 afternoon in Nairobi. Thank you all for joining us. I just wanted to say a few words that this is an event part of Global Diaspora Week that we're celebrating here in the United States, and this is an example of one event that's occurring in other countries as well as here in Washington to get various diaspora groups together. And Jerry, as you know, is a member of the Kenyan American Diaspora, and we're very pleased to have her here with you. And I just wanted to acknowledge my colleagues who have been part of this program, our interactive folks here in IIP, Bureau of International Information Programs, also our colleagues with the African Bureau. And I just want to especially say thank you to our embassy in Nairobi, our colleagues for having the event here and taking the time to organize this. Thank you very much. And without further ado, let's move on to Jerry. Thank you. All right, Mambo. Wow, very good. Now we're talking. Okay, so first of all, I want to thank you all for being there. I know you drove a long way to get there, and Mr. Kaguye, I am so grateful that you are able to put this together under the circumstances. I would like to take an opportunity to thank all my colleagues at Embassy Nairobi who actually made this happen. I would also like to thank my colleagues here in Washington, D.C., as Larry mentioned. It took a lot of people to make this event come into being. So the children, today you are the stars of the show. Welcome. It's very nice to see you. Again, you look very good. And as we say in Kenya, you look very smart. So this is a conversation that I've been looking forward to having with you. And hopefully in December, when I come to Kenya, I know I'll be able to meet with all of you. Let me start off by telling you a little bit about myself. My name is Jerry Gatungumon. And of course, as you know, in Kenya traditionally, children do not call their, you know, adults by their name. So I'm asking you to call me Mama Etho or Mama Jasmine, especially the children. So you're talking to me, that's fine, because I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Okay, very well. Now, I was born in Muranga, Kenya. I was born to a teenage mother. My mother was in school when she got pregnant with me. And my father had just graduated from Form 4. He was working in Muranga. Now, of course, when my mother got pregnant, she was kicked out of school. She was not allowed to continue. Well, they married. And 15 months later, my sister, Shiko, was born. Now, shortly after my sister, Shiko was born, my father lost his job. And for years after my father lost his job, we actually did not have a place to live. We lived with my aunties from my father's side. Aunties from my mother's side. We moved from place to place. Then, at some point, my mother became very frustrated with that move. And basically, she decided that she was going to settle in our ancestral home, which is in Iwagi. That's Gita Mayu. You guys, I know you're aware of that. So, at the age of six, I went to Iwagi. And my mother at the time had four children under the age of six. So, growing up, I saw my mother struggle. She was a young woman. At some time, my father did not have a job. But the one thing I learned at the time was how focused my mother was. Even though she was young, she was focused, she was strong. And she made sure that we were comfortable. My mother always reminded me when we were children that, you know, if I had graduated high school, she used to say, you know, I would actually, life would be very good for all of us. So, at a very early age, I was told that education is a good thing. You know, going to school and getting an education was a great thing. Now, when I was five and a half years old, I attended your school that turned to primary school. And most of you, if you know where I live, you know, that's far away. I was five and a half years old. And I had to keep up with my older cousins running to school. And I have very fond memories of Gatondo. One thing that I remember was that, you know, I would wear my shoes to go to school because my father had bought me a pair. But when I got to school, during those days, one of the teachers would tell me, you know, you have to remove those shoes because you're showing off. Most of the kids during those years did not have shoes. So I was told I would have to remove my shoes and only wear them when I go back home. I wasn't allowed to wear them during the classes. But that was not the only thing I remember about Gatondo. I remember a group of children who are eager to learn. And I also remember that they had a lot of challenges like I did. So when I'm looking at you today, actually, I'm seeing myself in your faces. I was one of you going to your school. And I went there until I finished standard three, when my father actually got a job to work in Atariva. So we moved to Atariva. And a few years later, my sister Lucy was born. Lucy was actually seven years younger than me. And then while we were in Atariva, basically my mom had more children. I had actually left home when my sister Lydia and my brother Jeff sitting there with me was born. So actually, Jeff and Lydia grew up thinking I was their aunt and not their sister because I had already left home. So when I was 21 years old, Pan American Wildiaways, which is an American company, was looking for African flight attendants. To be specific, they were looking for Kenyan flight attendants. They wanted somebody who could speak English and Swahili. And they interviewed a lot of people and I was very fortunate because I was one of the few that was recruited. And they sent us to Miami, Florida for training. I have to tell you that actually that changed my life because for years after I was able to