Volunteer Nancy Hanssen has been to the campus twice. She is already scheduling a date for her third visit. She has been a huge proponent of this project and has worked tirelessly, in collaboration with University of San Diego, to help the academy grow.
The piece written below by Nancy documents her emotions during her very first visit last year. It was the visit that, lucky for us, solidified her bond with Daraja.
Voices of Daraja
My First Visit
By Nancy Adelle Hanssen
A flicker of lights dotted the darkness as the plane began its descent. Nodding in and out of weariness after thirty hours of travel, a sense of serene slithered into my consciousness. I pressed my forehead against the small, cool window and squinted trying to capture a glimpse of the countryside. Too dark at three o’clock in the morning but in my mind I saw the rolling hills of the valleys and the umbrella tops of the acacia trees. In my heart I heard the voices of the young women of the Daraja Academy whispering their dreams.
I am Monicah