By Judith Gicobi
Brittney Caldwell, 30, of Virginia, USA, discovered her interest in African culture while on vacation on the continent. Her experience had been so life-changing that she decided to return and eventually relocated to Kenya, selling her home in the United States in the process. What compelled her to take such a risk?
Caldwell told Travel Noire that following a Christmas vacation to the continent, she was instantly captivated.
“I knew I wanted to go back again, but I wanted my return visits to have more purpose, and not just be for a vacation,” she stated.
Her enthusiasm led her to Ghana, where she devoted much of her time working in schools, particularly in underprivileged areas. The majority of the time, the pupils lacked basic necessities as well as essential educational materials.
“I was so amazed by the children. The children were so smart, yet they managed to stay engaged with so few resources. The building was so worn down, they would literally get rained on some days,” she stated.
The native of the United States raised money to establish a computer lab in the area. Caldwell did her charitable work in Ghana and Kenya, a trip she said took barely five hours.
She described the incident on her YouTube channel, stating that she had gotten a job offer in Kenya while in the United States. She, on the other hand, began by helping in Ghana before relocating to Kenya.
“People ask me, ‘well, are you in Ghana or Kenya.’ When I begin applying for positions, I wasn’t able to secure the job I wanted with an international school in Ghana. But after visiting, I also felt at home in Kenya, so I took a position with an international school here.
I traveled between Ghana and Kenya —which is only a 5-hour trip, and much closer than being in the US— while we go through the building process,” she noted.
Caldwell eventually sold her home and resigned her career in the United States in order to teach at the International School of Kenya (ISK) for the first time.
She presently wishes to develop schools in the nation while also traveling around the continent to have a thorough understanding of African culture.
