The Girls at Rescue Dada

A Rescue Dada girl does her English school work

In May, I made another quick trip to Nairobi, this time it was to complete my Kenyan residency at the Immigration Office. While I was there I had the opportunity to spend a few days with the other Notre Dame Mission Volunteers, Arielle and Sandy, at Rescue Dada, a school and orphanage for street girls.

Lunch time at Rescue Dada

The last time I was there was back in January and I spent most of my time in the classrooms helping to teach English, but this time I came to visit during lunch and arts & crafts. On this day, the girls were making bracelets by stringing beads and braiding colored string. The bracelets would eventually be sold to generate funds to help support the program.

Girls make bracelets by stringing beads

Girls make bracelets out of colored string

At the time, the girls had been preparing for a poetry reading competition. It was to be held at one of the animal sanctuaries in Nairobi. The theme was the environment. While the girls were busy rehearsing the poem that they wrote, Arielle and Sandy were busy painting a natural landscape on a sheet that would serve as a backdrop for their presentation.

Sandy and Arielle paint the backdrop for the poetry reading

It's a masterpiece!

It’s truly amazing how the staff and volunteers at Rescue Dada are able to take these girls off the street, who seem to have no where to turn, and give them so much hope!