Well, it has been another beyond unbelievable day at Esiteti. The health week is continuing and each day new health topics are being discussed amongst the healthworkers, students and the community as a whole. Today the focus was on female circumcision, a rite of passage that is still very common amongst the Maasai people. Africa Schools of Kenya aligned with a local Maasai organization that has been teaching alternative rites of passages and the health effects of female circumcision throughout Maasailand. The response was remarkable; the room was filled with the older girl students ranging from 9 to 14 years and three elder women of the tribe who have all been circumcised and have never had access to education around this critical issue. The program went on for hours and the young girls asked the most amazing questions. By the end of the session the facilitator asked all the girls in the room to raise their hand if they would still like to be circumcised; not one girl raised their hand!!!! Nakai an elder women leader of the community stood before us and said that she would be meeting with the other elders of the community and will be speaking with them telling them that after she has been educated she no longer believes that any girls should be circumcised and that this practice needs to stop and an alternative needs to happen.
The students left the room now knowing their rights as a child, a woman and a human being; they left that room with a choice!!!

We have just returned from another amazing day at Esiteti Primary School. Today we were honored to visit the new community that was constructed across from the school. For the past five months the Esiteti women have been working day and night constructing their new homes made of sticks, mud, cow dung and recycled materials. Walking into the hut you are overwhelmed with the smell of the small burning fire and the darkness of the home but you can feel the immense amount of love and hardwork that went into creating this home, and the honor that comes from that. The women are so proud of the community they have created, which allows them to be close to their children while they attend school. Due to the opening of Esiteti Primary School five new communities have been built in the area, all for the purpose of providing an education for their children.

The children were so happy to be able to write letters and make art work for all of their sponsors today, each child was so focused and put so much love into their work. Today they also took part in HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention education, which was taught by Maasai healthworkers from AID Village Clinic. As the health week continues more and more people from surrounding villages come seeking health care and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling.

Wishing you were all here with us witnessing the differece your support is making. From all of us here and from the Esiteti community Asante sana (thank you so much)!!!!!

What a day, today was the beginning of the Esiteti Health Week and what a first day it was. With the help of the local Kenyan clinic AID Village Clinic, Dr. Elizabeth Toro and supplies donated by Direct Relief International, AIDS Health Foundation and the Kenyan Ministry of Health the people of Esiteti received healthcare today. From Teri leading the hocky pokey to Dr. Toro treating 16 patients to Orlando teaching the students about solar power and energy alternatives the day was filled with overwhelming joy, intensity and new opportunities. People walked miles from surrounding villages to receive HIV/AIDS education, mosquito nets and medical care. Today was the first day this community has had access to HIV/AIDS testing and counseling and so we were unsure on how people would respond, but within the first hour of the test counselors arriving a line had formed outside their door and down the hallways and continued to fill up throughout the day; starting with an elder man of the community, setting an example for the other men of his tribe.

The children were so happy to receive all your letters and gifts, each one of their faces light up when they opened them and began to read them out loud to their friends. This always means so much to them and they are eager to start writing their letters to all of you today.

To end the day the women beading group is doing amazing, and has now grown to 275 women!!!! They have started a merry-go-round savings program where if a woman is not able to send their child to school each woman contributes a small amount of money so that the child can be educated. Within the last couple of months they have been able to send 5 children to school using this new system.

We are in overwhelming gratitude today for all of your support and for the Esiteti community who continues to teach us so much about the importance of community, gratitude and simplicity.

Asante sana

The bags are packed

In one week's time we will be writing to you from Esiteti, connecting you with the unbelievable people of this community and the stories that unfold each day. As we prepare for this trip we want to thank all of you that support the work of ASK through sponsoring students, buying beads, donating medical supplies and sharing this vision with us, each of you make this work possible. Once again to student sponsors that would like to send letters to their child please have them to us no later than Oct. 3rd. We invite you to share this journey with us as we embark on another amazing experience with the people of Esiteti.

Asante Sana!!!!