Baxter, who was there in August and September, says his time in Makindu was a deeply moving experience. He tells of taking some of the center's older orphans, many who had never ventured outside Makindu, to the major coastal city of Mombasa for a visit. I will never be the same. The changes Despite the many successes, the center still faces challenges. AIDS remains a massive problem in Kenya and across much of Africa.
Prostitution remains a major obstacle blocking the center's efforts to help teen-age girls.
And pervasive official corruption continues to pose trouble at nearly every turn. Barron says it was a difficult decision to leave Makindu and return to Brownsville. But she says the move was necessary to ensure the center's long-term survival. Barron intends to resume working full time as a physician's assistant in Junction City this week and will serve as the center's volunteer executive director in this country. The center also has a new director in Makindu, Josh Englehardt, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal.