March 7, 2019

When a Delta College team of current and retired faculty, students and alumni travels to Kenya in May, it will continue a 30-year tradition of collaboration with medical and educational institutions in the African nation. This journey will provide a larger variety of services than any previous trip by a Delta group.

Among the planned activities on the May 4–20 expedition are a three-day medical camp in the remote village of Haji, which the Delta group visited for the first time last year, and a two-day camp in the slum area of Nakuru. The first Delta team traveled to Kenya in 1990, and this year’s members are looking forward to building on the work of those who have gone before.

"We had some really cool cases in the medical camp in 2018," said Delta Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Professor Dr. Christopher Hausbeck. "One lady, who was 100 years old, walked three miles just to come see us."

Delta is continually striving to improve conditions in Haji, an Internationally Displaced Persons (IDP) community. At the building holding the medical camp, as well as the library established by Delta, the team plans to continue work being done to install more secure windows, obtain more books, improve internet connections and complete a $20,000 water project to pump water from a natural spring to the building and the community. 

"The trip is total immersion with very rewarding work and such great people," said Nursing Professor Kelli Prena. "I have been to Kenya 10 times, and every time is special. We live within that culture versus looking at the culture from the outside." 

Partnerships like these with institutions overseas, give students and faculty unique and exciting learning opportunities, along with the chance to explore the planet, help others and study abroad.

"I loved the trip," said Abigail Brown, a PTA student and member of last year’s expedition. "I brought back so many great experiences, not only hands-on experiences that I can use in the future, but I had so much fun and met new people. It was humbling, and being able to see so many different things, apart from helping with the clinic, made it a very well-rounded and great experience."

Find Out More

Learn more about Delta’s work in Kenya including photos and historical highlights. Visit study abroad for information about upcoming trips and other service opportunities.