Annie Wardroup
Annie Wardroup
Nairobi, Kenya 2025-2026
Hello! My name is Annie Wardroup, and I am traveling to Nairobi, Kenya to volunteer with UCESCO Africa, a humanitarian aid organization uplifting women and children through healthcare, education, and workforce development. I will primarily be supporting their efforts to provide equitable healthcare. Read More About Annie →

School Health Screenings

Hello again! Another exciting couple of weeks have passed for me here in Nairobi. I feel like time is passing so quickly; sometimes it’s hard to believe that I have been here for nearly 4 months already!

On Friday of this past week, I had a slight break from the routine of the clinic and helped run health screenings for students at a local school. With the help of a community health specialist, some of the clinic staff and I did medical, dental, and vision checks on nearly 70 4–10-year-old students. I worked in our “triage” taking vitals and collecting basic information, like age, weight, and any medical complaints they may have had, on the students. This task certainly tested my ability to speak basic Swahili because a lot of the students, particularly the younger ones, were not fluent in English. Even though I was having the same basic conversation with all of them, asking questions pertaining to their name, age, and complaints, it was still a test of the Swahili medical and anatomical terminology I have picked up while being here. For example, remembering that if a kid said they had pain in their “tumbo” they meant their stomach or in their “kichwa” they were speaking of having a headache. Even though it was a challenge, I was grateful for it because I have had very few opportunities to practice my language acquisition over the past few months as, most adults know English and will switch to English when speaking directly to me. After going through triage with me, the kids were sent to the dentist for a basic dental exam, then the optometrist for a vision test, and finally to the doctor for a physical exam and to receive any vitamins or medication they may have needed. All in all, it took us around 4 hours to see all of the students and afterwards we shared a wonderful lunch of ugali and chicken prepared by the school cooks.

Otherwise, I also had the opportunity recently to visit a UCESCO project that I had never been to before, a cosmetology and technical school for young women in the community. The school teaches both the trade and business skills to empower these women to start their own small businesses after completion of the program. I got to visit on a day when they were learning how to crochet and knit and sat in on their lesson with them. I even got to join in on the lesson and flex my minimal crochet skills I picked up from my grandmother throughout my childhood. This was a good break from the routine, and I hope to visit the school again in my remaining time here.

While my free time activities have been a little limited over the past couple of weeks due to my first (and hopefully only, knock-on-wood) bout of illness, I have continued to explore both familiar and new parts of the city. In recent weeks, I went to a standup comedy show, took an official walking tour of the downtown business/government district, and went to Kenya’s railway museum. While the CBD (central business district) has become quite familiar to me and I have taken advantage of the cross-country rail system, I enjoyed learning about the history of each, particularly how colonization influenced the fairly recent development of Kenya’s government and the creation of Kenyan rail.

I am looking forward to much more excitement to come!

Triage at the school health screening day

Old trains at the Railway Museum

View of Nairobi from an observation deck in the CBD

Reminders, Fulfillment, and Adventuring

Hello again! My life since last updating you all has been a mix of consistency in my daily work and having some fun adventures in my free time.

My everyday work at the clinic has fallen back into normalcy after the medical camp and the doctor I work with being away for a few weeks. While most of our patients continue to be run-of-the-mill cases of infections and chronic illness, we have had quite a few more complicated cases over the past few weeks. As I become more comfortable in this community and have formed relationships with some of our regular patients, these difficult cases have become more poignant examples of the struggles faced by people living in Kibera. I am only becoming more aware of how certain socioeconomic and environmental barriers present here affect the daily lives and healthcare access of the people we treat in the clinic. Every day we treat people with H. pylori who will take their antibiotics as directed only to be reinfected in a few short weeks or are not helped by them regardless due to antibiotic resistance. Or we see children with asthma and chronic respiratory infections whose lungs cannot heal because of the poor air quality. Then, of course, there are also thousands of people in Kibera living with noncommunicable “lifestyle” diseases who have no access to make the lifestyle changes necessary to adequately control and prevent such illnesses. The list could go on but, all this to say the impact of these society-level issues has become all the more evident to me as I put them in the context of the people that have been so kind, welcoming, and friendly to me over these past few months.

