Once-in-a-lifetime trip: Vivian Walczesky to represent Soroptimist International in Africa

Next month, Vivian Walczesky will take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Kenya.

Walczesky will go on a safari to Lake Nakuru National Reserve in Nairobi. She also will visit the Masai Mara National Reserve and a Nairobi market. A member of Soroptimist of Monroe County, Walczesky will represent Soroptimist International, a global volunteer organization that provides education and training to women and girls.

In Africa, Walczesky will work with teen girls and also will help expand the new Soroptimist International African Federation. Walczesky is a current Soroptimist International of the Americas board member and the Laws and Resolutions chair.

“This will be my first trip there,” Walczesky said. “We have eight Soroptimists going. I fly from Detroit to Paris and from Paris to Nairobi. No one else from this area is going.”

The others are from Washington, Canada, California and Florida.

To prepare, Walczesky needed some vaccines. The yellow fever shot was a must.

“We all had to have vaccines for yellow fever. It is recommended that you get the vaccine card to take with you, since Kenya will be checking for the vaccine and card," Walczesky said. "Other vaccines were recommended, like Hepatitis A and B and malaria, but it was your decision to get those shots."

Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes. "As of 2023, 34 countries in Africa and 13 countries in Central and South America are either endemic for, or have regions that are endemic for, yellow fever," said the World Health Organization's website.

“We are taking mosquito nets for sleeping. I also have bug spray and other sprays to repel mosquitoes," Walczesky said.

She also needed to exchange money.

“The country of Kenya uses shillings,” she said. “The value of a U.S. dollar is worth 149.928 shillings."

In Kenya, Walczesky and the others will wear Soroptimist's blue and yellow colors and will work with high school girls on Days for Girls workshops.

“With these girls, we will be educating them on self-confidence, leadership, self-worth and how to be become a leader,” Walczesky said.

She and the others also will assist in chartering a new Soroptimist club in Nairobi.

"(There are) at least 13 to 15 women in the club,” Walczesky said. “It is my understanding that the ages of the women are between 22 and 30. After reviewing the charter information, they will receive an official chartering document that they are a Soroptimist club, having met all the criteria."

Walczesky has traveled before for Soroptimist.

"I have taken trips to other states on behalf of Soroptimist. Since I am a director on the board, I am required to visit other regions of the country. Last year I visited Sierra Pacific Region in California and Central East Coast Region in North Carolina. I just got back from Dublin, Ireland, for the Soroptimist International convention in July," she said.

She also has attended United Nations meetings as a Soroptimist delegate.

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Walczesky is looking forward to experiencing Kenya. The region is known for white and black rhinos, gazelles, hippos, lions, cheetahs, elephants and buffalo, Walczesky said. Nairobi and African cuisine is served. Swahili is spoken.

“I would like to see as many animals as possible, but mostly elephants and lions,” she said. “I would like to try as much of the food as possible, but we have been cautioned that any type of meat may not be prepared as in the States.”

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Vivian Walczesky to represent Soroptimist International in Africa