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Hello World! Journal Entry of a 9-year old boy helping children in Uganda and Kenya

September 27, 2008 - Uganda

by Judah Yarberry

I am Judah, and I travel to Uganda and Kenya in Africa. I raise money for doing this by selling plants, selling postcards, and doing service for people. I usually work on Fridays because I go to Connections Public Charter School and so I have Fridays off. On my next trip I’m going to bring the children I know near Mama Kevina School toothpaste, toothbrushes, toys and pencils. I ordered these with my aunt. I am also collecting used clothes at school for my friends in Africa.

My experiences in Africa were going to Mama Kevina school and playing with the kids that lived in that area, and the kids that go to that school. Their main sport is soccer, and they also like to use slingshots to hit things (not people!). The kids I play with don’t speak English, but we use hand gestures and pointing signals to talk to each other. The kids there are basically the same as my friends in Hawaii except they love soccer so much! They only have a few sets of clothes and not very many toys, so they have to make their own toys, and they make up games like playing jacks with rocks, or pushing tires with a stick. Sometimes they even have to make their own soccer balls by tying a lot of plastic bags in a ball. What I’ve learned by going there is that you can make up your own games, you don’t have to play games that someone else made for you. When I get back from my trips, I give slide shows to show people what it is like there.

Judah Yarberry is a 9 year old in Hilo, Hawaii. Since he was 6 years old he has been traveling with his mother to East Africa where she does relief work with RMF. Judah raises money for these trips by selling plants and greeting cards at his mother’s clinic, and doing yard service and other chores for friends, neighbors and supporters. He often collects and takes school supplies, toys, and other needed items to children in Uganda and Kenya. His favorite part about his travels is meeting and playing with other children, and being around all the animals of Africa (he wants to be a wildlife conservationist when he grows up). When in the US, he shares these trips through slide presentations for local schools.