With all this being said, seeing patients every day and having those relationships with them and getting to see them improve from the care we provide continues to be so fulfilling. A patient who first came in nearly a month ago for an infected c-section incision came back this week to finally have her stitches removed and will recover well. The young man with fatty liver disease and rheumatic heart disease has been coming back for regular check-ups and has recovered exponentially since we first saw him in September. We had a female patient who needed an EKG and felt uncomfortable getting undressed in front of the male doctor, so she asked me to run the test instead of him. While I know that any woman would have been a comfort to her in that moment, I can’t describe how fulfilling it was to know that I was a comfort and safe space to her when she was feeling a lot of stress over having the test. I could go on and on.

In my free time these past few weeks, I have had the joy of spending time exploring the city and surrounding area with a fellow volunteer, Brigitte. I have shown her the places I have come to love about Nairobi and we have discovered a few new favorites as well. She enjoys being in nature and taking walks nearly as much as I do and it’s so refreshing to have someone here who I have that in common with. We have taken walks around the Nairobi Arboretum and took a day trip to visit Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha. Hell’s Gate is the inspiration for the landscape in The Lion King and is considered “Kenya’s Grand Canyon.” We saw the rock that inspired Pride Rock in the movie and took a long walk through the gorge of the canyon. On a boat safari around Lake Naivasha we were able to see many hippos and other animals living on the island in the lake that is nearly untouched by humans. Today, we visited a coffee farm. Coffee is one of the largest exports in Kenya and it was so cool to see the process behind the beverage I enjoy each day, from seedling to cup. All in all, after taking a few weeks off from enjoying the more touristy parts of the city, I have enjoyed taking these adventures and having someone here to do them with.

Enjoy these few photos from the past few weeks!

Up close and personal with a giraffe

Great Rift Valley

Pride Rock

In Hell’s Gate canyon

Hippo family

Medical Camp and Political Demonstrations

After reporting to you all that I had found myself settled into a consistent daily routine, last week took quite a few unexpected turns. What started as a normal week turned into working in a medical camp and ended with being confined to my apartment for 3 days due to riots and protests throughout the city.

The first half of the week was business as usual, I spent Monday and Tuesday working in my normal clinic. On Tuesday, I was informed of a medical camp occurring in the area that needed additional volunteers so, I would be spending the rest of my week there. I was so excited to get the opportunity to break my routine and learn in a new environment. Medical camps regularly occur in Kibera and are lead by various international and local organizations with the goal of providing ample free primary care and medications to the people here who may not seek care otherwise. I was particularly excited to take part in this camp because I know that I will travel to a village in December to participate in a camp led by UCESCO. I know that seeing how this camp is run will help me be a better volunteer and leader at the one in December.

In the car Wednesday morning, there was talk over the radio of a former Kenyan political leader passing away from old age but, in lieu of my excitement for the day, I didn’t think much of it at the time. I cannot describe truly how amazing working in the medical camp was. When I arrived, I discovered that it was run by a Christian non-profit based in Gainsville, Georgia and the team leading it were doctors and nurses all from the Southeast. Shockingly, the nurse practitioner with them lives in a neighboring town to my hometown! We both couldn’t get over how wild it is that we live within 20 miles of each other and frequent some of the same restaurants at home and met thousands of miles away in Nairobi. It was certainly serendipitous and, to be completely honest, after nearly three months here, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t cathartic to see and talk to people from home.

The camp was set up in a church, and they had areas marked off as a waiting and reception area, examination rooms, an optometry station, and a pharmacy. When patients arrived, they were given a card that acted as their “chart,” and directed through the various stations on a first-come-first-serve basis. The sponsoring organization brought many prescription and OTC medications to treat both acute and chronic conditions. Throughout the day, I worked with the doctor as he saw and evaluated patients and decided on the best course of treatment. Typically, he took their history, did a brief physical exam if needed, and prescribed them medication to be picked up at the pharmacy. We also worked with a local clinician who aided in patient care and language translation. Over the course of the day, the camp treated a few hundred patients with the most common conditions being gastritis and respiratory infections. It was a truly fantastic day and I was so excited to continue to work with them over the rest of the week.

However, the powers that be had different plans for us. I first grew apprehensive of the situation when one of the other non-medical volunteers arrived to join me in working at the medical camp when she was meant to be at one of the schools in the area. She explained that, due to the above mentioned passing of the political figure, there were riots and demonstrations of public mourning throughout Kibera and the rest of the city and it was no longer safe for her to be at that school. She arrived in the early afternoon, and, throughout the rest of the day, we could hear the demonstrations on the main road. Please know that the medical camp was safe as, it was in a gated church compound with security. We ended up leaving the camp earlier than anticipated during an apparent break in the demonstrations when we knew it would be safe for us to walk to an area to get a car to go home.