travel in several countries, I lived in Israel, in India, in Frankfurt, and actually a lot more, including the United States. Then I met my husband and we decided to get married. And we have two children. And by the way, I'm still married to him. So that's a good thing. So, you know, like I said, you know, Panam, walking for an American airline naturally was a good thing. It changed my life. But I have to tell you, it took an entire village to get me where I am today. It took my aunts, it took my relatives from, you know, extended relatives, it took my family, it took my friends. Now, when I was in primary school, in primary school, I was actually a good student. But when I went to high school, I was not very focused. I was not doing well in school. The first and second year of high school, I was actually getting involved in some bad things because I don't want to tell you exactly what they were. But really it was challenging for me. And my father actually intervened. And he told me that I needed to get an education. My mother looked at me and said, Jerry, you know, when you get an education, you actually make your own money and you don't have to worry about other people giving you money. And now you're interested in boys. Okay, I know you're beautiful and boys will tell you you're beautiful, but boys don't get pregnant and drop out of school. So my mother was very focused in telling me what, you know, I needed to do. So my father actually, when I was in form two, sent me to live with my aunty in Keganjo, Neri. And when I was at my aunties, my cousin, I became very close with one of my cousins. His name is John Camunha. And my cousin was very, very bright. He was going to a school in Nairobi and had actually finished form four. And he had done quite well. He was going to do A-Levels. He eventually went on to become a lawyer. Now my cousin, John, I actually credit him with articulating to me as a, you know, peer to peer, cousin, friend, whatever you want to call it. Telling me, Jerry, look, you're hanging out with friends whose parents have money. Your father, your parents don't have money. The only way you're going to make it is if you stay in school and you do well in school. And sure enough, I finished Pangani Girls High School and I went to Moy-Forces Academy. And then again, after I finished Moy-Forces Academy is when Panam recruited me. So as you can see, you know, life, obviously I made mistakes, but there were always people there to help me, you know, do better. Now Lucy, my sister, which is the reason we are here today, I'm going to tell you a little bit about her because I started this project called Lucy's Blue Ribbon. My sister Lucy was 11 years younger than me. She came to the States when she was 19 years old. I sent for her because I had promised her that once I settled down in America, I would send for her so she can go to school. So my sister Lucy came to America and she went to school. She was very, very bright. She went, she walked her way through school. As you can see, you know, she's the one at the bottom of this picture. My sister Lucy graduated at the top of our class, actually. She was very bright. She had a great job. Now Lucy, my mother used to say was actually a little different from all of us. My mother used to say that Lucy was selfless, that she was compassionate, that she actually carried the load of others on her own shoulders. You see, when Lucy was a little girl and attending primary school, instead of spending her lunch money, she would save her money and then she would go back when she was going home. She would actually give people those, you know, the homeless people near Moey Avenue Primary School. She would give them money. She would go back home and tell my mom, I didn't spend my money. Can we help somebody else with this money? Lucy, at some point, became very involved with, you know, quite a lot of people who are actually not doing well. Some children, as a matter of fact, and she would get up in the morning and make chapati and tell mom, Mom, take this chapati and sell them so we can make extra money and we can help people. That's just the type of person she was. When she came in the States and she was walking, she didn't have children of her own and she continued to do that. I was surprised to find out how many people Lucy was helping without telling any of us. So she was doing that. She continued doing that, even after she graduated from school. And in 2008, something terrible happened. In 2008, January, my sister Shikou passed away. Now, when my sister Shikou passed away, we thought that life could not get worse than it did. But unfortunately, in 2009, Lucy had been complaining a lot about how she was feeling. She had gone to so many doctors and she had asked doctors, can you, you know, help me because I'm having this stomach problems? And the doctors would send her home sometimes, you know, telling her it's anti-acid and so many other things. In August of 2009, Lucy was finally diagnosed with colon cancer. When they diagnosed her with a colon cancer, it was already at stage four. Lucy was told by the doctors that, no, you only have two years to live. They told her that even the fact that the colon cancer was at stage four, she has to get a walk in order and she had to prepare herself and to prepare her family. You know, I was in the room with Lucy when this happened. And I have to tell you, we cried. And after she got herself together, after the initial shock was off, we actually, Lucy looked at me and she said, Jerry, you know what? I promise you, I'm not going to die in two years. And I said, that's a good thing. She said, the doctors cannot decide when I'm going to die. I have so much work to do. I am not going to die in two