April 11, 2019
The Green Lion
A GIVING HEART – By Monica Wangui
In February 2019 we had a wonderful guest from Vietnam, came to visit our programs in Kenya. As the Country Manager, I picked him up at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which is located in Nairobi. He arrived on a Saturday and I briefly introduced him to our Kenyan culture and our location. The next day we took a tour around the village which he seemed to enjoy immensely.
What we didnβt know at the beginning, but my team and I came to learn over the course of his stay, was that Mr. Nguyen has a great personality and a very big heart. His purpose for coming was to get more knowledge about what we do in this region and to give back to the community we serve while he was here.
During his visit we distributed food, shoes, clothing, and books to those in need. He provided scholarships to 4 different students. He supported the efforts of a single mother who was opening her own business, donated funds for medical treatment of the skin for some children in need of care their families could not afford. He joined activities in the class for Students with Special Needs, providing them with much-needed new chairs and supporting their entrepreneurial efforts by buying their hand made bead works. He even brought a new wheelchair all the way from Vietnam to give to a local child with disabilities. But one of the most amazing things that was made possible due to his generosity, was that we were able to facilitate the construction of a new home for a family of 14 who had been living in very difficult conditions.
The Kenyan team is so very grateful for all the wonderful things Mr. Nguyen shared while in our community. Most of all, his time cooking for the children, making them balloons, treating the wounds of the children, teaching them numbers and how to sing in Vietnamese. We cannot repay him, but we wish him a lot of happiness, joy and good health. He is a good example to us that we can all give if we are committed to share our time, energy and resources to change the lives of others. We are looking forward to him coming back to the Gatanga village.
I would like to say thank you to the TGL Vietnam team, especially Quyen and Ana for organizing everything and following up with us. In a special way we say thank you to all my colleagues in Thailand, especially to Dr. Shakira for all the continued support. Together we keep working as a global team to make the world a better place by assisting local communities to bring about the positive changes they wish to see, bit by bit. The Gatanga Village is transforming very quickly and as the major stakeholders, the community members appreciate and welcome the presence of The Green Lion.
The Green Lion
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