We wanted to write and thank you all again for all of your love and
support throughout our trip. It was wonderful, and we are very thankful
for everything that we learned. We also wanted to write one last time
to let you know about our trip to meet Kiano, the little Maasai girl
that we sponsor through Compassion International.

We set off Friday morning along the Nairobi-Mombasa Road, battling
billowing clouds of diesel fumes along Africa's main thoroughfare. The
streets of Nairobi faded into vast expanses of savannah, spotted with
the occasional impala, oryx, and zebra. We rumbled along for over two
hours, finally reaching the small town of Salama. A tiny sign, barely
noticeable, indicated a right turn to the railroad town of Kiu. Though
the railroad is no longer in its heyday, the town of Kiu still had some
rustic amenities resembling a town. Omar, the Maasai social worker from
Compassion International, led us further away from the cluster of huts,
delving deeper into the sandy terrain dotted with acacia trees. The
Akamba people of Kiu were soon replaced by majestic, colorful Maasai
people herding goats.

We learned from Omar that most of the men from this Maasai village had
left months before with cattle in search of better pastures. Indeed,
the area surrounding Kiloh showed very little resemblance to grassland.
The acacia trees provided cover for vast fields of sand alone.

Arriving at the Kiloh Child Development Centre, a small, laughing figure
came racing out of the aluminum church as our car pulled in. As soon as
we spotted her joyful sprint, Kiano came to a bashful stop next to her
mother. Dressed in beautifully colored kangas and dozens of strands of
Maasai beads, Mrs. Jipison was a glowing figure in the arid, brown
landscape. Her daughter crept closer to us, shyly greeting her
sponsors. We were also introduced to several other social workers and
directors of the Compassion project at Kiloh.

Kiano guided us on a tour of the site. The school in session next door,
used to hold Compassion sessions on Saturdays, briefly dismissed in
order to offer us greetings. The children, however, were very unsure of
us, running away quickly as we approached.

The three Compassion social workers and project manager knew all the
names of the children we met, and told us more about their work in the
village of Kiloh. Each of the 400 children are visited monthly at home,
and every Saturday all the children take part in a program emphasizing
improved spiritual, physical, social, and economic conditions. Recent
sessions have included information on farming techniques, reasons to
resist female circumcision, physician visits for medical exams, HIV/AIDS
prevention, job training, and a balanced meal (with meat twice a month).

Kiano showed us several other projects located around the site,
including different agricultural ventures as well as water collection
tanks. Kiloh has been experiencing a severe drought for over four
years, and the Maasai people's traditional reliance on cows, goats, and
sheep alone has been tested by the unavailability of grazing areas.
Several cattle skeletons littered the landscape, and the vividly blue
sky offered little immediate hope for the February rains. Perusing
9-year-old Kiano's medical charts, we noted that her growth had
plateaued in the past several years. Despite everyone's best efforts,
the drought has been taking a toll on the village of Kiloh.

We all hopped into the truck for our brief journey to Kiano's home. Set
in a small clearing under an acacia tree, Kiano's family shares an
enclosed pasture with one other family. Kiano led us crouching through
her front door, our vision obscured by the smoke from the cooking fire.
We huddled in the tiny space of her home, sitting on a hard,
cowhide-covered platform where Kiano, her mother, and four other
siblings sleep. Kiano's father passed away when she was young.

We offered our small bag of gifts to Kiano and her mother, including a
stuffed giraffe, school supplies, and several bags of tea. Kiano helped
me spell her name with some colorful bubble letters; she told us that
she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

We joined the others outside under the acacia tree for traditional
Kenyan chai. As I took my first steaming sip, Kiano presented me with
two precious Maasai gifts. The first one, a large beaded medallion, is
worn for weddings and other special occasions. The second present was
placed immediately in my ears by Kiano's brother; beautiful beaded
earrings soon hung down to my shoulders. Kiano then shyly presented a
long Maasai walking stick to Jeff, intricately beaded throughout the
length of the stick. We were humbly overwhelmed by this quiet family's
generosity.

Saying goodbye to Kiano, her mother eloquently thanked us and pledged
her thoughts and prayers at our departure. We thanked Compassion
International for their continuing struggle against poverty. And
despite six weeks of treating Kenyan children at Tenwek Hospital, for
the first time, we truly understood what it meant to deeply know and
love a Kenyan child.

We included a few pictures of Kiano and her family... we hope you enjoy
them! Please check out www.compassion.com if you are interested in
learning more about this organization. Kiano's project site sponsors
almost 400 children, but there are currently 26 without sponsors.
Please let us know if you are interested in helping some of these
desperately poor Maasai children.