What the World Needs.

Confession: I'm slightly burned out right now. I am tired and lack inspiration. 

We all go through these phases. If we lived in a constant high la vida would get extremely dull, no? I think its important during the low (or maybe just stagnant) times to remember the things we are thankful for. Today I am grateful for the gift of having the world opened up to me. It has made me view life in such a bigger, more beautiful way. It has also exposed me to it's problems, which have inspired me to live with purpose. Through my experiences I have become more open minded, understanding and compassionate. Most importantly, I have learned that life is a gift. 

If you are as blessed as me to have a place to call home and people who support you, don't waste what you have been given. Do what you love, laugh often and give back. Open yourself to new experiences, be quick to forgive, share your passions and travel when you can. Not everyone was meant to dedicate their life to saving the world, but by following your dreams you make more of a difference and than you think. People who live a life they love are pretty great at spreading joy. 

I'll leave you with some pictures of my trip to Bogota. It was full of catching up with old friends, walking in parks, dancing and eating at delicious restaurants every night. I also made a visit to a city orphanage. By law I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the children, but I did include a shot of our charming little tour guide taking a picture of me through the window. 

Love. -K

"Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes." - Henry David Thoreau

 I really love the fact that in the Kuku language there is no word to be found for goodbye. I have spent such a memorable few weeks here in East Africa. My time has been filled with new friends, fun projects, exciting adventures, quiet reflection and lots of laughter. I have earned an impressive number of stamps on my passport since my late teens, and through my journeys I have been blessed to encounter a plethora of lovely, unique people. You might not always be able to keep up with every person you meet along the way, but at the end of the day you know when the time comes to cross paths once again, your conversation will flow as if time never really passed. And that, my friends, is what makes travel worthwhile.
  Love.

                  -Kiki

Boomer. ;)

Kampala

 We’re in Kampala today to have some fun before we head back! The capital of Uganda, Kampala is home to around one million. We are staying in a hostel called The Red Chile, which is rather quaint! To tell you the truth I was expecting much worse. You can meet people from all over the world, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Not to mention their brick oven pizzas are absolutely mouth watering.

Our first full day here we went white water rafting on the Nile in Jinja. Let's just say, I don't know why this wasn't on my bucket list before! I have been rafting in New Mexico, Colorado & Colombia, but nothing compares to the Nile. 3 words: LEVEL. FIVE. RAPIDS. Our raft flipped twice, and we feared for our lives, but oh- was it invigorating! The genius I am I volunteered to be our row leader with a just as crazy New Zealander. We had the pleasure of sitting up front and watch helplessly as eight foot waves crash over our heads. I cannot wait to do it again!

 Our last day here we visited some artisan markets for last minute gift shopping. We also went on a mad search for local tunes, which we had burned for us at an obscure barber shop. It made for a pretty entertaining story.

 I am sad to leave Africa tomorrow, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Some pictures from our adventures in Uganda -->

Love! K

Vision

Having 20/20 myself, I had never thought much about the pure inconvenience and difficulty that is caused by poor vision. Not having corrective eyewear prevents one from performing well in school, excelling in most professions, and even clearly seeing the faces of loved ones. The inability to see affects your capability of living a productive, happy life. It is startling to know that the majority of 

sub-Saharan Africans that need glasses are without access. 95% to be exact. 

Fortunately with the help of Eyejusters and Karmoie we have been able to make a change.  A new technology company based in Oxford, UK, Eyejusters is dedicated to providing their revolutionary self-adjustable glasses to the developing world. The product is brilliant, really. After inserting small knobs on both sides of the frame, the ajustable, double slide lenses can be fit to the exact prescription the patient needs. 

We have spent the past few days administering eye tests and prescribing glasses to as many people as we can. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of being able to help someone see clearly for the first time. It is really incredible! 

 
 

Karmoie

This week we welcomed some new visitors to Kajo-Keji. Lars & Kirsten Iversen are the creative minds behind Karmoie, a new luxury sunglass brand from Norway. Not only do they make some striking eyewear, but for every Karmoie piece sold a pair of Eyejusters glasses are donated to someone in need. 

Karmoie products are fair trade, eco-friendly and hand crafted in Italy. Everything you could want in a pair of sunglasses!

Kirsten and Lars have graciously agreed to partner with our organization, donating 270 Eyejusters and 300 pairs of reading glasses. In the next few days we will be working hard to bring clear vision to several communities in South Sudan. I have truly enjoyed getting to know such inspirational social entrepreneurs and have had a blast working alongside them during this project!

After Karmoie’s official launch I'll fill you in on how to purchase a pair. For now, follow them through their blog and on facebook. 

Gelatat!

Gelatat literally means white person. Gringo, if you will. Children scream it everytime they see me. It is followed by laughter, friendly waves, and usually a high pitched “how are youuuu?,” which makes it incredibly charming and not offensive in the least.

I’ve spent the past few days organizing at the compound, playing with little ones, learning how to drill water wells at a nearby school and SKIN a pig. Yes… I skinned a pig. It was horrific but I did it. And then I ate it.

Pretty proud of that one. Wish I had pictures but was too caught up in the moment to capture it. 

<3 Kiki

Weave the Future

Today I visited the local hospital and made a stop at a Comboni. While my experience at the hospital was rather sobering, the atmosphere at Comboni quickly brightened my day. 

An active Catholic mission, Comboni is also the home of Lady Lomin, a social project that helps South Sudanese women lead independent, economically stable lives through textile and weaving. These talented ladies make beautiful hand woven scarves, shoulder bags, purses and laptop cases that help them care for their families. Their motto: "we weave the future". I ordered a bag myself, and will be sure and show it to you when I have it in hand. 

A wing of the hospital. 

The maternity ward. 

Comboni.