When the wedding community comes together to throw a party, you can only imagine the grandeur that is the result.  But in the case of twelve West Coast event professionals, myself included, good-not grandeur--was the desired effect.  The group, ranging from an Orange County wedding planner to a Seattle videographer, traveled to just outside of Nairobi, Kenya to plan and host the event of a lifetime.  The guests?  Twenty-six children, ranging from ages three to thirteen.  The occasion?  Not a wedding, but an un-birthday party for some very special African orphans.  The organizers of this expedition?  Mike and Annette Biggers, from Triplecord Photography in Orange County, CA, who founded Heart 4 Africa last year.

Heart 4 Africa is a non-profit organization aimed at bettering the lives of orphans in Kenya and Uganda.  Their goal, not only to create change within the children lives, but their community as well.  This trip, inspired by a previous wedding shoot in Uganda, included an entourage of talented professionals who turned ten days in Kenya into the brightest and most festive days that these twenty-six children had ever known.

The destination was The Emmanuel Children’s Home, a poorly constructed house with cement flooring, a hole-filled-roof, and no running water or electricity.  For several years, this has been home to some amazing children.  Mercy, an eight-year old girl abondoned by her,  mother, Moses, a two-year old boy whose parents are unknown, and Michael, a three-year old boy the size of a six-month old American child, suspected of having HIV but confirmed to have the biggest smile in the village.  These children, among many others, were the group’s VIP clients of the highest nature.  With plans to educate, inspire, play with, and give hope to, the group set out to create change.  No one had any idea the impact we would ultimately have on the lives of these children, nor the impact the children would have on us.

Each member of our group brought a specific skill, a duty, or a trade to teach the children and the local men and women.  I brought supplies to teach the kids to journal and express their feelings through writing and art. Colin and Annette Biggers of Triplecord Photography and Kady Dunlap of Kady Dunlap Photography brought used cameras and tricks of their trade to train community members to use the cameras as a source of income.  Each person, prepared with many donated supplies, came ready to work with those so willing to learn.

With the tasks at hand, we began to execute our checklist with the precision of a party planner’s timeline.  Shopping for bags of rice, bottled water, diapers, and other necessities was first on the list.  Next up was some needed fun, craft, and education for the kids.  A devoted kindergarten teacher from Orange County, Rhea Mattson, was the leader of many of the art projects and song sessions.  Mattson explained that “these kids are brilliant!  They grasp ideas and concepts so easily; they want to learn, they are creatively gifted, and when embraced and supported by adults, the sky is the limit for them.  A simple praise makes their self-esteem sky rocket.”

With no electricity in the orphanage, at sundown the team returned to our temporary living quarters for dinner.  However, dinner was the farthest thought in our minds.  Experienced event producers as we are, we were quick to modify the schedule and come up with a new plan. The team decided to gather up the fifteen children, not in evening home care, and bring them to their very first hotel. Once there,  the children were treated to a feast as the team forwent dinner, which became a regular occurrence.  The children ate as though it was their first and last meal.  Though fed daily, most hadn’t eaten protein in the past six months and in that time, many meals were missed.  The most profound way to describe their elation was when one three and a half-year-old boys, nicknamed Bon, who had not spoken since our arrival, actually began singing joyfully to himself as the food was served. 

With dinners finished, showers were next on the agenda – running water a novel concept to the kids.  Even fifteen year old, Sharyn, who lives in the home and helps take care of the younger children had never experienced a shower of running water.  Clean, well fed, and happy, their devoted caretakers returned the children home.  The caretakers that work at the orphanage truly do so as a labor of love.  Several leaving behind their high-paying jobs and families to work a low-and sometimes, non-paying job to keep these children as safe and as loved as possible.  Titus, the “security guard,” is so devoted to these children, the little ones call him “daddy,” and we, on several occasions had to force him to eat, as he would pass his meals onto the children already feasting.
 
Unfortunately, not all locals are of the same mind.  In Kenyan society, orphans are looked upon as the bottom of the food chain.  They are outcasts, made fun of in school, those lucky enough to attend.  Heart 4 Africa’s goal is to change all of that.  Co-founder Annette Biggers explains; “Children are the future and need to be treated as such.  We try to instill this into the hearts of not only the kids, but the community.  We believe that if they have a sense of purpose in the world that they will rise above their ‘orphan’ label and become world changers.  Instilling this purpose in them is hard work and must be done through the efforts of the many people that are already in their daily lives.  Loving and caring for orphans will one day become a natural reality for the Kenyan community.”

Stigma is not the only obstacle orphaned children face in Kenya.  Many homeless children fall further than their original circumstance.  During our trip we met two such children.  Alex, eleven years old, and Elam, twelve years old, covered in dirt, torn clothing, and no shoes, they approached us asking for food and so, again we were inspired to help. We gathered our protein bars and gave them to the kids.  While we watched them eat bar after bar, they spoke to us in what little English they had been taught.  Their question: “Can you help us go to school?  All we want is to go to school.”  A telling look into the problematic system.  When Elam’s parents died and Alex’s ran him out onto the streets, they lost the funding needed to receive an education.  In order to attend school, money must be raised not only for supplies, books, and uniforms, but for school fees.  A child cannot attend school without paying to participate.  They want to learn but simply do not have the means.  Without this education, the poverty cycle repeats.

