Dollie Ambassador Jean Rust, close friend of dollie makers Nita Harper & Chris Geller, took 30 dollies & colorful teddy bears on a recent  humanitarian trip to Naiobi, Kenya where she volunteered at Happy Life Children’s Home.
Here is an email Jean sent me with thoughts of her visit:
8/21/2012
“We’re back from our life changing, soul searching, experience in Kenya, Africa. Â We stayed for two weeks at Happy Life Children’s Home, and helped feed children and babies.Â
 There are (28) infants, (14) toddlers, and (28) 3-8 year olds living at the orphanage.  We brought your darling dollies and colorful teddy bears in our suitcase.  There were a huge hit with the children! Nothing beats hearing the squeals and laughter.  Thank you all!  Over 200 children have been adopted from Happy Life.
 To learn more, email: happylife_ch2002@yahoo.com “
Dollie maker Nita also shared this information:
“I had a long phone conversation yesterday with Jean Rust about her trip to Kenya. She said the kids went crazy for the dolls and bears. For most it was the only toy they had ever owned. She said it was life changing! She took many pictures, but not with a digital camera, so she is going to put them on a disc when she has them developed and will send one to us. She said she will never complain about anything again as long as she lives. There were 70 orphans, 28 of which were babies. The volunteers fed 50 babies and toddlers every day. Jean said the church is planning on building homes where 10 kids will live with a foster parent family, which is probably the closest thing to a real family they can expect to experience.
This is amazing…she said the little store where they shopped, on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere actually sold something called edible dirt in packages. She bought some to bring home because she knew nobody would believe that they really eat dirt there. It makes you realize how incredibly fortunate we are to live here.”
And here is the building they hope someday in the near future, to turn into a group home!
