In just a few days, I’ll be on my way to Kenya with Habitat
for Humanity’s Global Village program – this time, not just as a volunteer, but
as a team leader for the very first time. It’s a meaningful milestone for me
after more than a decade of volunteering with Habitat in the Philippines, El
Salvador, and across the U.S. And as I prepare to step into this new role, one
family’s story is at the heart of why we’re going: a mother named Regina
Waithera, and the children who depend on her strength every single day.
Regina lives in Muramati, a quiet rural village in Laikipia
County. Each morning before the sun rises, she sets out in search of casual
labor – washing clothes, farming, or any task she can find to earn just enough
to feed her children. But what weighs heaviest isn’t the hard labor or the long
hours. It’s the responsibility of six young children looking to her for safety,
food, and hope.
Their home is a temporary iron sheet structure with an earth
floor – built out of necessity, patched over time, but never able to truly
protect them. At night, nine family members crowd together, trying to stay warm
as the cold creeps in. A single shared latrine (an outdoor toilet without plumbing)
sits nearby, and water must be carried from a river over a mile away every day.
Regina doesn’t ask for much.
Just a roof that doesn’t leak.
A wall that doesn’t sway in the wind.
A place her children can call home without fear.
“I dream of a place where my children can feel safe,” she
says.
That dream is why we’re going. Together with Regina, her
neighbors, and my team of volunteers, we’ll help build a new home – something
solid, safe, and lasting. This is the heart of what Habitat for Humanity stands
for: partnership, dignity, and the belief that everyone deserves a decent place
to live.
One of the most moving moments in preparing for this trip
was receiving a photo of Regina with three of her children. They stand together
outside their current home – faces calm and steady, grounded in the quiet
strength of daily survival. That image will be with me as we begin our work.
For me, this trip marks more than a new leadership role.
It’s a continuation of a journey that began back in 2014, when I joined my
first Global Village build. After a nearly five-year pause in the program due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m excited to be back doing what I love, alongside
others who share the same purpose. Each experience has opened my eyes to the
incredible resilience of families around the world and the transformative power
of shelter. Now, I’m honored to help guide a team as we join Regina in building
a foundation for something more.
Thank you for reading, and for walking alongside us from
wherever you are. I’ll be sharing more from the ground in Kenya soon. For now,
I’ll leave you with this: real change happens when we come together – not just
to build homes, but to build strength, stability, and a better future.
In line with Habitat for Humanity’s commitment to safeguarding, facial features of the children have been blurred to ensure their privacy and security.
