Me to We Trip: Kenya 2011

Q & A

Hello!

Oh man, India. If I were to do a second Me to We trip, I think that’s where I’d go. I fundraised for about 10 months before I left for my trip - but these were scattered efforts! If you really go hard at it, and plan lots of neat things that can target different crowds to donate towards your trip, I think you can do it!  I was, however, glad to have so much time to plan & ask around while I was fundraising, just because it’s always a little bit strange & awkward to ask for money. But, if you do it creatively & let the word spread.. it’s actually fun, and totally achievable!

Good luck!

Kenya affected me in ways that I still find troubling to put in to words. While I was there, I met incredible people. Incredible kids. And the thought of something happening to one of those kids whose faces smiled back at me with such genuine happiness, makes me feel sick. And so, while it’s not often that I step into a political conversation, or feel like my opinion is of any expertise at all, I do know that my voice is valid, and that I’ve got something important to say. 

KONY 2012.

Do you realize what this video campaign has done? It reached over one million views in 12 hours. That’s one million people who learned a name that had never been heard. One million people who experienced a “whoa” moment, and then clicked to share. Just by clicking a button, we became a part of the change. Just by spreading the word of who Kony is, we became a part of the change. We all agree that he is a bad guy. We all agree that what he’s doing with the L.R.A. needs to be stopped.  It is our job as humans to stand up and speak out when there is wrong being done. I will not sit back. I will not watch this happen. I will put my hand in, and do the best I can.  

And, it should be that easy - to just act, because you know it’s the right thing to do. But, what irks me is that not everybody sees it the same way.

I’ve grown up knowing that I am so incredibly fortunate. My life has been handed to me with relative ease. Today, Melissa said it best on behalf of her family:

“We can think of nothing that we want or need in life except what is right in front of us. That’s the dream isn’t it? For any of us? To have enough. So what now? Do we just sit back and keep receiving? Stuffing our proverbial pockets with this love, joy, prosperity?”

And the answer is no. We do something. Because although it came easy to us, it doesn’t come easy to everyone. This is the generation that has the most potential to influence change. We are connected. Through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, we are all connected. It takes one click to be a part of that change. It doesn’t have to cost any money, and you don’t even have to get up from your seat. You just have to be aware, and be willing to share what you know. And if there’s time to write critiques against something that we all agree needs to be stopped, then there’s time to click and learn about it. Share it. Like it. Talk about it. Make Kony Famous. 

This is the generation the world has been waiting for. We have the power to create change. Why sit back when you can step up?

Q & A

Hello! SO awesome that you’re going to China - I would love to do that trip someday! My donate button was created through PayPal, and all the instructions to putting one on your website can be found here: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_donate-intro-outside

Good luck!

Lynne

Q & A

Hello! From my personal trip experience, we did get to interact with the kids at one of the primary schools - and it was amazing. We were around them for maybe 4 or 5 afternoons - but as always, give Me to We a call (or e-mail them at trips@metowe.com) & I’m sure they can answer a question like this about your specific trip in greater detail.  

Have a great day!

Lynne

Q & A

Hi Molly! Thanks for the sweet message - I’m always so glad to hear that this blog has helped anybody in any way. My blog was a really useful tool while I was fundraising, especially amongst my family & friends who were already aware of my cause, and could check back regularly for any updates. I distributed my link at the bottom of any e-mail I sent, flyer I handed out, and I even did some cross-promotional stuff with my other blog (lynneharris.ca - see, I did it just there!) and on twitter, facebook, etc. I did reach a good handful of people across Canada who were complete strangers to me, and were generous enough to contribute monetarily towards my trip costs. However, it wasn’t until I returned home from my trip that this blog got any attention - it’s been a great way to document some of my stories (although, there are so many more I feel like I should’ve shared - is it too late?) - and I still love looking back on it many months later. Start a blog! You won’t regret it! 

Lynne

Q & A

Hey, sorry I don’t really have any tips! I think that if they recognize that you’re an awesome person, they’d be happy to have you helping to make a difference. Good luck!

Q & A

Hi Michelle, 

First of all, thanks for the kind words. It’s really special to hear that my blog has inspired you in any way as you make the decision to head overseas. But, of course, congrats on this decision! Me to We is awesome. After being home for seven months now, and realizing that I still think about this trip almost every single day - I think that’s enough proof that it was worth every penny. I was able to fundraise my entire trip cost, and it’s definitely achievable. You’d be surprised at how generous people are. Just by spreading the word to my family and friends, I was able to collect a couple of thousand dollars -  once they hear what a great cause their money is going to, they’re happy to contribute to your experience. In addition, I did a couple of fundraisers which you can see archived back a few pages on this blog. My garage sale was a really easy way to make a good chunk of money. I’d also suggest heading to your local grocery store and asking for food donations (spaghetti, sauce, drinks) and then hosting a dinner party where you sell tickets for a plate. At the event you could have a raffle, some 50/50 tickets (the winner would likely donate their prize back to your cause), and a donation jar for coins.

I hope this helps a little bit! If you’re looking for more expert advice, the staff at Me to We are super helpful, so give them a call!

Thanks & good luck!

Lynne

If you’re thinking about a trip…

just go.

It changed my life, and the the lives of others - the value of that is priceless.

Ask!

I’m always willing to answer any questions about my trip, and have answered tons of questions privately through my ask box here. If you ask me something anonymously, please also leave your e-mail so I can get back to you in greater detail without having to post it publicly on my blog!

Thanks!

Q & A

Hello! & thanks for the sweet words! My most successful “formal” fundraiser was probably my garage sale. I raised about $800 from selling my family’s old stuff and the stuff neighbours & friends donated to me to sell, plus was able to put the word out that I was going on the trip - which resulted in LOTS of spare pocket change that kept flying my way, and envelopes in the mail addressed to me with donations inside. Just by making it known that I was fundraising for this huge trip, I received about 1/3 the cost in random donations. My parents told their co-workers, I started up this blog, and I did everything I could to make the people around me aware of what I was doing. Generosity is something that’s wired into people’s hearts (at least, for most people), and so when they heard that this trip was for such a great cause, there was no hesitation in helping me out. It makes them feel good to know that they’re contributing to something so fantastic. 

Good luck!

I’ve been e-mailing Sebastian.

Sebastian is the in-country contractor for all Free The Children projects. When we were building at Baraka Health Clinic & Kisaruni Girls High School, Sebastian was always there to greet us with double high fives and encouraging words. “Easy as A B C D!” he would say to us. Oh, Sebastian. If only you knew how “out of practice” my muscles were before the trip began - not so easy!

Anyways, I really looked forward to seeing Sebastian every day, because we would have these conversations about what life is like in Kenya for him, and what life is like in Canada for me. He was so interested in Canada - and couldn’t believe that I flew for almost 16 hours to visit his country. He always said to us that Kenya is the last province of Canada - we are all family. He wants to visit someday, and someday I hope he can.

Sebastian’s recent e-mails make me long for Kenya even more - he types the way he talks (with a strong, strong Kiswahili accent), and he is so genuine and kind, saying that “everyone in [my] team is a special friend to him” - oh man he’s the sweetest. I sent him a couple of photos, and he has printed them out and he thinks they are “the BEST”!

Anyways, I’m just feeling lots of love for that country still, and it’s been really wonderful to remain in touch with my friend.