Claire Simmons' mind is on spring break, but not because she's looking forward to time off school or a family vacation.
The 15-year-old Grade 10 Lord Byng student is among 40 Grade 9 to 12 students from her high school heading on a volunteer trip to Kenya from March 6 to 21.
The group will work at the Mully Children's Family centre in Ndalani. It's one of several facilities located in Kenya run by the private non-profit Christian organization founded by Dr. Ev Charles and Esther Mulli.
Since the non-profit was established in 1989, it's rescued more than 6,000 street children living in poverty, including those orphaned or abandoned.
"[The founders] don't consider it an orphanage_ MCF's mission is to provide these vulnerable members of society with education, rehabilitation, nutritional and medical care and spiritual and parental love," explained Mary Smith, a Lord Byng counsellor who's organized the trip.
Students plan to do community outreach and help build a boys' dormitory, which they also hope to help pay for through fundraising.
"The purpose of this trip is to assist our students in becoming ambassadors for a better and more humane world by interacting directly with these children," Smith said.
Simmons is anticipating the day of their departure. "I really like the idea of going and helping hands-on, not just raising funds and sending it out not knowing where it's going," the teenager said. "I just want to get some world experience. I'm expecting to be shocked, but I want to come back with a new perspective on the way I live. It's a way to see how everyone else in the world is living and how fortunate we are here but also helping them out."
Students have been told to pack conservative clothing such as shorts that cover their knees and modest tops. They plan to leave a portion of clothes they bring at MCF when they leave. The teens also hope to take along new soccer jerseys and T-shirts to donate.
Simmons calls the volunteer trip a "great opportunity." Her schoolmates have been preparing by raising money for the boys' dormitory, estimated at $40,000.
Two other Ontario-based schools, including St. Mildred's west of Toronto, are also raising money for the project. Lord Byng's target is $10,000, although it hopes to exceed that goal to ensure the entire cost is covered.
They'll stay at the facility for about seven days and then head to Mombasa, Kenya to do community outreach with MCF students. At the end of the trip they'll go on a safari. Smith took another group of Lord Byng students on a volunteer trip to Kenya last year for a Me to We campaign where volunteers helped build a school. It was such a success students wanted to go on another, longer trip where they could interact more with children, she said.
Smith started researching options and came up with Mully Children's Family. The Ndalani centre cares for more than 2,000 boys and girls between the ages of a week old to 24 years of age, Smith said last week.
Byng students have collected about $7,000 of their $10,000 target through events such as an art auction, chocolate sales, and candy grams.
None of the money raised will offset students' costs. They're paying their own fares. "Hopefully we'll get quite a bit more than $10,000. It would be nice if we could get $20,000," Smith said.
She added it's important for students to volunteer locally, as well as show they're global citizens.
"In today's world the universities and scholarships are looking at the more well-rounded students who are taking care of themselves first and foremost, but are willing to give back to others. So kids are looking for opportunities on how they can do that."
noconnor@vancourier.com
Twitter: @Naoibh
