Sistahs celebrate the Kenyan Connection
Members of the Kenya Sistahs organization during a 2009 dinner gala and silent auction at the Taj Boston Hotel.The organization aims to help women and children in Kenya and foster more cultural understanding.
To the far right is the president of the organization, Rev. Irma Thibodeaux while the secretary, Lynett Holmes, stands second right. pic by Charles Jenkins, Firebird Design Studio |
By Harrison Maina, AjabuAfrica.com
BOSTON, Mass. , DECEMBER 30_A group of African America women with great affinity for Kenya met last fall for an annual fundraising gala and to celebrate their new fund connection to mother Africa.
Known as the Kenya Sistahs (website), the group of 10 African American women was joined by dozens of other well wishers including men, supportive of their mission for the 3rd annual event dubbed "That's What Friends Are For".
The 2009 fundraising gala and silent auction took place at the Taj Boston Hotel in downtown Boston on Friday, September 18.
The Kenya sistahs mission is to engage in mission work; promote educational sponsorship, support Kenyan women in economic development; foster collaborative partnerships with Kenya based organizations and encourage cross cultural understanding.
The organization was established in 2005 by a group of 10 African American women from the Boston area after they took a vacation in Kenya then.
“When we returned to our homes in the United States, we realized that our lives had been tremendously changed by the Kenyan experience. We therefore decided to form this group and engage in various charitable activities,” said Lynette Holmes, secretary of the organization.
The group of 10 friends was put together from the efforts of Rev. Irma Thibodeaux, a former US Peace Corp volunteer when she returned to the US after serving in Kenya for two years.
Rev. Irma Thibodeaux, president of Kenya Sistahs. C.Jenkins/Firebird Design Studio |
“When I went to Kenya on my Peace Corps mission, I saw serious problems facing Kenyan girls and women,” said Rev. Thibodeaux while speaking to guests during the gala.
“When I returned to the US, I couldn't forget Kenya. I asked some friends to come visit Kenya with me and, and they accepted and from that we started the Kenya Sistahs,” continued Rev. Thibodeaux, who is also the President of the organization.
Thibodeaux said that since then, The Kenya Sistahs had grown big and they have already made two trips to Kenya.
“We visited various women groups and schools in Nairobi, Langata, and Mombasa and started several projects,” she said
Guests, mostly African American and white Americans, were treated to a variety of Kenyan traditional music like Mwana Mberi and Nginyukagia o kahota.
Various Kenyan art and craft works were also on display. Several contests designed to measure the knowledge of the African Americans about this history and current affairs of Kenya were performed with the winners scooping prized arts and Crafts.
Questions ranged from who was the first president of Kenya, which a few attendees got. Others like who is the prime minister of Kenya were a little tough but one lady got the right last name, Odinga, thus winning herself a giraffe carving.
Linda McKenzie, of McKenzie Law and Associates, led the questions and answer session.
Surprised that there were hundreds of Kenyan nationals living in Massachusetts, the Kenya Sistahs women said that they would welcome any opportunity to network with Kenyans to expand their Kenyan cultural knowledge and for more opportunities that would lead to anything positive.
Based in Braintree, Mass., the Kenya Sistahs made their first major connection to the Kenyan community in Boston after searching Kenyan churches in Boston.
“A page on AjabuAfrica.com came up and we saw a whole list of Kenyan churches. We saw one located in Cambridge and that is how we made contacts with the Rapture Harvest Mission International,” said Holmes, the secretary of the ambitious group.
 A number 22 jersey of the legendary William Eldon O'Ree, known best for being the first black player in the National Hockey League, is auctioned at the Kenya Sistah's 2009 gala. pic/C.Jenkins |
Rapture Harvest Mission international, has since relocated to Wakefield, still in Mass.
Attending the event, Joyce Kimondo, who made the first Kenyan contact with the women of Kenyan Sistahs at a salon in Brockton, said that she hoped more Kenyans can show up next year to interact with the friendly American women.
“I am glad to be associated with the Kenya Sistahs and I hope other Kenyans can take part in this,” said Joyce.
In an interview with AjabuAfrica.com, Lynette Holmes, the secretary of the organization and Chair of the Educational Initiative, indicated that a group of three women from The Kenya Sistahs will be leaving for a two week educational initiative / mission trip to Kenya in January next year.
During the mission, the women will deliver educational and school supplies to several schools in Nairobi and Mombasa. They will also donate eyeglasses to various organizations.
“We are going to visit Alliance boys and Alliance girl’s high schools, and Compass primary school near Nairobi, then move on to Mombasa where we hope to visit Chamgamwe secondary school, Manego and Kikambala primary school,” said Holmes.
The organization, which depends soley on donor funds, is optimistic that with the seeming economic recovery, more funds will be available to enable them do more projects in Kenya for the benefit of the average women and children facing difficulties.
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