The response to Raila Odinga’s death throughout the city and the whole country is something I never could have imagined or anticipated. He was a symbol of political unity for Kenyans and was a beloved figure to people from all sides of the political aisle. Demonstrations of public mourning continued and intensified throughout the day on Thursday and we were instructed to not leave the apartment. We kept our TV on the news most of the day and watched as thousands of mourners first breached the security at the airport to meet the plane carrying his body and then marched through the city to the sports arena where he lay in state. We watched as crowds in the arena became larger and more unstable and as police in the arena took the disproportionate response of using tear gas and lethal force to clear out the crowd. Over the course of the day, as mourners attempted to gather and view the body, the police killed at least 3 people.

While everything remained normal in the area surrounding our apartment, we knew from the news coverage that the areas between the airport and the arena and downtown were not stable. Friday and Saturday were much the same and everything seemed to calm down and go back to normal by Sunday. On Monday, the day after the funeral and burial and a public holiday, we feared protests for the people killed by the police, but they did not seem to come to fruition. On Tuesday, everyone returned to work and we were able to return to our projects. While I was disappointed to miss the remainder of the medical camp, I do think this was an important lesson on Kenyan culture, particularly on how revered and important post-independence political figures are to the people here. It was also a prime example of how, despite Kenya not having a culture that normalizes violence, as with anywhere in the world, select groups of people will use opportunities such as this to incite division and violence.

After an admittedly boring few days in the apartment, this week I returned to my normal post at the clinic and attended the grade 6 and preschool graduation of the primary school UCESCO supports. I am doing well and more updates to come! Enjoy these few random photos from the past few weeks!

With Karen in the city center!

Preschool graduation!

Breakfast and reading on the balcony this morning

Routine and a Day in the Life

Hello! In the weeks since I last updated, my life has fallen into a steady routine. Since I do not have anything particularly extraordinary to update you all on this week, I decided to use this space to provide you with rundown of my typical “day in the life.”

Each day starts between 7:30 and 8:00 am when I get up, quickly get ready for the day, and head downstairs to our other volunteer apartment for breakfast. I am usually greeted by our wonderful caretaker, Karen, and the other volunteers. Breakfast each day can vary but is usually something along the lines of yogurt, eggs, mandazi (sweet fried bread – typical Kenyan breakfast food), sweet potato, or oatmeal with fruit. I also always start my day with a cup of coffee, either black instant coffee or brewed with my AeroPress. After enjoying breakfast, we begin our commute to the office, most often using Uber but occasionally we use the local buses, called matatus.

We arrive at the office in Kibera by 9:30 each morning. At the office, we usually have a quick check-in with our manager, Edna, and solidify the plan for the day. On Thursdays this time also includes a short meeting with the UCESCO psychologist for a mental health session. We then depart for our projects for the day. The other volunteers usually disperse to the schools, and I make my way to ACK clinic. We are always accompanied by one of the local UCESCO staff as we walk to the sites. My walk is relatively short – only about 7-8 minutes – and includes walking through a market and matatu stop and greeting all the shop owners and matatu drivers I see each day.

Once I arrive at the clinic, I am greeted by Arafa, the receptionist and assistant at the clinic. I also usually stop into the dental office to say hello to the dentist, Elphi, and the lab to greet the lab techs, Darius and Issac. I then go into the exam room in the back of the clinic to meet with the doctor and help him prepare to see patients for the day. We usually have a steady stream of patients each day and can see anything from prenatal cases to flesh wounds to common infections. My role in the patient care typically involves taking the patient’s vitals and history, escorting patients to the lab if needed, preparing medications and IV injections the doctor prescribes, and assisting with any minor procedures that may be necessary. We may see anywhere from 5-15 patients in a day. In my time working in the clinic, I have already developed relationships with our regular patients and it’s always nice to see one of them come in and have the chance to catch up and chat with them.

Between 3 and 4 pm I wrap up my work for the day and either meet up with the other volunteers or call an Uber and head home by myself. With traffic, the drive back to our apartment can take 45 minutes to an hour and I usually spend this time reading or talking with the driver or other volunteers. Most days, I stop off at the grocery store – Niavas – across the street from my apartment to pick up a quick lunch and other necessities. I have become obsessed with their chicken samosas from the hot food section and will grab 4 of them and a pack of broccoli – delicious lunch for just under $2. I then will head across the street to my apartment.

