contributed
Reflecting Southern Adventist University’s emphasis on cultivating a lifelong spirit of service, 37 alumni and friends traveled to Kenya this past summer for a mission trip that combined construction, education, healthcare, and church outreach at Kimogoro Adventist Boarding Primary School.
Partnering with Maranatha Volunteers International, the group served June 17-29, 2026, in the mountain community of Kimogoro. Led by Southern alum Karen Godfrey, ’88, vice president for advancement at Maranatha, volunteers worked primarily with Kimogoro Adventist Boarding Primary School, which has grown from 35 students when it opened in 1996 to more than 300 today.
After meeting with local faculty and staff to learn the school’s greatest needs, volunteers helped raise block walls for a new administrative building, taught K-8 classes, led faculty training, sewed uniforms, provided vision screenings, and distributed eyeglasses and sports equipment. The group also contributed more than $23,000 toward technology, textbooks, uniforms, and residence hall bedding.
Throughout the trip, alumni found meaningful ways to put their professional experience to work in service to others. A music educator taught students and teachers how to read music scores, while a first responder provided first-aid training. Social workers led social- emotional lessons, and a therapist offered confidential support sessions for students and teachers. Educators tutored students in math, science, and home economics, and trained teachers in Microsoft Office, while medical professionals taught anatomy and physiology, and helped operate a community eye clinic.
Volunteers also worked together toward a shared goal at the school: construction of a new administrative office. Many team members helped lay block for the building, which was dedicated on their final day at Kimogoro.
Beyond the work at the school, relationships grew through worship and service with several area Seventh-day Adventist churches. At Poroko Church, members welcomed each volunteer with a shuka, the traditional colorful cloth of the Maasai people. During a second Sabbath at Kapsimotwo New Life Church, volunteers helped lead music, a children’s church program, and the sermon. Team members also attended a well dedication at Sigowet Church, while a team of women helped construct a one-day church for Cheimen Church.
For some volunteers, the experience brought back memories of mission trips they had taken as Southern students; for others, it was a first opportunity to serve internationally with fellow alumni. Across generations and professions, the trip offered a way to continue a commitment to service beyond their years at Southern while building new relationships with one another and the Kimogoro community.
That connection will continue in 2027. Southern and Maranatha plan to return to Kenya, June 16-29, for another alumni mission trip focused on educational and building needs for Kimogoro’s secondary students. The trip will again conclude with a safari in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Learn more and register at southern.edu/alumnimission.
Southern Adventist University | November 2026
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