Final Update from Kenya + Zanzibar 3C!
July 24, 2024
Wow! What an amazing last few days in Northern Kenya it has been. Our group has grown so close over the last two weeks and we are writing this update with heavy hearts as we send the kids back to the United States.
Our first day on this last leg of the trip started with an early morning drive to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Once we arrived we had a delicious lunch and headed out for our very first game drive! The drive started slow as the animals were hiding from the rain. But after some time the rain stopped and sun came shining through the clouds and out were the animals. We saw a pack of Elephants, Rhinos, Buffalo, Zebras, and two Lions! Layla was in awe of the huge elephants we saw. She is always expressing gratitude for our experiences! We had been looking for the lions for quite some time and were about to head back to camp when our driver, David, miraculously spotted them. We drove close to the lions and watched them as they headed after some Zebras. Dinner and Moonup was full of story telling of what amazing things we had seen earlier that day!
The next day was jam packed with action. The girls started their day with a briefing about what the conservancy does and how they help the animals and surrounding communities. After learning about the surrounding communities, we got to visit them and help participate in making a difference! First we visited a farm and planted Acacia trees. Our goal was to plant 100 and we sure did that!! Carson and Ysonde were very thorough with their tree planing!! The guy who was guiding us even commented on our speed and efficiency of planting the trees. After our tree planting we went to learn from one of Ol Pejeta’s community partners, Gilbert. Gilbert makes eco-friendly stoves that burn less wood than normal stoves. We were so lucky to learn from him and even got to help with the process! First, we helped sift the soil that would become the clay. Caroline was a star sifter and had a lot of fun doing it. Next, we helped mix the clay with our feet. This was out of many of our comfort zones, but Lia helped us embrace this new experience and we ended up laughing a lot and having so much fun! Finally, we helped Gilbert mold the clay into the stove. The true stars of the show at Gilbert’s house were his three puppies, we all got to play with them and were so sad to say goodbye.
Our final day at Ol Pejeta was one we will never forget! We started the morning by visiting a chimp sanctuary that Jane Goodall founded! Eliana remarked on how similar these chimps were to humans. After the chimps we got to visit the last two northern white rhinos in the world, which many of the Ol Pejeta staff lovingly refer to as “the girls”. Emma reminded us how fortunate we are to visit these animals and even get to know them a little bit! Milena decided she was more a fan of Najin (the mother) than Fatu (the daughter), which started a debate amongst the group. When we sadly had to say goodbye to the rhinos we happened to run into a giraffe, it was much taller than any of us imagined it would be up close!
On the afternoon of our last full day we went lion tracking! We got to ride in the car as a lion tracker scouted out a family of lions that we then drove out to see. These lions are truly majestic!! Gates wanted to pet these lions because they seemed so friendly, but our guides reminded us that even though they look sweet they are still the apex predator. After our lion tracking we had our final Moonup and reminisced on how much fun we have all had together.
Our travel day started with an activity that surprised us all. We visited the livestock at Ol Pejeta as they got vaccinated and even got to help! We were not expecting to be able to be so interactive, what a fun way to start our very last day! Shortly afterwards we departed for the airport and Mary Sadler serenaded us one last time.
We have had an absolute blast with your girls over the last two weeks!! Thank you SO much for sharing them with us, we are so grateful to have had the privilege of becoming their friends and will miss them so much. We are so excited for them to tell you all about it!!
Kwaheri,
Andrea and Sinclair
Zanzibar Adventure: Diving Deep and Exploring Rich Culture
July 20, 2024
Jambo from Zanzibar!
What a fun-filled week it has been! After we left our friends in the Maasai Mara we jumped on a plane to Zanzibar for four days of scuba, tours, and fun on the beach. Our vacation within a vacation started with a fun surprise-our airstrip was in the middle of the Maasai Mara safari reserve! On the way to our airstrip, Caroline helped us point out giraffes and buffalo. We took off, and during our flight into Tanzania we got to see Mount Kilimanjaro!
