Earlier this month, 12 Saint Mary’s University alumni and friends traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, as part of the second international alumni service trip. The alumni, who came from Minnesota, Illinois, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Toronto and whose graduation years span from 1963 to 2017, visited and served with current students and alumni from the Saint Mary’s Nairobi Campus at Christ the Teacher Institute for Education (CTIE) located at Tangaza College in Nairobi. Saint Mary’s has had a presence in Nairobi for the past 25 years.
The U.S. alumni were hosted and accompanied by a handful of Nairobi alumni and joined by many others throughout the week. Together, the team spent time learning about and serving the programs and communities where our Nairobi alumni live and serve. One of the programs they worked with was Friends of Love Kibera, founded by Jeremiah Mumo ’12 (a CTIE alumnus), which serves children a hot lunch — many times the only meal they receive that day — and provides opportunities for learning, including proper hand-washing techniques to avoid diseases. Another project visited was the Ngao Society, an organization founded by Anthony Hulula ’07 (a CTIE alumnus) which teaches women sustainable business practices to help financially support their families and mentors youth about life, post-education work, and how to be successful. These alumni and friends enjoyed strengthening the Lasallian mission and building community through service.