After my husband died in 2003, I applied to serve in the Peace Corps, was accepted and was sent to Ahero, Kenya, a small town close to Lake Victoria, and served there between 2004 and 2006.
On my return to the US, living in a retirement community in Rossmoor, California, I could not forget the people I had worked with, especially the grandmothers, living in mud huts, with no running water or electricity. So I applied for 501(c)3 to start a nonprofit organization here in the U.S. in order to give support.
Every year I go back to see the progress made and to observe what is needed most. Families have received goats, chickens, water pots with stands. Also mosquito nets, school uniforms and shoes for the kids.
GrG also sponsors visits by a local NGO three times a year, trained to treat the most common skin diseases. Free medication is given as needed.
We also take care of home repairs when needed, have create sheds to keep goats and provide wheelchairs. Some of the grandmothers have signed up for adult education to learn to read and write. Eye problems were discovered among the residents, so the Lions Club of Rossmoor donated 40 pairs of eyeglasses.
I grew up in Europe, went art school and worked as photographer during the swinging 1960s. My generation was so impressed with JFK and his famous speech : “Don’t ask what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country!”
I truly can say that the experience of serving in Peace Corps changed my life and made me realize how fortunate I am to be able to give.