HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2009-09-16, Page 9News
'The Huron -Expositor • September 16, 2009 Pew 9
Trip to Kenya includes building medical clinic, high school
Dublin student working towards career with Doctors Without Borders after trip
Hilary Loy'
The average North American fam-
ily uses 365 litres of water every day.
The average Kenyan family uses 80
- about six trips to the nearest river.
"The preservation of water is very
important;" said Kristina Dekroon,
of one of the more important things
she learned while on a Me To We trip
(affiliated with Free the Children) to
Kenya, Africa recently.
I learned that it is my choice to. -
when I jump in the.ehower - to take a
long or quick shower. I learned that
everything I do is my choice and how
I impact the lives of not only the peo-
ple in my community but my com-
munity halfway around the world,"
she said.
Dekroon, a Dublin -area resident,
said her 18 -day trip was really amaz-
ing.
"It was so perfect, just everything
about Africa, the people we were
with, the people we met, it was just
so perfect," she said.
Dekroon and 28 other youth spent
their time in a community called
Enelerai - eight hours from the Ke-
nyan capital of Nairobi.
"We were out in the middle of no-
where, we worked for about three
hours in the morning to build a medi-
cal clinic, a high school and boarding
rooms for the high . school students
- the biggest project that Free the
Children has ever built," she said.
"We were at the foot of a mountain,
so we hadto pick axe through rock.
In the. afternoon there were usually
activities planned for us like hikes or
speakers," she added.
"One weekend we went camping
to the Hinterlands and slept in mud
huts on stick beds and went on a sa-
fari there."
The community already has an
elementary school built by Free the
Children and Dekroon said she re-
ally enjoyed visiting with the school
kids.
"We would visit them about three
times a week and we really got to
bond with the kids, I met a girl
named Karen, who was 13 years old,
and we hung out. Her mom's name
was Kristina as well so we connected
right away," she said.
Dekroon said the work of Free
the Children doesn't stop once the
schools are built.
"When they go into a community
they have four pillars that they work
on - healthcare, alternative income,
water and education," she said.
"We weren't just building a school.
Free the Children hascommunity
mobilizers who teach children about
the environment and soil irrigation.
They teach people the importance of
boiling their water, brushing their
teeth and good oral hygiene," she
medicalclinic had
an infectious dis-
ease ward where
people could go to
learn about HIV
and AIDS and to
get - tested," she
added. "Free the
Children, hopes to
make every com-
munity they go
into sustainable,
it is an amazing
organization."
But the more
important thing
Dekroon learned
is the "need to be-
come more educated and more aware
of these problems and what I can do
to help. This is my third missions
trip and I would love to keep on do-
ing it."
"When we were in Nairobi we
drove by the biggest slum and there
was a Doctors Without Borders truck
there," she added. "I had always
thought of Doctors Without Borders.
It is something I want to work to-
wards and once I saw what they did
really solidified it for me (as a career
choice)."
Dekroon, the daughter of John and
Cindy, is attending the University of
Ottawa for biomedical science this
fall.
submitted photos
Kristina Dekroon poses with
her friend Karen above and
below, carries a 2041tre Jug of
water.
continued.
"They learn about nutri-
tion. They also have ma-
ma's groups that talk about
how together they can
make money for their com-
munity and how if they all
work together their com-
munity will succeed. The
AIzhei.merSociety
HURON COUNTY
Invites you to join us at our
2nd Annual
World Alzheimer's Day Health Fair/Coffee Break
Monday, September 21st -10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Come out and see the programs and services
available to seniors in Huron County,
at the same time supporting our
National Conte Break Fvndralsar
Vendors indude:
• The Alzheimer Society of
Huron County
• Heart and Stroke
• Town and Country
Support services
• Vletkn services
• Huron Hospice Volunteer
Service
• Vanastra Recreation Centre
• Midwestern Adult Day Centres
• St. tllsabeth Health Cars
See you at the Betty Cardio Nienmorial Centre
kwon Rd. Clinton
S•
Give yourself the advan
in your job search.
Attend a FREE
STARTING POINT Wo
to develop your Return -t6 -Wo`
Action Plan and find the resoure r
available to make it happen!
Call your local Centre for Employment ark
Goderich 519-524-2515
Clinton 519-482-1700
Seaforth 519-527-0305
EMPLOYMENT
ONTARIO
Employment Ontario progrt::na are hindig
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