years. Well, she didn't. She lived for five years. This is the kind of determination that Lucy had. For the next five years after 2009, Lucy endured very strong dosages of chemotherapy. She had chemo every week, every other week actually. And she would take the pump home with her and then she would come back to the doctor on a Friday. And then for three days in a row, she would be completely exhausted. However, when Lucy was not feeling bad, Lucy would actually, she got into making jewelry. Today, actually, I'm wearing one of her necklaces that she made. She would make jewelry, Lucy made t-shirts to sell to her friends. And she donated the money to colon cancer alliance because she believed that one day they'll be a cure for colon cancer. What really surprised me was that Lucy did not keep any of that money. Lucy would send the money to my mother. She and my mother had a group of people that they were helping and we did not know. But anyway, that's what they did. So in August of 2014, this was actually admitted in the hospital for the last time. During that time, she called me aside and she told me, Jerry, you know, I don't think this is good. And we talked quite a bit. What I can tell is that she was reflecting on our life. She was really reflecting and she wanted me, she wanted to tell me something. And in a minute, I'm going to share with you the things that she told me. At first, let me tell you this. Yes, it took a lot of people to get me here because there's no way you can succeed alone. It took my mother who encouraged me. It took my sister, she called, who was the most generous person that I have ever met. She called, welcomed everybody. I have lost, you saw the pictures earlier, I have lost both my, I lost my mother in January of this year. I lost my sister, she called in 2008. And I lost Lucy last year, September. But I have to tell you this. The three of them left more within me than anybody else. But most of all, this little girl, Lucy, who I considered almost like my own child, left the greatest impression on me. Let me share with you, please, if you allow me, some of the things I know Lucy taught me. And I'm sure the things will help you as well. Lucy used to say, love yourself. You're one in seven billion people in this world. There's no one else like you. So do not try to be like somebody else. Be yourself. Do the best that you can. She also used to say, be grateful. Be grateful for what you have. Because there are people who have less than you do. In this world, somebody is always doing worse than you are. So for whatever you are, wake up when you wake up in the morning, just say thank you, because you're here and that you've made it for another day. Lucy also used to say, build relationships. Relationships are important. So if you have people that care about you, if you have people that you love, spend time with them. Let people know that you care about them. So build relationships. Spend time with your friends. Another thing Lucy used to say is, forgive. She used to joke all the time. Lucy's story is actually quite long. I wish we had the time. But as a child, she endured some bad things. And throughout her life, as we all do, she had people that wronged her. But Lucy used to laugh and say, I'm sitting here angry because somebody did something wrong. So you're here all fat because somebody made you mad and you're going on for days and days and days. In the meantime, the person doesn't even think about it. So Lucy used to tell me, Jerry, when you forgive somebody, it's not that you're telling them to forgive for them wrong you or what they did to you. When you forgive somebody, you're freeing yourself of that anger. People will wrong you. So just free yourself and focus on what's important, because that's not important. It's done. The other thing Lucy used to say is, be confident and courageous. Normally things will happen that will make you afraid, that will make you not want to speak up. You have to be courageous. You have to be confident. You have to find that confidence within you. Don't let people tell you what's right for you all the time. Don't follow the sheep. Like cow sheep when you're going to the slaughter house, how all of them go together. Don't do that. Question. If a friend of yours is asking you to do something that's wrong, just say no. Just think for yourself. That's what courage is. Lastly, let me share with you that Lucy always said, do the right thing. When you do the right thing, even when people are not watching, it makes you feel good. Remember, your actions have consequences. So the choices that you make even today are going to actually have consequences. If you make good choices, however long it takes, something will always, something good is going to come out of it. I can honestly tell you that when you prepare yourself in life, when you start now and you prepare yourself an opportunity will avail itself. I'm sitting here right now and it just occurred to me. If all these people had not come into my life, if all the things that have happened to me and my family have not happened, I would not be sitting here with you today telling you about my life, telling you about Lucy and getting the support of my colleagues here at the African Bureau with the diaspora group. So I am really, really grateful. And this is to tell you that when you make right choices, an opportunity is going to avail yourself that actually will make everything better. So please, when you're going through something, however difficult it is, like many of us have, just remember that you're literally going through it and you're going to come out on the other side. Well, Lucy did not tell me this, but I saw it because you know, actions do speak louder than words. Lucy