To many of us, Valentine’s Day is just another holiday on the calendar. A day when men scramble to make sure they get the right gift. A day when girls say they “don’t want flowers” (which actually translates to: you should know to get me flowers even if I say I don’t want them).

But to the Dohertys, this holiday signifies so much more than getting the right gift…

Jenni: Five years ago today on a cool Valentine’s Day, Jason and I spent the day wandering through the De Young Museum and acting like tourists in San Francisco.  We dropped into a little restaurant in North Beach called Café Jacqueline.  I think all the stars were aligned that day.  Jason and I had been married for 4 and half years, and it was time to have the infamous discussion. The lights were low and candles flickered on the table.  The ambiance was wonderful and the soufflés were amazing. I leaned across the table, and looked lovingly at my husband and asked, “Darling, when are we going to start having kids?”  Jason looked lovingly back at me, a little thoughtful, and said, “I’d really like to start a school in Africa.”

Jason: Most women would have reached across the table to slap me. But Jenni reached across the table for a napkin to write on. She started asking me questions about the school; she started writing notes on that napkin — notes about how to make the school happen.

Jenni: From that simple conversation five years ago, we have an amazing school with 52 girls, and another 26 to joining in a few weeks.  It is truly our labor of love. That is our love story this Valentine’s Day. And as to having our own children…well, we hope someday soon we might be fortunate enough to start our own family.  But in the meantime, we have our Daraja family and our wonderful Kenyan daughters.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone. Thank you for all the love that you have shown this project!