A New Life Begins for Safari

In August 2002, Signs told the story of Safari, the Kenyan boy who underwent 14 operations in Australia to repair severe burns damage. Barry Oliver tells what’s happened since he went home.

Safari’s arrival home in his village of Kasaala, Kenya, was an emotion-charged moment. There was joy, excitement and tears as Safari’s mother, Annah, threw her arms around him.
Tragically, almost a year later to the day, Annah was bitten by a snake and died. The local clinic was inadequately stocked for such an emergency, and ADRA hadn’t had time to complete its refurbishment or to stock it with medicines. There was great saddness in both Kenya and Australia over this event, but none felt it more so than Safari.
In 2002, Signs outlined some of the health and education initiatives planned for Safari’s village, including improvements to the local health clinic, using money donated by the public last year. Despite some media reports to the contrary, many of these projects are either completed or almost complete—projects that were devised and approved by local village and government authorities.
I visited Kenya in March 2003, to join celebrations marking the official beginning of the projects. The community was amazed and overjoyed at the generous support of people thousands of kilometres and a literal ocean away.
For those who’ve followed Safari’s progress through Channel 9’s RPA series, you’ll also be glad to know that Safari is doing well in his refurbished school. Who knows what he’ll be able to do for his people with a quality education!
This is a postcard report of the Kasaala village project, as at May 2003.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) would like to thank the people of Australia for their huge support of these invaluable projects.
Public assistance made this dream a reality, and will continue to directly assist the Kasaala community to a better future.

Safari Articles:

a Class of Their Own
ADRA, in collaboration with a local community steering committee, completed two new classrooms in the local secondary school, and another two in the primary school. ADRA helped furnish them with new desks and chairs. For the first time in their lives, some students enjoyed something new. The classrooms were officially opened in March, 2003 by the Kenyan district commissioner and ADRA–Australia’s board chairman, Dr Barry Oliver. Since the opening, enrolment has increased by 400 per cent.

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