Also, Weldon is a graduate student at Dartmouth, in pre-med, I believe, and attends Trinity Baptist Church in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Paul
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Weldon's younger family members
Listening to speeches
Weldon's hut
Weldon's Mother and Father
Weldon's home
Village gathering
Village people
Email 1
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Date: 15 Nov 2008 23:19:10 -0500
From: Sandra R. Hale
Subject: Visit to Weldon's Family August 2007
To: Paul W Gray
Hi Paul,
Here is the information from Violaine Mitchell in British Columbia regarding her visit last year to Weldon Kirui's family and village in Kenya. Her observations and recollections are quite moving.
Blessings,
Ken
--- Forwarded message from "Violaine Mitchell" ---
>From: "Violaine Mitchell"
>To: "Sandra R. Hale"
>Subject: Visit to Weldon's Family August 2007
>Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:18:55 -0800
Dear Ken and Sandy,
I realise we have been playing telephone tag, but I wanted to tell you a little bit about our trip to see Weldon's family in Kilgoris in August 2007.
By way of background, I grew up in Kenya and still have family and friends
in the Rift Valley and Nairobi. In August 2007 and on a lot of airmiles, we
decided to visit my family in Kenya. By chance, a few days before we left,
I met Weldon at a picnic here in Metchosin, BC. Weldon had been a student at nearby Pearson College but sadly we had not met before. Knowing how hard it is to send things back home, we offered to take some items to Weldon's family for him as we were planning to be in the Mara anyway, and would take a day to visit his village, near Kilgoris.
I can honestly say that the visit to Weldon's family and village was among
the most moving experiences I have ever had. We left the Mara at 6 am and
took the road through to Olgorien - and on among the worst roads I have ever
driven on, despite growing up in Africa.
We met Weldon's brother in Kilgoris town at the pharmacy and drove on dirt
roads another 20 km or so out of Kilgoris village. From there, the road
ended. We were lucky as we had a four wheel drive vehicle as we set off
across and up hills and down valleys. After another 30-40 minutes of off
road maneuvering, we came to a gulley, where it was later explained the
entire village had worked the day before to make it passable for our
vehicle.
We finally arrived at some mud huts with thatched roofs and were greeted by
approximately 100 people who welcomed us with song and drums. We were
introduced to Weldon's family, the local pastor, the village chief, the
village health worker, the school headmaster and many many school children.
To say that Weldon's upbringing was humble is perhaps the largest
understatement. Weldon's family are squatters and have built three small mud
huts close together. Weldon's mother and father do not read or write but
have tried hard to educate their children. Unfortunately, Weldon's siblings have been unable to finish school largely for financial reasons.
Through the course of a remarkable lunch that was made in our honour and
many speeches to which we were grateful for a cousin of Weldon's for
translation, we learned just how many hopes and dreams were built on Weldon
- from the school children to the village elders - to Weldon's family.
Weldon's father told us that when people ask where Weldon is, he points to
the sky to planes overhead. Young children told us how their dream is to be like Weldon. The school teacher told us how every day he tells the children
to study hard so they can be like Weldon. The village health worker told us how he hoped Weldon would become a famous doctor and come back to the
village and rid the area of malaria. The minister told us how they pray for
Weldon and for all children to be like Weldon.
Western Kenya is a difficult area, full of tribal conflict, land disputes,
and poverty. Weldon's story is all the more remarkable when one sees how
different ethnic groups and how so many people of different backgrounds and
faiths have come together to help Weldon along in his education. It is a
long long way from Kilgoris to Dartmouth.
We were all deeply moved by the visit, but I have to admit as well, deeply
saddened. The hopes and dreams that his village and community have for
Weldon are also his chains. As we left, we wondered if he would really ever be able to go back. So many expectations for such a young man.
I will be doing everything we can here to help raise money for Weldon's
family to buy a small plot of land and look forward to our joining forces to
ensure that Weldon's family has a permanent base.
With best regards,
Vio
Violaine Mitchell
Email 2
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Date: 16 Nov 2008 22:42:02 -0500
From: Sandra R. Hale
Subject: Re: Request for Assistance from Trinity Baptist Church, Hanover, New Hampshire
To: Paul W Gray
Hi Paul,
In the forward I sent you from Violaine Mitchell there were some pictures she made in 2007 of Weldon's family home in Kenya. As a point of clarification, this house was later torched resulting in Weldon's family becoming homeless.
Again, thank you for sharing Weldon's family's housing need. If at all possible we need to gather any forthcoming contributions by December 15th in order to make possible a timely closing in Kenya.
Blessings,
Ken and Sandy
Ken Hale, Pastor, Trinty Baptist Church of Hanover
Sandy Hale, Baptist Campus Minister, Dartmouth College
www.trinitybaptisthanover.org
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