Changing the World: Westminster Group Prepares to Depart for Africa

Feature photo above, Gina Campagna ’09 connects with a small child during a 2014 Westminster trip to Africa, supporting Humanity for Children initiatives.

A group of students, faculty, and alumni will leave Friday, May 29, 2015 on a 24-day trip to East Africa, continuing Westminster’s long-standing humanitarian work in that area, a partnership with Humanity for Children (HFC). Westminster’s Dr. Bob Hansen will lead the group: 2015 marks his eight year of taking Westminster students on such a trip.

HFC is an international humanitarian organization, headquartered in Columbia, MO, that works to enhance the quality of life of children in East Africa.

“We are working with Humanity for Children in East Africa, monitoring and expanding projects in Rwanda and Tanzania,” says Hansen. I’ll continue for another week to monitor an HFC clinic in Kenya.

Projects include three health clinics in remote areas, the Bright Light Campaign that brings solar study lamps to students in areas where there is no electricity, micro-loans to women hoping to start their own small businesses, and livestock projects that involve goats, pigs, cows and honeybees.  Most of our projects in Rwanda are near the city of Kibungo (Ngoma District), Fulton/Callaway County’s partner community, according to Hansen.

In all, six Westminster students and recent alumni and two teachers from St. Louis will join Hansen, who will stay on another week past the 24-day trip to monitor an HFC clinic in Kenya. Attending from Westminster are Bret Robertson ’16, Azza Abuseif ’15, Tony Mitchell ’15, Kaitlin Rosholm ’17, Meredith Bolen ’16, and Bernard Mugisha ’18.

Read about last year’s trip.