My 40-40 Story

My first 40/40 event was the bazaar held at the UMA show grounds. It was not one of the most attended 40/40 events ever (as I've come to discover from attending the subsequent ones). It was a very cold day; one of those days when it rains, stops, then resumes with a vengeance. So the plans of joining kids on the bouncing castle were thrown out the window. The girls in leggings bought jeans from the vendors and covered it all up. Some people who had promised to show up got stuck and couldn't make it. I got a glimpse of members of the team huddled behind the tent, praying. I was having a good time (because 40-40 attracts these wonderful people), but I could tell things were not going according to plan.

9th November 2013. A day I'll never forget. Despite the rocky start, the awesome team kept the ball rolling. The #9thNovKatale hashtag never died out. Sugarless never stopped making jokes. Bernard (the Talkative Rocker) and a couple of other "celebs" got showered to the bone when we played a game involving throwing a balloon full of water at them. The conversation was great, the board games were fun, and the food was delicious. I remember standing aside, watching it all, and being so proud to be associated with this group of selfless people. They had chosen to be here, to do something to make a difference. Many people had spent this day in their beds watching TV, or cuddled up with a good book. These people didn't have to be here. They could have used their resources for something different. I was also wowed by their innovativeness. It's difficult to make people contribute their money to charity everyday. Yet, here I was, paying for every game of Matatu I played, without any complaints whatsoever. I saw people playing scrabble, buying sandwiches, and I even bought myself a cute mirror (still have her btw). It was easy and fun, and it made me feel good to give back, when I was having such a blast. It was a memorable event.

At this point, #Iam4040 was just a hashtag that looked good on my bio and helped me sleep easier. It was the #BreakfastWithTheKids that actually got my heart immersed. Seeing those children at Agape Children’s Home and then at Akiba changed my life forever. Listening to the Agape children's misconceptions about sex during the Guidance session that sounded like stuff straight out of Straight Talk, I was grateful for the sex education I had received from my mother, free of charge and constantly. Giving advice, I was grateful for 40/40, for a chance to be a mother to one of the kids. At Akiba, I fell in love with Cherotich, a happy baby who shared his small banana (ndiizi) with me. His father, smiling despite the pain he had to be suffering, teased me, offering to come back and bring cows so I could marry his son when he grows up. The boy was blissfully unaware that he had a cancer demon to fight, and that was probably because of the love he felt living in that home. I was honoured to bring Cherotich and the other kids a few laughs on their journey and fight against cancer. I remember holding back tears when on the next visit, Brian told me that my 'boyfriend' had undergone surgery, healed fully, and gone back home. I pray he's happy and healthy.

Now #Iam4040. I understand the value of spending time with the kids, of giving more than my few shillings. I retweet everything related to them, because I hope that someone will join us because of me. I invite as many people as I can to the events, because I know that the 3k entrance fee they pay will make a difference somewhere. I am proud to be associated with 40-40. I am honoured even that Esther and her teammates smile when they see me and we talk for days. They are amazing people doing an amazing job. Or rather, we are amazing people. God's blessings will surely follow 40/40 always. Join us at the next event, will you? We’ll be all over your social media pages as always.