About

Follow my adventures as I live & work in Kenya at the Flying Kites Leadership Academy. Since October of 2010, I have shared a house and home with 27 orphaned children who are destined to become leaders of their generation, not to mention 4 other staff members, 6 volunteers, 2 cats, and countless rabbits and chickens.

After working for Flying Kites Global for a year and half in Newport, RI, my adventure-thirsty soul and the shifting needs of my role brought me to Kenya, where I added managing volunteers ‘on the ground’ to my list of responsibilites. This shift brought with it a steep learning curve, and more wonderful opportunities that I could have ever imagined.

As Director of Flying Kites’ Volunteer Program, I have the distinct pleasure of working with prospective volunteers beginning with their initial inquiry, and continuing through applications & interviews, fundraising, packing lists, vaccinations and all sorts of other pre-trip arrangements. Best of all, I get to watch and lend a guiding hand as all of this preparation culminates in a life-altering trip to Kenya for each of the magnificient people our program attracts.

Everyday brings new experiences as well as an endless stream of smiles and laughter, several ‘emergency’ bandaid applications, more than one request for a new pencil and a crack at my Ipod, and if I am lucky, a quiet moment shared reading a book with a little one.  I have much to still discover about my surroundings and I am supremely excited to continue learning about the people, culture, and geography of the incredible country of Kenya.

Join me in this life-affirming adventure through this blog, or consider coming and spending some time here yourself through our Volunteer Program.

In the panoramic picture that serves as the header to my blog, I am looking out over the bustling and vibrant Owino Market in Kampala, Uganda. The photograph was taken by the talented Ryan Littman-Quinn.