How Kibera, Kenya Taught Me To Find Happiness In The Little Things

Helping people all over the world hear has been apart of my life for as long as I can remember. It was a passion instilled in me by my grandparents, who founded the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Seeing how hard they work and the kindness they show complete strangers is awe-inspiring. That’s why, when I was old enough, I made it my mission to help as many people as possible by volunteering with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Serving others is such a rewarding feeling. It can also be an eye-opening experience. This became most apparent on my recent hearing mission to the countries of Zambia and Kenya in Africa. After we fit as many patients as possible in Zambia with hearing aids, we traveled to Kenya where we got a chance to immerse ourselves in the culture and see the country. We visited the Starkey offices in Nairobi where I met a woman who has been a patient for more than 10 years. 10 years! It’s amazing that in the most remote areas of the world, our team is able to stay connected with the people and patients we help. After that, we made our way to Kibera.

A few years ago in Kibera, three Shofco water towers were built. These towers offer free, clean drinking water, plus showers and restrooms for the people in the area to use. Our team went to visit one of the towers. While we were there we saw young girls, maybe 7 or 8 years old, filling gigantic buckets full of water. My first thought was, “I hope these poor children don’t have to carry these heavy bucket all by themselves.” Unfortunately, that was the reality. I offered to help carry the bucket for one of the girls and she agreed. She then took off down the road, and I hurried after her. We went up a steep hill and through alleyways. The entire time I was thinking, “This is hard work. How in the world does this tiny human do this every day?!” We finally got to her building, where we travelled up a broken and rickety set of stairs. We went past doorways to other homes where the only barrier to the outside elements was a sheet or blanket. We went higher and higher in the building, to a point where the heat was nearly unbearable. Finally, we reached her home. I gave her the bucket of water and she was so happy. She was smiling ear to ear! To say thank you, she gave me a decorative piece of tissue paper she had saved. I was so touched! This young girl, who had so little, was giving me something very special just for helping her carry water. Water! Something I have plumbed into my home. It’s available to me 24/7, and I’m only ever a few steps away from having access to it!

This experience made me understand the importance of being grateful for what you have. The people of Kibera are happy and work harder than most people I know. While I was there, I also had a chance to visit the library. The students there didn’t have computers. They were reading and taking notes on a piece of notebook paper. They didn’t drive to school; they walked. For some of them, they walked miles to get there just so they could study.

This trip gave me a new appreciation for the things I used to take for granted everyday. I am so blessed to have these opportunities, and I am so grateful for everyone and everything in my life! Please, if you’re ever feeling down, remember there are others in the world with much less who find happiness in the little things.