Callie Daniels-Howell and Annie Garau, high school students serving as long-term volunteers  

We learned…
We learned how to just go with it.
We learned that nothing, not anything, can prepare you for a child’s death.
We learned how to make friends with people we can’t talk to.
We learned that Ritz crackers are the key to getting a baby’s handprints.
We learned how important it is to feel understood.
We learned to value the simplest of traditions.
We learned about sharing things, stories, and homes.
We learned that sometimes it is the quiet moments that mean the most.
We learned what it feels like to be a divided person.
We learned that children drinking porridge is possibly the cutest thing ever.
We learned how to make little nice things into big deals.
We learned how to say goodnight to a Kenyan child.
We learned what it feels like to feel totally comfortable in another culture.
We learned that it’s all about finding happy moments.
We learned that we have the great privilege of being treated fairly as a girl.
We learned that family doesn’t have to mean having two parents.
We learned that saying no can be a good thing.
We learned what it feels like to be a minority.
We learned how to do laundry with our hands.
We learned how to bargain.
We learned how to respect other’s beliefs and culture while still holding on to our own.
We learned about not giving up.
We learned what hard work means.
We learned that knowing one’s name is a powerful thing.
We learned how to get on the back of a piki-piki in a skirt.
We learned that some moments, both good and bad, are so painful that they seem impossibly real.
We learned that we all should be less focused on Africa’s struggles, and more focused on their unmatched resilience.
We learned that it might not be about the grades you make, but about how much you love your education.
We learned that we are both a tiny and large portion of this world.
We learned how to appreciate the things we worked for, like clean laundry or charcoal to cook with.
We learned how it feels to be treated differently because of our gender and race.
We learned about the importance of education.
We learned about seeing situations and beliefs from different viewpoints.
We learned about turning trash into opportunity.
We learned about sticking to promises.
We learned how to make ugali.
We learned about feeling guilty for something you had no control over.
We learned that sometimes it’s best not to look at the big picture.
We learned how to open a soda at Nakumatt.
We learned what it means to be a role model.
We learned about working hard and accomplishing little.
We learned that really small actions can mean much more than we expected.
We learned how lucky we are to have a sister.
We learned that a child dancing just might be the greatest sight in the world.
We learned how to do the Kenyan handshake.
We learned how to take out a weave.
We learned that sick children are not to be feared, but are to be loved.
We learned how to give impromptu speeches and introductions.
We learned that it’s not crazy to have family on both sides of the world.
We learned how to plan for Kenyan time, but also how not to waste it.
We learned that dance parties are the universal key to happiness.
We learned how to be open to new friends, new cultures, and new experiences.
We learned how others view the U.S. and how we view it ourselves.
We learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for a child is to simply hold them in your arms.
We learned that it’s important not to forget faces; remembering someone is the highest compliment.
We learned about what makes a family.
We learned that a child’s death isn’t about how we handle it, but solely about the child.
We learned that pure happiness can be found anywhere — in a dance hall, on a muddy road, in a shady tree house.
We learned that the most heroic people are those who keep children from feeling alone.
We learned about what it means to give up your life to help others.
We learned that really small actions can mean much more than we expected.
We learned what it feels like to be helpless.