December 7th 2011
CWA Director Kevin Thompson announces future programs and the need for funding
December 1st 2011
Two Cornell students share their life changing experience helping in Kenya
August 22nd 2011
June 20th 2011
Big Red Tour II
November 20th 2009
The Ithaca-Eldoret book drive raised over 650 books! Read the article here:
October 19th 2009
CWA featured in The Ithaca Journal and Cornell Big Red, read the articles in the 'Publicity' section
September 29th 2009
The next CWA Board Meeting is scheduled for October 14, 2009.
September 9th 2009
CWA Mid-year report is now available for download in the 'News' section of the website.
August 4th 2009
September 30, 2009 – Weds is the next CWA Board Meeting.
In early September 2009, Kevin Thompson will meet with the National Let’s Get Ready SAT Prep organization to become an official partner. The pilot “Let’s Get Ready International’ program in Kapsabet, Kenya was completed in June 2009.
July 30th, 2009
The CWA bi-annual report is now available for download in the 'News' section of the website.
July 21st, 2009
There are now videos and pictures added from the recent CWA trip to Africa, please take some time to look at them.
News and Announcements
December 1st 2011, Cornell University Students Share Their Experiences Visiting Africa
When Andy and I were sitting in Heathrow airport thinking about where we were about to go, we could not believe it. Neither of us had ever been to Africa and we were just realizing when we were landing in the Nairobi airport that we were about 8,000 miles from home. What was I doing here? Well, after a week long excursion through the safari parks in Tanzania (Ngorongoro crater, Lake Manyara, and the Tarangire national park) we headed to Iten, Kenya to start our 6-week training program to prepare for the upcoming cross country and track seasons as well as to volunteer with some Kenyan high school students.
The majority of our time in Iten was spent mentoring and teaching 13 Kenyan high school student about college life in the United States as well as what Andy and I did to get there, specifically Cornell. Also, we coached them in long distance running to try and help them get noticed by coaches in the US, possibly to receive scholarships or financial aid. We were of course a bit biased towards our school, but overall gave the kids a good idea of what each of the Ivy League schools are like as well as some other colleges in the North East, and what it would take to get recruited for track and field. It was an amazing experience getting to know each of these kids and I feel that we gave them some inspiration to do well on their standardized tests and essays, as well as how far running could take them in their future endeavors.
The rest of our time spent in Iten was training. We quickly realized that although altitude does help the runners in Iten (roughly 7500 feet high), the main reason the distance runners are so good is the environment they live in. The best distance runners in the village are similar to the NFL, MLB, or NBA players in the USA—they make the dough and have the huge homes (as far as sports players goes). Distance running is the only way the majority of these people will make it out of Iten and into Europe or the Americas and after being immersed in this culture for 6 weeks I definitely have a new appreciation for the sport.
-Will McFall
Getting a Kerio View on Life
Prior to my trip to Kenya this summer, my perceptions of the African continent were based upon flimsy stereotypes and the discovery channel. I pictured people living as they did thousands of years ago, surrounded by wild animals with little or no infrastructure. Basically, my perceptions were slaves to ignorance, and my only experience with people from west and east Africa came by chance through Track and Field. I had no idea how complex Africa is, its thousands of cultures and years of rich traditions make this containment one of the most vibrant expressions of humanity in the world. My life literally changed over the seven weeks I spent living in Iten, Kenya. My studies, my training, my habits, even things that I once took for granted had been irrevocably altered as a result of the relationships made and experiences had during this incredible opportunity.
I don’t really remember what provoked me to ask Coach Thompson about his work in Kenya, but I doubt there has ever been a conversation in my life that had quite the same aftermath. Next thing I knew I was begging my parents for money, buying a plane ticket to Nairobi, and getting itineraries from Coach T. Fortunately I was accompanied throughout the process by my best friend Will McFall, who was crazy enough to join me on this spontaneous trip to Africa. Looking back I’m not sure whether we were blissfully ignorant or just dumb regarding the situation, but we signed up for seven and half weeks without even blinking. Ultimately we were going for the opportunity to run around Eldoret, Iten more specifically, because people living in this region set almost fifty percent of the athletic records held from the 800 meters to the marathon. It is by no means a stretch to call the Rift Valley region of Kenya the Mecca of distance running. Aside from the training, I also wanted to conduct some research for Anthropology, seeing that it was my major and all I thought why not. We also had the opportunity to help tutor some Kenyan students for the SAT’s while living at the training camp. So overall it was a threefold mission, one that Will and I were completely unprepared for.