solved people. Lucy helped people. Lucy used to say that my sister Chico, who died in 2008, told her that it is better to give than to receive. So she always wanted to go out and do things for other people. She said she found her joy by giving. Well, Lucy would have turned 40 years this summer. You know, she wanted to celebrate her birthday so much, but of course she wasn't there. So what our friends, Lucy's friends, decided to do, we decided we're going to celebrate her birthday for her. And we asked friends of Lucy to bring school supplies for children so we can continue doing what Lucy was doing. You see those last few weeks when Lucy was laying in the hospital, she asked me to do two things for her. She said, Terry, I want you to tell people about colon cancer because it's one of the most curable diseases out there. I also want you to help children in Kenya. You know, if it wasn't for help from other people, there's no way it would be here. So I want you to go back to Kenya and continue with my work, do what I'm doing. So on this birthday, we had friends of Lucy bring school supplies. I was amazed. We had supplies for 40 children, which my family will be bringing in December. So Lucy's project that I started is called Lucy Blue Ribbon. Well, the Blue Ribbon, as you can see, there on the screen, the Blue Ribbon represents colon cancer. But I have to tell you that Lucy's Blue Ribbon does not only represent colon cancer. Lucy's Blue Ribbon represents strength, hope, compassion, and love. So my hope with this project is that we will continue as a team to make sure that we are helping you whenever you need help. I am hoping that this is something that we'll do for a long time. And I want you to do well in school because I'll be checking how you're doing well in school. And I want to find people, especially friends of Lucy, who are going to encourage you and support you as you go through this journey. Because, as they say, truly cannot succeed alone. You will need help, but I want you to help yourselves as well. So that is my story. And I know you have questions for me. And I want to hear what is going on with your lives. So thank you so much for listening. I appreciate it. And hopefully, I'll hear from you stories as well. Okay? Asante. Thank you. Thank you very much, Manda Mujeri. I'd like to say that we have a really hand of you and you have had how you have come from a very, very rough background. Most of the people that you look at here or see here, maybe they don't even afford two meals a day. Maybe just like you that you used to do it. Maybe you do not afford maybe two meals a day sometimes. However, we have tried our best with them. The school doesn't perform well, but it is one of the best schools in the district. In fact, it ranges between number one and number five in the public schools. There was the being number five, the best being number maybe two or one. But sometimes they used to, the school was a bit poor performer. But nowadays, we can see it is one of the schools that is looked upon so that maybe pupils can get in so that they can maybe get into their secondary schools of their choices. Well, the pupils here, maybe they are going to ask you questions. They are eager to maybe to hear from you what maybe you have done in some of the situations that you have maybe in. How you have how to maneuver yourself from those situations and how you have arrived there. What you did not tell us or didn't tell them is that you work with the State Department now. You don't work with the Panam. You work with the State Department nowadays. And surely some of them, when they heard that we are coming to American Embassy to talk with you, they were so mesmerized about working with the being an employee. You say we talk of Obama being an employee of Obama because Obama is the big man there. They were very much excited. Now, I would like to say I would like to give them a chance so that they can maybe ask questions. This is the president and maybe she might agree. The question the others have, they have compressed the questions so that maybe one or they will not take too long. Sometimes they might not be all that good in fluency in English. You have to give them to speak at time to speak. That's fine. Thank you very much. Talk to me in Kikuyu. And actually, thank you. Thank you so much for bringing that while they're getting ready to speak. Yes, go ahead. Speak in Kikuyu, Swahili. I speak all of them. But I forgot to tell you and this is important. When I was, when I had my children, I decided to go back to school. And I received my Bachelor of Science degree from a university here in Virginia called George Mason University. I have a public administration degree and I came with a minor in international studies. And I joined the State Department in 2008. And I can tell you, this was bigger than anything I ever imagined. Because you come to the Embassy and you see, you know, how, it's not difficult, but you see what's going on. I mean, the Embassy is very far from where you came from. So what you do is a big deal to me. