SHAKA & KAVUNZONI – REPORT 3
September 5, 2025
SHAKA & KAVUNZONI – REPORT 5
September 11, 2025
Hello Family & Friends,
What do you think of when you hear the words, “one dozen?” Whether your mind goes to eggs, doughnuts, roses, or chocolate chip cookies, good things come in dozens. Over the weekend, the GV travel team had the opportunity visit the Masai Mara national game reserve to see dozens of animals before returning to the Kamoti home to finish our work in the nearby (and not-so-nearby!) villages.
This week, Grant Victor Cares has completed humanitarian trips to Kenya for a dozen years! The efforts and contributions of each of you have changed countless lives.
Today, the 12th GV travel team boarded a bus carrying bags heavy with ibuprofen, Tylenol, antiseptic and cortisone creams, and dozens and dozens of baby blankets. Chelsey and Michaela collected blankets for the trip from their neighbors and the Polar Star Commonwealth school in Syracuse, Utah, who made and donated more than 100 fleece blankets for new moms in Kenya. We drove to a country dispensary in Rima Ra Pera to deliver these supplies and tour the medical facilities. Only a few minutes after we arrived, Chelsey presented a baby blanket to a mother who had given birth just hours earlier. Then, Michaela gave baby blankets to a mom who arrived at the clinic with twins!
In Kavunzoni, Aaron and Melanie taught dozens of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders about the different lobes of the brain and how they are connected to our five senses. It seemed like all five senses of the kids were overloaded with excitement when we pumped up the Burto Ball. Dustin said that it’s his favorite activity because “the kids have such a strong reaction, just screaming with joy.” While the kids ran around, the team went to see the progress on the new school. The groundbreaking was just last Thursday, and the construction crew has already poured the foundation and dug the pit for the toilet block.
Before we headed back to our home base to start packing for our return journey, we had the great privilege of visiting the home of Juma Sunday. For a dozen years, Juma has protected our travel teams, enabling us to serve in remote villages because he ensures our safety. We felt honored to meet his family and express our gratitude for our wonderful friend, translator, and bodyguard.
Tomorrow, we will visit the village of Shaka and deliver supplies to another clinic before starting the long trip back to Utah. Our travel time will be more than two dozen hours. We will leave behind dozens of dear friends who hope and pray that Grant Victor Cares will bless another community about one dozen months from now.
Written by Rachel Matthews
