Letters to Kibera

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.

We immediately jumped on the idea and began to plan out how we were going to accomplish this new and exciting initiative. Our goal was simple -- build connections which allow the students from Kibera to feel loved and cherished in the same way Bradlee and I feel connected.
 
As we set to work, there were a few obstacles that we had to overcome before we could begin to think about anything else. First and foremost, we needed to organize a group of students within Ridgefield High School who would write the letters. I am a member of the National Honors Society, so Bradlee and I decided utilizing that connection was the best way to organize our initiative. I pitched the idea to our NHS executive board, and they graciously endorsed the concept. After much planning and preparation (which included everything from spreading the word, figuring out times and locations, and materials needed), we scheduled a before-school meeting where anyone who wanted to write letters would be welcomed. On the morning of the meeting, I was quite nervous because I wasn’t sure how many (if anyone) would be interested in our project. However, thanks to the support of the NHS board, we had quite a large turnout, and ended the meeting with over 50 hand-written letters.

To say the least, the response went above and beyond our expectations, and I found myself assuring everyone involved that they would indeed be receiving a letter back from a child in Kibera. It was a very gratifying experience for both Bradlee and me, seeing the seed of an idea become reality.
 
I feel incredibly grateful for the blessings and opportunities that Crossing Thresholds has presented to me -- one of the most profound of which was giving me my best friend Bradlee. We hope that these letters will create lasting friendships, and that these bonds produce a deepening sense of hope in a world too divided. I want to give a special thanks to Mercy Otieno for her help and patience as we navigated some of the finer details of this campaign.  I also want to thank Carter Via and Rebecca Schneider for their encouragement and support. Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to Bradlee for her enormous heart, and whose dedication to Kibera has inspired connections that will last a lifetime.

​- Roma Peressutti
ELI Ambassador and Crossing Thresholds Volunteer