These particular children are not only homeless and hungry, but out of that hunger an addiction has grown.  Glue sniffing—a pandemic in Kenya--is something they pick up on the streets to numb their hunger pains.  They want a better life; they want to be in school and off drugs, but their situation keeps them starving for all of it.  Still, their hope was apparent when we asked them to hand over their glue bottles and they did so willingly.
 
Our group eventually returned to our other duties and reluctantly left the boys on the streets.  The feeling of loss is so severe when you realize that you cannot help every child you meet, no matter how organized, motivated, and disciplined the group may be.  But these two children did not fade from memory.  Orphanages are overcrowded and hesitant to take in boys with addictions, so assisting kids of this nature is not an easy task.  But with the help of a local youth minister, Victor Ouma, they were able to get out of their “home,” an area behind street vendor kiosks, and into a real home, Victor’s.
 
 We then returned to the next order of business, to throw the most amazing birthday party any child could imagine, especially those who had never had a birthday party, and for many whom exact ages are unknown.  The planning began back in Southern California when Brooke Keegan, from Details Details Wedding & Event Planning based in Irvine, CA, was asked to contribute to Heart 4 Africa.  Her event expertise led her to develop the idea that would bring a day of pure bliss to the orphans.  In order to provide for such a fete, Heart 4 Africa planned a Southern California fundraiser. Top-notch event designer, Fiore Fresco, provided elegantly simple décor, while tunes were spun by the talented Nahchey of Dash DJ, and a mix of other event talents and services (photo booth included) were donated to provide guests a wonderful evening and to raise money to support the kids.  Our goal was met by the end of the evening, each child had a sponsor for the year and enough money was raised to purchase all the essentials for the children’s daily survival, for the party and more.

Keegan went shopping.  From princess costumes and superman hero suits to party favor toys and cupcake batter to bake, all details were tended to.  With local Kenyan news and media crews on-hand to document the big day, a royal birthday party was held.  Hosted in the Gospel Lighthouse Church, a large metal and tarp tent structure, the space allowed for an abundance of activities.  The kids partook in costume changes, face painting, clay and coloring activities, snacks, ball and sports games and much more.  The church was filled and decorated in colorful arrays of balloons, crepe paper, bubbles, cupcakes and candles, and the most popular element, the bounce house.

The shiest children at the beginning of the week donned batman capes and ran around like superheroes giggling uncontrollably.  “Superman” Bon, fit his role perfectly - he believed he was a superhero and he truly is in everyone’s eyes.  Keegan explained, “this event was meant to bring the children hope, value, and the feeling of self-worth—something they have had very little of.  We wanted them to know that they deserved to be celebrated just like everyone else and at the same time forget, if even for a moment, about their harsh reality at the orphanage.  The party definitely exceeded our expectations. This was the most rewarding experience of my life.”  With princess Brooke Keegan (in full costume) and King Mike Biggers on hand for story telling, the entire group had a role to play, catering to our royal guests and their every need. The event, not typical for a wedding party, “was the most spectacular event I’ve participated in,” explained Tyler Griffin of Griffin Video Productions based in Seattle, Washington.  Griffin not only gave his heart to these children but also brought with him his video equipment to document the journey in hopes of raising awareness and funding for the children in the future. 
 
When the celebration ended, our final goal was to move the children into a new home with all the modern necessities.  With the recent civil unrest in Kenya and many political constraints as well as social stigmas placed on orphans, finding a home was not an easy task.  We enlisted the invaluable help of two tireless affiliates of the orphanage, Ingrid Wekesa and Victor Ouma, to find these children a home that Heart 4 Africa could pay for, move them into, and nurture them in a safe and clean environment.  Almost ten days went by with homeowners not willing to rent to a children’s home, but still, there was no giving up.  On the last day of the journey, a lease was signed for a four-bedroom home in a gated community, complete with kitchen, functioning toilet, washer and dryer, electricity, and enough space to take on even more kids.  And so we did just that; Steven, the newest member to the home, is an eleven-year-old boy who had been living on the streets raising his four year old brother since his parents passed away.  With a shower and clean clothes, in one day, they were given the gift of a future – the premise for the charity’s foundation.

As you take that step down the aisle towards your future, there is so much abundance to be shared.  When planning your lavish affair, think about how you can better the lives of those who need it most.  Consider donating funds in lieu of favors to your favorite charity.  Leave a décor and color-coordinating card at each place setting informing your guests of your generous gift in their name.  Raise awareness by linking your favorite organizations to your wedding website.  Already have all you need on your registry?  Register with organizations such as the I Do Foundation (www.idofoundation.org) so guests can donate to your charity of choice instead of ordering you another tea set.  In need of a tea set?  Then register with retailers that contribute to worthy causes each time a couple registers.  Moving in together?  Donate all your excess home supplies to a local children’s home.  So much can be done with so little effort, it’s essential we all take part.

To learn more about Heart 4 Africa and how you can get involved, please visit HRT4AFRICA.org. Whether you donate old childrens’ clothes, sponsor a child for schooling and educational materials, or bring your special talents to this worthy cause; a little goes a long way in this community, and together, a global impact can be made. •