By Windsor Johnston
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wrti/local-wrti-680128.mp3
Philadelphia, PA – WRTI's Windsor Johnston spent two weeks volunteering at the Mama na Dada Center, located along the shores of Lake Victoria in Kunya, Kenya. Mama na Dada, meaning "mothers and sisters" strives to empower women and young girls by providing them with the skills they need to be financially successful. Programs range from organic gardening to textile production.
Mama na Dada houses several schools, a daycare center, and a very special art club. Aspiring young artists from nearby villages gather twice a week at the Goti Art Club in hopes of pursuing careers in art. The club, for one young artist, is the steppingstone to her ultimate dream: to teach art to young children in America. At the age of just 14, she has sold numerous drawings and uses the proceeds to help provide her family with life's basic necessities.
Windsor worked side-by-side with the staffers and children, and also volunteered in a rebuilding project at a nearby medical clinic.