Testimonials

COMMENTS FROM A MEMBER OF BULLDOG Quarters for Kenya

When I was 21 years old, two Rotarians gave me the opportunity to visit the Charles Kean Sanctuary in Kenya. At the time, I was completing a degree in business at the University of Redlands. I approached the trip as an opportunity to understand the business side of running an orphanage and a school in an undeveloped country. I got much more than that.

I met beautiful, intelligent girls who had been rescued from the worst of life’s catastrophes: AIDS, poverty and violence. I talked with the girls, I played with them, I joined them in their classes, and I noticed that they understood their good fortune and the opportunity it afforded. They value their education more than anything because they know it is their only hope in overcoming poverty, escaping life on the violent streets, and in leading their country against the AIDS pandemic which stole their parents from them.

My visit has had a tremendous effect on the direction of my life - not because I was shocked at having witnessed the appalling slums from which many of the girls were rescued - but because I was inspired: firstly, by the girls’ maturity in understanding the opportunities afforded by their education and their display of courage to pursue them; and secondly, by the many Rotarians I got to know through fundraising efforts before and after my visit.

I am now a graduate student preparing for a life of service, working for either a non-profit organization or the federal government. I seek to use my education to serve others just as the girls I met at the Charles Kean Sanctuary seek to use their gift of education to serve as doctors, teachers and community leaders. We need to make sure they get that opportunity.

If you ever doubt the impact of Rotarians, there are 24 smiling faces who are eager to convince you otherwise. You and other Rotarians began a project which made these smiling faces possible – just think how many more smiling faces they can set alight when given the opportunity to finish their education and give back.

How has your Kenya experience changed your perception of the world?

I better understand the power of education in the fight against poverty, AIDS, and corrupt governments. I also recognized how a small group can have an awesome impact on the lives of others halfway around the world.

What does the face of AIDS and poverty look like to you?

To me, AIDS is the face of a child who has lost everyone she loves to the virus and who will die, not from the virus, but from the failure of her community to protect, nourish, and educate her.

Are the citizens of Redlands and Redlands Rotarians making a difference in the world?

Yes! You have saved dozens of children from extreme poverty, prostitution, disease, and murder. They are so grateful and humbled by your gift to them.

What have you learned about the Power of One....how one person can make a difference in the world?

I was impressed at the power of my own actions to help others. I realized and have since embraced the idea that my talents, as an individual, can make a marvelous difference in the lives of others. I am eager and willing to serve.

What have you learned about Rotary's Motto of 'Service Above Self'? How has your perception of Rotary and Rotarians been expanded?

“Service Above Self” is a motto I want to live by because I believe in it. Through my work alongside Rotarians in supporting the girls of the Charles Kean Sanctuary, I have lived the motto and know how good it feels.

David A.

Charles Kean
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