10/18/10 Daraja: Bridge

As my last working day at Daraja comes to an end, it's time to begin focusing on the bridges to my home community that I will be building upon return. Through Outside The Lens' Youth Advisory committee, students at Daraja Academy will be matched with high school girls in San Diego who have also been working on Here I Am and Pieces Of Me projects. Each of Daraja's 52 students wrote letters to their new friends, filled with their all-time faves (of utmost importance to all 15 year olds, regardless of national origin), their dreams, and their ideas. It is my dream to exhibit the work of both sets of girls side by side, first in California and then Kenya. Too big? I think we can do it.

Betty is on her way to med school, and dreams of attending the University of San Diego

As the first missive in a series of exchanges, the girls were excited to learn more about their friends in San Diego, and urged them to write back quickly. Invitations were extended to visit Kenya, and to learn more about girls their age in other parts of the world. As Deborah Santana's beautiful video illustrated, Daraja means bridge. And I am exceedingly proud to serve as Daraja.