Maywood’s Mayor And Partner Will Lead Mission To Kenya As Part Of Rotary Project This July

Maywood Rotary From July 22 through August 1, Maywood resident Kevin Williams, a psychotherapist, of Golf Avenue, and his partner, Maywood’s Mayor Timothy Eustace, a chiropracter, will once again lead a group of fifteen volunteers to Kenya’s Maasai Mara reserve. This year’s mission is to build pre-school and kindergarten classrooms for children at the Nkenijii School , which provides education to about 300 Maasai children from 5 to 16. The mission also hopes to provide medical treatment for the children in the school. This trip is being sponsored by the Maywood Rotary Club.

This is the fifth Maywood Rotary Club volunteer trip to Kenya for Eustace and Williams, along with their son Carey, a student at Bergen County Technical School . Back in 2003, it was Corey who at 8 years old, started the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. Previously, the duo led a group of volunteers to the Empopongi Elementary School, about forty-five minutes away from the Nkenijii School. At the Empopongi School, this stalwart group of volunteers built classrooms and libraries, provided school supplies and nutritious food for the children and even supplied uniforms for all of the students, a pre-requisite for attending school in Kenya. One of their biggest accomplishments was digging a well at the Empopongi School, thus providing safe and drinkable water to the school’s students and nearby village residents for the first time without having to walk more than several miles to retrieve it. And in Kenya, clean water can save more lives than three full time doctors.

Several other Maywood residents, including a father/daughter, mother/daughter and mother/son combo, will be accompanying Eustace and Williams on this mission.

Sara Cronin, age 18, is a senior at Hackensack High School who plans to attend St. Andrew's University in Scotland. This is her first trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. During the visit to Kenya, Sara Mary will be responsible for recording some of the customs of the Maasai people, since she hopes to learn about the culture by interviewing several of the people she will meet while at the Nkenejii School. Accompanying Sara is her father John, an internal auditor for Alliance Bernstein in Manhattan. John is planning to help out with constructing the new classrooms. He is also an officer of the Tabor Lake Corporation, an environmental organization. John plays the harmonica and loves to cook. Both John and Sara are parishioners at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Maywood.

Audelia Escudero is a teacher's assistant at the Maywood Memorial School for a pre-K program, although her prior background was as an accountant. This is her first trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. During the visit to Kenya, Audelia will be responsible for Construction of pre-school and kindergarten classrooms. In addition to performing this service, Audelia is also part of Maywood Friends of the Library and is a parishioner at Holy Trinity Church. Audelia’s hobbies are crafts, reading, horseback riding, travel and community work.
Terri Pegg is a teacher at Redeemer Christian Child Care Center. This is her first trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project, as well. In addition to performing this service, Terri is also part of Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corp and is a parishioner at Queen of Peace Church. Her hobbies are gardening, reading and cooking. Terri’s daughter Allison is a studentwho plans to attend Florida State University in the Fall 2001. During the visit to Kenya, Allison will help with the medical clinic. Like her mother, Allison is also part of Hackensack Volunteer Ambulance Corp and the Maywood First Aid Squad.

The last local trip volunteer is Maureen Timony RN of Rochelle Park. She is a nurse at Hackensack University Medical Center and this will be her second volunteer trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. Ms. Timony worked so hard constructing classrooms and providing emergency medical care that the local Maasai tribe honored her as a member and renaming her “Nayiolo-Ang”.
Englewood resident Linda Baer is a retired judge whom attended/plans (??????) to attend Rutgers Law Newark, Rutgers. This is her first trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. Linda is the widow of the late Honorable Assemblyman Byron Baer. Her s hobbies are taking care of her 3-1/2 year old granddaughter.

Wyckoff denizen CathyNewman, age 55, is a Pediatric clinician with Valley Home Carewho attended/plans to attend this trip, received her BSN from Boston College and and MSN from East Carolina University. This is her second trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. During the visit to Kenya, Cathy will be responsible for Medical clinic, providing anti-fungal medicines and special treatments for children. In addition to performing this service, Cathy is also part of Junior League of Bergen County, Baby Basics for Children's Services, Julia's Butterfly Foundation and is a parishioner at St. Elizabeth's. Cathy’s hobbies are running, needlepoint and tennis.

Kathy Palumbo is a teacher at Berkeley Street School in New Milford. This is her fourth trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project as assistant trip leader. On past trips, Kathy has painted dormitories, taught biology, general science, history and more to the students, as well as help build teacher’s housing. Over the past five years, Kathy’s students have raised thousands of dollars in donations to help the Maasai children. Kathy also volunteers her time each week to run the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project.

MAYWOOD’s MAYOR AND PARTNER WILL LEAD MISSION TO KENYA AS PART OF ROTARY PROJECT THIS JULY
Glen Rock’s BonnieSirower, age 62, is proprietor of Liaisons for Funding, LLC, an independent fundraising consultant who has worked with the YWCA’s Tribute to Women and Industry (Central New Jersey) for the past five years. She is an alumna of Barnard College. Although this is her first trip to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project, Sirower will hold the position of District Governor for all of the 55 Rotary Clubs in Bergen, Passaic and Hudson Counties in 2012-2013. During the visit to Kenya, Bonnie will be responsible for teaching games and activities to small children. She also served on the Board of the YMCA of Paterson for 17 years, as well as on the Board of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals of New Jersey. Bonnie’s hobbies are crocheting, beading, crossword puzzles

Kinnelon resident Ronald Smith, age 73, an anthropologist, has made four trips to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Club. During the visit to Kenya, Ronald will be responsible for documenting the Masasai culture. His hobbies are gardening and travel.

Oradell resident AnneSullivan, age 56, is a accountantwho is undertaking her fourth mission to Kenya with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. During the visit to Kenya, Anne will be responsible for helping to implement an anti-fungal clinic and to help distribute uniforms to the children. In addition to performing this service, Anne is also part of Trustee of Oradell Public Library Board and is a parishioner at St. Joseph's Church. Anne’s hobbies are tennis, ballet and pilates.

Her son Brian, age 17, a student at Don Bosco Prep, will also make his first trip with the Maywood Rotary Kenya Project. During the visit to Kenya, Brian will be responsible for teaching children games and crafts, as well as helping to build pre-school and kindergarten classrooms. At school, Brian is a member of the crew team, a Model UN Participant and a parishioner at St. Joseph's Church. His hobbies are rowing, working with Habitat for Humanity Youth Group, and serving as a golf caddy.

For more information on helping to build and help the Nkenijii School in Kenya, or if you would like to be part of the volunteer corps visiting there next year (to install a water pipeline), please go to www.MaywoodRotaryKenyaProject.org. You can follow the day to day progress of the volunteers by going to the same website and clicking “2011 Volunteer Trip Diary” after they depart on July 22nd and each day until they return on August 1st.