To help you, our donors and volunteers become better acquainted with OHMH, we will feature a Q&A session with one of our volunteers every few weeks. You can get to know those illusive OHMHers that you hear about in London, New York City, Boston  . . .And you will have the chance to hear how and why they fell in love with OHMH.

Q: Who are you and what do you want to be when you grow up?

A: I live and work in Boston. Whatever I do when I grow up I would like people to say at my  funeral, “He did some good in the world and, oh wait, I think he’s moving!”

Q: What city chapter are you involved with?

A: Boston

Q: How long and how did you become involved with OHMH?

A: I’ve been involved in one form or another since 2007. For me, Thomas’ stories of what he       saw and experienced at Mudzini Kwetu were tremendously moving and couldn’t be ignored      even if I tried.

Q: What made you get on board? What caught your attention? Did Thomas’s accent help or  just the lovely volunteers?

A: OHMH volunteers are very friendly and Thomas’ accent does nothing for me. When I first met him, I only understood 47% of what he was saying, but that number has steadily increased over time. However, Thomas, being a friend of mine, had just returned from Kenya along with Jenny Dolan and Matt Homberger, who are also friends of mine. They were armed with stories of their time at Mudzini. They had just met a small baby boy at Mudzini named Macharia who was at the brink. Three or four weeks later, he was dead. The loss of Macharia’s life shed light on the fact that the lives of so many children in Kenya are painfully fragile. Faced with an opportunity to help in some way I felt compelled to be a part of an effort that would eventually become OHMH as we know it today.

Also, I had heard of a beach near the home, which is pretty sweet.

Q: Have you visited the home? If so, tell a little about your experience.

A: I visited the home in May of 2009. The first thing that struck me about Mudzini is the sense of family that pervades the home. All of the girls come from different backgrounds yet they are all immediately and truly sisters. They are in a place that nurtures them. It is most certainly hard to hear about their backgrounds yet, without a doubt, I came away with a sense of real hope and joy that the girls in the home have a bright future.

Q: What is your favorite moment of your time with OHMH?

A: Shi-Shi tried on a new pair of jeans that were donated from Boston, walked out and said to me with her hands on her hips, “at least I am beautiful.”

Q: Why and how do you convey  your involvement with OHMH to your family and friends?

A: I believe in the vision of OHMH. Providing a home and a family for the girls at Mudzini is of the utmost importance. But, the vision goes further in that all of these girls receive a good education and will be seen through college so that they can become women with real skills and a real voice in their community. Whether I’m talking to family or friends, I try and present the work of OHMH in this light in order to demonstrate why it’s a part of my life.