There are many things that stand out to me of my time working with ME to WE and WE Charity. I think it is a powerful thing to be able to see from a different perspective, in this day and age more than ever. That is something I saw happen on every ME to WE Trip, both for myself and trip participants. We were able to get a unique look into different and changing cultures, to walk side by side with WE partners and get a glimpse into their lives. I think those kinds of experiences are so valuable, as they help us to learn more of the world from other views and see ourselves and our own culture from a different perspective. To learn that our own way of life is not the only or the best way of living is invaluable, and a lesson that every person needs to learn in order to build a more compassionate world. Over and over again, I would hear trip participants say that they came to “help” or to “give,” only to realize that they had gained so much more than they had given. Gaining a different perspective on the world is just one of many gifts participants got from those trips.

The other thing that stays with me to this day is the pride and the joy of WE’s community partners. I was impressed over and over again by how proud community members were of their culture, their history and all they had accomplished. So much changed over the course of my time there in Kenya, but that much remained a constant—the people I met and spoke with and became friends with were deeply proud of and passionate about their work, their communities, their cultures and their families.