ABIGAIL CAMPBELL
My name is Abigail Campbell from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am a student at Auburn University in Alabama and I am studying Biomedical Sciences and Spanish. I graduated from Holland Hall, which is where I first heard about JBFC. When I was a freshman at Holland Hall, a group of students who had gone to JBFC gave a presentation to the school about the organization and some of their fondest memories. After that presentation, I knew I wanted to visit JBFC sometime during my time at Holland Hall, and it finally became a reality the summer after my senior year.
I have only volunteered at JBFC one time, so I am excited to be back on campus to get to know the girls better and learn more about Tanzanian culture and customs. One of the best things about JBFC is definitely the people. Not just the people that work for JBFC, but all of the people that JBFC brought my in contact with while I was on campus. For instance, working in the Joseph and Mary School and meeting so many of the students, meeting and getting to know the residential girls living in Bibi Mimi's Girls' Home, working on the farm with Edward, meeting some of the people that live in the Kitongo village during village night, spending time with the Maasai, and interacting with the matrons and mamas that work in the guest house and in the girls' home. The relationships and personal interactions that volunteering at JBFC gave me are invaluable.
I applied to be a JBFC intern this summer in hopes of being able to experience it all again. I am eager to work with the Joseph and Mary students, eat Tanzanian food, laugh sing, and dance with the residential girls, among other things. This summer, I will be working as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator, which gives me the opportunity to work closely with the residential girls and students, but also with JBFC staff and volunteers. This internship will give me the unique ability to help ensure that each volunteer who visits campus has an experience as rewarding as my first trip to JBFC. I am so lucky to have been selected for this internship and I can't wait to see all of the girls again this summer!
KRISTEN GRAYBILL
Hi, I’m Kristen Graybill from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’m a senior at the University of Oklahoma studying Elementary Education. I first became involved with JBFC through Holland Hall. While I was still a Holland Hall student, alumnus Chris Gates spoke to the student body about JBFC. His vision for and stories about JBFC, made me immediately interested in visiting Tanzania to find out what JBFC was all about. Since I first heard about JBFC in 2011, I have been to JBFC three times. In the summers of 2012 and 2013, I visited JBFC as a high school volunteer with Holland Hall. Last summer, I visited JBFC as a college intern. I can’t wait to serve as a college intern once again and return to JBFC for my fourth time this summer!
Stepping out of my comfort zone and into the small village of Kitongo in Tanzania, Africa, I never imagined falling in love with a place halfway across the world. A lot of people tell me how amazing it is that I am willing to sacrifice my summers to influence the Tanzanian people. But, I can assure you that that is not the case. These people are the ones changing my life and are what I love most about JBFC and visiting Tanzania. The people I have met through JBFC have opened my eyes to an unexplainable joy I have not experienced anywhere else. The singing during prayer time, the chatter on the dorm porches, and the laughter on afternoon walks to the library are what I remember most between visits to Tanzania. My trips to Tanzania have allowed me to develop and maintain deep relationships characterized by silly stories, inside jokes, and friendship bracelets. I can’t forget all of the priceless pictures, videos, and selfies the girls have taken on my camera!
I desired to be a 2017 JBFC intern because I have fallen in love with the organization’s mission, the community’s people, and the Tanzanian way of life. I consider it a privilege to return to campus year after year. Especially, since girls have started graduating from Joseph and Mary School, maintaining long term relationships with them is particularly important to me. Not only do I appreciate coming back to JBFC’s campus to spend time with the girls, I also value experiencing how campus evolves over time. During my visit to campus in 2012, I helped establish the first plants in what is now JBFC’s permaculture garden. In 2013, I dug holes for what is now the fence around JBFC’s girls’ home. Last summer, I helped the girls make crafts and write letters that are now in the homes of many JBFC supporters.
As an intern this summer, I am most looking forward to not only observing changes throughout campus, but hopefully contributing to campus growth as well. By serving as JBFC’s social media intern this summer, I hope to share JBFC’s mission with as many people as possible.