By the time I make it into the apartment, it’s usually between 5 and 6 pm and my evening routine usually consists of a shower, maybe doing laundry, playing many games of solitaire or other card games with the volunteers, reading or watching a show (Dancing With the Stars on Wednesdays, always), and catching up with Karen as she prepares dinner. Occasionally there are deviations to this, like if we go to a mall or a restaurant after work instead of heading home, but by-and-large weeknights here are pretty chill. I usually climb into bed for another hour or so of reading or watching a show around 10 and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow.

Week in Mombasa

Hello! Following my last post, I am due to update you all on my time spent in Mombasa!

I traveled to Mombasa with a fellow volunteer to spend a week on the coast engaging with and participating in the projects UCESCO manages there. My week was spent beach cleaning, visiting a local clinic, and visiting a local school that UCESCO has partnered with. It was interesting to see how the healthcare priorities and needs vary from those in Nairobi. For example, the clinic in Mombasa hosts a robust contraceptive campaign and regularly administers most types of medical contraceptive, from the pill to the implant to the IUD. While family planning care is offered in the clinic I work at in Nairobi, seeking that type of care is not nearly as normalized and there is not access to every form of contraceptive like in Mombasa. I also noted how the common infectious diseases of each area were different. In Nairobi, the clinic mostly handles bacterial and viral respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary tract infections. In Mombasa, on the other hand, the clinic frequently sees cases of malaria, yellow fever, and other mosquito-borne infections, treats a wider variety of STI’s, and is an established tuberculosis treatment center. The differences among these common infections can be attributed to a variety of factors, from varied access to clean food and water to the climate.

The week was full of ups and downs but, overall, I enjoyed my time in Mombasa. I am grateful to have gotten the opportunity see more of the country and experience a very different culture and lifestyle from what I have become accustomed to in Nairobi. Mombasa is so different from Nairobi. Where Nairobi is a lush, green city built in a forest, Mombasa is a sunny city of islands with palm trees lining every street. Where Nairobi is fast-paced, Mombasa is laid-back.

My use of free time was also very different from being in Nairobi. Most afternoons and evenings in Mombasa were spent on the beach. While there, I got to see most of the public beaches and they were all so beautiful but all so different. Shelly Beach – where we went on the days we participated in beach cleaning – has a sprawling beach and you can walk kilometers in shallow water before reaching the end of the sand bar. Nyali and Mombasa Beach, on the other hand, are both short beaches with deep water.

On the Saturday that I was there, UCESCO hosted a community outreach beach cleaning event similar to the tree planting event I spoke about in an earlier update. Despite pouring rain, it was a great event centered around making a tangible impact on the environment with other environmentally-focused NGOs, companies, and individuals.

Since returning to Nairobi, I have gotten back into my routine at KAC Clinic. My workweek was spent much like weeks past, assisting in the clinic during the day and spending time with other UCESCO volunteers in the evenings.

Sunset view from the train back to Nairobi.

Afternoon spent reading on the beach. Did you notice the camel sitting on the beach?

Beach cleaning at our outreach event

Tried madafu (unripe coconut) for the first time – very sweet but quite good.

Mombasa tusks sculpture – these were built as a welcoming gift for Queen Elizabeth in the 1950’s (prior to Kenya’s independence from British rule).

On the beach with Ofright (UCESCO’s manager for Mombasa).

Tree Planting, Pop-up Market, and Travel

Since I last updated, I have had another wonderful week in Nairobi and have traveled to Mombasa!

I spent the majority of the past week working in the medical clinic. I am settling in well in the clinic and feel like I have a good grasp on the workflow, the scope of practice, and the ways in which I am most helpful day-to-day. I am genuinely enjoying observing and having a role in patient care and have learned so much from the providers already. One patient in particular has stuck with me from this week. On Monday, a man in his late twenties cam in complaining of chest pain without difficulty breathing, body aches and fever, and a generalized feeling of fatigue. He also had decreased oxygen saturation and elevated blood pressure. After a physical examination, the doctor ordered lab work and an abdominal ultrasound. His labs came back showing that he was positive for streptococcal bacteria and most of his symptoms were likely the result of this systemic infection. This diagnosis was particularly interesting to me because strep infections are fairly common throughout the world; most people, even in the US, have had strep throat at least a few times in their life. This was a prime example of how an infection may be easily diagnosed and treated in areas of high health care access but, the same infection can become systemic and life threatening in healthcare deserts like Kibera. This individual, due to his chest pain and concerning vitals, was already experiencing signs of the bacteria damaging his heart muscle. He was prescribed a combination of antibiotics and reported back to the clinic each day throughout the week to receive his medication through an IV injection. With each passing day that we saw him, it became obvious that the treatment was working to address the infection as his vitals and disposition improved.