Arriving at our hotel in Zanzibar felt like walking into a postcard, the water on the beach is the clearest we’ve ever seen. On first day of scuba the uncertified divers crushed their pool lessons while Gates and Lia (our pro certified divers) got to go scout out the underwater world we would soon all get to see. After a morning of scuba we went on a tour of a spice farm to learn about Zanzibar’s famous spices. Milena was the star of the show here, they identified the most spices from their smell. The tour ended with face paint and being crowned as princesses before we departed for the hotel. On our bus ride back Mary Sadler kept the group entertained with a beautiful rendition of Amarillo Sky by Jason Aldean, so beautiful we had her do an encore at moonup!
The second day of scuba was another beautiful, sunny day and all divers got to go out on the boat and do a real ocean dive! Once again, our new divers flew through the course with flying colors. They saw octopus, starfish, and even lionfish!
This afternoon we headed out for a sunset tour. We got to hangout and watch the sunset while listening to some native drummers. We all got to jump in the water as the sun was setting. Eliana was one of the first ones in the water and encouraged everyone else to jump in!! Although it was a bit cold, it was a memory we will never forget!
On our third day of scuba diving was again a day out of a movie! The water is just so stunning and the vibes in the boat are top notch. Carson always had a smile on her face, she is constantly a positive impact on this group and us leaders are so thankful for that! During the afternoon we took a walking tour of Stonetown, a historic town in Zanzibar made completely out of stone. Our guide, Seif, taught us about the old slave market and Zanzibar’s cultural history during the tour and he even took us to see the house where Freddie Mercury (lead singer of Queen) grew up! We finished our walking tour with a surprise dinner and watched the sunset on a rooftop, it was definitely a sunset dinner we will never forget. During dinner Emma and I (Andrea), did a little karaoke for everyone. We sang “thinking out loud” by Ed Sheeran. It was a hit!
Our final day in Zanzibar was full of gratitude and much needed rest. In the morning we headed out for our final dive and saw some dolphins on the way!! we enjoyed a big lunch and reminisced on our last few days enjoying the Indian Ocean. We had the afternoon to relax and it was so amazing. We journaled, tanned, talked, and napped. During our relaxation time Layla and Ysonde got a massage on the beach! They loved it after all of their hard work scuba diving. Our final dinner in Zanzibar was a special one full of lots and lots of laughter.
Zanzibar will forever hold a special place in KEZ 3C’s heart! This is where the group truly became a family and we have made some of the best memories here. Thank you to everyone back at home for making this trip possible for all of these girls!
Talk soon,
Andrea and Sinclair
Jambo from Maasai Mara!
July 16, 2024
Jambo Jambo!
The last few days have been some of the most memorable days of the summer all thanks to our wonderful group of girls here on KEZ 3C!!! We have spent the days getting to know each other while diving into a new culture and making the most genuine friendships with the natives in Maasai Mara. After picking up the group of girls in the Nairobi airport we headed to our accommodation for the night. Although everyone was exhausted from the long travel day, everyone was so smiley and excited to start an adventure of a lifetime. We are so thankful to be ending this summer with such a genuine group of girls.
Early the next morning we set off for a jam packed 4 days in Maasai Mara. On our drive to the Mara we saw plenty of animals and spent lots of time asking the driver questions about the Maasai Culture. When we got to our camp we were welcomed by the Maasai warriors and headed straight to lunch! After lunch was our first activity of the trip… a bush walk! During the bush walk we got to practice being a warrior which included archery, animal spotting, and using natural resources in the wild. Caroline has natural warriors skills and impressed us all during the activity! After our activity the evening was spent relaxing by the fire and taking pictures together! Lia is an aspiring photographer and has been doing a great job capturing the moment. To end our first full day of the trip we had our first Moonup. For those of you who don’t know, Moonup is how we end our days here on Moondance. Moonup is a chance to show gratitude on what we have experienced that day and ask intentional questions that help us connect with each other on a deeper level. During Moonup Mary Sadler and Lia were appointed to be the first leaders of the day (LOD). What an awesome duo!
The next day we had a lot in store. We started the morning with a hike up the mountain behind camp. Although some girls were worried about how hard the hike would be, they absolutely crushed it and we are so proud!!! Milena kept the group entertained with her funny stories. Her outgoing and carefree personality has been a huge factor in the group becoming so comfortable with each other. At the top of the mountain Gates and Emma sat in awe of the animals we were looking at from a far. It really opens up a new perspective seeing things from such a different view. In the Mara the Maasai warriors LOVE to play soccer. This afternoon was the start of our soccer series. Carson, (the hopeful soon to be Radio City Rockette) was a star on the field and absolutely loved playing. We had yet another great evening hanging by the fire and exchanging culture with our new friends!