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I'm ready for your questions. Thank you very much. As you already know, I'm Grace and I have a question. Very good. What can you do to become a smart people? Smart people. Okay. That's a very good question. What can you do to become a smart people? Okay. Now, there are many things you can do. First of all, I think for me, if I was giving that advice, I would say you have to believe in yourself. You have to trust that you have it inside of you to become the best person you can be. Again, you're one of you. There's seven billion people in this world and there's only you. Trust and believe that you can be the best that you can be. The second thing is that take your education seriously. When your teacher gives you homework, do it. If you have any questions, ask. You know, one of the things that I learned was that when you're going through school, especially in college, if you take an exam and you don't do well, the last thing you can do is put it back in your book bag or put it away somewhere without trying to find out what it is that I did wrong. So it's very important for you to go back and figure out if you make any mistakes in school, you know, learn from them, go back and find out. The other thing is respect yourself. As a pupil, you know who you are and you don't want people to treat you or to make you feel bad about yourself. So always respect yourself. And I think those are some of the things that you need to become a good people. Like you said, smart. Here in America, we say good, but to become smart, intelligent, right? Thank you, Grace. Thank you. What can you do to overcome overconfidence? What can you do? What can you do? What can you do to overcome overconfidence? To overcome overconfidence. Okay. Well, thank you. Thank you. You have not gone to the peak, but you feel as if you have achieved everything. Oh, okay. Yeah. Okay. Well, that's a good question actually, because sometimes when you're so sure of yourself, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to be very sure of what you can accomplish. However, you have to back your actions or your feelings with actions. So if you have studied or if you have done something, there's no need to fear that you're going to fail because you've done your homework. Overconfidence to me personally is not a bad thing. Now, there's a difference between being overconfident and exalting yourself to a point that people notice that you're actually arrogant. Those are two different things to me. Being overconfident, being confident, it's not a bad thing. If you've done what you're supposed to do, go ahead, be confident. You know, that comes through you. And sometimes when you're confident, even though you may not, have you had that expression, put your feet on the ground and reach for the stars and if you don't, you'll reach for the moon? Have you ever had something like that? So to me, if you're overconfident and you don't get where you really want to be, you've actually done something. So for me, being overconfident is not really a bad thing, but do not be arrogant. That is now a option. Okay? All right, Gioria, somebody's going to ask him to heal your kikui. What can one do to achieve his or her dream? Very good question. What is your dream? What do you, tell me, what is your dream? What is your, what do you think you want to be or what dreams do you have? Can you share with me? You can tell me in kikui. What do you want to do? An accountant. Oh, that's wonderful. That's wonderful. Are you good in math? Yes. Okay. All right. This is what I believe. And again, I'm talking from experience. What can you do to achieve your dreams? First of all, when you're dream, you have to dream big. Okay? You have to dream things that you wish for yourself. And I'm one of those people that believe that if you can dream it, you can make it happen because if you can see it and actually bring it into being. So when you have a dream, you have to set goals. That's what I believe. So for example, you want to be an accountant. What's that, what class are you in now? Standard 8. In standard 8. So once you finish standard 8, you're going to go into high school. You have to get focused with your education. You have to find out what you need to do to become an accountant. You have to always, always walk towards that dream. Now, if you want to focus on being an accountant and you have to be good in a certain subject, when don't do well in that subject, don't beat yourself up. You're going to go, you're going to make mistakes. And sometimes things will happen that will make you question, is this really a good dream? But for me, I would tell you that if you come to such roadblocks when you're trying to achieve your dream, the best thing to know is that as long as you're focused, you have to keep trying. You cannot give up. You have to persevere. Sometimes your dream may take a long time to come into being, but stay focused on your dream, plan, do well, and don't let other people tell you that whatever your dream is, is not a good dream. People have a tendency. I remember when I was a little girl, I told somebody that I wanted to go to America because when I was, when I went to primary school, there was a Peace Corps volunteer who came to school and she gave me a book and I was reading the book. And the book was about, I can't even remember what the book was all about, but it was about a distant land. The person had gone on an airplane and so on. And I told somebody, you know what, one day I will go to America so I can see what this book is talking about. And I'm telling you that person laughed in my face and said, how are you going to go to America? You can't even get to nothing. It's been a long time, but where am I right now? Don't let anybody tell you you cannot do it. Okay? What are the, what challenges did you face so that you can get to your career? What challenges did I face? Yes. Okay. What challenges did I face to get to my career? Huh. Oh, where do I start? Okay. First of all, okay. Let me tell you this. I live here in America, which is a great, great country. I can tell you that I had my children before I started, before I decided to go back to college and finish my education. So I had little, I have two girls, the wayang, and I had a job that I was working full time. And I decided that I was going to go back to school. Let me tell you, it's not easy. In Kenya, you have your cousins, your aunties, and everybody who helps you raise your child. Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of support here. So I had to do most of the things for myself. I did have my sister, Lucy, and my husband, but I was working good hours a week and I was going to school. So when I finally got that degree, it was so sweet. I started working at, actually after I left Panam, I did work in the healthcare industry as a healthcare manager. And then I took some licensing classes and I became a licensed insurance agent selling personal insurance and vehicle insurance and so on. So I had other things that I did before I joined the State Department. Well, I applied to join the State Department and I was fortunate to work here. The challenges that I faced here at the State Department really for me, they have not been significant because this is an environment that encourages people to do well. And when you do well, they notice you and they support you. I'm sitting here today because my Bureau of African Affairs, they had about this project that I was doing and they supported me. So honestly, as far as challenges in my career here, I can only say that it's been good. I know without a shadow of a doubt that if I do well and I'm dedicated to my work, which my mother taught me the value of hard work, if I work hard, people will notice. And when I came in, actually, I started off at entry level and I've been very, very fortunate with my career. So it's been tough in the beginning, in the end, you know, there's hard work that shows and people see it. So continue working hard. Even when you face challenges, you can make it. Okay? Any other questions? Mr. Cagüe? Okay. I want you, sorry, go ahead. Any other questions? Probably, Jeri, I can ask you a question. Okay, very good. And the other things that you did when you were a young girl, like the girls here, or at the age of this boy here, probably today, you see and say, wait a minute, this prepared me to be who I am today. That's a good question. Yes, definitely. That's a very good question. Yes, I was, sometimes I did not focus on education. I made mistakes. The things that prepared me is when I understood the value of an education, when my cousin, Tamunya, articulated to me that without an education, I was not going to make it out of where I was. When my mother told me that if I play around, I will not make it, I learned very quickly, maybe at the age of 15 or 16, I learned that I had to focus on education. So this is what I can tell you. You need, in order to prepare yourself for your future, you need to focus, whatever it is that you want to do, focus on it. Also, find out for yourself, which is something that I found out a long time ago, find out what it is that you like to do, what it is that makes you happy, what it is that makes you feel joy. And whenever you feel down, do that, that makes you feel happy to get you over, because I remember when I was a kid, when things were not going well, I loved dancing. My family will tell you that. I used to love dancing. You know those moments of Kenya when you go to compete for dancing? I did that. That was something that I actually latched on to as an activity that was outside of school. So every year I went to Bombas of Kenya. I was competing in Mashayiri. We used to have Mashayiri through the voice of Kenya, so I used to compete in that. So the things that I learned at your age that made me happy, the joy of dancing, the joy of going to do Mashayiri, actually those are the things that even today have made me feel good whenever I feel down. I know that for example when my sister Lucy passed away, I had to find joy. I had to find something to do. And I remember as a child, when I was young, I used to like dancing. So guess what I did? I joined a dance class at my age. Imagine. And that's what I was doing. So find something that makes you happy. Find something that gives you joy at this time. And every time you have a challenge, march on to that thing. And it will actually get you over maybe a problem that you're having. That's what has worked for me. I hope find what works for you because what works for me may not necessarily be what works for you. Okay? Yeah. Okay, Mr. Kavui. Okay, so one thing I would like to do or ask you is a member of Kenyan Diaspora. What is it that we can do to help you or students in your school? What is it that we can do to make sure that these kids who are very smart and talented and who have dreams like they've shared with me, don't fall off the wagon. Well, thank you. Well, the kids right now, they are in that age that is that we call a formative age. They are building their grades to add better achievements. Let me say this. Maybe you have, you told me that when you normally come to your home, you normally stroll around and you walk into it. There are some few issues that need to be settled here and there or to be shared here and there. One of them is a functional library, library that we can, the children can have books. In fact, we normally rely on government grants, but they are not enough to buy maybe library books. That's one. The other area that maybe we should talk of is that the crisis as you left them in those years, that is 1970s, maybe you left that by then the school was the only one that had stone walls and the cemented floors by then in that area. But you find that the classes have grown old and they need to be renovated. In fact, as much as the parent would like to do it, sometimes it becomes hard. Well, the area might look very green, the tea is there, but you see your brothers have shared the ritual chamber that your father has now. And that's how the whole area is. Maybe you find that a family has got, you