Other cases this week included a woman diagnosed with esophageal cancer who had a G-tube and needed it to be secured using a few stitches, many instances of pneumonia and gastrointestinal infections, and a pregnant woman being treated for hormone imbalances. All in all, it was another insightful and educational week in the clinic.

On Friday, we deviated from the usual schedule as UCESCO hosted its annual tree planting day of service. The event took place at a school for children with special needs that is striving to become more self-sufficient and has the goal of providing most of their meals from food grown on the farm on campus. There were over 100 attendees from various non-profit organizations and businesses across Nairobi. Together, we cleaned the campus, prepared the field where the trees will grow, and ended the day by planting over 200 fruit trees. While most of the volunteers were working on planting trees, some UCESCO staff hosted a field day of sorts for the students at the school. I got to learn about many environmental NGOs in the area through talking with the other attendees and learned a lot about the environmental struggles Nairobi is currently facing. While this event was a little bit more physically exhausting than my typical day, it was such a rewarding experience to see so many people come together to support the school, UCESCO, and the broader environment.

Finally, yesterday (Saturday), after a slow, lazy morning of reading, I attended a pop-up market at the Nairobi National Museum. The market had booths from many local artists and craftsmen, some food tables, and a second-hand book shop. After strolling through the market, enjoying a donut, and purchasing a few unique finds, I discovered that there is a sprawling botanical garden on the museum property. When I first attended the museum many weeks ago, we did not take the time to explore all the grounds and completely missed the garden. I had a lovely walk through the trees, taking in all the local flora, before heading back home to prepare for my next adventure.

And that brings me to today! I am writing this from the volunteer house in Mombasa, Kenya’s coastal city. I will be here for the next week volunteering with UCESCO’s programs here and am excited to update you all again soon with everything I get into this week!

UCESCO Annual Tree Planting Event! See me in the far right of the photo putting in the work and repping BU!

Market haul! A handmade mug, a painted card, and a pretty old book.

The museum also has a medicinal herb garden and displays many plants that are used in traditional African culture and healthcare.

Would you believe this photo was taken less than 2 km from the city center?! I’m constantly in awe of how green and lush Nairobi is!

First Week in the Clinic

Another exciting couple of weeks have passed here in Nairobi! In the time since I last updated you, I have had my first official week of working in the medical clinic here.

UCESCO’s medical clinic – the KAC Clinic – is comprised of an outpatient clinic, an optometry clinic, a dental clinic, and a laboratory. These facilities are staffed by one physician, two physician assistants, a dental assistant, an optometrist, and support staff and operate on a walk-in, first-come-first-serve basis. The outpatient clinic primarily treats acute illnesses like respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal infections but, also handles management of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The primary services of the dental clinic are tooth extractions and cleaning.

This week, I have gotten to observe in the lab and the dental clinic in addition to spending the majority of my time in the medical clinic. We saw many patients throughout the week with a variety of complaints, anything from diabetes consultations to wound cleanings. When I was working with the providers, I got to learn from how they approach taking the history of each patient and hearing their complaint and from how they ultimately decide on a diagnosis and treatment plan. In the lab, I was able to see how they test blood, urine, or stool samples for a variety of infections or conditions, including tests that are not commonly run in the U.S. like using microscopy or a rapid test to diagnose malaria. It was really enlightening to see the diagnostic process from both sides, from forming a hypothesis based on the patient’s symptoms to confirming or disproving it in the lab work. I am excited for the weeks to come and for expanding my learning and impact in continuing this work.

