Two BVC sites: a reflection on time in Kenya and Israel

Dear Johnnies and the greater CSB+SJU community,

I am writing to you from Tabgha, Israel, in the midst of an extraordinary and transformative year in the Benedictine Volunteer Corps.

I wish to offer you a look as to what my service looks like and brief insights on why I believe you should pursue similar experiences.

My service began in Kenya, where Ethan Sturm-Smith ‘24 and I lived with the monks who serve St. Benedict’s Parish in Nairobi.

We worked as substitute teachers in St. Benedict’s Primary School and supported two different rehabilitation centers serving the people of Mathare: St. Benedict’s Children Programme and Alfajiri (dawn) Street Kids Art, each serving two distinct populations.

St. Benedict’s Children Programme, affectionately referred to as Madodo (beans), supported children in their efforts to go to school.

The kids would come to the center every day for one year, then would receive financial support to attend school all the way to high school graduation.

Playing football and cards, teaching class and sharing meals with the boys twice a week was very special.

The struggles of these boys, aged 6-15, are greater than one can imagine — yet they persevere through the poverty, the hunger and the dangers of their environment with courage and the biggest smiles you’ll ever see. Their strength was my strength when I was feeling down, and their joy was my joy.

Alfajiri Street Kids Art serves those living in the streets working through addiction. Working with Alfajiri showed me the immense struggle and suffering that can be found in the world, but it also showed me the unlimited potential that each human being has.

Two or three times a week, boys are welcomed to the main center and their outreach center to participate in art workshops.

This allows them to not only be in a safe space for the day and to get a meal, but also to express themselves in beautiful and often stunning ways.

As they continue to attend these sessions and work toward sobriety, with the guidance of social workers and coaches, Alfajiri will help them enter the next phase of their life, which could be school, work or reuniting with family.

Being able to witness this transformation showed me that anything and everything is possible when you have a strong support network.

My time in Kenya transformed me in ways that will probably take my entire lifetime to understand, and I will be forever grateful for the time I spent there and for all the people I met and worked with.

Recently I transferred sites, which is atypical for BVC, to Tabgha, Israel. With the ongoing ceasefire, the BVC deemed it safe for volunteers to return to Beit Noah.

Beit Noah brings together individuals from both Israeli and Palestinian communities who have disabilities, along with their families, for fun, relaxation and fellowship.

Currently, groups are unable to visit due to war, but hope remains that peace will prevail and that soon this place will once more burst with activity and love. In the meantime, I am incredibly grateful for the abundant opportunities to reflect on my experiences in Kenya and on my undergraduate experience while gardening and providing maintenance work for the facilities.

The Benedictine Volunteer Corps, and other service opportunities such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and the Peace Corps, are extremely valuable programs that support countless communities around the world who face great challenges. Service work is extremely important in that regard, but volunteer service is also hugely beneficial for the volunteer.

Making space to serve in many cases deepens your professional and interpersonal skills and opens your heart to some of the most marginalized peoples in the world, both near and far. With that, I encourage you to at the very least investigate what postgraduate service might look like for you.

I specifically encourage Johnnies to consider joining the Benedictine Volunteer Corps. It is an incredible program from start to finish that is bound to change you for the better.