Traveling is nothing new to Trinity teacher Mr. Chad Waggoner, who just returned from a trip to Puerto Rico with colleague Ms. Maria Martín to provide supplies to the hurricane-ravaged country.

Earlier this year, Waggoner journeyed to Kenya to help out in one of the toughest countries to live in.

Waggoner collected donations of money and school supplies from students in his classes and from faculty. He donated the supplies to 10 different schools in the Cherangany district.

“A 10-cent pencil makes a difference to a student because they just can’t afford it,” Waggoner said.

Waggoner had the guidance of one of his friends, Wesley Korir, who lives in Kenya. Korir went to the University of Louisville, where he was an All-American runner and won the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Korir is also a member of the Kenyan Parliament. Korir represents the Cherangany  district.  Waggoner had called Korir and asked if he wanted to work on a project.

The two were even able to keep a school from closing down. The schools Waggoner worked with had only outhouses, no inside bathrooms, and the outhouses at this particular school were sinking into the land.

The Minister of Health said the outhouses for that school were too dangerous and threatened to close down the school. With the money Waggoner had collected, he was also able to help build 12 new outhouses so the school could stay open.

“The summer before, I went on a mission trip to Palestine, and that was a pretty awesome experience,” Waggoner said. “I believe  mission work is great work, and I think that mission companies and mission trips need to have paid staff to make sure things get done.”  

Waggoner wanted to know exactly where the money he collected was going. In fact, he’s planning another trip for the summer of 2018. Trinity’s Campus Ministry is going to hold a drive next spring to collect donations. Waggoner plans to take more supplies to Kenya because there are more schools that need help.

“It’s an area where the average family lives on about 800 American dollars a year, so raising just a few dollars can help make a difference,” Waggoner stated.

Waggoner has big plans for the future. The year after next,  he wants to take Trinity students to Kenya.

He even hopes to help out people in India, China, and countries in Latin America. He doesn’t have the same contacts he does in Kenya, but Waggoner would like to do the same type of humanitarian work with schools because “education is important.”

Video by Aidan Kolb