Upon arriving in Nairobi, we spent our first five days going on a Safari throughout Tanzania. Basically, the trip was a disaster, with the tour guide ripping us off and occasionally ditching us for hours at a time. But I guess what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, because when we arrived back in Kenya we practically kissed the ground. Hoping a quick flight from Nairobi to Eldoret, we arrived at the camp in Iten a week after leaving the States. The camp was paradise, a literal oasis in the middle of rural Kenya. We had a gym, a pool, a sauna, and most importantly all we could possibly want to eat. Iten itself was magnificent; farmlands and mountains stretched out to the horizon in all directions and a massive network of red clay trials cutting through lush greenery made running a dream. As if that wasn’t enough, the whole town was situated right atop the Rift Valley drop off, allowing you to view the Kerio river as it snaked through the plateau thousands of meters below. The scenery was motivation to train in itself, but couple that with the thousands of elite athletes training in Iten everyday and the result is running Heaven.
Over the course of the weeks living in Iten Will and I got into a routine, getting up at the crack of dawn to go run and basically taking in magnitude of the experience the rest of the day. The people we met were incredible, you couldn’t find a kinder culture and it made doing research for Anthro a breeze. Every athlete I met wanted to tell me their story, give me advice on training or even invite me to workout with them (I usually declined the latter offer). Having the KENSAP students there also gave me a useful perspective on the rest of Kenya and an almost frightening example of how quickly globalization is spreading throughout Africa. These kids could do this on their cell phones that I couldn’t do even in America, like texting money to my friends. It was startlingly evidence of how far capitalism has reached, for better or worse.
Without question the most rewarding aspect of the trip was simply engaging in conversation with the people we met. From the workers at the camp, to the visitors that would arrive each week, to the locals in and around Iten, everyone I met taught me something and proved to me that if you allow it, the world can be a daily adventure. I’m not going to lie, I let out a sigh of relief once we arrived back in Newark in August. I missed home terribly by the end of the trip, Will was practically counting the days until departure. But when I think back to what we did and what we encountered I find myself amazed and almost proud. I sometimes reminisce about that trip as if it were a dream, unable to believe that Will and I were actually there. But the lessons I learned and relationships I made are every bit as real as anything you could experience in the States. I’m blessed to have been giving this opportunity, to essentially find myself in the rural highlands of Kenya. Would I do it again, I’m not sure? It’s tough to duplicate a spiritual experience such as that one. But one things is for sure, I would not have traded this trip for anything, taking the time to talk to Coach Thompson that dreary February could very well have been a defining moment in my life.
-Andy
August 22nd 2011, New Cows!
CWA recently helped to purchase three Ayrshire cows to support African families! Here is the status of the cows from Dr. Tiony: "They are 3 ayrshire cows ages 1 1/2-2yrs. Two are pregnant, and one is ready to be give birth. They are all in good health and weigh between 230-270kg, meaning they are mature cows. They all have a good history."
Thank you to everyone who has helped to support our efforts!
June 20th 2011, Big Red Tour II !
We are pleased to announce an upcoming Cross World Africa and ‘Big Red Tour II’ to East Africa. This tour will continue and expand education, cross cultural exchange and micro-finance projects that were started in 2008. Cross World Africa, Inc. (CWA) is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 whose mission is outlined on the program website. We had restricted our activities within the last year due to changes in the Board, management structure and after an evaluation on what projects were to be prioritized going forward given limited resources.
THE MANAGEMENT
Since 2009, Kevin Thompson has filled the role of Executive Director. Dr. Michelle Thompson, Kevin's wife, is now the Assistant Director. The responsibilities of secretary and operations manager are being handled by both Kevin and Michelle. Kevin is an MRP'83 and Michelle is an MRP'84 and PhD'01.
The 2011-2012 Board of Directors have been in support of or part of CWA since its’ inception in 2007. The 2011-2012 Board includes: Mary Winans, T. Chad Montgomery, Dr. Bruce Greene, Peter Rono, Rei Thompson, Bernice McWilliams and Derek Alvez.
CWA was formerly known as the Kip Keino Foundation (USA Division) but we no longer have an affiliation with this organization.
THE 2011 TOUR
CWA has a team of ten (10) people that are part of the Big Red Tour or are Friends of CWA.
- Lt. Colonel Eric Garvin (retired) has been a sponsor of CWA since 2010. Eric and 3 family members are looking forward to seeing the projects (see below) and spending time on Safari.
- Ms. Mya Thompson is a 2011 graduate from Harvard University. Mya has a sponsored research project to evaluate the some of the influences (social, economic, health) that may contribute to the success of the Kenyan athletes, specifically the long distance runners.
