We arrived at the Health Clinic in Tebesonik village yesterday with our new partners from Kabianga University College, a school near Karicho in the South Rift Valley. We are currently expanding our Thrive to Five program to this area of Western Kenya. Ms. Millie Obel, the head of the new nursing school (who is very well respected in the medical field in Kenya), Ms. Cecilia Sang, the assistant registrar at Kabianga University, and Mr. Sigei, a clinical officer, all came along to lend their support to the launch of the project. For most of the children in these remote villages, meeting me, Jessamyn, and our photographer Matt is the first contact they've ever had with white people.

Upon entering the Health Clinic we were quickly ushered into the Maternity Ward. Evelyn, the Clinic Director, introduced me to Daisy Rotich, who had a big smile on her face and pulled back the covers to show us her new baby boy who had been born that morning about 5 ½ hours before we arrived. Daisy was so excited that we were in her village, that she named her son Kiptoo, which means "Mr. Visitors". We gave her the first official bottle of vitamins for Tebesonik village, which she was honored to receive. She'll be taking them for the next six months while breastfeeding Kiptoo.

Hearing our field partners talk about the importance of the vitamins for these women is so moving. Awino Phyllis told us about how weak the women were before taking the vitamins but now they can work in the shamba (the garden) until right before they delivered. Evelyn Shipala Mulungi, a nutritionist and logistics coordinator with Global Network (GN), and Colleta Makokha, the health facility trainer, also with GN, thanked us again and again, told us how the vitamins have increased hemoglobin levels (red blood cell count - important for a healthy baby), reduced low birth weight babies, dramatically increased women's ability to breastfeed and only requested that we please continue bringing the vitamins for the women they are serving.

Bringing our long-term donors and supporters into the field is always rewarding. Tom Tolworthy (President of Twinlab) and Robert Orr (Chairman of Ocean Nutrition Canada) have both played significant rolls in Vitamin Angels growth and have helped us reach millions of children. Having them see our work up close and how it impacts each woman and baby is so fulfilling. Tom was completely moved after meeting Kennedy, a young baby who had been abandoned and is now living at the Moi Teaching Hospital. Robert, who is here with his daughter Brianna, told the women in the villages that he only wanted for their children what he wants for Brianna; that they are all healthy and that they can get an education. Hearing Brianna speak about how much this trip has changed her life gave me so much hope for the future. I already know she will have an impact on so many children's lives. And seeing the glow on Jessamyn's face, knowing how hard she works at Vitamin Angels everyday, and seeing how meeting the women and babies and children in Kenya has made our work come alive for her, just warmed my heart.

As we prepare to leave Kenya, we are struck by how welcome we have been. The fact that Vitamin Angels shows up means everything to these women and children. As we spent time in Kabianga village today, I again realized how universal laughter, kindness and warmth are, and how people just need a little hope for a better future. For these women, Vitamin Angels brought that hope today, in a small bottle of prenatal vitamins.

Upwards!

Howard B. Schiffer