“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

In April, my dear friend and ELI co-chair, Ashley Hart, wrote a beautiful blog about turning childhood dreams into realities and what it means to become individuals capable of creating a lasting impact. If you have not read her blog, I encourage you to read hers first because this blog is about the embodiment of that vision.

Before I ever marveled at the beauty of the Kenyan landscapes or held the hand of a child in Kibera, I was a young twenty-something from Washington state who understood poverty from the inside out– at least, in America.

In 2020, I found myself spending a lot of time thinking about two questions: 1) How could I get involved with Crossing Thresholds as a volunteer beyond trip participation? 2) What could I do to help quell the extraordinary pain that COVID-19 was causing in our communities in Kibera? Not only did it turn out that Becca Schneider was asking herself the same questions, but also that the answer to those questions fundamentally aligned with a vision that Carter and Faith had for bringing young minds into Crossing Thresholds. Together, we saw a unique opportunity: creating CT’s Emerging Leaders Initiative (ELI) - a way to bring fresh ideas and energetic young people into Crossing Thresholds to create the future of CT’s leadership and drive meaningful, lasting impact. I’m so happy to share that the dream we had for ELI has become a reality.

In 2014, Becca Schneider and I stepped onto a plane for my first trip to Kibera. It was during this trip that our conversations drifted to discussing the accessibility of non-profit work and our desire to find ways to let more people share in these experiences. By the end of our trip, a pact was made that we would one day co-chair a board of a non-profit together to bring our visions to life. This pact was memorialized by a calendar reminder set to go off in 2024. When this reminder went off eleven years later, we were ready to make good on our promise to each other and to Crossing Thresholds (CT). Now we are co-chairs of the Emerging Leaders Initiative (ELI), and we are preparing to run our very first ELI trip together. As we take these next steps, I wanted to reflect on how I got here and what this journey means to me.

My trip to Kenya this winter break was pivotal. Returning for the second time made the experience even more profound. What stood out the most was the absolute primacy of relationships – how important relationships are and what a difference they can make. I can say without reservation, “This trip was filled with some of the greatest hearts I have ever encountered.” We had fun; we spoke openly and deeply, and I found that everywhere I turned, there was someone interesting and genuine with whom I could connect.

This year was a significant milestone for Crossing Thresholds, as 23 students from our high school program graduated and completed their national exams. These students represent the first major cohort to graduate since we launched our Futures Program, a scholarship program for high school students from the Kibera Slum.

During our recent trip to Kenya, we engaged our students in an art program in partnership with "How to Draw a Lion," – an organization committed to teaching children the power of art. These classes were led by Samuel Kinyua, a passionate local artist employed by HTDL. This initiative offered an artistically stimulating experience while raising awareness about child welfare and conservation efforts in sub-Saharan Africa.

My name is Fritz Healy. I am a 62-year-old retired businessman from North Carolina.

Unlike Mike Harden, I am not a tough guy. I have had an incredibly blessed and joyous life. I pinch myself every day. I often say that I will wake up one day and say, "I had the most incredible dream." I am grateful every single day for the blessings that I have received.

That being said, it is a strong statement to say that my trip to Kibera with Crossing Thresholds was one of the greatest experiences of my entire life (a life filled with many great experiences).

I had been to the Kibera Slum once before. I was ready for the smells. I was ready for the sites. I was ready to see the poor and the sick and hurting. I was not prepared for my reaction this time.
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Those who know me will be surprised; those who have just met, or don’t know, me won’t be. 

Bradlee Kraus and I met on my very first trip to Kenya in July of 2023. We became instant best friends; and I feel lucky to call her not only a second sister but a volunteer-partner within Crossing Thresholds!
 
After my second trip to Africa in January 2024, Bradlee and I began to brainstorm ways that we could further connect the students in Kibera with students in the United States. ​While Bradlee and I were on one of our frequent FaceTime calls, she shared with me her idea of forming a letter-writing campaign, which would connect the high schoolers from Ridgefield (CT) to the middle schoolers at Facing the Future School in Kibera.

This past January was my first time in Kibera, my first time visiting Crossing Thresholds schools, and my first time doing Hypertension and Diabetes screening for the CT community. But it wasn’t my first time in Kenya.

​Sigmund Freud once said, “Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.” This certainly speaks to the heart and mission of Crossing Thresholds. In fact, our work is driven by our love for the children of Kibera. Our love is not merely sentiment. It is the deepest desire for the wellbeing of another. When one operates from that conviction, work is involved. We work to ensure the wellbeing of others. In 2024, our work at Crossing Thresholds will demand extra effort as we confront somewhat unanticipated challenges.

It was a beautiful day in Kibera, the sky was blue, it was 80+ degrees and dry. January weather in Nairobi is delightful, at least compared to New England. I turned the corner into FAFU School and, at first, was disoriented; it had changed so much since I had last seen it. New buildings and a playground! Among other changes, FAFU had just completed construction on a new clinic where I was to work the next few days. I am a pediatrician, and have been for (oh my god) - a few decades and on my CT trips I usually do a free medical clinic. CT provides some free medications and support for any staff working with me. Medications are surprisingly inexpensive in Kenya compared to the US and we can offer free care and treatment to dozens of local residents. Simeon, the Director at FAFU, usually puts the word out to the neighborhood that we will be there.