talk of the area having tea, but the family has got maybe 500 tea butchies. That's where they're leaving. That's where they get the the retrophy that maybe is required even educating their children into high school. And let me say high school in Kenya, education is a bit costly to maybe families maybe families in the area that these children come from. And therefore the people's, the parents maybe maybe try to renovate the classes. Sometimes it becomes a hand. Therefore, I'm not saying that it is what you should do, but if we have a good library where they can develop reading skills, you know, library, you go and do the honing of reading skills so that in the future you can even have strong reading skills in very many areas. You can do research using the readings that you're going to do. And maybe renovation of the classes. The third one, when you are still there, there was a head teacher with the name Mr. Kehara. Maybe he was your head teacher by then. He intended to have a boarding primary school, but the idea was pushed aside as he retired. But I find that that idea is quite viable in that there are pupils from the area who cannot afford paraffin to do home studies in evening. If maybe we can have a sort of a boarding and we can absorb from the pupils from poor backgrounds, poor pockets, such that they will be housed in school and they will be doing perhaps they will be working their home ones like the others who are maybe gifted or they are coming from affluent families. We will be able to lift to those pupils who are poor performers because they are not poor performers, but they have poor performance as a result of coming from poor backgrounds. Therefore, a boarding still remains viable. But I would like to say we would like to say one thing that we really like very much. If you come, you just come and maybe go around when the children are around. They would like to maybe to see this Jerry Moore who went to meet in a road. Who is she? And when they see you and hear that you are in America, that now creates an impression that I can also be there maybe in 20 years time. Otherwise, at this level I can say that's the match that I can see or I can talk of. Otherwise, that's the basic. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Cadway. Let me just say, George, did you have something you wanted to say? Yeah, I wanted to add something to what the headmaster said. Looking at the way the country is and where it's headed and looking at the future of this children, I think digital literacy would be key for them because computers and internet penetration in this country is quite high. The use of tablets and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has now digitized content. So they don't actually need the internet to use those tablets with the content so that when this girl goes for an interview, she's not seeing a laptop or computer for the first time, that will lower her entry level and the barriers that would be there. So a decent library that would probably have some digital literacy and we have universities here. For example, if you did something like that, our library, another library is like Kenyatta University, would give you intents to go and teach them digital literacy and that would be a big thing for any kid in Kenya who is in a public school. Well, thank you so much to both of you for your input. You know, Lucy's Blue Ribbon is in its very initial stages, but I can tell you that this is something that I can see becoming bigger. I don't know how big it's going to get. What I can tell you right now is that I will do my very best. You know, when you talk about library, I can ask around to see if there's any way we can get books. I can follow up. I don't know if I can do those things, but what I know is that I can sure try. I know that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step and we are in these steps right now, but that doesn't mean that we will not get there. So my promise to you is that I will continue to engage. This is a one-time thing. This is actually, we're going to have a recording of this, so I will share it with Lucy's friends. I will share it with my colleagues. I know that by myself I'm not, I cannot promise those things, but I know that anything is possible. I'm sitting here telling the kids to dream. Let me tell you what my dream is. My dream is that everything that you've told me comes true. Now we'll see, but I have taken into account everything that you have told me. I know we are almost out of time. I just want to again take this opportunity to thank you all for making that trip all the way from Karatina. Did you enjoy the embassy today, children? You have been to America anyway. Did you eat something? Oh, that's very good. Before you go, there is a boy who has got a question. He is asking, how did you overcome the challenges maybe that you have faced in life, from home, especially from a village. Like I said, there were very many, but you know, I see you're sitting next to the mining. You're sitting next to it and Jeff knows more than I hope he doesn't tell you everything because he knows a lot. I will tell you this, whatever challenges you face, whenever you are going through something, know you are literally going through it and you will come out on the other side shining. So don't worry, whatever challenges you have, you overcome them by doing the things that I have actually mentioned to you. Find what it is that makes you happy and go for it. And also, you know, stay focused. Stay focused. Know what you want and don't let anybody tell you that you cannot do what you need. Okay? Once again, thank you very much. We will be communicating and I will see you out in December. Okay? Thank you very much. Bye-bye. Ciao.