The following day was one of our favorites! We began the day with a visit to a neighboring village and we learned about how Maasai people build houses, cook, make fire, bead, and fetch water. We got to help them do all of these things and the girls all asked thoughtful questions! Upon arriving to the village we were welcomed with four traditional songs. During one song we got to dance with the people of the village and during another we watched the Maasai warriors compete to see who could jump the highest! We entered the village with our new friends and made our way through learning how to make fire, cook ugali (a traditional food that we decided is most similar to grits), make bracelets, and more! Walking back to camp we all talked about our favorite parts of the day and Eliana said she wished she could’ve stayed in the village all day! After lunch and our rest time we got to go to a nearby boarding school and look inside some classrooms. We were amazed at how much these kids are learning at such a young age! After looking into the classrooms we got to play soccer with some of the boarding school kids. They crushed our team but we still had a lot of fun!
Our last day in the Maasai Mara was easily one of the most memorable of the trip so far. We started the day by going to church with our Maasai guides. We are so lucky and grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in church with them and learn more about their religious culture. We sang, danced, and listened during the service and also enjoyed hanging out with some of the kids there for Sunday school. Layla especially enjoyed this experience, she loved experiencing the service and the children loved to be by her side! After church we had another delicious lunch and got ready for our final soccer game. We made sure to make the most of our last soccer game with the Maasai warriors-it was the longest and highest scoring game we had had yet! When soccer finished we were invited into the kitchen to make a cake with Chef Willy and Chef Sharon. We had no recipe, and it turned out surprisingly well! Ysonde led the charge on baking the cake, never without a smile on her face. While the cake baked we ate dinner and watched a gorgeous sunset. We feel so grateful to be able to witness such beautiful sunsets as we have at Oseki and will miss them very much when we leave. Soon after, the cake finished baking we had a ceremony to present it to the girls. Us two leaders danced around the table with our Maasai warrior friends as they played traditional music before we cut the cake. This was definitely a moment we will never forget!
Our departure from Oseki and the Maasai Mara was filled with tearful goodbyes, we surely will miss the dance parties, delicious food, sunsets, and friends we’ve made, but we could not be more excited for our beach vacation in Zanzibar!
Until next time, Andrea and Sinclair
Here are some shoutouts from the students!
mary sadler – hey mom, dad, addie and batman!! i’m having the best time ever in africa, can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!! i love y’all lots and thanks so much for this opportunity!!!
layla – Hiii!! Miss all of y’all so much, I’m having such an amazing time and have experienced so many amazing things so far! Tell Owen I say hi and that I miss him. Thinking of all y’all ❤️
caroline – Hey fam! I miss y’all but i’m having a super fun time and have seen some insane stuff so far. tell Poopy face I say what’s up for me ❤️
eliana – Hi mom, dad, and emerson! I am having a great time in Africa! We have experienced so many amazing things. Tell everyone I said hi! I love you all so much!
gates – Sup fam! I’m having an amazing time here in Zanz and can’t wait to see y’all and my friends. I love y’all so much! Tell the squad and T I say hi!!
emma – hiiii mom and dad! i’m having the best time and can’t wait to see y’all! tell hannah, char, and helen that i said hi and i can’t wait to see them!! love y’all!
carson – Hey everyone! I am having a blast, so glad I’m here!!! I got to scoop cow poop with my bear hand!!!!! Love y’all and tell mama I love and miss her so much!!!
lia- Hii I miss you guys so much!! I’m meeting the most amazing locals and I’m so grateful I’m here. Love you all so much, tell nug I miss her too 💕
milena – hey dad!! i’ve been having so so much fun here. Miss and love you, arianna and fluffy so much and can’t wait to see you soon!
ysonde – heyy mom, dad, and jacques!!! i have been having the best time here and can’t wait to show pics and tell you guys all about the culture here. love y’all so much, thanks for sending me on this trip, and cant wait to see y’all (don’t forgot to book my driving test lol)
Safe Arrival in Kenya
July 12, 2024
Hello Kenya + Zanzibar Families!
All students have landed safely in Nairobi and the group is headed to their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
