Kenyan Thanksgiving



The Spanish magician group from the Foundation of Abra Cadabra


Thanksgiving Day was very hectic in the Village. A group of Spanish magicians from the Spanish Foundation Abra Cadabra visited for the day. I must admit that my excitement level for their visit was fairly low considering my interest in contributing to preparing Thanksgiving Dinner. To my surprise, the visit by the magicians was one of the more powerful experiences of my trip. These people used their gift of magic and playfulness to put smiles on all 728 children’s faces. Few people have the ability to connect with children. These people have that gift and brought abundant joy and energy to the Village. In the morning they offered a 1.5 hour show for all the children and staff. After lunch, I put on my Volunteer Coordination Hat and guided them on a tour of the Village. Although these visitors have a unique ability to approach life with joy and humor, it was quite interesting to witness the serious side of these visitors as I explained the reality of life for these children. I made it a point to explain how much happiness and joy they brought to these children who experience limited forms of entertainment in the Village. The group was on a tight schedule and explained that they needed to leave by 3:30 pm to return to Nairobi for a show the following day. At 3:30pm, as the tour of the farms concluded, I expressed the importance of visiting a Village home to witness how the families live. As I suspected, these social individuals were touched by the personal interaction with these families in their homes. Our time together was a wonderful experience for both me and them. A special thanks to Marian Alvarez, from the COGRI Spanish Board, for organizing and accompanying the magicians on their visit.

Magic show in the Social Hall

After bidding farewell to the visitors, I checked on the progress of our Kenyan Thanksgiving Dinner. The previous weekend I had been in Nairobi and did not assist in purchasing or organizing the dinner. That day, I did not contribute to the preparation of the meal except for taste-testing a few items as they came out of the coal oven. So basically, my contribution to the feast consisted of drinking the beer and eating a hefty portion of the delicious food.

The volunteers that organized and cooked the meal were Rafael and Anne (two Spanish volunteers), Natessa and Aliza (two American volunteers), and Chris (another American volunteer). The dinner items prepared included: 2 chickens, pineapple sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, caramelized onions, guacamole and chips (of course the Spaniards prepared the guacamole), pumpkin pie, and Tusker beer. Before digging in, we took a few moments to explain to the Spaniards the true purpose of Thanksgiving which was followed by offerings of thanks for many of our blessings. Although the chickens were not quite the same as turkey and gravy, it was a respectable substitute. As the sun descended and the room darkened, we lit some candles and enjoyed a unique atmosphere and conversation as we sipped on our warm, yet tasty, beers. Overall, the food was excellent and the company and conversation was even better. At times during the day I definitely wished I could be at home sharing this holiday with my family and friends. That being said, I have to admit that our Kenyan Thanksgiving was uniquely special in its own way.


The volunteers preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner



Our Thanksgiving Feast

I am enjoying a warm Tusker beer before dinner

Our Village Priest, Fr. Nicodemus, asked for my assistance the other day in taking pictures of all the children in the Village. A generous Kenyan made a donation to ensure that all the children receive a present this Christmas and Father wanted to give the donor a picture of the children. Additionally, I am working with a former volunteer to buy shoes for every child for Christmas. Without these generous donations, the children would not receive any present this Christmas.

All the children at the Village entrance

The younger children near the Village entrance



This is a solar cooker that is being presented in the village for all the families to use.  It makes no sense for the village to have to search for wood every day for cooking, not to mention deplete the wood supply in the village, if the solar cookers can be used.  The village has an abundance of sunlight that should be used.  Above, the solar cooker is cooking two eggs and purifying water in the pan for safe drinking.  The families should be able to cook a meal with three hours of sunlight.

 Until Next Time…