The St. Vincent/Bethany Connection

Bethany Kids Hospital operates at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya, about an hour's drive from Nairobi into the mountains. At Bethany, children receive medical attention and vital surgeries that address physical disabilities. The goal of the hospital is to provide children with an opportunity to become fully functioning members of Kenyan society. Supported by donations from around the world, doctors volunteer their services to support the important work being done at Bethany.

During the 40 days of Lent, 2007, the students of St. Vincent school were introduced to Bethany and immediately connected with the children of Kenya. The community's response was: "how can we help?" During Lent, students were challenged to donate their own money - funds that were raised by doing chores, sacrificing allowances - and placing it into a special jar. Parents were similarly challenged to match the donations of their children in the spirit of community. The result was tremendous and inspiring.

Students began to surpass our expectations by donating money they raised in a variety of creative and imaginative ways. Students hosted bakes sales on the street, parents hosted jewellery sales, and a student hosted his entire grade for a birthday party and asked for donations for Bethany in lieu of gifts. The support in the school and throughout the community was truly amazing.

By the end of Lent, our community raised over $10,000 for Bethany! At approximately $400 per surgery, the Students at St. Vincent contributed enough money to support 25 surgeries for children from across Kenya. Our students were treated to a visit from Dr. Ivan Stewart, Chair of the Board at Bethany, and received a special message from the doctors at the hospital via a video made specifically for the students of St. Vincent.

The parent community and staff began to wonder if it was possible for me to visit Bethany on behalf of our school and make the connection between the students of St. Vincent and the children of Bethany even stronger. As fate would have it, an invitation from Bethany was extended to me to visit Kenya, meet the doctors and children, and further establish the connection between our two communities.

With the support of the Superintendent of Oakville Schools, Mrs. Mary Tessari, and the Director of Education, Mr. Michael Paulter, I have embraced this opportunity to visit Bethany in Kenya. I will be in Kenya from November 14th until November 23rd. I hope that during that time the staff, students, and parents of St. Vincent will enjoy my daily blogs about the experience, and it will spark conversations about social justice and how we can make an impact across the globe by acting here at home.

I am looking forward to making this journey and sharing my experiences through this blog and upon my return. We intend to further our partnership and support of Bethany with our Lenten philanthropic fundraiser during Lent 2009.