The first day in the offices:

So being the head of the organization, David is required to get to the office EARLY. So we ended up getting there quite early in the day, but in doing so I was able to greet each new person that came in. And one by one my anxiety about working on LGBT rights in Africa slowly became a small murmur. Meeting all of the people there, I was just so blown away by who they each were as people. Every single person had an awesome personality and I just felt connected to all of them instantaneously. It’s strange how much they reminded me of my friends back home and helped me to reflect on that similarity. At the end of the day, we’ve discovered our humanity…how beautiful is that? I’m so glad to have all of them in my life. I hope that over time we will all become better friends than we already are.

   During the day My friend Murtisya and I set out my entire schedule for the summer. It looks like I will have a lot of work on the front end, but a ton of tuime to dedicate to other projects and to assist in whatever way I can. I’m also excited because I hope to be able to travel extensively throughout Kenya to be able to help others throughout the country to have a voice and to attend our trainings.

  All in all it was an amazing day and I’m so thankful to be in the hands of such incredible people. They have really started to paint for me a different view of the world that I never had before and it’s helping me to conceptualize myself and who I am as a person and ultimately the interconnectedness we all share as human beings. When it comes down to it, every single person reminded me of at least 10 beautiful friends I have back home. The only difference is that they are in a world where to be who they really are comes at a much heavier cost.  But alas, things will change. I know they will, and I’m excited to be a witness to that.