Feature

One Washington State University student shares her achievements and struggles in the poverty stricken country of Kenya.
Katherine Barry, a WSU pre-med biology major traveled independently to Kenya for the summer of 2007 as a sophomore. She wanted to explore how she could positively contribute to the constant need for medical aid in the country. Even though Barry was unaccompanied in her travels she managed to find other Americans that helped her along the way.
Barry’s motivation for the trip started when a Kenyan citizen, originally born in Bellingham, Wash., came to speak at a fall conference at WSU. Speaker Rachelle Strawther invited students at the conference to stay with her in Kenya to learn more about the culture. Barry, who had been struggling academically, thought it would be a good opportunity to get real-world experience while helping others who were in need.
Within two days of Barry’s arrival she was hired for an internship at an emergency hospital. She was assigned to a children’s ward in the oncology unit where she received hands-on experience in the medical field. She worked side by side with nurses and doctors with whom she assisted. “It was crazy, I had never stabbed anyone with a needle in my life and here I was taking a blood sample from a child,” Barry said.
In addition to Barry’s medical endeavors she also helped assist in the building of an orphanage. Due to the high rate of HIV victims in Kenya there are many children left without shelter and care. When Barry was in Kenya she said she realized how important foreign aid was to the well-being of the country and decided to donate the remainder of her money to help send the orphaned children to high school.
Along with all of Barry’s achievements she endured several struggles along the way. She said fundraising for the trip was most difficult. Barry said because she had to fundraise on her own that it was the most stressful part of her experience. However, she was able to raise most of the money she needed for the trip through numerous fundraisers, donations from the Kiwanis Club, Circle K Club and various members of her bible study group. One member of the Circle K Club, Brooke Rae Bennett, said she was more than willing to help out because she knew Barry would represent the club well.
Besides having difficulty fundraising, Barry also found it difficult to interact with many of the people native to Kenya. Barry said although the people in Kenya were nice, they rarely made friendships with foreigners. She learned that many of the Kenyan women were competitive and therefore hostile towards other women, Barry said. She also said men generally saw her as an opportunity for wealth and rarely engaged in conversations that did not include asking for a handout.
Despite Barry’s struggles she said she wants to return to Kenya, possibly this summer, to work closely with an orphanage. As for Barry’s future she said she hopes to also have the opportunity to join the Peace Corps.
Barry said she suggests anyone who is interested in contributing foreign aid to travel independently in order to really experience the culture. Bennett said she will be in full support of Barry, whatever she decides to do.