The Samburu and the Gift of Sight: Voluntourism in Action
World Savers Contest winner Beverly Orthwein on location in Kenya.
Voluntourism--taking a vacation that includes some charity work--is a travel idea whose time has come. In our May 2008 issue, Condé Nast Traveler held the World Savers Contest, asking readers to report on their good deeds with an essay and photo documenting a recent voluntourism trip. Our winner, Beverly Orthwein of Greenwich, Connecticut, displayed that passion and commitment we were looking for. Read her winning entry below, and stay tuned to the Daily Traveler to read more of our favorite contest entries.
It all began in November 2005, standing at the edge of the Milgis Lugga, around a roaring campfire at dawn, having coffee and admiring the Southern Cross setting over the Ndoto Mountains. My first trip to Kenya, and as with many, I had fallen madly in love with this country from first footfall. Our group was trekking on camel safari with Samburu warriors, led by the famous Helen Douglas-Dufresne and her partner Pete Ilsley. They had worked with this magnificent tribe for years, during which Helen had become their champion supporter. She helped formed the Milgis Trust (named after the region's major river), which works with local Samburu chiefs and elders to support the wildlife, habitat, and way of life of this pastoral tribe of northern Kenya.
Pete told me about a charity out of England called MEAK (Medical and Educational Aid to Kenya), which treated Samburu with severe eye problems the previous spring. Blindness is ten times more prevalent in Kenya than in the Western world, and this charity holds clinics around Kenya to help address the issue. Lack of vitamin A, dry and dusty conditions, improper hygiene, lack of available medical treatment--all of these are things that contribute to a high rate of blindness.
When Pete told me that 174 Samburu walked away from this weeklong clinic with their sight restored, I asked the costs involved. I was stunned to learn how small that number was; the same amount would cure a minuscule number of Westerners. The gift of sight was being given for free to these warm and peace-loving people, some of who, being nomadic, had walked for days to reach the clinic. This concept touched my heart beyond description.
I was so moved that I donated to MEAK, and the gift was used to equip and train Daniel, a young Samburu warrior, as a scout. This job entails visiting numerous villages over five months and screening potential eye patients for the next clinic; Daniel had to know the difference between corneal scarring, trachoma, infections, and cataracts. The first could not be cured at the clinic, but all the rest, and more, could.
Then, with MEAK's invitation and my friend Kimberly at my side, I experienced the organization at work in a remarkable, life-changing trip. We were there to help, not to watch, so we played traffic controllers so the surgeons could be more efficient. We sorted groups, cleaned eyes, administered drops, moved patients on and off surgical tables, distributed meds, and comforted and educated the Samburu with the help of translators. The warmth, trust, humor, and gratitude of these exquisite people confirmed my long-held belief that no matter our differences, humans should focus on our sameness. At the week's end, 346 Samburu had sight. Grateful to see their families, their mountains, the food on their plates, the vibrant colors of their beads and clothes, joyous smiles abounded. What a sight to see.
Further reading:
* 2008 World Savers Congress: Condé Nast Traveler's signature event
* MEAK: Medical and Educational Aid to Kenya
* The Samburu Water Project
* Ashley Judd, a spokesperson for Population Services International, gave an amazing clean-water demo at our World Savers Congress this year
* VolunTourism.org
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