MARK LAWRENCE Sunday, July 9 2006

Eighteen exhausted looking UWI students returned on Friday from a reforestation and community outreach mission to Kenya.

The Volunteer Internship Programme Based in Agro-forestry and Community Outreach prepared the 18 member delegation on the basis of contributions to “UWI life” during the past academic year. The trip was facilitated by Kenya Volunteer Development Services and financial contributions from several Government Ministries, Island People, several medical professionals, La Vega Agricultural Estate, TCL and the University of the West Indies.

During their stay in the rural village of Bungoma many members suffered illness including one bout of malaria which was contracted in spite of vaccination.

Delegation head Keron Niles explained, “the trip was great actually. We engaged in alot of reforestation and visited alot of schools to speak to kids about education, the Caribbean and actually we had to explain that we were the descendants of the African’s who were taken as slaves. They wondered how we could be black and not be Africans, it was really great.”

He explained that the sportsmen of the delegation played two football matches against the club which is the district champion in Bungoma. The group also visited Uganda for brief shopping.

According to Akilah Riley, one of the chief organisers of the trip,“it was an eye opener. I think that the beauty in terms of scenery was fantastic. Watching the urban parts of Africa and seeing that they are going through the same effects of westernisation as us was enlightening.”

One instance which she said shocked the delegation was the popularity of skin lightening creams among many Kenyans.

She added, “Trinidad has minor poverty in comparison to them. One school teacher said that you could only grow your hair if you have money because it’s expensive for many to maintain hair. About five or ten percent of the children wore sneakers. It is serious over there.”

Plans are presently being put in place to make the initiative annual.