Month: July 2024

From June 5 to June 7, 2024 Susanne and I visited the from Hand to Hand Farm and School community in Kilgoris Kenya where Swami Padma, John Ombasa and Benson Makori have been serving for years now. There, we met the main school teacher Peter and some of the staff. The kids were full of energy and smiles and greeted us with wonderful Masai songs and dances. It was heart warming to watch the children play games during recess. During the first day of our visit we learned of Swami Padma’s journey in Kenya, it’s past accomplishments helping families and children out of Nairobi’s slums, current challenges with families’s in the Kilgori’s area and future goals to grow the elementary school. Meanwhile we were having lunch prepared by mama Ruth which felt and tasted like excellent home cooked food. We were served Ugali, avocado, sautéed local greens and a delicious peas and potato stew. On the second day, we rode on Boda Bodas (motorbike taxi service) to visit the home of two families with children attending the school. Although their living conditions were humble according to our western standards (houses made out of mud walls, straw roof, without electricity and running water) the children live with a sense of resilience and camaraderie that is seldom seen in the western world. That day Mama Ruth made another great lunch of sautéed cabbage, beans and chapati. Later we toured the school’s  brand new building’s spacious classrooms and the vegetable garden. The school has a lot of potential to grow and expand it’s offerings to the surrounding community, even though some children have to walk up to an hour each way to get to school. The vegetable garden,  arranged as permaculture beds was full of bounty. Squash plants, local greens, and fruit trees are examples of what is planted, including  amaranth , banana, papaya, avocado and a guava tree significant to Toichi, when he heard about children being caught ‘stealing’ guavas to supplement their diet (as he would while at boarding school back home in Cuba!) Our visit was very short but nevertheless had a big impact on us. We loved the sense of community at the from Hand to Hand farm and school and are in awe of the work and selfless dedication that Swami Padma and his team have given to this community over the past 10 years and counting. Thank you for having us and sharing your vision and important work! We are looking forward to another visit in the near future! Toichi Herzberg and Susanne Neunhoeffer.