- Mr. Robert Johnson, Cornell Assistant Track Coach and co-owner of Let’s Run.com, will be meeting with members of the elite running organizations and will tour both the Kip Keino High Performance Training Centre and the Lorna Keplagat High Performance Training Centres. Robert will also be presenting a donation provided by the Cornell University Athletic Department. Robert will be bringing a special guest to share this experience with him.
- Mr. William McFall and Mr. Andrew Arnold both Juniors and members of the Cornell University Big Red Track & Field team will participate in a CWA-sponsored internship. McFall and Arnold will support the activities of KenSAP (www.kensap.org) in Kapsabet, Kenya. KenSAP is a unique and very successful program that identifies high school men and women who have scored high the Kenya national exam. These youth are typically from the most rural parts of Rift Valley in Kenya. Through a highly competitive process they are selected to be in KenSAP where they will be provided SAT prep and participate in a summer running camp. Many of the participants go on to top tier and/or Ivy league colleges in the United States. McFall and Arnold's participation follows the tradition of service that the Cornell University Big Red Track & Field Team won an award for this past academic year.
- Mr. Kevin Thompson is the Trip Leader and Organizer. Kevin will participate in all of the noted activities but also will be conducting a site visit to evaluate the "Cow Project" that was started in 2008 by Dr. Michelle Thompson. This is a modified micro-finance project since we now have the off-spring from the five (5) non-indigenous cows to give to another deserving member of the community. The Kapsabet Women’s Collective works together to raise and sell agricultural products. Ms. Mary Rono identified this group. In phase II, we will take the mature off-spring and select other women in the collective to give the cows to with the agreement to give future off-spring to other members. As part of this CWA-sponsored project, we have services from Ms. Benadette Tiony, a registered veterinarian, who provides education and health care for the cows. See the CWA website for program details and photographs. Kevin will also begin to identify high schools that may participate in a future scholastic aptitude test (SAT) prep program. Mr. Adam Seabrook and Mr. Aaron Merrill taught students in the pilot ‘Let’s Get Ready© International’ program in 2008 in Kapsabet. After we identify the schools in Kenya, we will reach out the Schools in the Ivy League to see how/if they can support this 2-week intensive SAT prep program during the intercession and/or summer.
Finally, CWA will be presenting the Lewa Children’s Home with a donation from both the Cornell University Big Red Track & Field Team to support their ongoing services to orphans. CWA will honor Ms. Phyllis Keino with a special gift to recognize the dedication of her work with children in need for over 40 Years. (www.lewachildrenshome.info)
For more information on CWA go to our website: www.crossworldafrica.com. Be sure to re-visit the site in September 2011 when we will have more stories and images from the Cross World Africa and Big Red Tour II.
November 21st, The Ithaca-Eldoret Book Drive raised over 650 books!
Please take the time to read this article about the successful book drive that took place to benefit the work of Cross World Africa. There is also an article on the School's Building Communities website that talks about the work of CWA and Kip Keino. The website also features a linked video of Kip Keino's successful 1500m gold medal run in the 1968 Olympics.
September 29th, Next CWA Board Meeting
The next CWA Board Meeting is scheduled for October 14th, 2009.
September 9th, CWA Mid-Year Report
The CWA Mid-Year Report is available for download as a Microsoft Powerpoint file. Please click on the image to download the report.
Kip Keino Mile & Health Fair 2009
To promote health awareness, population control and provide information on HIV/AIDs. The 1-mile youth, collegiate and professional events are tentatively scheduled for November 28, 2009 at the ‘Kipchoge Stadium’ in Eldoret, Kenya. The Segal Family Foundation is the primary sponsor. If you are interested in providing additional support, please contribute using our donation form.
CWA Bi-Annual Report
The CWA Bi-Annual Report (July 14th 2009) is now available for download as a .pdf file. Please click on the link to download the report.
- CWA Board Meeting
The CWA Board Meeting is confirmed for Tuesday/9 June 2009 from 8:30 - 9:30PM-EST. The meeting will begin and end promptly. The agenda will focus on the 'CWA - Segal Family Foundation East Africa Tour', Priority projects for 2009 and funding.
Our Mission
- Provide African youth with education opportunities in the United States
- Support cross-cultural exchange
- Identify micro-enterprise opportunities
- Support athletic opportunities for collegiate athletes
- Expand medical service options and provide education on population control, HIV/Aids and sports medicine
Cross World Africa, Inc. is a not-for-profit, 501© 3 as of October 2008.
Check out the Cows of CWA!
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