingi we also visited Mutava Kimanzi. His grandmother was very excited to see us. When she saw us coming, she stopped what she was doing and ran towards us. Young energetic Mutava did not hesitate, on seeing us he came running too. Mutava is a very exciting young lad filled with curiosity. According to his grandmother, he has not been feeling well. Because of his illness, he has been unable to attend school properly. He had just recovered from a bout of pneumonia, but still had a cold that did not seem to go away. From my observation his sickness was a serious issue that needed medical attention. So I arranged for him to be taken to hospital where he would get tested for all possible diseases.

During that week, I drove to Ngelani, Machakos district to visit Mumama and Nthenge Musau. Nthenge and Mumama have been seeing a doctor twice a month and have been receiving anti retroviral medication. I have to say that, these two boys have had a big improvement since the last time I saw them last year. Their health had improved tremendously and especially Mumama's.

When I saw Mumama last year, signs of his malnutrition were evident - dry skin, orange-tinted hair, and a swollen belly. His body was full of rushes and he had lots of oozing wounds, he barely could walk or talk. This time, he looked healthy, the wounds and rushes were all gone. He was very playful, and had a good appetite.

Two YF members Joan Kimangulu and Susan Nyeki later joined me and we headed to Western Kenya. After driving for nine hours and covering over 300 miles, we reached Boho village in Siaya district. In Boho we visited Millicent Akoth, Jeff Omondi and Melvin Oduor. After their mother's death, these three siblings moved from Nairobi to join their grandmother in Siaya.

When I visited them, they had a day off from school and were helping their grandmother harvest corn from the farm. They were very happy to see us. The household members comprises of their grandmother, her two daughters and ten other children. Even though they have been living with their grandmother for a year now, they looked unhappy. The environment did not look conducive for these three kids.

Millicent approached me privately and told me that she would have wished for the three children to attend a boarding school. There they would have enough time to study and not stress about fetching water and firewood every evening after school.

With the help of our YF members, we are working hard to get them a boarding school near their village. In boarding school they will forget their grief, interact with children who don't stereotype them as orphans and they will also concentrate more on their education.

In Nairobi I visited Brian Omondi and Shamar Othiambo, they are still under the care of their aunt. They are fine and still working hard in school.