Outside of work, I have enjoyed trying a variety of restaurants with my fellow volunteers. Over the weekend, we visited an Ethiopian restaurant where we enjoyed a mixed plate of traditional Ethiopian foods eaten with injera, a light spongy bread. I have also quickly found a favorite place to grab a bite after work, Nairobi Street Kitchen. NSK is a large restaurant that is made up of a variety of vendors selling different of types of food, anything from burgers to Thai food to pasta. While the food is delicious, it also has a great atmosphere, and I see myself eating there often during my time here. I have also enjoyed activities such as going out to bowl or play mini golf or exploring different markets around the city.

The exam room at the KAC Clinic

 

At the football field playing with local high schoolers with other volunteers and UCESCO staff.

Ethiopian food

Sunset view from my apartment

Settling In (Week 1)

Greetings from Nairobi! I have been in Nairobi for a bit over a week now and am settling in wonderfully!

My final week at home was filled with running errands and spending time with family and friends as I prepared to leave. I had to ensure that I had everything I needed to be traveling and living in my new home for six months – from getting last minute toiletries to buying a few snacks that would come in handy as I become familiar with eating new foods. When it came to packing, I attempted to create something of a capsule wardrobe, ensuring that most pieces would work together to avoid over packing. I also brought along enough essentials and more “luxury” items (i.e. my handheld espresso maker) that would help me bridge the gap as I acclimate to my life here without packing so much that I lack some immersion into the day-to-day life of Nairobi. After packing my bags and saying my goodbyes, it was off to the airport!

My travel day(s) to get here was thankfully quite smooth. I traveled through Boston and Paris and arrived here in the night on Monday August 11. After briefly meeting my roommate for the time being, unpacking, and heading to bed, I jumped into my first day of work on Tuesday.

Tuesday was filled with meeting everyone at UCESCO-Africa and visiting the project sites in Kibera. UCESCO focuses on uplifting and empowering women and children living in Kibera slum through education and healthcare and is currently operating 3 schools, an orphanage, a center for young girls, and a healthcare clinic. In the morning, I was able to visit most of these locations, introduce myself, and learn about the unique mission they each have. The rest of my day was spent observing and participating in a dance lesson at the primary school (Peggy Lucas School). The kids here can dance!

As for the rest of the week, I worked primarily at the orphanage – Paradise Community Center. This is a center for children who, for one reason or another, have found themselves without guardianship and in need of basic necessities. There are currently 25 children at the center, each of whom are funny, smart, talented, and bright. Throughout the week, I, with two other volunteers from Italy, lead the children in cooking lessons and games. We made pasta, pizza, and cookies, played many hands of Uno, watched many football (soccer) highlight videos, and engaged in meaningful conversations. Did I mention that they are all very invested in teaching everyone Swahili? Many hours were spent with them shouting Swahili words at me while I tried my hardest to commit them all to memory.

After the long work days, I was able to enjoy a bit of “play” each day doing activities in the city with the other volunteers. One day, we went on a gastro tour, a tour of street and local food in the downtown district. Our guide, Joel, was just as amazing as all the food and we had a great time sharing small plates and getting a real taste of the local cuisine. My favorites included samosas (small pockets of dough stuffed with meat or vegetables) and mandazi (sweet deep-fried bread, a common Kenyan breakfast or snack food). I also spent one day going through souvenir shops and another walking around the mall and playing pool.

Finally, this weekend I was able to visit the Nairobi National Park, go on a sunrise game drive there, and visit the Nairobi giraffe center and elephant orphanage. While in the park, we saw rhinos, buffalo, hippos, giraffes, zebras, gazelle, and baboons. One baboon even jumped into our car (while no one was inside, thankfully) and stole someone’s lunch! The elephant orphanage is a rehabilitation program that saves baby elephants that are found stranded without a mother and cares for them until they are 3-4 years old before returning them to the wild. Each day, they allow visitors to watch their 11 am feed and to observe the elephants for one hour. The youngest elephant was just 5 months old and was so small! We ended the day by visiting the giraffe center where you can feed giraffes.

All in all, I had a pretty great first week here in Nairobi. While the work may be mentally and physically taxing at times, I am excited to continue, to learn more and become more immersed in this place with each day. I have felt so welcome here already and can’t wait to see what is to come!

Sunrise from the air!

A plate from our food tour. I really enjoyed the large sweet bun in the center.

Cats sleeping by the stove at the orphanage.

Hippos in the water! (Nairobi National Park)

A mama rhino and her baby (Nairobi National Park)

An ostrich strutting at another on in the distance. (Nairobi National Park)

A 5 mo old elephant at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Feeding the giraffes

Velvet monkeys watching over the restaurant.