Belize Service Trip With SXU

Peace!

I'm Kenya. A Communications major at St. Xavier University with a deeply rooted desire and love for helping others. As a young woman in the Nation of Islam, I often participate in different community outreach initiatives as a way to give back by sharing my talents and what I've learned with others to help them change their lives for the better.

With that, I decided to grab hold of an exciting and life-changing service trip to Belize as a means to travel, learn and most importantly lend my time, spirit and hands to helping those in need. In partnership with Hand in Hand Ministries, SXU offers students the opportunity every year to travel to Belize for an International Mercy Service Trip. Over the years, they have helped by building homes for needy local families. This year they are helping to build a facility inside of a local women's prison where the women can be visited by their loved ones. It will also be a place for them to participate in life skills training classes to ensure their success in society once they're out.

Once I heard what the trip was about, I knew that I had to be apart of an initiative such as this one. My personal faith coupled with my school's core values makes me eager to experience such a rich (and different) culture while simultaneously directly helping women who need it most.

Additionally, as a future ambassador for Islam and my community, I have been inspired to not only sulk up what I can from the culture and history of the people of Belize, but to study the process and guidelines of international service trips themselves. This will allow me to come back and work with the mindset that one day we will be able to create such programs for our children, helping them on their journey to excellence and eventually rulership.

I'm very excited to have been presented with such an amazing opportunity that with you all's help I will be able to experience!

Though the initial deadline for acceptances into the program was December, God blessed me with acceptance recently which I took as a blessing but it also means that I have a much shorter time to come up with the necessary funds, since the trip is in early May.

The $3,000 will cover the lodging, flight, and additional expenses while in Belize. I encourage all to leave their email addresses so that I may send exclusive pictures and updates about the trip as a thank you for your kind and generous donations.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement of me. Much love!!